Free Storm Rescue by Laurie Halse Anderson Page B

drown!”
    â€œDon’t worry,” I call back breathlessly. “It’ll float.”
    I hope I’m right. I’m remembering what I learned last year in science class about buoyancy. That’s another word for how well things float. And I learned that a lightweight, hollow object with a solid bottom—like a canoe or a plastic cat carrier—has a lot of buoyancy. I just have to keep the door and airholes above water.
    I hold my breath as the carrier sinks slightly, then bobs back to the surface, floating easily. Some water has splashed in, and Lucy yowls in protest.
    â€œDon’t be scared,” I whisper, hardly daring to believe I’ve actually done it. “You’ll be safe now. Don’t worry,” I turn and wave to let Maggie and David know that we’re coming. I see David start swimming toward me, and hear the faint sound of Maggie cheering from the canoe.
    Soon David is there beside me. “Good job, Sunita,” he cries happily. “You did it!”
    I grin tiredly as he starts swimming back, pushing the carrier—and a very noisy Lucy—along with him. A second later, I feel a tug on the back of my vest. With relief, I remember the rope. I push off from the windowsill, letting Maggie pull me back toward the canoe. I do my best to help her by paddling, although my arms and legs feel like they have lead weights attached to them. I’ve never been so tired in my life.
    But I’m happy. Lucy is safe!

Chapter Twelve
    T here you are!” Dr. Mac shouts when Maggie, David, and I enter the clinic twenty minutes later. “Thank goodness! Gabe just went out searching for you.”
    She looks sort of angry but also very relieved. Zoe is sitting at the reception desk when we come in, but she hops up and rushes over. “Wow,” she says, handing us each a towel. “You guys look like you went through the washing machine.”
    â€œYeah,” David says with a grin, peeling off his raincoat. “But the dryer was broken.”
    Dr. Mac doesn’t look amused. “You all have a lot of explaining to do,” she says sternly. “But first things first.” She bends over and peers into the cat carrier I’m holding. “Bring her back.”
    We all follow Dr. Mac into the exam room. I gently set the carrier on the examining table and peer inside at Lucy. “You’re safe now, girl,” I reassure her. “Just like I promised.”
    â€œSo what happened, anyway?” Zoe asks curiously, leaning over to peek in at Lucy. “Brenna said the street was totally flooded. How did you rescue her?”
    â€œLater,” Dr. Mac says firmly. “We have work to do.”
    She opens the carrier door. I can tell that Lucy is glad to get out of there. She lets out a loud, disgruntled meow and tries to launch herself off the edge of the table—splint and all.
    Dr. Mac catches her and returns her to the center of the table as David quickly grabs the carrier and moves it out of the way. “Okay, old girl,” Dr. Mac murmurs, stroking Lucy gently. “Let’s see what we have here. Sunita, could you bring me a clean towel, please?”
    I do as she says, then watch as she carefully dries off the damp cat. Lucy starts purring, and Dr. Mac smiles.
    â€œSounds like she’s not feeling too terribly despite her adventure,” she comments as she looks Lucy over, checking her gums and listening to her heartbeat. “There are no signs of shock or serious stress, but we’ll check her glucose level just in case. Otherwise, the rainwater bath doesn’t seem to have hurt her any. But I think I’ll put a new splint on her, since this one might be wet inside. Sunita?”
    I start setting up the splinting equipment as Dr. Mac quickly draws blood for the glucose test. By the time she finishes checking the blood, I have everything ready. Even though Lucy is awake this time, the procedure goes quickly.