Hiding the Stranger in Hickory Valley, Part Four

Mary walked back toward Jennifer and her group. “Doctor Smith is on the third floor. He will be right down. They are going to need a parent or guardian to sign for Sam. Please get someone to come here as soon as possible,” she directed. “The receptionist, Mrs. Miller, will let you use the phone, and you can sit over here while you wait.” She indicated a row of chairs. They were empty except for an older man in tan work clothes. He appeared to be filling out a hospital form.

“I have to go now and help one of the nurses. I’ll try to check back later and see how your cousin is doing,” she added and headed down the hall.

Hank looked at Jen and then at Katie. None of them had ever come to the emergency room without a parent before. None of them had thought about needing a grown-up’s signature. He turned and put his hands up in a what-now type of gesture.

“What do you think we should do?” he asked Jennifer. “I guess we should try and get hold of Mom or Dad,” he answered himself.

Before she could reply, they heard Mrs. Miller talking to a nurse who had just come into the lobby. The nurse was wearing blue scrubs and had a stethoscope around her neck. “Chief Benson just called,” stated the receptionist. “He said that some men from Chicago are looking for a run-away boy. The chief said that the boy is about fifteen. He wants us to call if anyone like that shows up at the hospital.”

Katie looked at ‘Sam’ and said, “Uh, oh, do you think the doctor and nurses will believe that you are our cousin, or will they call the police?”

“I don’t know, but I can’t take that chance until I find out what is going on.” The boy that they were now calling Sam stood up. “I think I’ll be all right. I’m not dizzy anymore and my headache isn’t as bad. I have to go somewhere so that I can figure out what to do.” The boy shook his head sadly and asked himself, “Who am I?” He started to walk toward the exit sign.

Just then a bell dinged and the elevator door slid open. A white-haired man in a lab coat came out and stopped at the desk. “Hello, Dr. Smith,” said the receptionist.

Hank hesitated for only a moment and then grabbed hold of his two sisters, saying, “Come on. We found him. We’d better not let him wander around.” The three of them headed out of the door and quickly caught up with Sam.



Want to read more? This is the end of the excerpt by Joan C. Kelly, but you can purchase the book at Hiding the Stranger in Hickory Valley

Hiding the Stranger in Hickory Valley, Part Three

Hank looked at his sister with a bit of surprise. His sixteen-year-old sister was not known for breaking rules and telling fibs. “Jennifer Marie Rivers,” he said in the tone that their parents used when one of the children had done something that they shouldn’t have. “Why did you tell Mary that this guy is our cousin, Sam?”

Jen sheepishly replied, “I’m not sure. I was just thinking about the fact that maybe Katie and he… and Sam are right. Maybe we shouldn’t let those two men find him; at least until we find out what they want and why he is afraid of them.”

While they waited, two Certified Nurses’ Aids walked by. One was a tall, middle-aged lady pushing a medicine cart. The other was younger but just as tall.

“Could you possibly trade shifts with me on Friday?” the older woman asked her associate. “A friend of mine, whom I have not seen for a long time, will be passing through. I would really like to spend a couple hours with her before she travels on.”

“I’m sorry, Renee, but I have already made plans to go to the movies with my sister. Maybe some other time,” the lady responded.

As the two workers stopped at the receptionist’s desk to drop off some papers, the one called Renee looked quite disappointed. ‘Sam’ slowly turned away from the other three kids, stepped over next to the younger CNA and commented, “I couldn’t help hearing your conversation. I know that it isn’t any of my business, but is Friday the only day that the movie you want to see playing? You and your sister will probably have a lot of opportunities to go to the movies, but your co-worker may not have many chances to see her friend.”

The woman stared at him with a surprised look on her face and said, “You’re right. It isn’t any of your business.” She turned her back on the young man.

Hank, Jen, and Katie were also looking at the boy. They all had questioning expressions on their faces. When Sam stepped back into the group Hank asked, “Do you know either of them? Why did you go over and talk to that hospital worker?”

The teen shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. It just seemed like the thing to do.” Looking back at the two workers, he saw the lady he had spoken to approach the other woman. She looked over at Sam for a second and then turned back to speak to her fellow employee.

“Renee, my sister and I could go to the movies on Saturday instead. Why don’t we switch so you can see your friend?”

A big smile appeared on Renee’s face. “Oh, thank you, Heather! I really appreciate that. I’ll trade with you sometime if you ever need me to.” There seemed to be a bit of a spring in Renee’s step as she continued on her rounds. On her way down the hall, she noticed a man trying to get some paper money to go into the vending machine. She stopped and asked him if he needed some help.

“I just wanted a cup of coffee, and this wrinkled five dollar bill is all that I have. The machine doesn’t want to pull it through,” the obviously tired and worried man complained.

Reaching into the pocket of her smock, she pulled out some change. “Here let me get it for you.”

“Thanks. That was nice of you. I appreciate that,” he said.

Renee smiled and said, “No problem. Maybe you can do a little something for someone else one of these days.”

“Yes, I hope I can,” he said as he watched the worker walk away.

This excerpt is from a young adult novel by Joan C. Kelly: Hiding the Stranger in Hickory Valley

Hiding the Stranger in Hickory Valley, Part Two

The three siblings exchanged puzzled looks, and then Hank asked, “What’s wrong? Why don’t you want those guys to see you?”

The boy seemed to search his memory before he answered, “I’m not sure. I just know that there is something…something bad about those two men. I don’t know why. I just know that I have to stay away from them.” He shook his head trying to clear the fog that seemed to hang over his thoughts.

“Do you know those men?” he asked Hank and his sisters.

Jen answered, “No. I’ve never seen them before. Have you, Hank, or you, Katie?”

Hank shook his head and Katie said, “No. They must have just gotten into town. I think my stranger is right. Those men are evil. I can feel it!” emphasized the young girl.

“Oh, Kate, you can’t feel evil,” scolded her older sister, “and why are you calling this guy ‘my stranger’?”

“Can too feel it!” snapped the girl. “I have to call him something, and he’s a stranger who I found at the corner of the meadow.” Katie folded her arms together in a determined gesture and slouched in the seat. A moment later she sat up and said, “Hey! Stranger At Meadow: I could use the first letters of those words and call him SAM. Would that be alright with you?” she asked the bewildered boy.

“What? Oh, sure. Whatever you want,” he quietly replied.

Jen sighed and told her sister, “You can’t just name him like he’s some kind of pet.”

“Okay, girls, let’s not argue,” Hank interrupted. “Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to wait before we talk to Chief Benson.” Hank tilted his head to indicate the boy, “This guy, whatever his name is, may get his memory back shortly, and the mystery will be solved. The first thing we need to do is have a doctor look at him.”

When the group reached the hospital and entered the lobby, the first person they saw was Mary Boston, a classmate of Jen’s. Mary’s crisp looking white shirt, candy-striped smock, and stylish short hair gave her a professional look. She was working as a hospital aide and hoped someday to become a doctor. Mary looked up when she heard them walking down the hall.
“Hi, Jen, what’s wrong? Is someone hurt?” Mary asked.

Jen pointed to the teenaged boy and answered, “Yes, our…uhmm, our cousin,…uhmm, Sam Rivers, fell and hit his head. Can someone look at him, please?”

“I’ll see which doctor is on call,” she said and quickly stepped over to the desk to use the in-house phone.



This excerpt is from a young adult novel by Joan C. Kelly: Hiding the Stranger in Hickory Valley

Hiding the Stranger in Hickory Valley, Part One

Hank Rivers drove the old, dented but dependable, blue pick-up truck down Main Street toward St. Francis Hospital. The town was like many other quiet rural communities. It had friendly people and helpful neighbors. They worked hard and supported the local library, hospital and schools. The town still had patches of the leafy, shagbark hickory trees that earned the area its name, Hickory Valley. It was under one of these groups of hickory trees growing in front of the post office that Katie noticed the Chief of Police talking to two men.

“Hey, there’s Chief Benson. After we take our stranger to the see the doctor, maybe we should tell the chief about him. Maybe he can help figure out who he is.”

The light-haired boy looked toward the officer that the younger sister had indicated. Chief Benson had gray streaked hair and a kindly-looking face. A badge was visible above the shirt pocket of his blue uniform. He looked like the type of person who was used to helping others. Then, the teenager noticed the men that were standing next to the police chief. A tall, muscular man was standing on the sidewalk. He had a dark shaggy mustache and raven black hair that curled around the collar of his shirt. A shorter man with a balding head and round glasses that perched on the end of his nose was next to him. They were listening to Chief Benson as he slowly shook his head. When the taller man turned toward the truck, the boy felt a cold shiver run through his body. He gripped Jennifer’s arm and seemed to become even paler.

“Please, no! Don’t stop. Don’t let those men see me,” exclaimed the teen as he slid lower into the back seat.



This excerpt is from a young adult novel by Joan C. Kelly: Hiding the Stranger in Hickory Valley