Read Ms. Zephyr's Notebook for Free Online Page B

worse.”
    The room was silent, with the muted beep and clunk of the machines sounding suddenly loud by contrast.
    After a moment, Logan realized that his mouth was actually gaping in surprise.
    â€œYou know? You’ve known all this time that she’s run away?”
    Kip nodded. “I found out she was going, but she made me promise not to tell.”
    Logan closed his eyes and leaned against the wall with a groan. “And here I thought you would go straight to the nurses if you found out she was gone,” he said. He opened his eyes and looked at Kip, sitting upright and wide awake in his bed in spite of the hour. “You’re more trustworthy than I thought, kid.”
    Kip smiled a little at this. “Cleo knew I wouldn’t tell,” he said. He shifted uncomfortably in his bed. “But I’m really scared for her, Logan. Besides, everybody will figure out she’s gone pretty quickly, I think. There are no secrets around here.”
    Logan strode around to the head of the bed. “You’re right, Kip. But I think you and I are looking for the same thing here. We just want to make sure Cleo is safe, right?”
    Kip nodded slowly. “I guess so. But she did ask me not to tell anybody anything. And that would include you, Logan.”
    Logan leaned on the table and stuck his nose right in Kip’s face. “Look, kid. Time is passing. Cleo is goneand, unless she told you more than she told me, we don’t know where. We need to work together to make sure she’s safe. So here’s the deal: we both know you’re stuck in this bed, but there is still a way for you to help. Now what did Cleo say to you?”
    As he leaned forward encouragingly, one of his fingers caught on the wire leading to the heart monitor, pinching it between his palm and the corner of the table. The machine’s alarm howled and a red light above the door began to flash.
    Logan waited a full five minutes after the sound of Nurse Takehiko’s shoes receded in the distance before crawling out from under the bed. His eyes had adjusted to the dark from lying under the bed all that time, and in the glow of the flashing lights he could see Kip was grinning broadly.
    â€œThat was awesome, Logan. I never knew you could move so fast.”
    Logan rubbed his head where he’d smacked it on the steel strut under the bed. “Neither did I.”
    He sat back down on the bed, gingerly avoiding any wire or tube he could see. “Dude, that thing was loud. I thought she’d catch me for sure.”
    â€œMe too. But I’m glad she didn’t. You would have been in so much trouble. But it was okay. I just told herI must have rolled over on it in my sleep.”
    Logan nodded and squeezed a button on his watch. The face glowed blue in the dark room. “Yeah, I know. Listen, Kip. I’ve got to get out of here.”
    â€œBut I thought you wanted to hear about what Cleo had to say.”
    â€œWell, yeah, I do. But you need to tell me quick and without any more alarms ringing. I’m going to be the one who needs a heart monitor if that thing goes off again.” Logan leaned forward and flipped on the tiny lamp that the nurses used for reading charts at night.
    â€œOkay, okay.” But Kip just fidgeted with his laptop. Logan could feel impatience surging inside him like a rising helium balloon.
    Kip finally broke his silence. “She said she had filled out a transfer form and that the nurses would think she was in the psych ward. She said by the time they figured it out, she would have a chance to do what she had to do.” He bit his lip. “But she wouldn’t tell me where she was going, Logan. Do you know where she’s gone?”
    Logan shrugged. “Maybe. I know about the transfer form, anyway. I helped her steal the thing, for crissakes.” He shook his head. “Looks like she was using us both, dude.”
    â€œThere’s something