Chapter 19

And so Dani went back to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

image

When they arrived, she felt so bad she couldn’t even ring the doorbell, and Sadie had to.

Grandma came straight away and opened the door, in her best dress with her hair curled.

image

“But…what on earth…?” she cried.

“Dani is sick,” said Sadie. “Can we come in?”

Then things got worse. Dani had hardly taken off her coat and gloves before Grandpa came with a thermometer.

Dani started to moan. She hated having her temperature taken.

“Come, Dani, let’s go to your room,” said Sadie, taking the thermometer. “Which one is yours?”

Grandpa showed her the way, and Sadie took Dani by the hand and shut the door.

Grandma and Grandpa stood outside, waiting for the wild scream that usually accompanied such occasions.

But this time they didn’t hear a peep.

Soon Sadie looked out.

image

“This isn’t good,” she said. “It’s pretty high. Do you have any children’s medicine?”

Dani started to moan again. Medicine was another thing she hated.

“And I’ll need a penlight,” Sadie went on. “I need to look at her throat.”

“No!” Dani cried.

But she needn’t have, because just then the phone rang.

It was Dad, calling from Rome.