[15. Write about one of these: A murder of crows A kindle of kittens An army of frogs A romp of otters] Meera caught the bus into town to visit Sama after school. At the stop near the hospital, someone’s garden had a lilac bush hanging out over the street, and she stopped and broke off a small branch of purple flowers. She gently folded them into the top of her school bag, and tucked the flap neatly over the top. She wasn’t sure why, since they made her check her bag at the door anyway, but did anyway. She arrived as afternoon visiting started, and everyone was still in the room at the end of the hall when the nurse buzzed her through the door without even looking. Sama quickly took the lilac branch from her bag where she’d left it and hurried into the ward. Sama slipped away from the group, looking annoyed at two women who were talking what sounded like nonsense back and forth to each other excitedly, mostly blocking the doorway. Meera pulled her into the art room, concealing the lilac branch behind her back. “What’s it?” Sama looked up at her sister. “You look playful today.” Meera couldn’t conceal her grin and pulled her the rest of the way into the art room. “I brought you something!” “Is it chocolate? I would die for chocolate right now. We can’t have candy of course. Sarah, she snuck some in from her mother when she visited, and the orderlies found it and took it away.” “It’s better than chocolate maybe.” Sama peeked around her, first to one side, then the other. Meera dodged artfully, keeping the hand behind her back. “Close your eyes.” Sama made a show of putting her hands over her eyes. Meera pulled the branch out from behind her back and waved it under Sama’s nose. Her eyes went wide. “Oh, wow. It’s spring outside, isn’t it. It smells so wonderful!” “I know! This was at the bus stop where I got off. Just outside the hospital.” “Oh, now I want to go out. I have to go out!” “Maybe you can get a day pass to go out with me or something.” Meera sounded hopeful. “Maybe. Maybe. I think the doctors think I’m still too crackers to go out. They talk about me like they’re worried.” “Crackers, hm?” “You know. Crazy. Crackers. Three crisps short of a full bag. Bonkers. Batty!” Sama looked proud of herself, and she was actually smiling. “I did try to hurt myself, you know. I think that makes it count.” Meera wondered who had replaced her sister during the night. “You’re awfully upbeat today.”