Thea at Sixteen (4 page)

“Then you are still interested,” Mrs. Chambers said. “Oh, I am delighted. And I'm sure you'll love Gina, the little girl I told you about last week. We all just love doing things for her. Would you like to meet her?”

Thea nodded. “What should I know about her first?” she asked.

“Oh, not that much,” Mrs. Chambers said. “She has leukemia, which used to be fatal in just about every case, but lately there have been some real breakthroughs in treatment, and there's a sixty-percent survival rate in its childhood form nowadays. This isn't Gina's first stay at the hospital, so she's an old pro, but there's nothing tough or hard about her. Her family is from Briarton, so her mother and her brother visit daily.”

“Why is she getting a Friendly Visitor, then?” Thea asked. “I'd think you'd use them more for kids who live further away.”

“That's how we usually place them,” Mrs. Chambers said. “But Gina is a special child, and the days here in the hospital are very long. I'll tell you what. Why don't I introduce you, and if the chemistry is right, then you can be her Friendly Visitor. If one or the other of you has reservations, which I just can't see happening, then we'll find another child for you to visit with. All right?”

“Fine,” Thea said, getting up. Mrs. Chambers smiled at her, but didn't offer her any ruby slippers to click. Instead they walked through several hospital corridors, leaving Thea lost and confused. She'd need a Friendly Visitor herself to guide her through the hospital maze.

“It seems confusing now,” Mrs. Chambers said, “but after a couple of times here, you'll know your way around. All hospitals are like that, confusing at first, and then you feel at home.”

Thea wasn't sure she wanted to feel at home in a hospital. She hadn't had much experience with them except on TV shows.

“This is the wing we want,” Mrs. Chambers said. “And Gina's ward is right through this door.” She opened it, and Thea was relieved to see it didn't look much worse than a dormitory. Not that she'd had much experience with dorms, either.

There were six beds in the room, and four of them were occupied. The room was large and sunlit, and there were toys casually scattered in one corner. Each bed had its own table, and the pictures on the walls were of teddy bears and rainbows, the sorts of things grown-ups often figured kids would like. Two of the kids were sleeping, one was crying, and one was reading. Thea was relieved when they walked over to the bed of the girl who was reading.

“Gina Dozier, I'd like you to meet Thea Sebastian,” Mrs. Chambers said. “Thea, this is Gina, whom I've told you so much about.”

“Only good things,” Thea assured Gina, checking her out as casually as she could manage. She was surprised to see how old Gina was, eleven or twelve was her guess. Somehow she'd pictured a much younger girl, five or six, cuddling with a doll. Instead Gina was reading
TV Dreamstars
magazine. Thea had read it herself at that age.

“Gina, you know about our Friendly Visitor program,” Mrs. Chambers said. “Bucky and Marie both have Friendly Visitors who come to see them. Well, Thea would like to be your Friendly Visitor. What do you think about that?”

Gina stared at Thea, who blushed.

“Only if you like me,” Thea said. “If you don't like me then I don't have to be your Friendly Visitor.”

Gina smiled then, and Thea started to understand why Mrs. Chambers thought Gina was so special. It was a beautiful smile. Gina was too thin to be pretty, but her smile lit up the room. Thea smiled right back at her.

“Why don't I leave you girls alone for a bit,” Mrs. Chambers said. “You'll have a chance to get to know each other. Thea, after you and Gina are through, come back to my office, and we can discuss matters. Ask anyone for directions. Gina, dear, I'll see you later.”

Thea watched as Mrs. Chambers deserted her. She didn't know what to do or say, until Gina pointed out a chair by her bed. Thea sat down in it and smiled some more.

“Do you get paid for being a Friendly Visitor?” Gina asked.

Thea shook her head. “It's volunteer work,” she replied. “Why?”

“I was just wondering,” Gina said. “I've seen them visit Bucky and Marie, and I always wondered if they got paid to. Bucky's getting radiation treatment now. That's Marie in that bed there, crying. She cries all the time.”

“I guess having a Friendly Visitor isn't the answer to all your problems, then,” Thea said. “Unless she's crying because of her Friendly Visitor.”

Gina smiled. “She's crying because her parents are getting a divorce and she feels like she's responsible. Because she's sick. If she hadn't gotten sick, she figures they wouldn't be getting divorced. Are your parents divorced?”

“No,” Thea said. “They love each other a lot.”

“My parents are divorced,” Gina declared. “Sometimes I think it's because of me.”

“I'm sure it isn't,” Thea said. “People get divorced all the time whether their kids are sick or not. Lots of times they get divorced and they don't even have kids. I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you.”

“I don't,” Gina said. “Not like Marie. Besides, my parents have been divorced for ages. I haven't even seen my father in four years. Kip says he could even be dead. Dani says she hopes he is.”

“Who are Kip and Dani?” Thea asked.

“My brother and sister,” Gina replied. “They're both older than me. I'm twelve. How old are you?”

“Sixteen,” Thea said. “And I have a sister who's just your age. Sybil. And another sister, Claire, who's fourteen, and another sister, Evvie, who's eighteen. No brothers, though.”

“Kip is eighteen,” Gina said. “Dani is fifteen. That's short for Danielle. Is Thea short for something?”

“Just Thea,” Thea replied. “Is Gina short for something?”

“Just Gina,” Gina said. “I'm the youngest. I'm in sixth grade. What grade is Sybil in?”

“Seventh,” Thea said. “She just started.”

“I've missed lots of school,” Gina said. “This is my fourth time in the hospital. Have you ever been in a hospital?”

Thea shook her head.

“You're lucky,” Gina said. “They take your blood all the time, and they give you medicines that make you throw up and your hair falls out and after a while your friends don't come and visit anymore. They think leukemia is catching, or maybe they just don't like watching me puke. This is my own hair, though. Bucky's bald and Marie's hair is falling out. Those two kids sleeping are new here. I don't really know them. I like Bucky. He's ten, but he's smart for his age. Marie's okay when she isn't crying.”

“I'd cry, too, if my hair was falling out and my parents were getting a divorce,” Thea said. “Don't you ever cry?”

“Sure, sometimes,” Gina said. “Not as much as I used to, though. The first time all my hair fell out I thought it was kind of funny. I was real little then. The second time, I cried. By the second time my dad was gone.”

“Did you miss him?” Thea asked.

“I missed my hair more,” Gina replied. “What's Sybil like?”

“She's funny,” Thea said. “She saves all her money, and she's always figuring out ways to get some more. She loves to read, we all do, but she never buys any books. She takes them out of the library instead, because they're free. And she does wonderful things with her hands. She can fix things and strip down old furniture and paint really delicate things. She had a doll-repair shop last year. Kids would bring in their broken dolls and she would fix them, even paint their fingernails and toenails. She does very well in school, too.”

“Does she have lots of friends?” Gina asked.

“She has enough,” Thea replied. “We move around a lot. It's hard having friends when you move around.”

“We move, too,” Gina said. “The place we're living in now is really bad, it's so small. Dani and Mom share a bedroom and Kip sleeps in the living room. Kip should be here soon. Mom visits me every afternoon, but then she leaves about three, because she has to go home and make something for supper for Dani and Kip and then she goes to work. And then Kip comes a little after four and he stays until they serve me supper. Kip graduated from high school in June. I went, and when they called his name I clapped even though you weren't supposed to. Did your sister graduate from high school?”

“Evvie?” Thea said. “In June. I went to her graduation, too, but I didn't clap.”

“Did she graduate from Briarton?” Gina asked. “Maybe she knows Kip.”

Thea shook her head. “We just moved here a month or so ago,” she said. “Evvie went to high school in Harrison.”

“I've never been there,” Gina said. “I went to Washington, D.C., once. And I'd like to go to Disneyland. Have you ever been to Disneyland?”

“No,” Thea said.

“They have special programs for kids with cancer,” Gina said. “The kid makes a wish and then they grant the wish. Mom applied for me a couple of times, but I never got to go to Disneyland. Does Sybil want to go to Disneyland?”

“Not if it costs money,” Thea said, and she and Gina both laughed.

“Disneyland is kind of a kid place,” Gina said. “Now, I'd really like to meet Dirk Marshall. He's on
The Forever Family
. Do you watch that?”

“I've seen it once or twice,” Thea said.

“I think he's so cute,” Gina said. “Here's a picture of him. I'd put it up over my bed, but they don't let us. Isn't he cute?”

Thea checked out Dirk Marshall's picture in
TV Dreamstars
. He was cute. “You're right,” she said. “Look at those eyes.”

“You have blue eyes, too,” Gina said. “My eyes are brown. So are Kip's and Dani's. Dani is really pretty. She doesn't come to visit me very often because she hates hospitals. She says it isn't fair to expect her to spend time in them when she isn't the one who's sick. I'm talking a lot. Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” Thea said. “I think you're interesting.”

“Do you really?” Gina asked.

“I really do,” Thea said. “I'd like to be your Friendly Visitor if you'd like it.”

Gina nodded. “Maybe we could be friends, too,” she said. “Marie and Bucky aren't friends with their Friendly Visitors, but that's because their Friendly Visitors are grown-ups. Could we be friends?”

“I don't see why not,” Thea said. “Maybe when you're feeling up to it, you could visit me at home. You could be my Friendly Visitor for the day.”

“And I could meet your sisters,” Gina said. “Maybe Sybil and I could become friends, too.”

“I think you'd like each other,” Thea said.

“Who would like who?”

“Kip!” Gina said. “Kip, this is Thea. She's my Friendly Visitor. Thea, this is Kip, my brother.”

Thea smiled. “Hi, Kip,” she said. “I didn't hear you walk in.”

“I walk softly,” Kip said. “But I carry a big stick.” He looked at Thea, who waited for him to smile, which he didn't. Eventually she stopped waiting. She would have liked to see him smile, to see if his smile rivaled Gina's. Not that he wasn't good-looking without the smile. Not as cute as Dirk Marshall, but definitely good-looking, with dark brown hair and brown eyes.

“Gina's been telling me all about your family,” Thea said. “We only met a few minutes ago, but I feel like I know all of you.”

“Lucky girl,” Kip said, and then he turned his attention to Gina. “Hi there, pumpkinhead,” he said. “How has your day been?”

“Boring,” Gina said.

“Did you do your arithmetic lesson?” Kip asked.

“I tried, but I couldn't figure it out,” Gina said. “It's hard when there's no one to ask. I did my English, though. I read the story in the book and I answered all the questions.”

“Good,” Kip said. “Did Mom help you?”

Gina shook her head. “Mom brought her checkbook and her bills,” she replied. “And she said there wasn't enough money for any of them. She complained about Dani a lot. She said Dani got caught shoplifting and the store was making her pay for all the stuff she stole. She said she wished Dani would steal from cheaper stores and that if she got into trouble like this one more time then she'd just let her go to jail and see how Dani liked that.”

“I'll talk to Dani tonight,” Kip said. “I don't really think she wants to go to jail.”

“I bet the food in jail is even worse than it is here,” Gina said.

“Speaking of which, I brought you a doughnut,” Kip said. He whipped out a paper bag and handed it to his sister. “Chocolate creme. Your favorite.”

Gina looked in the bag. “Maybe later,” she said. “I'm not really hungry right now.”

“Later, then,” Kip said. “All right. If you feel up to it, why don't we start on that arithmetic lesson.”

“Not while Thea is here,” Gina said. “Thea's going to be my friend, too, Kip. And she'll visit me and then you won't have to come here so much.”

“I like coming here,” Kip said. “Are you going to deprive me of that, pumpkinhead?”

“Nobody likes coming here,” Gina said.

“True,” Kip said. “I like seeing you. And if the only place to see you is here, then coming here isn't so bad. Is that honest enough for you?”

Gina nodded.

“So let's get to work on that arithmetic lesson,” Kip said.

“Can Thea help?” Gina asked.

“Sure,” Kip said. “How's your long division?”

“Fabulous,” Thea replied. “I'm the envy of all I know.”

Gina giggled, and even Kip smiled. It was half Gina's smile and it looked like it took him twice the effort.

“No arithmetic now, I'm afraid,” a nurse said, walking toward Gina's bed. “I need a few minutes alone with Gina, if you don't mind.”