After the MRI was done, the nurse from the emergency room came back to bring Juri back to his exam room. She wheeled him in a wheelchair this time and tried to make it fun by zooming fast down the straight empty corridors of the hospital. Normally Juri would really enjoy such a fun ride, but not today. He had been in the hospital for HOURS already. When was he going to get to go home?
They passed the nurses' station in the kids' cancer ward. There were dozens of crayon coloured pictures pasted in a bright collage across the front of the nurses' desk and Juri noticed the little boy that he had been joking with was busy taping a up a new picture. "Hey! It's you! Remember me?" Juri was happy to see a friendly face. But what was the boy doing in this ward? Surely it was a mistake - he seemed so healthy and normal, just like Juri himself!
"Hi! Like my picture?" The little boy grinned as he showed Juri his drawing - three tomatoes running away from a Rhino carrying a credit card.
"Wow! That's great! You are really good! What's your name?"
"I'm Larry, what's your name?"
"I'm Juri. You should come over to my house later so you can meet everyone at our clubhouse!"
Juri loved to have friends over so they could see the magic that happened in the meadow. Not many of his friends had such an elaborate playhouse all for themselves, and he liked being the envy of his pals!
"WOW you have a clubhouse! COOL! But I have to stay in the hospital for a while now. Maybe when I get to go home I could come over?" Larry looked so sad that he had to turn down the play date.
"Why do you have to stay here?" Juri didn't understand. Larry seemed fine! Weren't hospitals just for sick people?"I caught cancer in my blood. I have to stay here so they can help make me better."
Juri didn't understand. He had heard of cancer but he didn't know what it was. All he knew was that his new friend Larry looked really sad all of a sudden. The sparkle in his eye that had been there when he was showing Juri his drawing was dim now, and his head hung low.
Juri looked down at Bennett sitting in his lap. Bennett had helped him to feel much better when he was scared earlier coming to the hospital and going for the tests. Maybe Bennett could help Larry too?
"Here. Keep Bennett with you. He always makes ME feel better!"
Larry looked up in surprise and grabbed Bennett and held him tight.
"He's soft - thanks! I lost my bear the last time I was in the hospital."
"No problem!I have more at home." Juri was happy to see a small smile start to spread on Larry's face.
"Juri, we have to get back to see Dr. Smiley now." The nurse started walking down the hall.
"Bye Larry! I'll see you soon! I'll get my Mama to come and get your phone number so you can come over when you go home!" He felt good about himself, having made his new friend feel better.
"Juri, that was very nice of you!" The nurse and his mama were smiling. He knew he had done a good deed.
Juri was very tired after all the tests that he had to have done. And talking to Larry had tired him out even more. He dozed off for a bit while the nurse pushed him back to his curtained exam room. When he woke up he could hear Mama talking to Dr. Smiley outside by the nurses' station.
"How can this be happening?" Juri heard his Mama say. He strained to hear more, but couldn't make out what they were saying. He felt scared - his Mama's voice sounded so small, so unsure. He was not used to hearing that tone from her. She was always so strong.
Juri began to imagine that Nelly was here with him. It must be getting late - Bennett should be tucked in by now, he thought. Nelly would have some warm milk and some cookies ready for snack and all the animals would be cuddled together in the clubhouse waiting for their bedtime story. Sometimes, in the summer, Juri's Mama would let him and his sisters sleep out in the clubhouse. Nathalie would invent stories, and Nelly would act them out - they all laughed and joked into the wee hours of the night. How he wished to be there now!
Mama and Dr. Smiley came back into the exam room to see Juri.
"Juri, I'm sorry, but you will have to stay here in the hospital with us for a while longer." Dr. Smiley was not smiling anymore.
"Mama?" Juri noticed that his Mama's face was streaked with tears. "What does it mean Mama? What's wrong with me?"
"Juri, we have noticed something growing in your brain that isn't supposed to be there. We need to keep a close eye on you for a while, and do some more tests, to see what we can do to help you out." Dr. Smiley looked so sad.
"Juri, môj drahy, you'll be ok. I will stay with you." Mama stroked Juri's hair and held him tight.
"I need Nelly! And Bennett! Who will sleep with me?!" Juri was really crying now. He did not want to stay here! He would be so afraid!
"Don't worry môj maly. We'll get you a new bear. And I will stay right here with you."
But Juri WAS scared. And he didn't know if a new bear was going to help.
Why was this happening to him?
