The Judy Moody Star Studded Collection - Megan Mcdonald [24]
“Were you scared?” Judy asked.
The girl nodded. “Guess what. My scar goes from my neck all the way down to my bellybutton.”
“What’s your name?” asked Stink.
“Laura,” said the girl.
“That’s one brave heart you got there, Laura,” said Judy.
“Daddy says I’m a brave girl,” Laura said. “I’m getting a hamster when I go home. Do you have a hamster?”
“No,” said Judy. “I have a cat named Mouse.”
“There’s nothing to do here,” said Laura, looking around.
“They have doctor stuff,” said Judy.
“Look! A real sling and stuff!” said Stink, kneeling next to a big cardboard box. He pulled out Ace bandages, boxes of gauze, and tongue depressors. Even a stethoscope and a pair of crutches.
“Stink, can I put your arm in a sling?” Judy asked.
“No way,” said Stink.
“How about you, Laura? I know how. For real.”
“I’m sick of doctor stuff,” Laura said.
“What about dolls?” Stink asked. “There’s a bunch of dolls in this box.”
“They all have broken arms and legs, or no heads,” Laura said. “And some of them have cancer.”
“What do you mean?” Judy asked.
“They’re bald, like Sarah, in my same room.”
“That’s not fair,” Judy said. “They should at least have dolls to play with that aren’t sick.”
The nurse came back just then. “Time to go back to your room,” she told Laura. “Did you kids meet our brave girl?”
“Yes!” said Judy and Stink.
“I hope your new heart works great!” said Judy, as Laura left with the nurse.
“Bye!” called Stink.
Judy looked through the doll box. Laura was right. All the dolls were dirty or broken or hairless or headless.
Mrs. Moody poked her head in the doorway. “Hello!”
“Mom!” said Stink.
“Is Frank okay?” Judy asked.
“His finger’s broken,” said Mrs. Moody, “but his mom is with him now. He’s getting a splint.”
“Rare! A real splint!” said Judy.
“He won’t be playing any basketball for a while, but he’s going to be just fine. So. Ready to go?”
Stink and Judy followed Mrs. Moody out of the playroom. Halfway down the hall, Judy stopped, holding Stink back by his shirt.
“Stink,” she said so her mom couldn’t hear. “Give me your backpack.”
“What?”
“Your backpack. I need it.” Stink made a face and handed over the pack.
“Catch up with Mom and tell her I forgot something. I’ll be right back.”
Judy dashed back into the playroom and over to the box of broken dolls. Looking around to make sure no one was coming, she stuffed the dolls into the backpack. Judy zipped it shut, flung it over her shoulder like a lumpy Santa Claus sack, and headed back down the hall.
When Mom stopped to ask a question at the desk, Stink asked, “Hey! What’s in there?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing does not make a big fat lump. Did you take that doctor stuff? You took stuff! You stole! I’m telling!”
“Shh! You can’t tell anybody, Stink, or we’ll get in trouble for stealing.”
“We? You mean you’ll get in trouble,” said Stink. “Are you crazy? Do you want to be famous for being the only third grader who ever went to jail?”
“Swear you won’t tell, Stink.”
“What will you give me?”
“I’ll let you look at real spit under my microscope.”
“Okay. I swear.”
“You swore!” said Judy. “I’m telling.”
As soon as Judy got home, she unloaded the backpack and spread the dolls out on her bottom bunk. She, Doctor Judy Moody, was in an operating mood. On her bed was a doll that didn’t talk or cry anymore, and one with no arms. There was a headless doll, and one that was bald.
First Judy gave each of the dolls a bath.
“I know just what I need,” said Judy. “Body parts!” She dug out her collection: long arms, skinny arms, brown legs, pink legs, middles with bellybuttons, one bare foot, a thing that looked like a neck, and all sorts of heads — small heads, fat heads, Barbie heads, bald heads! Judy emptied a whole bag of body parts onto her bed. “Rare!”
Judy glued a red wig with yarn braids onto the doll with no hair and gave another one arms that bent. Judy bent the arm back and forth, back and forth, to test it out. “Boo!” said the doll each time Judy lifted her arm.
“You don’t scare me!” Judy told the doll.
“And for you,” she said to