Sue leaned forward. The pain eased up when she was leaning this way. She reached in her purse and handed the lipstick to Maxine. She was grateful Maxine didn’t notice anything was wrong.
“Hey, two girls alone on a davenport? That’ll never do. Move over, Maxine.”
Sue looked up to see Mo standing before them. Maxine shifted over and Mo dropped between them. “Looks like this baby hasn’t even gotten her lipstick messed yet.” Mo put his arm across Sue’s shoulder and pulled her toward him. “I’ll fix that.”
“No.” Sue struggled from his grasp. Where was Dave?
“Judy followed Dave into the kitchen,” Mo said, as if answering Sue’s thoughts. “They’ll be quite a while. Come on, give.” He pulled her toward him again.
Sue pushed against him with her hands as hard as she could. She looked around the room frantically. The other couples had stopped dancing. All eyes were turned on her—and Mo.
“You’re going to kiss me,” Mo said through clenched teeth. He stood up and pulled Sue roughly to her feet. His grip on her arm hurt as he tried to pin it behind her back.
“No!” With every ounce of strength she could muster, Sue pulled away from him, and with her free hand she swung, catching him right across the face. She heard Maxine’s startled gasp as Mo involuntarily let go.
The threat of nausea swept over her, and Sue knew with frantic certainty she had to get out, get away. She spun on her heel and ran from the room, out into the street. She had to get home—had to—had to. She had to reach Mom and Dad. They’d make everything all right. She ran on, her footsteps echoing strangely in her ears. The dagger of pain hit her again, and she almost stumbled. She caught herself and stopped, panting. The nausea hit her so strongly this time she could barely stagger over to the curb. Finally she tried to straighten up. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. Maybe—if she took it slower—she could get home. As she turned to the sidewalk she heard footsteps pounding behind her.
“Sue. Sue, wait.” Dave sounded frantic.
As he reached her side, Sue turned her head away from him. “Go away,” she pleaded. “Just go away.”
“Sue.” Dave pulled her to a stop and she swayed. “Sue. I thought you were just angry. But you’re sick. You’re so white.”
“Please.” Sue’s eyes and throat burned, and she was afraid she might be sick again. “Please, just leave me alone.”
“Don’t be a dope, Sue.” Dave put his arm across her back and held her as though he was trying to give her support. “Sit over on the steps of one of those houses, and I’ll call your Dad.”
Sue let herself be led. It felt good to sit down. And Dave’s cardigan, which he slipped around her shoulders, felt warm and comforting.
“Stay there. I’ll be right back,” Dave commanded.
“Don’t phone from Judy’s,” Sue begged.
“I won’t,” Dave promised. He took off at a run down the street and disappeared into the night.
Sue shifted her position until her back rested against the parapet. She closed her eyes so they wouldn’t burn as much. Dave. He was wonderful. He didn’t even seem to mind that she was ugly—and smelled. Sue shivered and drew his sweater closer around her.
“There she is.”
Dave’s voice made Sue jerk her eyes open. Had she dozed? Dad wasn’t with him. Dave was getting out of a patrol car, with the officer right behind him.
The pain had eased up, and Sue walked almost comfortably between Dave and the officer to the car.
“Your young man gave me a scare,” the officer said as he put the car in gear and drove off. “My car almost hit him.”
“I had to stop you. I couldn’t find a place to phone.” Dave held Sue’s hand tight in his. “She needed help.”
Mom turned pale when she answered the door and saw Sue standing between the policeman and Dave. “It’s the flu, Mom,” Sue explained. “I got these cramps in my side.” Her voice broke and she felt the tears start down her cheeks.
And then—and then she was on the davenport with Mom fussing over her with cushions and a cold cloth for her head. And Dad—Dad was phoning.
“We’re to take her to the hospital at once,” Dad called in.
“Which one of us?” Mom asked. “We can’t leave Kit and Jay alone.”
“I’ll stay,” Dave offered. “I’ll take care of the kids.”
“Well——” Dad hesitated only a moment. “That’s fine, son.” The relief in his face was obvious. “Phone your folks and tell them you’re here.”
“I won’t have to.” Dave gave a derisive laugh. “Only Alison’s home. She won’t care.”
“Better phone,” Dad insisted. “We might be quite a while.”
“If it makes you feel better,” Dave promised. “But it isn’t necessary.”
“I go to the hospital for the flu? Just the flu?” Sue protested. But no one even bothered to listen to her. In a matter of minutes she was in the back seat of the car with Mom, and Dad was backing out of the driveway. Dave stood framed in the doorway.
“Wait,” he called, a frantic urgency in his voice, and Dad stopped the car sharply. When Dave reached the car he opened the back door and leaned across Mom to Sue. He brushed his lips quickly across her forehead. “Good luck, Sue,” he said. He backed out of the car, then, his face scarlet, and Dad took off.
Her first kiss. Sue snuggled deeper into the sweater—his sweater—that she was wearing, and the car swung around the corner, off toward the hospital.
14.
Alibi
Dr. Johnson was waiting at the hospital when Sue arrived. “Causing a bit of excitement, eh?” he chided as she was whisked to the examining room. There the hustle and bustle would never make you think it was nighttime. It hurt to lie flat on the examining table, and Dr. Johnson’s probing fingers hurt even more. He turned from Sue and picked up the phone.
“Dr. Johnson,” he announced. “Prepare surgery for an appendectomy.” He winked at Sue. “Just to be doubly sure,” he said, “we’ll have a blood count.”
As he left, a nurse with a whole trayful of gadgets came in. The prick of the needle was a welcome diversion from the now steady, grinding pain in her side. An appendectomy? Things were happening so fast—too fast. Sue wished Mom and Dad would come into the room. Now the nurse with the tray left and an orderly and another nurse came in. They had a wheeled stretcher. Sue felt as though she were a box of groceries rather than a person as they transferred her. When she was rolled out into the hall, Sue looked frantically for Mom and Dad. It wasn’t like them to leave her alone like this. She felt the tears push against her eyelids as she was wheeled into an elevator. Out of the elevator—down the hall—into a room—Mom and Dad were nowhere. Nowhere at all.
Sue tried to help herself as she was moved from the stretcher into the bed. “Relax, youngster,” the nurse said. “We’ll do the work.” Sue just had time to notice there was another bed in the room—an occupied bed-when the curtains were drawn around her and another nurse came in to give a jab with another needle.
Now Sue could hear voices in the hall. Mom, Dad, Dr. Johnson. “Clearest case of appendicitis I’ve ever seen,” Dr. Johnson said. Sue strained to hear Mom and Dad, but all she heard was a murmur of voices like a faraway river. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she struggled to stay awake. She was being wheeled out the door and into the hall again. This time Mom and Dad were there.
Mom kissed Sue on the cheek. “See you later, alligator,” she said, recalling to Sue her very young days.
Dad leaned over, too, his eyes warm with love and concern. “We’ll be right here, honey.” His lips brushed hers.
“Okey-doke, artichoke,” Sue murmured. She tried to smile but her mouth felt heavy. Down the hall—into the elevator—and now into a room where the lights were so bright they hurt her eyes. Dr. Johnson looked strange in his all-white costume.
“All set, sweetie-pie?” he asked.
Sue nodded. Dr. Johnson looked as though he might be smiling b
ehind his mask. Now her arms—her legs—her whole body, in fact, seemed filled with a sort of lethargy. She didn’t have enough energy to lift a finger. Once more she was moved, this time to the operating table. She was too tired and sleepy to even try to help. Sue closed her eyes, relaxing. Another needle . . .
She opened her eyes, shut them, and opened them again. The lights weren’t quite as bright—or maybe she was just used to them. Dr. Johnson was holding her wrist.
“When—will—you—operate?” Sue forced herself to ask.
“It’s all over with.” Dr. Johnson laid her hand beside her. “You’re in the recovery room.”
Sue shook her head, trying to emerge from the cotton batting that seemed to envelope her. “Save it,” she managed to say. “For Jay and Kit.” And then she felt the cotton batting close in on her again.
“Say ‘Good night,’ Sue.” Sue felt herself shaken. “Your Mother and Dad . . .” Her nap. She must wake up from her nap and get ready for the party.
“Rest, darling.” Mom’s cool voice came to her on little waves.
“Everything’s fine, dear,” Dad said. What was he doing home from work so early? Sue struggled to open her eyes, then let them stay closed. In a minute, just a little minute, she’d wake up. She’d tell Mom and Dad at dinner what a funny dream she’d had . . . about an operation. . . in just one minute . . .
The room was bright with sunshine when Sue opened her eyes. For a minute she didn’t know where she was. Then she remembered. It hadn’t been a dream. Her appendix was out. She turned her head to the sound of voices. A nurse was talking to someone over in the other bed. Sue let her eyelids drift shut, then opened them again. Now the nurse was by her bed.
“Well, good morning, sleepyhead. How do you feel?” The nurse’s cheery voice and smile made Sue feel good.
“Fine,” she said, and stirred in the bed. The pull of adhesive tape stopped her.
“Have you met your roommate?”
Sue shook her head.
“I’ll make a formal introduction.” The nurse looked over at the other bed. “Mrs. Mason,” she said, “may I present Sue Stevens? And,” she added, “I’m Mrs. Brown.”
“Hi.” Sue was surprised her voice sounded so far away. She tried again. This time her “hi” was louder.
As Sue and Mrs. Mason washed up for breakfast, Mrs. Mason kept up a steady chatter. She was young, Sue observed, and pretty. And she had twin daughters and a baby boy. Sue could meet the girls during visiting hours.
When the nurse had removed the basins, Mrs. Mason tuned in the portable radio by her bed. Music filled the room, and Sue felt herself slip off to sleep again. This time she awakened to Mrs. Brown’s cheery announcement that it was breakfast time.
“I eat all that?” Sue eyed her tray in surprise.
“All you want.” Mrs. Brown rolled up the bed until Sue was in a sitting position.
Sue sipped gingerly at her orange juice and tried a tentative taste of the cereal. Ordinarily she liked anything for breakfast. Now she felt as though she had fur in her mouth. She pushed the tray away and wished the nurse would come in soon. The food didn’t even look good. She looked up expectantly as the door opened. It was Mom! Sue felt like smiling all over, it was so good to see her.
“Good morning, darling.” Mom gave Sue a kiss. “I’ve brought your things.” Sue watched as Mom put the hairbrush, toothbrush, bobby pins and bandana into the bedside table drawer. Mom hung bathrobe and slippers in the closet. She turned and smiled at Sue’s neighbor.
“Oh, that’s Mrs. Mason.” Sue remembered to introduce.
Mom laughed. “We met last night.”
“Gee, Mom”—Sue pushed back the covers quickly—“I didn’t even see my operation.” Goodness. This time she wasn’t a pink-pink as Jay had called her. She was a violent pink—from her knees to her chest. The dressing looked large and important and very white. Jeepers!
“Our painted Indian.” Mom laughed as she pulled the covers up on Sue. “Do you hurt?”
Sue moved slightly. “Not unless I jerk, I guess,” she said.
All too soon, it seemed to Sue, Mom was gone and she was caught up in the hospital routine. Mostly, though, she guessed she must have slept. There were a couple of shots, of course. And Dr. Johnson came in to see her. In fact, it seemed that every time she got to sleep, someone came along and did something new to her.
Sue felt worn out by the time visiting hours were over that afternoon. Mrs. Mason’s twins were darling, but they were so bouncy they made Sue nervous. What if one should bump her? Mom was in for a few minutes with two weird drawings done by Jay and Kit—their ideas on operations. There’d even been the excitement of getting flowers. One bouquet was from the Youngs—and the other was from Mrs. Cannon. Dave, naturally, had told Mrs. Young. But how had Mrs. Cannon known?
Now Sue relaxed against her pillows comfortably and half asleep as usual, waiting for the evening’s visit with Dad. Her hands and face were washed and she felt refreshed. She’d even made a stab at brushing her hair. Tomorrow she’d put on lipstick. Mrs. Mason was reading a book, her radio turned down dreamy low. It felt so good, just to lie here, not even bothering to think.
She must have dozed off, for when she opened her eyes next, Sue saw Dad and Dave standing by her bed just as though some magician had made them appear. Oh no! Her hand flew to her face. Why, she didn’t even have any lipstick on.
“Dave insisted on seeing the cause of his baby-sitting,” Dad explained after he’d kissed her. “We’re only to stay a few minutes.”
“Here.” Dave thrust a prettily wrapped package at her. “Alison said to bring it.” Dave’s face was an embarrassed red, and he looked as though he was on the defensive. “And I brought your purse, too,” he added. “I picked it up at Judy’s.” He laid the purse on the table next to the bed.
Sue’s fingers were all thumbs as she took off the package wrappings. She opened the box. “Ummmm, candy,” she exclaimed. “It’s beautiful.” She offered the box to Dad and Dave.
“You first,” Dave commanded. “You have to take the first piece.”
Sue studied the box. All the candies were so big. She wasn’t the least bit hungry. Especially for sweets. But Dave was so cute—and embarrassed. She finally selected a piece, and then almost laughed as Dave took three and Dad two.
“Hey.” Dave sounded angry. “Hey, where’s our bracelet?”
Sue looked at her arm. The bracelet. What had happened to it? She poked her thoughts back through the cloud of this morning and last night. Finally she shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t remember.”
“It’s in your drawer in an envelope,” Dad stated. “The nurse put it there last night.”
Dave rummaged through the drawer, past her toothpaste and brush, past the bandana, and then with a triumphant grin he pulled forth the envelope. “Here,” he said as he ripped it open and took out the bracelet. He fastened it around her wrist. “Now we’re steadies again.”
Sue didn’t know why, but she suddenly remembered Dave’s kiss. She could feel herself blush. Maybe Dave was remembering, too, because he looked away, embarrassed. An awkward silence seemed to fill Sue’s half of the room. Dad cleared his throat.
“Well, babykin,” he said. “Mom said only a couple of minutes to visit. We’d better leave.” The flowers caught his attention. “Hmmmmm, yours?” he asked.
Sue nodded. “Oh, Dave,” she said, “the baby roses are from Alison. Please, please thank her.” She pointed to the other flowers. “These,” she said, “are from Mrs. Cannon. How did she know?”
Dad smiled. “Seems that she saw you and Dave and the police car last night.”
“Oh.” Sue wished the flowers were out of sight. Snoopy Mrs. Cannon was at it again.
Dad patted Sue’s hand. “We really have to go.” He reached in his coat pocket and drew out the evening paper. “Something to read,” he said as he handed it to Sue.
The headlines caught her eye as she opened it.
“Vandals Invade, Wreck Home” she read aloud. “Police Suspect Teen-Agers.” Her eyes widened. This sounded exciting.
“Kids,” exclaimed Dad, his voice angry. “It must have been kids. Imagine anyone doing a thing like that!”
“Wait, let me read,” begged Sue. Her eyes scanned the column. Mr. and Mrs. James Driscoll of 1504 Central Avenue had returned home from a theater party about midnight to find that someone—or more likely a group—had broken into their home, slashed furniture, smashed the television, drawn with lipstick on the walls, and——
“Idiots! Delinquents!” Dad’s anger made his voice extra loud.
“Shhh.” Sue looked at Dave, embarrassed at Dad’s outburst. But Dave—Dave averted his eyes quickly, and Sue saw that his knuckles were white as he gripped the end of the bed. Dave—scared? But why? Panic closed Sue’s ears as Dad continued on his tirade . . . 1504 Central Avenue—that must be—it was—just about around the corner from Judy’s. And Dave had brought her purse.
About midnight, the paper said. How long do appendectomies take?
Sue fought for casualness. She folded the paper carefully, deliberately, and tucked it under her pillow. “I’ll read it later,” she told her father. She looked at Dave. “Uh, Dave,” she said—yes, her voice was cool, calm and collected—“did you get stuck baby-sitting long? At my house last night, I mean?”
“Huh?” Dave seemed to have to grab his thoughts from someplace else and come back to the room. “Oh—not too long.”
“Not too long but long enough,” Dad amended. “I don’t guess we reached home before midnight. And there were Jay and Dave, waiting.”
“Jay?”
“He woke up,” Dave explained. “And when he saw me he was full of questions. So I let him stay up. Seemed better that way.”
“Then you were at my house—with Jay—until midnight?” Sue felt as though she was prying, but she had to know.
“More like one o’clock.” Dad interrupted again. “Mom made the boys hot chocolate, she and I had coffee, and we all had cinnamon toast.”
The Pink Dress Page 11
