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on the dot of normal. Cherry breathed a sigh of relief.
As she spooned his medication into him, Timmy ram-
bled on about his new-found friend.
Henry, he told her, is an awful smart man. Most
as smart as my daddy. But he can t find Fuzzy-Wuzzy
either. We played cold and hot, you know, and I kept
telling him he was freezing when he tapped the walls
126 CHERRY AMES, CRUISE NURSE
and looked in the back of all the bureau drawers. Guess
nobody will ever find Fuzzy-Wuzzy but me.
So, between tales of piracy on the high seas, Mr.
Landgraf had got in a bit of searching. Probably he had
been able to get in quite a bit of searching.
When the inhalation was over, Mrs. Crane came
back, sunburnt and happy as a lark. Cherry decided to
risk a rebuff, if not a complaint to the captain.
Mrs. Crane, she said sternly, I don t believe you
quite understand about Timmy. He must not be left
alone. Under no circumstances must he be allowed
out of bed. While you were down at the pool another
passenger found him playing in the corridor.
Mrs. Crane s pink face turned red. But he was
sound asleep, Miss Ames, she defended herself. At
home he generally naps for an hour or more. I didn t
leave until three-thirty and I knew you d look in at
four.
Cherry lost her temper then. She said a lot of things
she knew she had no business saying. I simply can t
understand your attitude, Mrs. Crane. Doggedly she
followed her into the living room and closed the door.
You don t seem to appreciate the fact that you have an
exceptionally bright little boy. A sick little boy. A half-
starved little boy.
Mrs. Crane tossed her pretty head. It s not my fault
he won t eat. They sent up spinach and liver. He de-
tests them both.
Cherry went on ruthlessly. I m not talking about
spinach and liver. I m talking about mother love.
TIMMY S PIRATE 127
Mrs. Crane flounced to the French windows and
stared out on deck. Nanny adores him. She s been with
him ever since we came home from the hospital. He
worships the ground she walks on. She whirled around
to face Cherry defiantly. If you want to know the truth,
Miss Ames, I d like to win Timmy away from Nanny.
That s why I took him on this cruise. But it hasn t worked
out at all. I thought we would spend all our time around
the pool. We d have fun together. She began to sob with
self-pity. I was going to teach him to swim and turn
somersaults in the water. We d get to know each other
that way, and then he d learn to love me.
Cherry felt a twinge of pity. She said more gently:
The cruise has hardly begun. Timmy s temperature
was normal at four. If it stays that way we ll take him
off sulfa in another twenty-four hours. Then we can
take him out on deck for sun baths. In another day or
so he ll be up and around. You ll have plenty of time for
fun with him at the pool.
Mrs. Crane sniffled. I know you think I m a perfect
moron, but really the whole blame rests on my mother-
in-law s shoulders. I wanted to take care of Timmy as a
baby, but she wouldn t hear of it. We live with her, you
see. I wish we didn t. My husband is her only child.
She arranges both of our lives to suit herself. Mine is
just one social engagement after another. I hardly ever
see Timmy.
Well, I certainly would change all that when you
get home, Cherry said firmly. You can, you know. Your
husband will back you up. In the meantime, you can
128 CHERRY AMES, CRUISE NURSE
start getting rid of Nanny by convincing Timmy that
you can take better care of him than she can. I ll teach
you how to give him a bed bath, and how to change the
sheets without moving him. He ll love that.
Oh, would you, really? Mrs. Crane was patheti-
cally grateful. Do you think I could learn? I m so ut-
terly helpless.
Cherry chuckled. You just think you are. Hundreds
of so-called helpless society women work in hospitals
as nurses aides. We couldn t get along without them.
Timmy yelled impatiently then. Cherry hurried to
him, hoping that at least she had impressed on his
mother that he must not be left alone again. A docile
Mrs. Crane followed on Cherry s heels.
Timmy was demanding a toy parrot. He had seen
one in the shop on A deck. I m Long John Silver,
he shouted. I have to have a parrot. Pieces of eight.
Pieces of eight. He let a handful of bottle tops cas-
cade through his fat fingers. Pieces of eight!
I ll get you a parrot right away, honey. Mrs. Crane
snatched up her handbag and darted out into the corri-
dor. She was in such a hurry she barely escaped collid-
ing with Dr. Monroe who had just raised his knuckles
to knock.
Hello, Tim, he said. Has Cherry been taking good
care of you?
Timmy proudly pointed to his collection of bottle
tops. When are we going to play checkers?
Dr. Monroe glanced inquiringly at Cherry.
TIMMY S PIRATE 129
Perfectly normal, she said. And he s not nearly so
hoarse as he was.
The ship s surgeon nodded. He strode across the
room and flung open the French doors. Let s get a
little of that good warm air in here. If it s fair tomorrow
and his temperature is still normal, we ll wheel him out
on deck. How about it, Tim?
Timmy grinned. Also, I ve got to go swimming soon.
I ve got to. For a very portant reason.
Cherry told Dr. Monroe, He s been a pirate all day,
you see.
The word pirate started Timmy off again. Dr. Monroe
had to listen to a very Timmy-version of how the pi-
rates divided the booty among themselves. He was very
proud of one fact which he explained clearly. Before
the loot was apportioned into shares, certain payments
were always taken out. One of the first payments was
for medical care.
Those buccaneers, Timmy chuckled gleefully.
They were always losing a hand or a leg or an eye.
Henry s going to make me a patch so I can pe-tend I ve
only got one eye.
Dr. Monroe joined in Cherry s laughter. He s got the
makings of a good surgeon, hasn t he? Nothing squea-
mish about Tim Crane.
I should say not, Cherry agreed. He ll never go
back to Mother Goose after this trip. Anything else
but the stories in your book will be too tame for him
now.
130 CHERRY AMES, CRUISE NURSE
Mrs. Crane came back with the bright-feathered toy
parrot then. Cherry and the doctor left, almost deaf-
ened by cries of Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!
He s a cute kid, Kirk Monroe said as they walked
down toward the Paulding suite.
Cherry, though hating herself for it, had to report
Timmy s activity in the corridor to the young surgeon.
Dr. Monroe shook his head. I don t like to say this,
Cherry, but I m afraid I m going to have to ask you to
sleep in Timmy s room tonight. I m afraid his mother
might not wake up and give him his midnight and four
o clock doses of sulfa. It ll be much less of a chore for
you if you re sleeping in the other twin bed. Mrs. Crane
can have the sofa-bed in the living room made up for
herself.
I don t mind at all, Dr. Monroe, Cherry said.
He stopped outside Stateroom 125. Oh, let s cut
out this doctor and nurse stuff. We re on a pleasure
cruise; let s get some fun out of it. He grinned boy-
ishly. Unless you object, I d like you to call me Kirk.
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