“Colin, wait!” I shouted, hoping that he might turn around and come back. “Come back! I have more questions!” He ignored me. The sound of his footsteps against the muddy floor continued then faded in the distance.
Minutes later, Grace poked her head through the open doorway. I smiled at her as she rushed to my bedside. “Oh, Georgie,” she exhaled. “I was so worried about you.”
I smiled. “I asked to see you last night, you know?”
“Yeah,” she grumbled. “My mom wouldn’t let me see you.” She picked up one of my hands. “Are you feeling any better?”
“Not really.”
“Did you see Colin?”
“He was just here.”
“Well, what did he say?
“Absolutely nothing.”
Grace raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“There is something really weird going on with him. It’s driving me crazy because I can’t remember a portion of what happened when we were up there and I feel like he knows and is keeping it from me. Have you heard him say anything?”
“No. You know I’d tell you if I did.”
“I know.”
Grace stayed with me for another hour. It was a Monday so she had to go to school, but she told me she’d be back to check on me.
Throughout the day, I had numerous visitors, but Colin never came back. After our conversation, I was pretty sure he was going to avoid me. But he would only be able to avoid me for a little while. Because I was regaining the use of my arms and it would only be a matter of time before I could use my legs. And when I regained the use of my legs, I would stop at nothing until I figured out just what exactly Colin Martin was hiding from me.
Frankie remained by my side for most of the day, always eager to help me or get me something I needed. My mom let her miss school for the day so she could spend time with me. She had me convinced that she might actually make a great nurse in the future. “Here.” She reached behind my head. “Let me fluff your pillow.” Sitting up, I watched her punch the pillow several times, bunch it up and pull it apart, then she patted it, until it was extra fluffy. “There,” she said as she sat back down. “How does that feel?”
I nestled into it and smiled. “Great. Thanks, sis.”
She nodded. “Anytime.” Frankie lifted her knees to her chest and hugged them. “So, when did May say that you could get outta here?”
“She didn’t say.”
“Well, can you walk?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t tried to yet.” The upper part of my legs were still as stiff as a board, but I could roll my ankles. “Maybe in a day or two,” I said with confidence.
“Do you know why Colin Martin wasn’t hurt as bad as you?” Frankie asked, with a puzzled look on her face.
What I wanted to say was, “you tell me.” My sister was the colony gossip queen. Nobody would say anything important when she was in hearing range, because they knew better. Normally, I hated that she could never keep a secret but, her last question sparked a genius idea. I frowned. “No. I don’t know why. But you can find out for me.”
She pointed to her chest, looking astonished. “Who, me?”
“Yeah, you.”
Frankie scrunched her face together. “Well, what is it exactly that you want me to do?”
A wide grin spread across my lips. “Do what you do best, my little talking parrot.”
If Frankie, the one person with the best hearing in the entire colony, couldn’t pick up something about what was going on with Colin Martin, then I was pretty much screwed.
She nodded and smirked. “I like that idea.”
Chapter 13: Be Careful What You Say Around Little Birds