00:00Joe and Bella Stories
00:05Number 3
00:07Sick Day
00:09One morning, Joe woke up with a sore elbow.
00:14He prodded it carefully with one finger.
00:17Ow! That really hurt.
00:21Joe climbed out of bed and put on his dressing gown very, very carefully
00:26so as not to joggle his bad elbow.
00:30Then he went downstairs.
00:32Mum was in the kitchen, searching for cereal in the cupboard.
00:36We're out of cornflakes again, she said, not looking round.
00:42Mum, Joe began, I think there's something wrong with my...
00:46But at that moment, Bella came into the kitchen.
00:50She was clutching her tummy.
00:53Mum, she cried, I'm very, very ill, very ill indeed.
01:00My tummy hurts really, really bad.
01:03I'm far too sick to go to school.
01:07Mum was worried.
01:09She felt Bella's forehead.
01:11You do feel hot, but you were fine yesterday.
01:14I'm not fine now, said Bella.
01:19Please, Mum, can I go back to bed?
01:22Bella didn't even want breakfast.
01:25Joe tried to tell Mum about his elbow, but Mum was too worried about Bella.
01:31Please just get dressed, Joe, or you'll be late for school.
01:35Mum stayed home to look after Bella.
01:37Dad gave Joe a lift to school, and Joe tried to explain about his elbow.
01:44I was playing football yesterday, and I banged it, and it still hurts, he said.
01:49Probably just a bruise, said Dad.
01:52I hope Bella is better soon.
01:54She looked a bit feverish to me.
01:56It's always about Bella, thought Joe crossly.
02:04At school, Joe had to be very careful of his elbow.
02:09He had to keep it really still.
02:12Luckily, he could still write with his other hand.
02:14At home, Mum was looking after Bella.
02:21She put her back to bed and tucked the covers round her.
02:25She brought her a glass of water to sip slowly.
02:28She stroked her head and read her a story.
02:32How do you feel now, she asked.
02:35Would you like to try a little breakfast?
02:39I can't eat a thing, said Bella.
02:42Mum was worried.
02:45It wasn't like Bella not to eat anything.
02:48She leaned over to pick Bella's teddy bear off the floor.
02:52As she did so, she caught sight of something under the bed.
02:56A huge pile of sweet wrappers.
02:59And an empty box.
03:03Bella! Mum cried.
03:05Are those the sweets that Aunt Jackie sent you,
03:08and that you were supposed to save for your birthday?
03:10Bella turned very red.
03:14I woke up early and felt hungry, she said in a small voice.
03:21But Bella, said Mum, no wonder you've a bad tummy.
03:26You've eaten every one.
03:29An hour later, Mum and Bella were walking into school.
03:33Bella's tummy was better, and Mum wanted to get back to work.
03:37Mrs. Smails, the head teacher, came running to meet them.
03:42Oh, good, you're here, she said.
03:44I think you need to go straight to hospital.
03:48Hospital, said Mum.
03:50She's only eaten too many sweets.
03:53I'm not talking about Bella, said Mrs. Smails.
03:56I'm talking about Joe.
03:59Didn't you notice that he'd broken his elbow?
04:00What? said Mum.
04:06At the hospital, Mum and Joe had to sit in the waiting room
04:10until Joe could have his x-ray.
04:13Why didn't you tell me? Mum said.
04:16I did try, said Joe.
04:20But you wouldn't listen.
04:22Then my teacher noticed I couldn't move my arm.
04:25At the hospital, they were very kind to Joe.
04:29They took an x-ray of his arm,
04:31and the doctor showed him the picture of the crack in his bone.
04:35A nurse wrapped up Joe's elbow in a bandage.
04:38Then they put his arm in a sling.
04:41Joe was sad that he wouldn't be able to play football for a few weeks,
04:44so Mum bought him a box of sweets from the hospital shop to cheer him up.
04:50I hope Bella doesn't steal any, said Joe, opening the box.
04:55I don't think she will, said Mum, smiling.
04:58I think she's had enough sweets to last her a long time.
