Night Runner Read Free Page B

right?” she asked.
    I looked at Nurse Ophelia. She nodded and so I nodded.
    â€œIs there anything we can do for you before we go?”
    I did have some questions. “Is somebody after me?” I asked.
    Officer Philips was about to answer when Nurse Ophelia cut in.
    â€œNo,” she said quickly. “No one is after you, Zachary. You’re perfectly safe here.” Then she stepped aside so Officer Philips could leave.
    I watched the two officers to see if they had anything to say about that subject, but apparently they didn’t. I wasn’t finished, though.
    â€œHow did he do it?” I asked.
    Officer Philips looked confused. Her forehead wrinkled up. “What do you mean?”
    â€œHow did that man do all those things? He should have been a splat on the wall after that crash. Then he picked up the motorcycle and threw it. And he got up after being shot. He was supposed to be dead.”
    Officer Cummings was still waiting in the hallway. He perked up when he heard my question.
    â€œDo you know what PCP is?” he asked.
    I shook my head.
    â€œAngel Dust?”
    I didn’t know that one either.
    â€œWell, he was probably on drugs. I once arrested a guy who was so cranked up on speed, even with a bullet in his shoulder he just wouldn’t quit. He had this cleaver—”
    Officer Philips put her hand on his arm.
    â€œYeah. Well, the point is,” he continued, “that old guy was probably on something potent. It’s not hard to find if you know where to look. Makes you do all kinds of weird stuff. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. He won’t bother you again. Not with us here.”
    â€œSo what was he warning me about?” I asked.
    The officers looked at each other. They clearly didn’t know. Nurse Ophelia answered for them.
    â€œNothing, Zachary. It was nothing.”

Chapter 5
Family Resemblance
    O nce the officers were gone, Nurse Ophelia stepped into the hall and got the laundry hamper for my bloodied clothes. I still hadn’t moved from the bed. She said something to me, but I wasn’t really listening, not until she gave my shoulder a squeeze.
    â€œDo you understand what I’m saying?” she asked.
    I nodded and said yes.
    â€œYou aren’t even listening,” she said. Then she smiled. “You’re going to be fine. I know you better than anyone, Zachary. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”
    It was difficult to disagree with Nurse Ophelia when she smiled at you. And she
did
know me better than anyone. Unlike the other staff, she worked the night shift all the time. She looked out for me. Whenever a therapy session went bad, or if I got irritable with the other nurses, which sometimes happened if I got hungry before mealtime, she always smoothed things over.
    â€œWould you like to go back to the fitness room and finish your run?” she asked.
    I didn’t know what to say. Running was usually a sure bet with me. And, like she said, she knew me better than anyone. But I knew her, too. And there was something she wasn’t telling me.
    â€œ
Is
someone after me?” I asked.
    Nurse Ophelia sighed. Her eyes suddenly looked very tired. I was hoping she might say something like, “No, of course no one is after you. Who would want to harm you? You’re the greatest kid on earth.
Blah
,
blah
,
blah
,” but she didn’t. Instead, she put her hand over her forehead like I was giving her a headache.
    â€œI should get back to the desk,” she said. “The cleanup crew will be here shortly. As soon as this mess is cleared away, I’ll check in with you at dinner. We can talk then, okay?”
    I nodded and watched while she backed out the door, pulling the hamper with my dirty scrubs behind her. I waited until the squeak of the wheels had faded down the hall, then I flicked on my reading light and picked up my copy of
The Hobbit
.
    Of all the books ever written,
The