Hi everyone!

I'm not sure about meningitis patients but when my granny was in hospital she used her phone, so I based it on that. Sorry if it confused anyone!

Please R&R!


Chapter 7

Two weeks later, Stevie, Carole and Lisa were on the phone.

"I've gotta go guys, mum wants the phone." Lisa said to the other members of the saddle club. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye Lisa!" Carole and Stevie said in unison. Stevie waited until Lisa was off the phone before telling Carole the fabulous idea that had just formed in her head. "Carole, I just had a great idea!" Stevie said excitedly.

"What's that?"

"Well Alex is able to go back to normal stuff like school and horse riding tomorrow."

"Really! Why didn't you say earlier?"

"Because, Lisa was on the phone too. If I'd said then, the plan wouldn't work."

"Another great 'Stevie Lake' plan?"

"It sure is! So, you and Lisa arrive at normal time and Alex and I are really late."

"Yea…" Carole replied, waiting for Stevie to elaborate.

"You and Lisa go for a hack and when Alex and I arrive we go for a hack too. We'll take the shortcut to the waterfall."

"Let me guess," Carole said with a smile. "Lisa and I take the longer route and meet you there. Then we leave Alex and Lisa alone for a while?"

"That's the plan! What do you think? Romantic, huh!" Stevie said beaming from her position on her bed in her room.

"Definitely!" Carole replied with a grin identical to Stevie's.

The next day Lisa was waiting for Carole on the fence of the front paddock. When she saw Colonel Hanson's car, she jumped down from the fence and ran to greet Carole as she got out of the car.

Carole looked up as her dad drove into Pine Hollow and saw Lisa jump down from the fence and run towards her.

"Hi Lisa!" Carole called to Lisa waving.

"Hi Carole!" Lisa said as she reached Carole's car. "Where's Stevie?" she asked as Carole usually rang Stevie to make sure she was up on time.

"She said that she was going to be late." Carole said as she clambered out of the car.

"Why?" Lisa asked curiously as they both waved goodbye to Carole's father.

"Something about tidying up." Carole said as both girls made their way towards the horse's stables. Lisa privately thought to herself that if Stevie was tidying her room, then they could be waiting all day for her to arrive at the stables. Her room was very messy but it was just the way Stevie liked it.

"Hi Prancer!" Lisa spoke to the chestnut mare as soon as she reached her stable. She slipped inside and in the stable next-door Carole was just stepping inside.

"Hi Starlight!" she murmured to her gelding. "Want to go for a hack Lisa?" Carole called to Lisa in the stable next door.

"Sure." She heard Lisa call back. "Will Stevie know where to find us?"

"I told her on the phone that we might go for a hack." She slipped out of Starlight's stable just as Lisa was bolting Prancer's stable door and they walked over to the tack room.

"So," Lisa said as she lifted Prancer's saddle from its space on the wall. "Where are we going to go for this hack?"

"It's a surprise!" Carole said mysteriously to Lisa.

"Ooooh! A mystery!" Lisa said sarcastically as she slung Prancer's bridle over her shoulder.

"Come on," Carole called from the doorway of the tack room. "Let's go tack up for this 'mystery hack' as you call it." Giggling, Carole and Lisa left the tack room and went back to their horses. As they groomed and then tacked up Prancer and Starlight, they discussed whether or not to ask Mrs Reg for some food to bring and have a picnic. In the end they got enough food for themselves and Stevie if she turned up.

"I know Stevie has a big appetite but I don't think she'll eat that much!" Lisa said looking at the two extra portions that Carole was packing in her saddlebag. "Riding sometimes makes you hungry. So it's just in case we get extra hungry."

"Hmmm." Lisa said opening up her saddlebag and peering inside. "I suppose we're going to die of thirst without this much water and juice?" she said, indicating inside her open saddlebag, which held three flasks of juice and a bottle of water. Both girls giggled before turning towards the woods and starting their hack.

A short while after Carole and Lisa left for their hack, Stevie and Alex arrived at Pine Hollow. They waked into the stable block and headed for Starlight and Prancer's stables. They peered inside and noticed that they were empty.

"They've probably already gone for their hack." Stevie said to Alex turning away and starting towards Belle's stable. "If we hurry and tack up we'll be able to catch them."

"But they could be miles away by now!" Alex moaned, walking towards Comanche's stable, saddle and bridle in hand.

"Don't worry." Stevie said while sliding a body brush over Belle's back and legs. "I know a shortcut. We can meet them there."

"I hope they're still there when we arrive." Alex said putting down Comanche's hoof and hoisting his saddle into place.

"They will be." Stevie said confidently.