In the nurse's office, Mrs. Xerxes was bandaging her wound. "You lost a lot
of blood, honey. You might need a transfusion."
"A transfusion?" Nikole asked, sitting on the hospital bed. "They actually donate?"
"Yes, dear."
Harry and Dudley came bursting into the office, breathless.
The nurse smiled and said, "Good day, to you."
Dudley smiled and sat down on the green sofa next to the door, which left Harry standing.
"See Dudley caught up," Nikole remarked. The nurse pressed the gauze pad hard against the wound. Nikole flinched.
"It's alright," soothed Mrs. Xerxes, her Irish accent blooming in her words. "It may continue to hurt for a while, but it wont as long as you stay away from water."
"Away from water?" Nikole exclaimed. "But, I need to kill the Great Whites!"
"Sorry, dear, but you cant."
"But-"
"No more buts." Mrs. Xerxes motioned Nikole to stand. "Now, stand up."
Nikole obeyed. The tiled floor was still wet from the blood and water that used to be trickling from her body. Nikole grabbed the bed for support.
"Where does it hurt?" Mrs. Xerxes asked.
"Just where the wound is." Nikole shivered, for she was still in her two- piece, the water and sweat that was on her already dry. She looked up and saw Harry leaning against the threshold. "Thanks, Mrs. Xerxes. I appreciate it."
"Now remember dear! No water!" she called out after Nikole left the room, dragging Harry, who was dragging Dudley.
"Alright!" Nikole answered. Once in the hall, Harry removed his plaid button-down and placed it over Nikole's shoulders. Dudley was in the restroom, so to him it was safe.
He looked at Nikole and smiled. He saw in her eyes the determination and beauty that life only brought. "Better?"
"Yeah. Thanks." Nikole answered his smile with hers. He was still in a gray T-shirt, and Nikole thought he was the most handsome thing on earth. "But, you better take it back. Dudley could appear at any given moment." She removed the button-down and returned it. Harry reluctantly took it and replied, "I guess you're right."
Dudley appeared from an alley and said, "Let's go."
Nikole and Harry followed. Once they were outside, Lieutenant Clusters ran toward Nikole.
"Well? Are you set?" she asked.
Nikole shook her head. "I cant go anywhere near water if I ever want this wound to heal. Sorry, Lieutenant."
"It's alright. We'll have General Shafter and Captain Jippers to do the job. Well, you best be going to your dormitories. You must be getting packed for the big day tomorrow." Lieutenant Clusters walked away.
"What big day?" Dudley asked.
"I'm going to school tomorrow," Nikole answered.
"Same here," Harry remarked. "Apparently, lots of schools begin the same time."
"Guess," Nikole shrugged. "Well, I have to go. Bye."
"A transfusion?" Nikole asked, sitting on the hospital bed. "They actually donate?"
"Yes, dear."
Harry and Dudley came bursting into the office, breathless.
The nurse smiled and said, "Good day, to you."
Dudley smiled and sat down on the green sofa next to the door, which left Harry standing.
"See Dudley caught up," Nikole remarked. The nurse pressed the gauze pad hard against the wound. Nikole flinched.
"It's alright," soothed Mrs. Xerxes, her Irish accent blooming in her words. "It may continue to hurt for a while, but it wont as long as you stay away from water."
"Away from water?" Nikole exclaimed. "But, I need to kill the Great Whites!"
"Sorry, dear, but you cant."
"But-"
"No more buts." Mrs. Xerxes motioned Nikole to stand. "Now, stand up."
Nikole obeyed. The tiled floor was still wet from the blood and water that used to be trickling from her body. Nikole grabbed the bed for support.
"Where does it hurt?" Mrs. Xerxes asked.
"Just where the wound is." Nikole shivered, for she was still in her two- piece, the water and sweat that was on her already dry. She looked up and saw Harry leaning against the threshold. "Thanks, Mrs. Xerxes. I appreciate it."
"Now remember dear! No water!" she called out after Nikole left the room, dragging Harry, who was dragging Dudley.
"Alright!" Nikole answered. Once in the hall, Harry removed his plaid button-down and placed it over Nikole's shoulders. Dudley was in the restroom, so to him it was safe.
He looked at Nikole and smiled. He saw in her eyes the determination and beauty that life only brought. "Better?"
"Yeah. Thanks." Nikole answered his smile with hers. He was still in a gray T-shirt, and Nikole thought he was the most handsome thing on earth. "But, you better take it back. Dudley could appear at any given moment." She removed the button-down and returned it. Harry reluctantly took it and replied, "I guess you're right."
Dudley appeared from an alley and said, "Let's go."
Nikole and Harry followed. Once they were outside, Lieutenant Clusters ran toward Nikole.
"Well? Are you set?" she asked.
Nikole shook her head. "I cant go anywhere near water if I ever want this wound to heal. Sorry, Lieutenant."
"It's alright. We'll have General Shafter and Captain Jippers to do the job. Well, you best be going to your dormitories. You must be getting packed for the big day tomorrow." Lieutenant Clusters walked away.
"What big day?" Dudley asked.
"I'm going to school tomorrow," Nikole answered.
"Same here," Harry remarked. "Apparently, lots of schools begin the same time."
"Guess," Nikole shrugged. "Well, I have to go. Bye."