Chapter 2
Binky returned home as shaky as ever. He ran into the house, nearly tripping on the doorstep. Mr. Barnes came across Binky and started to talk to him, but Binky interrupted him by saying, "Here's your medicine, card, and prescription, Dad" and dropping them on the ground and running off crying into his room.
Outside, Arthur and the others had seen Binky running into the house. "Binky's back," Buster said. "He should be out in a moment or so," said Buster. But they waited and waited and waited. However, even 10 minutes after Binky had returned home, he still did not return outside to play with the others.
"What's taking Binky so long?" Francine asked.
"I don't know," Arthur said. "Let's go inside and find out." Arthur, Buster, Francine, and Brain walked up to Binky's front door and rang the doorbell. Mr. Barnes answered the door. "Excuse me, but is Binky coming out again?" Arthur asked.
"I don't know," Mr. Barnes said, "but he sure is acting strange. He ran to his room crying."
"Binky crying?" Francine gasped. "Something must be troubling him."
Brain looked at his watch. "Oh well, I'd better be getting home anyway." The others agreed and darted off in different directions to return home.
The next day, Binky was sulking in his room, doing nothing but lying on his bed. "Maybe…" he theorized, "if I do nothing all day, my blood pressure will be normal." He had been lying on his bed for about 3 hours. Binky was almost in a completely tranquil state, when the sharp, annoying ringing of the telephone broke him out of his oneness with relaxation. "Oh, darn it!" snapped Binky. "My blood pressure's sure to be sky-high now!" He answered the phone. "What do you want?" he growled.
"Binky? Are you okay?" It was the Brain.
"No, I'm not okay," Binky grumbled.
"What's wrong?" his friend asked.
"Will you promise not to tell anyone?" Binky asked.
"Sure, Binky," the Brain said.
"Okay…remember when I went to the pharmacy to pick up my dad's medicine?" Binky asked.
"Yes," said the Brain.
"Well, while I was waiting, I wanted to sit in a chair, but they didn't have any. Then, I saw a stool attached to this machine for checking blood pressure. I sat down and had my blood pressure checked," said Binky.
"And?" the Brain asked.
"Both times, my blood pressure was high!" cried Binky. He then sobbed. "What have I done? I need help, Brain. How can I lower my blood pressure?"
"Come over to my house, and I'll see what we can do to lower your blood pressure," Brain said.
"Okay," said Binky. He hung up the phone and left his room for Brain's house. For the first time in hours, he felt hopeful that he could get better.