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Peter. Look, her color and breathing are good and her pulse is good too. It's funny she should be lying flat like thisas if someone straightened her out." |
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Peter didn't answer. He merely sat on his heels and stared down at Mrs. Bates with a worried frown. A moment later, this expression was replaced by a smile because Mrs. Bates's eyes opened slowly. Linda did notice that, though his lips smiled, his eyes remained worried. She also noticed that Mrs. Bates didn't look dazed or confused when her eyes opened on Peter but very frightened. Her breath caught and she turned her head almost the way a trapped animal turns away from its captor. On seeing Linda, her whole body relaxed. |
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"Oh, dear," she murmured plaintively, "I must have had a dizzy spell." |
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"Don't move, Aunt Em," Peter said. "The doctor's on his way. He'llah!" A knock had sounded on the door and Peter jumped to his feet. "Here he is." |
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The ship's doctor, thin, grey-haired, greymoustached, entered quietly and took his stethoscope from his bag. |
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"Shall I carry her to the bed?" Peter asked. |
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"One moment," the doctor replied. He pushed Mrs. Bates's suit jacket aside and listened. Then he smiled a formal smile. "Yes, please move her to the bed." |
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Peter gathered up Mrs. Bates as easily and as tenderly as if she were a small child, making nothing of her plump figure. Linda had started |
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