The House on Hope Street - By Danielle Steel Page 0,53

got you.” Jamie took the last step as though he were fording a stream filled with snakes, but as soon as he could, Peter grabbed him firmly, and pulled him closer. He was smiling at him, and leaned over to give him a hug and a kiss, and as Liz approached she saw that Jamie was beaming. “Boy, I missed you!”

“I missed you too. I thought you were dead,” Jamie said simply, “but Mom said you weren't. I didn't believe her at first, that's why she brought me here to see you.”

“You bet I'm not dead. But it was a dumb thing to do, jumping into the pool like that. You'd better not do anything as stupid as I did, or you'll be in big trouble with me, kiddo. How's everything at home?”

“Boring. The girls keep telling everyone what happened to you. They all cried when you went away in the ambulance. Me too,” he said, looking up at his big brother in relief. This was just what he needed. “Can I make your bed go up and down?” he asked with interest, as he looked around. There were other people in the ICU, but their curtains were drawn, and he couldn't see them.

“Sure.” Peter showed him the buttons and how to do it, and he winced as Jamie first flung him up then down, and then moved him to a sitting position.

“Does that hurt?” Jamie was fascinated with making the bed move.

“A little,” Peter admitted.

“Do you want to lie down again?”

“Okay, I'll tell you how far, and when to stop.” Peter was always a good sport about making Jamie happy. And as Jamie was concentrating on flattening the bed out again, Bill Webster walked in, and looked at the scene with interest.

He glanced at Liz, and then back at her two sons. Peter had just told him to let go of the button, and Jamie was satisfied that he had done a good job of it. He wanted to do it again, but this time Peter asked him not to. He was still in more pain than he wanted to admit.

“Hi, Doc,” Peter said as he looked up, and Jamie glanced at Bill with a look of suspicion.

“Are you going to bed?” Jamie asked politely, staring at the green scrubs he was wearing.

“No. I get to wear these to work, isn't that silly? That way, I can fall asleep anytime I want.” He was teasing, but Jamie looked up at him with big, serious brown eyes. Despite Jamie's dark brown hair, and Peter's red, there was a striking resemblance between them. “Introduce me to your brother,” he said to Peter, who duly introduced Jamie to the doctor.

“I don't want a shot,” Jamie explained, so there would be no misunderstanding between them from the first.

“Neither do I,” he said, keeping a respectful distance, not wanting to upset the boy. He knew of his limitations from his mother. “I'll promise not to give you one, if you don't give me one either.” Jamie laughed as Bill said it.

“I promise,” Jamie said solemnly. And then for no particular reason, he volunteered a piece of information about himself, as though he thought some kind of social exchange was expected of him. “I won three medals at the Special Olympics. Mom coached me.”

“What did you compete in?” Bill asked with a look of profound interest.

“Running long jump, hundred yard dash, and sack race.” He reeled them off with pride, and Liz smiled as she watched him.

“Your mom must be a pretty good coach if you won all that.”

“She is. I only won fourth place with my dad. He shouted a lot more than Mom did. But Mom made me work harder and stay out later while we trained.”

“Persistence wins the prize,” Bill said more to Liz than to Jamie and she smiled at him, slightly embarrassed to have Jamie extolling her virtues. “That must have been pretty exciting.”

“It was,” Jamie said, smiling, and then turned back to his brother and asked if he could work the bed again. And although Peter didn't look too happy about it, he let Jamie do it, as Bill and Liz stepped outside for a moment to talk.

“How's he doing?” Liz asked. Peter still looked very tired to her, and she could see that his head and neck were hurting.

“He's doing fine,” Bill reassured her, “he's my star patient. Your younger son is a great kid, you must be proud of him,” he said, glancing at Jamie through the