Free The Magic Meadow by Alexander Key

last night. His spirits sank a little. They sank even more when he saw Nurse Jackson’s face. He realized many things must be troubling her, but he hesitated to ask about them.
    â€œThat sure smells good!” he began. “What are you cooking?”
    â€œJohnnycakes,” she said quietly. “Anything smells good when you’re hungry. I found some cornmeal in a jar, and a little cooking oil in a bottle. I had to mix the meal with water, but it’s hot food, which we need, and it’ll taste fine with molasses. I found some of that in another bottle.”
    She explained that she had packed sandwiches wrapped in plastic into all the bags, but that these would have to be saved till later, and possibly rationed. “I’ll pick some strawberries when I get to it,” she went on. “But I’m not about to go out there till I find me a big stick.”
    She chuckled as she spoke, but it did not hide her uneasiness. “This is the craziest place,” she said next. “I just can’t figure it. Take this stove. It’s electric and it works fine, but I do believe it’s handmade. And the bathrooms, if you want to call them that. They’re out back—girls to the left, boys to the right. There’s running water—but it flows through bamboo pipes. And the wash bowls—they’re hollowed out of rock!”
    He was staring at her in amazement when she jolted him by saying, “Brick, Charlie Pill was sick all night, and now he’s got a high fever. I don’t know what in the world to do. I can’t find my bag anywhere, and all the medicines are packed in it.”
    Fright stabbed through him. He swallowed. Charlie wasn’t strong anyway, and being caught so long in the cold rain must have been too much.
    â€œMaybe you left the bag outside last night,” he suggested. “Everything was in such a jam, what with the storm and all.…”
    She shook her head. “No, I went out first thing this morning to hunt for it. The blankets and the wheelchair are there, but not the bag. I can’t remember what I did with it. We were in such a rush, and Miss Preedy upset me so.…”
    â€œWhat happened?”
    â€œShe caught me taking the medicines we needed from the drug locker. I was packing them in my bag. She was going to have me arrested, and there just wasn’t time to argue with her. So I tied her up, slapped some adhesive tape across her mouth to keep her from screaming, and locked her in the linen closet. I knew she’d be found soon enough.…”
    Ordinarily the picture of Miss Preedy bound and gagged would have delighted him, but she had caused too much trouble, and had almost succeeded in breaking up their group. Now Charlie Pill could die. It was all too close for laughter.
    He told Nurse Jackson about Miss Preedy and the policeman, then said, “I’ll bet anything you left your bag in Ward Nine.”
    â€œI won’t bet. I’m scared to death you’re right.”
    Brick looked away and swallowed hard. He’d thought Belleview was forever behind him. The last thing he wanted was to go back, but as he thought of Charlie Pill he knew it would have to be done. And the sooner the better.

6
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    They talked it over quickly. Nurse Jackson didn’t want him to go to Belleview again—for some reason she was very uneasy about it—yet she was forced to agree that it was the only thing to do. Everything in the bag was important. Aside from her extra clothes, there were matches, a flashlight, a mending kit, some packages of dried food, a set of kitchen knives, and the priceless medicines.
    The others were still asleep when he stretched out on his bunk again and closed his eyes. He’d dressed in sneakers, a pair of jeans, and an old flannel shirt that had come out of Donations, and Nurse Jackson had made him eat two of the johnnycakes for breakfast. They were wonderful with the tangy