“I’ll get worse if you keep me quiet,” Dick grumbled. “How can you find out things that bother you, unless you talk?”
“Don’t bother about them,” said the doctor. “Have a drink instead.”
Dick looked at the glass with dull suspicion. “I don’t know, though I’m thirsty. You see, I’ve been in a doctor’s hands before. In fact, I seem to have a gift for getting hurt.”
“It’s cool and tastes nice,” the other urged. “You didn’t rest much last night and if you go to sleep now we’ll try to satisfy your curiosity afterwards.”
Dick hesitated, but took the glass and went to sleep soon after he drained it. When he awoke the light had vanished from the wall and the room was shadowy, but he saw Jake sitting by the bed. A nurse, who put a thermometer in his mouth and felt his pulse, nodded to the lad as if satisfied before she went away. Dick’s head was clearer, and although the movement hurt him he resolutely fixed his uncovered eye on his companion.
“Now,” he said, “don’t tell me not to talk. Do you know why they’ve fixed this bandage so that it half blinds me?”
Jake looked embarrassed. “There’s a pretty deep cut on your forehead.”
“Do you suppose I can’t feel it? But I want to know why they’re not satisfied with tying my forehead up? You may as well tell me, because I’m not going to sleep again. It looks as if I’d slept all day.”
“The cut runs through your eyelid and the doctor thinks it wiser to be careful.”
“About my eye?”