On the Victory Trail by Marsha Hubler Page B

Then she looked at Sooze. “And you let me know what’s going on, okay?”
    Sooze rolled her eyes and without as much as a glance at her mother headed out the front door, letting the screen door slam behind her. Without a word, Skye started toward the door.
    Mrs. Chambers turned to leave, still looking at Mrs. Bodmer. “Let us know if you can go to the hospital with us next week. It would be good for you to hear the information directly from the doctors. And, of course, you’re always welcome to come out to Keystone Stables for a visit. I’m sure Sooze would appreciate that.”
    Mrs. Bodmer turned on the TV with the remote control. Again sitcom laughter blasted through the room.
    â€œYeah, thanks,” she slurred, settling into her couch. “Call me.”
    â€œWe certainly will,” Mrs. Chambers said.

chapter eight
    S kye, look at this cool game I’m playing on the Internet.” Morgan worked the computer keyboard like a pro. “It’s called Asteroids.”
    The walls of the Chambers’ game room vibrated with the noise of electronic laser blasts.
    â€œYeah, I’ve done that at the mall zillions of times.” Skye called above the noise of her own Nintendo game. “One time I scored thirty thousand before I got zapped.”
    â€œI wonder how Sooze is,” Morgan said.
    â€œI don’t think she feels too hot, especially since her first treatment. Man, did she throw up after that! And her poor hair. She looks like a scarecrow with a bad hair day.”
    â€œI hope the doctor has a good report. It’s been two weeks since the chemo.”
    Skye glanced at the wall clock above the computer. “She and Mom ought to be back soon. We could all use some good news. I’ve never known anybody before who had a brain tumor. Kind of scary, isn’t it?”
    â€œYeah. But I know God could help Sooze if she’d just let him. It has to be scary without having him on your team.”
    â€œYikes! Get over there!” Morgan said to the screen.
    The outside door to their right opened, the girls oblivious to it.
    â€œHey, what’s happening?” Mrs. Chambers spoke above the game racket as she walked up behind Skye. “Hard at work helping Tom paint the fence, I see,” she teased.
    â€œOh, we’re going to help him in just a minute,” Skye said, “as soon as these last games are done. Where’s Sooze?”
    â€œShe’ll be down in a minute,” Mrs. Chambers answered. “She wanted to do something first. By the way, girls, I have sandwiches in the fridge down here if you want to eat before you attack the paint can.”
    Skye’s game came to a crashing halt. She shut it down and followed Mrs. Chambers to the kitchenette.
    â€œMom, what did the doctor say about Sooze?”
    Mrs. Chambers opened the refrigerator and pulled out a plate of sandwiches and a pitcher of iced tea. “Well, the doctor is quite hopeful that we caught this thing in time. He plans to give Sooze three more chemo treatments followed by radiation. That’s supposed to shrink the tumor or kill it all together. They’re pretty optimistic. I just wish Sooze’s mother would join the process.”
    Morgan came in at the tail end of the discussion. “How often will she get those treatments?”
    â€œOnce a month,” Mrs. Chambers answered, handing wet wipes to the girls. “That’s all a body can handle.”
    â€œYeah,” Skye said, pulling paper plates from a cup-board, “but it doesn’t seem to be working with Sooze. She threw up her guts, and her hair’s falling out in gobs.” Skye ran a hand through her hair, pulling a lock forward to study a few strands. “That would freak me out — I don’t think I could handle that.”
    â€œYeah, no hair would be awful,” Morgan agreed.
    â€œGirls, when your life’s at stake, you look at things in a whole different