Passage

“Yes,” her mother said, busily straightening the things on Maisie’s bed tray. “Would you like some juice? Or a Popsicle?”

“When did you page her? Yesterday?”

“She probably has lots of things to do. How about some Jell-O?”

“She said she was coming on Thursday, and she didn’t come Thursday or yesterday,” Maisie persisted. “Are you sure Nurse Barbara paged her?”

“I’m sure,” her mother said, taking the top off the water pitcher and peering in. “Guess who Nurse Barbara said’s supposed to come and visit the floor tomorrow afternoon? A clown!”

“Like Emmett Kelly?” Maisie said, perking up.

“Emmett Kelly?” her mother said, surprised. “Now, how do you know about Emmett Kelly?”

“He was in one of my videos,” Maisie said. “One of the Disney ones. I don’t remember which one. About the circus.”

“This clown does magic tricks,” her mother said. “Won’t that be fun?”

“Dr. Lander told me about this clown who pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, and it was hooked to another one and another one and another one,” Maisie said. “Maybe she got busy and forgot. Maybe you need to call her.”

“If she’s busy, we shouldn’t bother her. Look, I brought you some new videos. The Best Summer and The Parent Trap. Which one would you like to watch?”

“She always comes when she says she will,” Maisie said. “Even if she’s really busy. Maybe she’s sick. Nurse Amy was out with the flu.”

“You’re supposed to be thinking positive thoughts, not worrying,” her mother said, putting The Best Summer in the VCR. “Remember what Dr. Murrow said. You’ve got to work on getting ready for your new heart.” She switched on the TV, picked up Maisie’s water pitcher, and took it over to the sink. “Which means no worrying.” She dumped the water and ice rattlingly into the sink and started for the door, holding the pitcher. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to ask them for some ice.”

“Ask them if they paged her,” Maisie called after her. “Tell them I found out the stuff she asked me to.”

Her mother stopped halfway out the door. “What stuff?”

“Just some stuff we were talking about when she came to see me.”

“It’s very nice of the hospital staff to come visit you, but you have to remember they have jobs, and those have to come first.”

“But this was about her job,” Maisie started to say, but if she did, her mother would want to know what Joanna had asked her, so she didn’t. She just said, “Ask them if they paged her,” and when her mother came back in, carrying the pitcher and a can of juice, she said, “Did you ask them?”

“Look, pineapple juice,” her mother said, popping the tab on the can of juice and holding it out to her. “Your favorite.”

“Did you?” Maisie asked.

“Yes,” her mother said, setting the juice down on Maisie’s bedtable. “The nurses said she got a new job, and she moved. Do you want a straw?”

“Where did she move?”

“I don’t know,” her mother said, unwrapping the straw.

“She wouldn’t move without telling me,” Maisie said.

“She probably didn’t have time. The nurses said she had to start her job right away.” She handed Maisie her juice. “They told me she said to tell you good-bye, and that she wanted you to think happy thoughts and do what Dr. Murrow tells you.” She turned up the TV. “Now rest and watch your movie. It’s about a little girt who’s getting well. Just like you.” She handed Maisie the remote. “I’ll be back when you have your dinner,” she said, kissed her good-bye, and left.

After a minute, Maisie got out of bed, tiptoed to the door, and peeked down the hall. Her mother was at the nurses’ station, talking to Barbara and the other nurse. She got back in bed, sitting on the edge where she could scramble under the covers if she heard anybody coming, and watched the first part of The Best Summer.

The little girl in the movie was in a wheelchair. She had a big bow in her hair and a shawl over her knees and looked very sad. “You’ll never get well looking like that,” the little girl’s doctor said. “It takes smiles to get well.”

“I haven’t any smiles,” the little girl said.

“You must take one of my happy pills,” the doctor said, and pulled a puppy out from behind his back.

“Oh, a puppy!” the little girl cried. “The darling! What is his name?”

“Ulla,” Maisie said, and got out of bed to check to see if her mother was still there.

She was gone. Maisie clicked off the TV and set the remote on the floor half under the bed. Then she got into bed and arranged the covers neatly. She waited awhile till she wasn’t breathing so hard and then hit the nurse’s call button.

It took a long time for the nurse to come. When she did, it was Barbara. She was glad. Nurse Amy was always in a hurry. “What do you need, honey?” Barbara asked.

“I dropped my remote,” Maisie said, pointing at the floor, and then, as Barbara stooped to pick up the remote, “My mother said Dr. Lander moved away.”

Barbara stayed bent down, looking for the remote. Maisie wondered if she had put it too far under the bed, it took her so long to answer.