A Dangerous Game
Page 5
Sam stared at his mum. He was stunned. He didn’t understand a lot of what she’d just said. “I didn’t save anyone,” Sam told her.
Dad smiled and said, “That’s not what your friend here said.”
“Pardon?” Sam replied.
Dad stepped to one side so that Sam could see who was in the next bed. It was Brandon, grinning at him.
“Hi, Sam,” Brandon said. “How’re you feeling now?”
“What … what’re you doing here?” Sam asked.
“I’ve got exposure and mild hypothermia,” Brandon told Sam. “I should be able to leave the day after tomorrow.” Brandon shrugged. “Do you know how long you’ll be stuck in here for?”
“No idea,” Sam said, and shook his head. “But I feel fine now.”
Sam couldn’t take it in. Mum and Dad kept calling Brandon his friend, and Brandon wasn’t arguing. Maybe Sam should correct them, but he was reluctant to do so.
“What about Tayo and Jack and Mrs Tritton?” Sam asked. “Are they all OK?”
“They’re fine,” Brandon assured him. “But we’re all in big trouble. Mrs Jenkins has said that as soon as we’re all back at school she wants to talk to us – and you know what that means. Mrs Jenkins’ talks can last for days.”
Sam wondered if Mrs Jenkins’ “us” meant Sam as well. He hoped so. He really hoped so.
“I think you’re going to be in trouble for not telling Mrs Jenkins what the rest of us were up to,” Brandon said.
Sam smiled to show his relief. Brandon smiled back.
“You OK?” Sam asked.
“I’m fine,” Brandon said. He lay back in the bed, his face looking tired in spite of his words. “Oh, and Sam?”
“Yes?” Sam said.
“Thanks for saving my life.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Well done, Sam,” said Dad. “You were very brave.”
“I collapsed before help arrived,” Sam sighed.
“But you were fantastic,” Mum said. “Everyone’s told us so. You did great.”
“Yes, I did, didn’t I?” Sam agreed.
His mum and dad started laughing at that.
Sam smiled and added, “If the next school trip is as action-packed as this one, I’m going to have a great time.”
“Er, Sam,” Mum said. “If the next school trip looks like being as … busy as this one, promise me something.”
“What?” Sam asked.
“That you’ll write us a postcard warning your dad and me first!” Mum said.
Sam decided to take the chance to tell his parents something else. “When I get back to school, I think I’ll try out for the football team,” Sam said. “I’m a pretty good goalie.”
“You’ll get selected – no trouble,” Dad said.
Sam held his breath as he looked at his mum, waiting for her answer.
“Go get ’em!” Mum said.
“I will,” Sam laughed. “You just watch me!”
And in that moment Sam knew that everything was going to be OK. He still had sickle-cell anaemia, and it wasn’t going to go away. But it wasn’t going to stop him from doing the things he wanted to do any longer.
“This has been the best school trip ever,” Sam sighed as he settled back down on his pillows. “Because now I know for sure there isn’t a thing in this world I can’t do if I try.”
“What’s he talking about?” Brandon asked.
“He’s just wittering,” Mum said, and shook her head. “He’s had too much river water, I think.”
And that was the last thing Sam heard before he fell asleep.
Author’s Note
Sickle-Cell Disease
Sickle-Cell Disease (SCD) is an inherited disorder that people have from birth – it is passed to a child by both parents. It is not contagious – you can’t catch it from someone else like a cold or the flu. Both parents must have the sickle-cell gene for there to be a chance that their child will have SCD.
Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body to all the organs and tissues that need it. These cells are soft and shaped like doughnuts – discs with the middle partly scooped out – and move easily in our small blood vessels.
SCD causes red blood cells to be different. They are shaped like crescent moons or sickles (hence the name) and tend to clump together. This makes these cells stiff and more fragile. These sickle cells don’t move around the bloodstream easily and can block blood vessels. When this happens, the body’s organs and tissues don’t get the oxygen they need to stay healthy. This leads to terrible pain, which is known as a sickle-cell crisis. Sometimes this means the person has to go into hospital to receive strong pain relief, oxygen and perhaps even a blood transfusion.
It’s also common for people with SCD to have trouble fighting infections and to become very tired, because their body isn’t getting the oxygen it needs. They must be careful not to get too hot, too cold, too dehydrated or too stressed, as any of these things can lead to a sickle-cell crisis.
You can find out more about SCD on the Sickle Cell Society website: www.sicklecellsociety.org
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