“Who wants hot chocolate?” asked Buzz as they arrived back at the lodge.
“Oh yes please,” said Lexi, hobbling in with Lisa and Isla’s help. “I’d drink hot mud if it would warm me up!”
“Would you like marshmallows with your mud, madam?” asked Buzz in a silly voice as he searched the cupboards for cups and spoons.
The Animal Adventure Club hung up their wet jackets and they all sat by the stove. Gracie carefully helped Lexi put her leg up on the coffee table and Lisa fetched an ice pack from the freezer to put on her swollen ankle. Isla put a blanket around Lexi’s shoulders.
“Sorry we sent you out on a wild-goose chase, Lisa,” said Isla. “All the excitement was at the other end of the reserve.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Lisa. “I’m just so pleased that you found Lexi and the fawn! Good work, Animal Adventure Club.”
Lexi glanced around. “Well, it wasn’t good work from me,” she mumbled. “I caused you lots of trouble. I was really silly and I’m so sorry.” She gave a great sigh. “Oh dear.”
Isla caught Gracie’s eye and they both began to smile. Then Isla looked at Buzz, whose shoulders were shaking. Isla let out a snort. She couldn’t keep it in any longer. They all started laughing. Lexi looked confused.
“Oh dear. Oh deer! Get it?” chortled Isla. “Lexi, I never knew you were so funny!”
Lexi looked at them all, confused. “But that’s not what I meant… Oh, I keep making mistakes!”
“Don’t take it so hard, Lexi. We all make mistakes – and some of them are funny,” chuckled Lisa. “Listen, I’ve got an idea that’ll make you feel better: why not help other people learn from your mistakes?”
“What do you mean?” asked Lexi.
“Why don’t you make a poster or fact sheet? Something for our visitors to read,” suggested Lisa. “And you could illustrate it. You’re really good at drawing. You won that prize, remember?”
“Wow, that’s amazing!” said Isla. “And a fact sheet was on our list of jobs to do. That would be perfect.”
Lexi went a deep shade of red. “But I don’t deserve to be a member of the Animal Adventure Club,” she said.
“Yes you do!” blurted Gracie.
“You really cared about that wee fawn, Lexi,” added Isla. “You were so brave and you scared the fox away. You saved the baby deer’s life!”
“It’s official,” said Buzz, writing on the Animal Adventure Club’s notice board. “I’ve added your name to the list of members.”
Isla saw a tear in Lexi’s eye.
“Thanks everyone,” Lexi said. “I’ll do my best. And I’ll make some fact sheets too – though I’ll need some help from you all. I don’t know that much about animals.”
“No problem,” said Gracie. “We’ll tell you everything we know!”
“You can start learning about hedgehogs right now,” said Lisa, who had taken Spiky out of his cage and was bringing him over to Lexi. “This wee guy’s ears are all better now, so we can release him back into the wild tomorrow. Want to help me, Lexi?”
“You bet!” said Lexi, her eyes shining. “Gracie, Buzz, Isla, I hope you’ll come too!”
“You’re on,” said Isla, and Buzz and Gracie smiled and nodded. They all leaned in for their first Animal Adventure Club fist bump as a team of four.
The headlights of a car drawing up outside shone through the window. “That’s your mum, Isla,” said Lisa.
“See you tomorrow then, to say goodbye to Spiky,” Isla said. Then she leaned over and gave Lexi a hug. “You’re going to have great fun in the Animal Adventure Club, Lexi. I can’t wait!” Then she grabbed her things and bounded out of the lodge, glad to get into her mum’s warm car.
“So how was your evening?” asked her mum, as she looked Isla up and down. “What a state you’re in, Isla MacLeod! You look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards.” She picked a bit of twig out of Isla’s hair. “What on earth have you been up to?”
Isla grinned. “You’ll never guess. Let me tell you all about it…”
