“You mustn’t feel too bad,” advised the kindly doctor. “I think that there is little doubt that he will live, but as to whether or not he’ll fully recover, I can’t say yet. But we’ll hope for the best, and you can rest assured that everything possible will be done for him.”
The boys thanked the doctor for the help he had given their unfortunate friend, and then, after taking a sorrowful leave of Tim, started homeward. 101
The next few days were anxious ones for the radio boys. Larry hovered between life and death, and almost a week had passed before the doctors in charge of his case would say positively that he was going to pull through. At the end of that period the boys were allowed to see him, for a few minutes, after promising not to let him talk or to say anything to him that might excite him.
Larry received them with his old cheerful grin, but the boys were shocked at his wan and wasted appearance, so different from his usual vigorous self. They did not let him see this, however, but talked and joked with him in the usual way, and when the doctor finally signaled for them to leave they had the satisfaction of knowing that they had cheered their friend up and left him looking happier than when they came.
CHAPTER XI
LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS
“It’s going to be pretty hard for Larry when he does start to get around, I’m afraid,” said Bob, after the boys had left the hospital. “Tim told me yesterday that Larry’s mother is an invalid, and has to have a nurse all the time. Larry is her only support, and if he can’t keep up his vaudeville career I don’t see how either of them are going to get along.”
“It’s pretty tough, all right,” replied Joe. “The doctor says now that he’ll be as strong as ever eventually, but he admits that it will be a long time until he is. I wish we could think of some way to help Larry out until he gets on his feet again.”