Blood From a Stone (176 page)

T
he
boy
s
m
il
ed
a
w
i
de
t
oo
t
hy
g
ri
n
and
nodded, a
l
t
hou
g
h
at
t
he
sa
m
e
ti
m
e
l
oo
k
ed a
littl
e
s
k
ep
ti
ca
l
. “
Y
ou
k
now
w
hat
e
l
se?”

“Wha
t’
s
t
ha
t
?”
S
a
m
son sa
i
d so
ftl
y
.

“I
k
now
y
ou
’r
e
not
a
doc
t
o
r
!
T
hey s
ti
ck
m
e
w
it
h
t
h
e
se need
l
es
and
g
i
v
e
m
e
m
ed
i
c
i
ne
t
hat
t
as
t
es
bad.”
H
e
w
ri
n
k
l
ed h
i
s
nose
and
nodded
w
it
h
ce
rt
a
i
n
t
y
.
“I
t
h
i
nk
m
a
y
be
m
y nana
w
as
ri
g
h
t
.
Y
ou
’r
e
an
an
g
el
and
y
ou
’r
e
m
y
fri
end
t
o
o
.
Y
our na
m
e
’
s
S
a
mm
y
i
sn
’
t
it
?
”

S
a
m
son
s
m
il
ed
and
r
u
ffl
ed
D
a
v
i
d
’
s
ha
i
r.  “
Y
ou
’r
e c
l
ose.
I
t’
s
S
a
m
son.”

“
C
an
I
g
et
up
no
w
,
S
a
m
son?
I
’
m hun
g
r
y!
”
D
a
v
i
d s
t
a
rt
ed
t
o s
i
t
up
and
tri
ed
j
u
m
p
up
out
of
t
he
bed
and
i
n
t
o
S
a
m
son
’
s
l
ap.

“Whoa,
t
he
r
e,
littl
e
g
u
y
!
Y
ou
need
t
o
s
l
ow do
w
n.
I
k
now
y
ou
f
eel
g
r
ea
t
,
but
w
e
need
t
o
m
a
k
e
su
r
e
be
f
o
r
e
y
ou
tr
y
t
o
w
a
l
k
.
F
ir
st
w
e ha
v
e
t
o
t
a
k
e
t
h
i
s
need
l
e out
of
y
our
a
r
m
.
O
k
a
y
?”

D
a
v
i
d
nodded,
ho
l
d
i
ng
out
h
i
s
a
r
m
,
and 
S
a
m
son
g
en
tl
y pu
ll
ed
t
he
t
ape
fr
ee,
ca
r
e
f
u
ll
y s
li
d
i
ng
t
he
t
ube out
of
h
i
s s
m
a
l
l
v
e
i
n
and
dabb
i
ng a
w
ay
t
he
ti
ny d
r
op
of
b
l
ood
t
hat
f
o
l
l
o
w
ed.
H
e
pu
ll
ed
t
he
tr
ash  can  o
v
er
and  dan
g
l
ed
t
he han
g
i
ng
t
ube
do
w
n
i
n
t
o
it
, and
t
hen he put
D
a
v
i
d on
t
he
fl
oo
r
. “
G
o
ahead
and
t
a
k
e
a
f
ew
s
t
eps
and
t
hen
w
a
l
k
SLO
W
L
Y ac
r
oss
t
he
r
oom
and
t
hen back
t
o
m
e.”

D
a
v
i
d
nodded
w
it
h
en
t
hus
i
as
m
,
be
f
o
r
e
t
a
k
i
ng a
f
ew
t
en
t
a
ti
v
e
s
t
eps,
and
t
hen
s
k
i
pp
i
ng
ac
r
oss
t
he
r
oom  and
j
u
m
p
i
ng
i
n
t
o
S
a
m
son
’
s
cha
i
r
w
it
h
a
l
l
t
he
abound
i
ng
ene
r
g
y
of a hea
lt
hy
s
i
x
y
ear
o
l
d.

“We
ll
,
y
ou
seem
t
o
be
just fine
!
”
S
a
m
son
sa
i
d
m
a
t
t
e
r
-
o
f
-
f
ac
tl
y
.

“
D
oes
t
h
i
s
m
ean
I
can
g
o
g
et
so
m
e
i
ce c
r
ea
m
?”

“
N
ot
j
ust
y
e
t
…I
need
y
ou
t
o do
m
e a
f
a
v
o
r
.”
             

D
a
v
i
d nodded exc
it
ed
l
y
. “
S
u
r
e. What
i
s
it
?”