the shoulder back in the socket,” he said. “Once I’ve wrapped it, we can take her up to the third floor.”
“Need she go to the infirmary, Dr. Stewart?” Mrs. Gott’s voice rumbled with sleepy irritation. “She got a whole bed to herself.”
“But she’ll need privacy for proper rest,” said the doctor. “We don’t want her woken during the night.”
I had to look away as he shoved at her shoulder. Fannie’s cries were almost as piercing as before, but as soon as the shoulder was in its proper place, the shrill noise subsided into whimpering.
“The water,” she gasped. “The water was everywhere.”
“What is she talking about?” asked Miss Crenshaw.
“Something about water,” said Dr. Stewart.
“From the washbasins!” cried Fannie, clutching at the doctor’s arm. “The water was rushing toward me. It’s Ella’s doing!” Her whimpers turned to sobs once more.
The doctor stared at her for a moment before turning back to Miss Crenshaw. “She should be carried upstairs now. I’ll give her something for the pain once she’s in the infirmary.”
“I’ll check the water closets,” said Miss Crenshaw briskly. “Miss McClure, go with the doctor and give Nurse Gott any assistance she requires. I sent Miss Adair ahead to prepare a bed. I’ll follow you shortly.”
• • •
Once Dr. Stewart had departed and Fannie was settled in the infirmary bed with her arm in a sling, Miss Crenshaw pressed her to tell us what caused her fall.
Fannie frowned at us, swallowing hard before speaking. “I heard the sound of water running, almost as though it were gushing—so much noise that I could not go back to sleep. Alice and Lelia slept on, so I got out of bed and checked the second-floor lavatory. But the sound was coming from below.”
“Why didn’t you come for me?” Miss Crenshaw’s eyes glittered angrily.
“Everyone was asleep. I couldn’t think properly. I just knew it was up to me to turn off the water before the first floor flooded. So I went downstairs. When I walked into the water closet, all the washbasin faucets were gushing, the water flooding the edges and rising like a wave on the floor.” She paused, closing her eyes with a shudder.
“And then?” asked Olivia gently.
Fannie sighed. “The wave was coming toward me, growing higher, so I ran for the staircase. I had to reach higher ground. The water was coming for me.” Her voice failed her for a moment, and as she paused to take a breath, we all leaned in a little closer. “As I reached the stairs above the landing,” she continued, “I saw the water was still rising—I was so afraid I couldn’t outrun it—and that’s when I slipped and fell.”
Everyone was silent. Miss Crenshaw stared at the wall, frowning. I risked a glance at Olivia and saw her brow was furrowed. Fannie looked at all our faces and turned haughty, speaking in a thunderous voice.
“You don’t believe me?”
“Child,” said Miss Crenshaw, her eyes once more on Fannie, “there was a leaking faucet, but no sign of flooding in the downstairs water closets. The rain outside worked its way into your imagination, for I’m certain you were dreaming. Sleepwalking, perhaps. We once had a student fall out of a window for the same reason. Her injuries were far worse than yours.”
“But I was wide awake,” growled Fannie. “It was the ghost, Miss Crenshaw—Ella’s ghost was coming after me. The water smelled so dank. It was muddy and dark, like the river. It was Ella!”
“There is no ghost, Fannie.” The principal’s voice was cold. “You were sleepwalking and dreaming at the same time. You must say nothing of this to the other girls.”
Fannie shook her head obstinately.
“Do you hear me, girl?”
“Yes, miss,” she gasped.
“All right, then. Let’s return to our beds. The morning will be here all too soon.”
Once we’d bid Miss Crenshaw good night, Olivia and I stood awkwardly in the corridor together. She did not meet
“Need she go to the infirmary, Dr. Stewart?” Mrs. Gott’s voice rumbled with sleepy irritation. “She got a whole bed to herself.”
“But she’ll need privacy for proper rest,” said the doctor. “We don’t want her woken during the night.”
I had to look away as he shoved at her shoulder. Fannie’s cries were almost as piercing as before, but as soon as the shoulder was in its proper place, the shrill noise subsided into whimpering.
“The water,” she gasped. “The water was everywhere.”
“What is she talking about?” asked Miss Crenshaw.
“Something about water,” said Dr. Stewart.
“From the washbasins!” cried Fannie, clutching at the doctor’s arm. “The water was rushing toward me. It’s Ella’s doing!” Her whimpers turned to sobs once more.
The doctor stared at her for a moment before turning back to Miss Crenshaw. “She should be carried upstairs now. I’ll give her something for the pain once she’s in the infirmary.”
“I’ll check the water closets,” said Miss Crenshaw briskly. “Miss McClure, go with the doctor and give Nurse Gott any assistance she requires. I sent Miss Adair ahead to prepare a bed. I’ll follow you shortly.”
• • •
Once Dr. Stewart had departed and Fannie was settled in the infirmary bed with her arm in a sling, Miss Crenshaw pressed her to tell us what caused her fall.
Fannie frowned at us, swallowing hard before speaking. “I heard the sound of water running, almost as though it were gushing—so much noise that I could not go back to sleep. Alice and Lelia slept on, so I got out of bed and checked the second-floor lavatory. But the sound was coming from below.”
“Why didn’t you come for me?” Miss Crenshaw’s eyes glittered angrily.
“Everyone was asleep. I couldn’t think properly. I just knew it was up to me to turn off the water before the first floor flooded. So I went downstairs. When I walked into the water closet, all the washbasin faucets were gushing, the water flooding the edges and rising like a wave on the floor.” She paused, closing her eyes with a shudder.
“And then?” asked Olivia gently.
Fannie sighed. “The wave was coming toward me, growing higher, so I ran for the staircase. I had to reach higher ground. The water was coming for me.” Her voice failed her for a moment, and as she paused to take a breath, we all leaned in a little closer. “As I reached the stairs above the landing,” she continued, “I saw the water was still rising—I was so afraid I couldn’t outrun it—and that’s when I slipped and fell.”
Everyone was silent. Miss Crenshaw stared at the wall, frowning. I risked a glance at Olivia and saw her brow was furrowed. Fannie looked at all our faces and turned haughty, speaking in a thunderous voice.
“You don’t believe me?”
“Child,” said Miss Crenshaw, her eyes once more on Fannie, “there was a leaking faucet, but no sign of flooding in the downstairs water closets. The rain outside worked its way into your imagination, for I’m certain you were dreaming. Sleepwalking, perhaps. We once had a student fall out of a window for the same reason. Her injuries were far worse than yours.”
“But I was wide awake,” growled Fannie. “It was the ghost, Miss Crenshaw—Ella’s ghost was coming after me. The water smelled so dank. It was muddy and dark, like the river. It was Ella!”
“There is no ghost, Fannie.” The principal’s voice was cold. “You were sleepwalking and dreaming at the same time. You must say nothing of this to the other girls.”
Fannie shook her head obstinately.
“Do you hear me, girl?”
“Yes, miss,” she gasped.
“All right, then. Let’s return to our beds. The morning will be here all too soon.”
Once we’d bid Miss Crenshaw good night, Olivia and I stood awkwardly in the corridor together. She did not meet
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