The Broken Leg of Doom

by Pamela Butchart

  And that’s when MAISIE grabbed the reading light and held it even CLOSER to Seb’s face and said, “And it was YOU making all the scratching and scraping sounds at night, wasn’t it? You were writing messages on my LEG!”

  And I looked at Jodi and she looked at me because Maisie had just solved the mystery of the NIGHT-TIME SOUNDS.

  And then Seb said, “Yes, it was me. I didn’t want you to leave!”

  And then Jodi said, “And is the reason you didn’t want Maisie to leave because you made a deal with the MUMMY that you accidentally released when you disturbed the tomb in the hospital basement?”

  And that’s when Seb looked REALLY shocked and he didn’t say anything and we knew that it was because HE knew that WE knew about the

  and that he hadn’t been expecting that!

  And Jodi said, “I saw you with the mummy last night. He was giving you a bit of his TREASURE because you let him stay free, wasn’t he? That’s why you gave him a HIGH FIVE. He probably gave you that WATCH you’re wearing today.”

  And Seb looked down at his watch but he didn’t say anything.

  And then Jodi said, “And YOU didn’t want to be cursed for life for disturbing the tomb and you knew that the curse had to go SOMEWHERE so you made it go inside Maisie’s leg because it looks a bit like a MUMMY, didn’t you? You’re working with the mummy!”

  And then Seb got a REALLY WEIRD look on his face and then he said, “YES. Yes, that’s all correct. I’m working with the mummy.”

  And that’s when Maisie walked towards Seb. And it took AGES because she wasn’t very good at using her crutches yet. And when she eventually got there she leaned in close to his face.

  And then she said, “No. You’re not. You US now. Got it?!”

  And I was SHOCKED and I could tell that Jodi and Zach were TOO because of the looks on their faces. Because we had never SEEN this side of Maisie before! And I knew that it must be because Maisie didn’t like being LIED to by a NEW FRIEND and also because friends don’t kidnap each other’s HUMPBACK WHALES.

  And that’s when Seb sat up straight and said, “Got it.”

  Jodi closed the curtains and made us take off our shoes and put them on the floor close to the edge of the curtain so it looked like we were still standing in them. But we weren’t. Because we’d all sneaked out of the ward and were hurrying down the corridor in our socks.

  Because we were on our way to find the MUMMY so we could put him back in his TOMB and get the CURSE out of Maisie’s LEG.

  Seb said that he knew somewhere that the MUMMY might be LURKING and that’s when Jodi said that he needed to take us there

  And that he was going to help us get the mummy into the LIFT and down to the BASEMENT so that we could get it back into the TOMB.

  Seb said that he would TRY but that it wouldn’t be easy because the mummy DEFINITELY wouldn’t want to go back in its TOMB and that it might take DAYS or even WEEKS to convince it.

  And that’s when Maisie held up one of her CRUTCHES and POINTED it at Seb and said that he was going to make it happen TODAY and that MUMMIES shouldn’t be running LOOSE around a hospital with DIRTY OLD BANDAGES falling off them and that it was UNHYGIENIC.

  So that’s when Seb nodded LOADS and I giggled a bit because it was quite funny seeing Maisie look so angry and pointing her crutches at people. But then Maisie gave me a LOOK and I stopped giggling right away because I didn’t want her to point her crutches at me.

  That’s when Seb yelled, “Follow me!”

  And then he ran ahead of us.

  So Jodi yelled, “Hey! Slow down!” because Seb was running too fast for us to keep up with him because Maisie was using her crutches.

  But Seb DIDN’T slow down. He actually started to run FASTER.

  And that’s when Jodi gasped and said, “Is he trying to run away from us? I bet he’s trying to warn the MUMMY!”

  So I shouted, “JODI, GO!”

  And Jodi started to run after Seb and that’s when Maisie said it would be quicker if we carried her so me and Zach took an arm and a leg each and Maisie yelled,

  So we ran after Jodi along the corridor and around a TWISTY corner until we came to a big door that said “DOCTORS’ MESS”.

  We had no idea what that meant but Zach said that it was a DEAD END and that there weren’t any other doors and that Seb and Jodi must have gone inside.

  So we put Maisie back down and peeked round the door.

  And it WAS messy inside because there were dirty coffee cups and empty sandwich packets and newspapers EVERYWHERE. And also loads and LOADS of old TRAINERS lying around.

  But we couldn’t see Jodi or Seb anywhere.

  But then all of a sudden we heard someone say, “PSSSST!”

  And we looked around and saw Jodi hiding behind a sofa.

  So we ran over and Jodi whispered, “Get down! The mummy’s in the toilet!”

  I looked at Zach and he looked at me because we were both confused about what was going on and I didn’t even know that mummies USED the toilet!

  That’s when Jodi pointed to the far end of the room and whispered, “Over there. You see that door. I think it’s a toilet. Seb went inside and I heard him talking to someone. The MUMMY must be hiding in there.”

  That’s when Jodi said that she’d found a SHEET and that we needed to throw it over the mummy when it came out of the toilet and then somehow get it out of here and into the LIFT.

  And I thought that sounded like a

  but before I could say that, Zach said it was a

  but that we needed to get CLOSER to the bathroom door by hiding behind another sofa that was closer to the toilet. And also that we should use the SHOELACES from the old trainers that were lying around to tie the mummy’s hands and arms behind its back in case it tried to put up a STRUGGLE.

  So that’s when we all started to move closer and Zach told us to pick up as many TRAINERS as we could on the way and I was really glad that we were all in our SOCKS because it meant we could walk without making a sound.

  But then before we reached the couch, the toilet door started to open and we heard Seb say, “YOU shouldn’t be in here either, should you?”

  And that’s when the MUMMY walked out and I SCREAMED and started throwing the TRAINERS at it because I’d never SEEN a mummy before and it looked SCARY.

  That’s when Jodi shouted, “IZZY!” because I’d just ruined the plan!

  So I stopped throwing the trainers and tried to say sorry but nothing came out because I was in SHOCK.

  Then all of a sudden the door behind us started to open and loads of nurses walked in and the mummy turned and RAN out of another door that we hadn’t even noticed was there! And that’s when Zach shouted, “FOLLOW THAT MUMMY!”

  So we did. And Jodi GRABBED Seb by the arm and dragged him out with us and we all ran down the corridor.

  And we kept passing bits of old BANDAGES on the ground and I was starting to think that the mummy was DISINTEGRATING because it had been out of its tomb for too long or something.

  But then the mummy disappeared around the corner and when we caught up we saw that it was getting into the lift so that’s when I shouted, “ZACH! DO IT!”

  And Zach knew EXACTLY what I meant so he RAN towards the lift but before he could jump up into the air and do his NINJA KICK THING he slipped and went CRASHING into the wall.

  So we ran over to help him and he said, “Sorry! It’s the SOCKS!”

  And that’s when we all looked up and saw the mummy looking RIGHT at us from inside the lift.

  And then the doors closed and it was GONE.

  And Zach said, “We’ve lost him.”

  But then Jodi said, “No, we’ve not.”

  And then she pointed to the sign above the lift and it said, “SERVICE LIFT – BASEMENT ONLY.”

  And then she smiled and said, “We’ve got him right where we want him!”

  As soon as the lift doors opened, Jodi stepped out and said, “We know you’re down here. There’s no p
oint in hiding. There’s five of us and only ONE of you. And we both know that you’re ANCIENT and starting to fall apart. It’s time for you to give up!”

  And that’s when we heard someone LAUGH.

  And I couldn’t BELIEVE that the mummy was laughing at us!

  Then a voice from the darkness said, “That was a bit cheeky! And also, you’re not allowed down here. Please go right back to wherever you’re supposed to be.”

  That’s when Seb whispered, “I told you he wasn’t going to cooperate. We’ll never find him down here in the dark. Let’s go back to the ward and have another secret meeting and come up with a new plan!”

  And then the voice said, “Seb? Is that you? Please go back to the ward right away!”

  But Jodi said, “We’ll go back once we’ve put you back in your TOMB and the CURSE is out of Maisie’s LEG!”

  And that’s when the mummy stepped out of the shadows and lifted up his hand.

  And I held my breath because he looked REALLY SCARY and I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

  But then the mummy pulled a string and all the lights came on and we saw that he was wearing a HOSPITAL GOWN and pyjama CATS ON THEM and also a bottoms with doctor’s coat.

  And that’s when the mummy said, “What on earth are you talking about?”

  And Jodi said, “We’re talking about you being a MUMMY who’s escaped from your TOMB!”

  And the mummy looked at Seb and shook his head and said, “Seb. What are you up to now?!”

  And Seb shrugged his shoulders and said, “Sorry, Dr Sam. It was just a game. They saw you coming to check up on me in the ward last night and giving me the new cream for my rash and the comics and sweets and they saw your bandages and thought you were a mummy.”

  And that’s when Zach said, “Who’s Dr Sam?”

  And the mummy said, “I AM. And I might be ANCIENT but I’m not old enough to be a MUMMY, thank you very much!”

  And that’s when the mummy stepped towards us and pointed to the ID badge on his white doctor’s coat and we looked and saw a photo of a man who didn’t have bandages all over his face.

  So that’s when Jodi said, “How do we know that’s you? We can’t see your face properly.”

  And the mummy laughed again and said, “Look at the ears.”

  So we did and that’s when Jodi said, “Oh.”

  And the mummy laughed again and said, “You don’t see THAT every day, do you?”

  And he was right because both the man in the ID photo and the mummy had one GIANT ear and one TINY ear so they were obviously the same person.

  And that’s when Seb looked at us and said, “I’m sorry. I lied. Dr Sam isn’t a mummy. I just went along with what you said because it sounded like fun!”

  That’s when Maisie said, “So there isn’t a MUMMY?”

  And Seb shook his head.

  Then Jodi said, “If you’re a doctor, why did you sneak into the ward at MIDNIGHT and then hide behind the curtain when the nurse came in? And then run away and hide down here when we found you in the doctors’ mess?”

  And that’s when Dr Sam sighed and said that he WAS a doctor but that he was also TECHNICALLY a patient.

  But Jodi said that that didn’t make any sense.

  So that’s when Dr Sam said that he WAS a doctor but that he had broken his nose badly during a VERY competitive sporting event at the weekend and that it was broken in several places and that he’d put the bandages all over his head and face himself because there was a lot of

  that didn’t look very nice and that he didn’t want to scare his patients when he was checking up on them. And that he’d come down to the store in the basement to get more bandages without the nurses catching him so he could put them on himself and not bother anyone with it but that he wasn’t very good at putting them on by himself and that was why they kept falling off.

  And that’s when Zach said that he didn’t sound like a very good patient and Dr Sam laughed and said that he wasn’t. And that the nurses kept telling him off for not resting and for getting out of bed to go and check on his patients because he was worried about them and that he had to do it when the nurses weren’t looking. And that was why he’d run out of the doctors’ mess when the nurses came in because they would just tell him off for not being able to rest and stop working.

  And that’s when Seb said, “You might not be a good patient but you’re a very good doctor.”

  And Dr Sam smiled and said, “Thanks, Seb. I just want you to get better and back to school

  And that’s when Dr Sam said that it was time to go back up to the ward and we said OK.

  But just before we left, Jodi turned to Dr Sam and said, “What sport was it?”

  And I knew what Jodi was doing and that she was trying to see if Dr Sam was telling the TRUTH or not because Jodi says that it’s the

  that criminals forget about and that’s what helps the police catch them out.

  And that’s when Dr Sam turned away a bit and I thought he was about to RUN for a second and that it had all been LIES but then he whispered something.

  And Jodi said, “Sorry, what did you say?”

  And Dr Sam sighed and said, “Chess. It was a chess game.”

  And we all looked at each other because we thought he was going to say

  But before we could say anything else, he said, “I tripped. It’s embarrassing. Let’s just leave it at that, OK?”

  And that’s when Zach patted Dr Sam’s arm and said, “Don’t worry about it.”

  And I knew that Zach had said that because HE’D slipped upstairs when he was trying to do his

  But then Zach stopped and said, “Wait. So does that mean you’re NOT cursed if the sandwich lady gives you a tuna sandwich?”

  And Dr Sam laughed and said, “Well, I think we’d

  be cursed if that was the case because Sheila gives EVERYONE tuna sandwiches! That’s usually all there’s left on the trolley by the time she gets all the way up to Ward 13.”

  Then Dr Sam had a little chuckle to himself

  and said, “Seb. I know you don’t like tuna. I don’t think anyone does, really. But please stop making up stories about Sheila. It’s not her fault that’s all she has!”

  Then Dr Sam knelt down and put his hand on Seb’s shoulder and said, “I know it’s hard being here all the time. And I know you get bored. But you have to stop making up stories about people. Remember the time you told your friends in the ward that the phlebotomist was a VAMPIRE? That upset a lot of people, didn’t it?”

  And Seb nodded.

  And then Dr Sam said, “And one patient even rubbed garlic bread all over his arms and that made the whole ward smell for a week, didn’t it?”

  And Seb nodded again and then he said, “Sorry, Dr Sam.”

  I looked at Zach and he looked at me and I knew that we were both thinking the same thing.

  So that’s when I said, “There’s no curse, is there?”

  And Zach said, “What’s a phlebotomist?”

  And that’s when Dr Sam said that a phlebotomist is the person who takes BLOOD from your arm to help you get better.

  And Seb said, “No. There’s no curse. I made it up.”

  And Maisie

  and said, “Why, Seb? WHY?”

  And that’s when Seb told us that he’d made it up because he liked Maisie and that he wanted her to stay in hospital as long as possible because she was really fun to talk to.

  And then his face went a bit red and he looked down at the ground and said, “And you like Monopoly and you make me laugh.”

  And that’s when MAISIE’S face went even REDDER than Seb’s had and I knew that that meant she liked Seb too and I realised that was why she was so ANGRY about him LYING and stealing her HUMPBACK WHALE.

  And then Seb looked up at Maisie and said, “I’m really sorry, Maisie. I shouldn’t have taken Francisco. But I did make sure he was safe! I kept him in the old library book cage where all the old, expensive books are kep
t because it gets locked at night and everything! That’s where I go to read my comics by myself. Anyway, I really AM sorry.”

  And he DID look it.

  Then Seb said that he’d wanted us to keep visiting Maisie, too, because we were the best friends that he’d ever had in hospital and that he’d been having a great time with us and that he didn’t want it to end.

  And that’s when Maisie said it didn’t HAVE to end because she was going to keep visiting him in the hospital when she got out.

  And he looked

  and he said, “Really?”

  And Maisie said, “Yes, really.”

  And Seb smiled.

  When we got back to the ward, there were TWO nurses standing at Jodi’s bed and this time their arms were crossed.

  That’s when Jodi turned to us and said, “Just go with it, OK?”

  But then all of a sudden the nurses saw Dr Sam was behind us and they rushed over and told us just to go back to the bay and then they didn’t say anything else after that because they were too busy telling off Dr Sam.

  So that’s when Jodi told everyone to come and sit round her bed and then she closed the curtains and looked at Seb and whispered, “It was YOU who set off the sprinklers, wasn’t it? Not a CURSE.”

  And Seb nodded.

  And that’s when Jodi shook her head at him and said that that was SERIOUS and that HOSPITAL and that she didn’t say anything in front of Dr Sam because she didn’t want him to get into

  And then she made Seb SWEAR that he wouldn’t do anything like that ever again. And he promised that he wouldn’t.