The Phantom Limb by William Sleator, Ann Monticone Page B

her, she was hysterical. She swore that she was only making candles to give to the other girls as presents, so they would like her. But Esther didn’t believe her. The girl’s demeanorquickly changed to blankness. Esther knew there was something really wrong with the girl.”
    â€œWhat else?” he said to Vera.
    â€œThe girl was safely outside the cabin when the fire happened.”
    It all fit together, horribly. The girl had been damaged and dangerous since childhood. Isaac had a sudden flash of insight. “She … must really hate people. And I have a feeling she really doesn’t like people who play the piano. She used to torment her dolls and pull their limbs off.”
    â€œHow could you possibly know that?” Vera asked him, her voice despairing.
    â€œIt’s a long story. It has to do with what I learned from Joey Haynes, the boy who had the mirror box.”
    â€œBut he’s dead! How could you—”
    â€œI mean, from his grandmother. I went to see her. She lived in our house before we did. She told me a lot.” That was a lie, but it was something that Vera might believe more easily than what he had seen in the mirror box. “Joey Haynes played the piano, like you.”
    Vera looked scared. “I just want to get out of here, now,” she said.
    Isaac glanced at the open door of her room. Heturned and said, “I know you can’t walk, so we’ll have to use a wheelchair. The other nurses
seem
nice, but I don’t know. We should play it safe and come up with a story. We could say we’re just taking a little ride around the hospital to get you some air—and then escape.”
    Vera held up her hands, showing him the IV lines, which were inserted with a needle and secured by bandages. As before, the IV lines were attached to a tall metal pole that had bags hanging from it. “If we were going to leave the hospital, we’d have to remove all of this. Nobody would let out a patient on an IV.”
    â€œMaybe we could find a bathroom and take it out ourselves. You can ride in a wheelchair while you’re attached to the bags. I’ll ask Vicky if we can get one,” Isaac said, his heart beginning to beat faster.
    â€œAsk her now, please!”
    Isaac went out to the nurses’ station and found Vicky. “My mother feels so much better today,” he told her. “But she’s getting achy from lying in bed all the time. Would it be possible for us to take a little ride around inside the hospital? Just for a change of scenery?”
    Vicky looked both worried and apologetic. “My instructions are to keep her on complete bed rest,”she said with a sigh. Isaac sensed she was questioning her instructions.
    â€œOh, come on,” Isaac pleaded. “Please? She really needs to get out of that room.”
    â€œIf I let her out of her room, I’ll lose my job,” Vicky said.
    â€œSays who?”
    Vicky hesitated. “Dr. Ciano and Candi,” she said softly. “They’re my superiors. If I don’t follow their instructions to the letter, I’m out of here—with no recommendations and no possibility of getting another job. I just can’t risk it. Your mother’s condition is too unstable because of her arm.”
    Isaac’s shoulders slumped. He turned and went back to Vera’s room. “There’s no way they’ll even let you out of the room.
All
the nurses will stop us.”
    Vera bit her lip, trying to hold back tears.
    So they couldn’t get out now. There would have to be another plan. Isaac looked at his watch. It was six forty-five already. He needed to get to school early—with the spiral aftereffect. “I promise we’ll get you out of here before anyone can do anything else bad to you,” he said. “Grandpa’s helping me.” He brightened a little. “He’s almost the way he used to be. He remembers things. He might be in