The next morning, Danny got to school right before the bell rang. He'd
woken up ten minutes before, and had to fly to school in order to get there
on time at all. He'd been up for most of the night worrying about Sam.
Tucker and he had brought her to the school nurse, with the excuse that Sam
had fainted from exhaustion after gym class. When she didn't awaken after
an hour, the nurse called the hospital.
Danny knew how Sam might feel. Soon after getting his powers, he kept over extending himself when fighting ghosts. He fainted once or twice for an hour or two, and Sam and tucker had to cover for him. He sighed. Oh Sam, he thought, I hope you're ok.
Tucker and he met after first period to discuss what to do. Tucker was all for missing English to go visit her, but Danny decided that they shouldn't attempt that. He was barely scraping by with a C- in that class, and he didn't want to risk failing. So they agreed to meet after school to go visit her in the hospital.
All day in his classes, Danny couldn't concentrate. He kept thinking about Sam. It was all his fault this had happened. But what was "this" exactly? He still didn't know what had happened. Why had they been sent to those woods? What had Sam read on the stone? She had been about to tell them when they had been sent back. Were they really even there? Tucker said that they'd only spaced out for a moment before fainting. Was it all some sort of dream? If it was then how could Sam remember? Back to Sam again. It was all his fault.
Every time he saw Sam's face in his mind, a strange shiver passed through his entire being. What was that? What did it mean? It wasn't like he had a crush on her or anything. I mean, come on, she was his best friend. JUST his best friend. Right? RIGHT?
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Danny and tucker made it out of school. "Ok," Danny admitted. "Perhaps waiting till now to go to the hospital was a bad idea. I'm pretty sure I failed today's chem. test."
"Why?" asked tucker. "It's not like you're the one who's sick. Or is there something you aren't telling me?" He looked at Danny with one eyebrow raised.
"Er...right," said Danny. "Um, let's, uh...we should hurry. Come on."
Danny and Tucker ran to the nearest bus stop, barely managing to catch the bus before it pulled away. As they drove downtown, Danny looked out the window. The buildings rushed by, but Danny couldn't see them. All he saw was a face. Sam's face, looking up at him. He slapped himself, hard. "Cut it out, Danny," he said.
"Huh?" Tucker asked.
"Nothing. How much longer till we reach the CityCenter Hospital?"
"Um..." Tucker glanced at his watch. "I'd say in about two minutes, twenty- three seconds, allowing for traffic."
And sure enough, two minutes, eighteen seconds later, they pulled up at the hospital. Danny almost phased through the bus door, he was so restless to get inside. They were told the room number was 339, on the third floor. As soon as the two boys got into the elevator, Danny ghosted up through the floors, leaving Tucker yelling obscenities at his retreating form. He burst through the wall into Sam's room, and carefully looked around. Her room was empty. He supposed her parents had gone to get something to eat. Danny became human again.
He looked down at Sam's bed. If she'd awoken since yesterday's disturbing experience, you wouldn't know it. She lay sleeping on the hospital bed. Her skin was so pale, Danny thought, and her hair had a sheen that made her seem almost inhuman. Her eyelashes were long, and they fluttered in her restless sleep. Her normally harsh eyebrows were relaxed as they only could be in sleep. Her lips were so red, and they were almost smiling.
He looked at her, and then something happened. A strange sensation of craving and desire gripped his entire being. It was as if something was forcing him forward, toward Sam, toward her, toward her face. No! Stop! He told his body feverishly, but he couldn't stop himself. He leaned toward Sam's still face, toward her lips, gently moving in and out with her breath.
Just then tucked burst into the room. "Danny, come quick!" he shouted, paying no attention to what was going on inside the room. "there's something out here that you need to fix! Now, come on!"
Danny knew how Sam might feel. Soon after getting his powers, he kept over extending himself when fighting ghosts. He fainted once or twice for an hour or two, and Sam and tucker had to cover for him. He sighed. Oh Sam, he thought, I hope you're ok.
Tucker and he met after first period to discuss what to do. Tucker was all for missing English to go visit her, but Danny decided that they shouldn't attempt that. He was barely scraping by with a C- in that class, and he didn't want to risk failing. So they agreed to meet after school to go visit her in the hospital.
All day in his classes, Danny couldn't concentrate. He kept thinking about Sam. It was all his fault this had happened. But what was "this" exactly? He still didn't know what had happened. Why had they been sent to those woods? What had Sam read on the stone? She had been about to tell them when they had been sent back. Were they really even there? Tucker said that they'd only spaced out for a moment before fainting. Was it all some sort of dream? If it was then how could Sam remember? Back to Sam again. It was all his fault.
Every time he saw Sam's face in his mind, a strange shiver passed through his entire being. What was that? What did it mean? It wasn't like he had a crush on her or anything. I mean, come on, she was his best friend. JUST his best friend. Right? RIGHT?
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Danny and tucker made it out of school. "Ok," Danny admitted. "Perhaps waiting till now to go to the hospital was a bad idea. I'm pretty sure I failed today's chem. test."
"Why?" asked tucker. "It's not like you're the one who's sick. Or is there something you aren't telling me?" He looked at Danny with one eyebrow raised.
"Er...right," said Danny. "Um, let's, uh...we should hurry. Come on."
Danny and Tucker ran to the nearest bus stop, barely managing to catch the bus before it pulled away. As they drove downtown, Danny looked out the window. The buildings rushed by, but Danny couldn't see them. All he saw was a face. Sam's face, looking up at him. He slapped himself, hard. "Cut it out, Danny," he said.
"Huh?" Tucker asked.
"Nothing. How much longer till we reach the CityCenter Hospital?"
"Um..." Tucker glanced at his watch. "I'd say in about two minutes, twenty- three seconds, allowing for traffic."
And sure enough, two minutes, eighteen seconds later, they pulled up at the hospital. Danny almost phased through the bus door, he was so restless to get inside. They were told the room number was 339, on the third floor. As soon as the two boys got into the elevator, Danny ghosted up through the floors, leaving Tucker yelling obscenities at his retreating form. He burst through the wall into Sam's room, and carefully looked around. Her room was empty. He supposed her parents had gone to get something to eat. Danny became human again.
He looked down at Sam's bed. If she'd awoken since yesterday's disturbing experience, you wouldn't know it. She lay sleeping on the hospital bed. Her skin was so pale, Danny thought, and her hair had a sheen that made her seem almost inhuman. Her eyelashes were long, and they fluttered in her restless sleep. Her normally harsh eyebrows were relaxed as they only could be in sleep. Her lips were so red, and they were almost smiling.
He looked at her, and then something happened. A strange sensation of craving and desire gripped his entire being. It was as if something was forcing him forward, toward Sam, toward her, toward her face. No! Stop! He told his body feverishly, but he couldn't stop himself. He leaned toward Sam's still face, toward her lips, gently moving in and out with her breath.
Just then tucked burst into the room. "Danny, come quick!" he shouted, paying no attention to what was going on inside the room. "there's something out here that you need to fix! Now, come on!"