drawer of her desk, looking up as Professor Mulligan marched into her office. “Please, come in,” she said tersely.
Professor Mulligan looked more disheveled than usual. “There’s no change, I’m afraid,” he said, shaking his head. “Horace has talked with the doctors and has secured Felix’s release from the hospital.”
“If there’s no change,” Harmony said hotly, “then why is Horace arranging for his release?”
“You didn’t let me finish,” Mulligan wheezed. “Since Felix is still in a coma, and doesn’t appear to be worsening, Horace has arranged to have the boy moved back into his house. That way, when his parents and sister arrive, they’ll be together; after all, the boy’s father is a doctor.”
Harmony seemed to ponder this for a few seconds. “Do the doctors at the hospital have any idea what is wrong with him?” she asked, tapping her fingers on the desk.
Mulligan shrugged his bulky shoulders. “They don’t know for sure, but they’re guessing that he’s had a rather serious reaction to an insect sting.”
Harmony raised a single eyebrow and leaned forward over her desk. “That’s what I assumed when I found him lying in the grass…there was a tiny red mark on the back of his neck, like a bee sting.”
Mulligan nodded. “I actually didn’t come in here to discuss his diagnosis. As the teacher in charge of his dorm, I simply wanted you to know about Horace’s plans.”
Harmony’s eyes narrowed. “Of course,” she said curtly. “Horace has everything under control.”
Felix would have smiled if he could have when his father lifted his eyelids. He had heard his voice, along with his mother’s and sister’s, when they came into the room. It was wonderful to see their faces, even if only for a second or two. After Jake had finished examining Felix’s eyes, he closed the lids again, returning Felix to the blackness that he had become accustomed to over the last few days.
It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling, but it was one that Felix wouldn’t have chosen. He was in a state of absolute relaxation. He didn’t feel any pain but he did feel. In fact, he felt everything from the touch of a hand to the jab of a needle. He could hear and, if someone would open his eyes for him, he was able to see, too. The truth of the matter was that even though he was totally paralyzed, he was comfortable. In fact, he had never been so comfortable. He couldn’t move a muscle, not even to open his eyes, and for some strange reason he didn’t mind. It was like he was in a state of suspended animation where he knew that the world was functioning around him but was not terribly interested in taking part.
The last few days had been very strange. It seemed only an instant after he had fallen onto the grass that Dr. Melpot found him. He had thought about standing up but he couldn’t. He tried to speak but he couldn’t. He had no idea how he had gotten into such a state and he didn’t care.
He was glad to be back in Stumpworthy’s house, having not enjoyed the stay at the hospital very much. Being examined by all those doctors left him feeling like he was nothing more than a specimen to poke and prod, much like the unfortunate toads from his biology class. He was glad his father had arrived. He felt confident that he wouldn’t be subjected to any more of the hospital’s dehumanizing examinations―and maybe, he thought, the daily jabs in the back of his neck would stop.
Melinda stayed with Felix when her mother and father left the room with Professor Stumpworthy. She walked over to his bed, lifted his eyelids and stared into his eyes. “You’re OK, aren’t you?” she smiled, feeling certain that he was. The way the adults had been talking she thought that she would look into an unseeing gaze, but Felix’s eyes were full of life. They didn’t move or respond in any way, but Melinda was sure that he could see.
She smiled, reached up and pulled the big hat off her head,
Professor Mulligan looked more disheveled than usual. “There’s no change, I’m afraid,” he said, shaking his head. “Horace has talked with the doctors and has secured Felix’s release from the hospital.”
“If there’s no change,” Harmony said hotly, “then why is Horace arranging for his release?”
“You didn’t let me finish,” Mulligan wheezed. “Since Felix is still in a coma, and doesn’t appear to be worsening, Horace has arranged to have the boy moved back into his house. That way, when his parents and sister arrive, they’ll be together; after all, the boy’s father is a doctor.”
Harmony seemed to ponder this for a few seconds. “Do the doctors at the hospital have any idea what is wrong with him?” she asked, tapping her fingers on the desk.
Mulligan shrugged his bulky shoulders. “They don’t know for sure, but they’re guessing that he’s had a rather serious reaction to an insect sting.”
Harmony raised a single eyebrow and leaned forward over her desk. “That’s what I assumed when I found him lying in the grass…there was a tiny red mark on the back of his neck, like a bee sting.”
Mulligan nodded. “I actually didn’t come in here to discuss his diagnosis. As the teacher in charge of his dorm, I simply wanted you to know about Horace’s plans.”
Harmony’s eyes narrowed. “Of course,” she said curtly. “Horace has everything under control.”
Felix would have smiled if he could have when his father lifted his eyelids. He had heard his voice, along with his mother’s and sister’s, when they came into the room. It was wonderful to see their faces, even if only for a second or two. After Jake had finished examining Felix’s eyes, he closed the lids again, returning Felix to the blackness that he had become accustomed to over the last few days.
It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling, but it was one that Felix wouldn’t have chosen. He was in a state of absolute relaxation. He didn’t feel any pain but he did feel. In fact, he felt everything from the touch of a hand to the jab of a needle. He could hear and, if someone would open his eyes for him, he was able to see, too. The truth of the matter was that even though he was totally paralyzed, he was comfortable. In fact, he had never been so comfortable. He couldn’t move a muscle, not even to open his eyes, and for some strange reason he didn’t mind. It was like he was in a state of suspended animation where he knew that the world was functioning around him but was not terribly interested in taking part.
The last few days had been very strange. It seemed only an instant after he had fallen onto the grass that Dr. Melpot found him. He had thought about standing up but he couldn’t. He tried to speak but he couldn’t. He had no idea how he had gotten into such a state and he didn’t care.
He was glad to be back in Stumpworthy’s house, having not enjoyed the stay at the hospital very much. Being examined by all those doctors left him feeling like he was nothing more than a specimen to poke and prod, much like the unfortunate toads from his biology class. He was glad his father had arrived. He felt confident that he wouldn’t be subjected to any more of the hospital’s dehumanizing examinations―and maybe, he thought, the daily jabs in the back of his neck would stop.
Melinda stayed with Felix when her mother and father left the room with Professor Stumpworthy. She walked over to his bed, lifted his eyelids and stared into his eyes. “You’re OK, aren’t you?” she smiled, feeling certain that he was. The way the adults had been talking she thought that she would look into an unseeing gaze, but Felix’s eyes were full of life. They didn’t move or respond in any way, but Melinda was sure that he could see.
She smiled, reached up and pulled the big hat off her head,
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