Helping Hands by Laurie Halse Anderson

Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2013-07-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

I stumble out the door and let Sunita guide me to the bathroom, but I won’t let her take me in.

“No,” I say firmly. “I’m just a little queasy. I can manage the bathroom on my own.”

“But what if you pass out?” she asks. “What if your blood pressure goes so low you forget to breathe? What if you hit your head on the corner of the sink and it gives you amnesia and you wake up not even knowing your own name? Or you could get retrograde amnesia, though I’m not sure what that means, exactly.”

“I’m fine,” I say, trying to cover my embarrassment. “But you could get me something to drink, if you want.”

“Good idea. There’s always juice in Dr. Mac’s fridge. Orange, apple, carrot, mango? She probably has chocolate milk, too. Did you eat dinner? Low blood sugar can bring on fainting episodes and nausea, too. Maybe you should have a snack that combines proteins and carbs, like cheese and an apple. Does that sound good?”

Sunita is usually the quietest Vet Volunteer, so I’m confused by all this chattering until her strategy dawns on me.

“I get it,” I say with a smile. “You’re just trying to distract me, aren’t you? That’s the reason for all this gobbledygook about amnesia and cheese.”

She smiles, too. “You figured out my plan.”

Along with being the quietest Vet Volunteer, I think she’s the prettiest, which is another reason I want to die of embarrassment about what just happened in the operating room.

“And it wasn’t gobbledygook,” she insists. “Based on the fact that you don’t look pale and clammy anymore, I’d say I achieved my goal.”

Pale and clammy? Great.

“Well, thanks,” I say. “But I need some time alone in here, if you know what I mean.”

“Oh,” she blushes. “Right. Sure. I’ll put your snack in the waiting room.”

“No, don’t,” I say. “You should be helping in the operating room. If I don’t faint, hit my head, and forget my name, I’ll ask Jules to get me some milk.”

“Okay,” she says.

“Okay,” I say. “Bye.” I close the door and lean my forehead against it. Pale and clammy? As if this day couldn’t get any worse.

I splash cold water on my face and wash my hands. Embarrassing myself in front of Sunita and Dr. Gabe was bad enough, but what if it means that I don’t have what it takes to be a vet? Veterinarians have to be tough. They have to perform under pressure. They can’t get woozy and throw up at the sight of blood, and especially not before the sight of blood.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror. “Sometimes you can be a real idiot.”

• • • • •

I slump down next to my sister in the waiting room, lean forward, and put my head in my hands.

“What happened?” Jules asks. “Is Ranger okay? You look terrible.”

“Ranger’s on the operating table,” I say. “Sunita’s helping Dr. Gabe. I hate myself, and I’m never going to be a vet.”

“What? What do you mean? Sit up, you’re not making any sense.

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