The Fever

Duffy Quinn was admitted into the hospital two days ago by her parents for a very high fever. One night, in her hospital room, she hears strange noises---metal rattling, a cry for help... Is she imagining this or is it real? Many of her schoolmates are volunteer workers at the hospital and they don't believe her when she tells them about this. They think it's the fever making her delirious. Duffy decides to take a look around the hospital (even though her doctor told her to stay in bed because her body is wracked with fever). One night, when she leaves her room, she almost walks into an empty elevator shaft. Another day, the brake is released on her wheelchair while she is outside on a hill (getting some fresh air) and she rapidly rolls show more down the steep slope, almost seriously injuring herself. When Duffy foolishly doesn't listen to doctor's orders (again) and she goes off to take a shower down the hall she is attacked in the shower room. She is also convinced someone is switching her medication.

Duffy's friends think she's paranoid. But Duffy really believes someone is out to do her harm. She desperately wants to leave the hospital, but she is still too sick with fever.

Duffy wasn't a very likable character. She complained endlessly and had snide thoughts about mostly everyone. Obviously, no one likes being sick, and no one likes to be in the hostpital, but she was a total whiner at times. Duffy also did a lot of stupid things, she never listened to doctor's orders. If she just stayed in bed and followed instructions she probably would have been released from the hospital. But with everything she was putting herself through, she kept making her fever rise. Even though, as the story progressed, her character improved slightly and I started to get caught up in the story, and I was curious to find out what was going to happen.

The setting of the hospital was different. It was old and creepy. (I wouldn't want to stay at this hospital---empty elevator shafts, mixed medications, old wooden creaky wheelchairs... The hospital seemed like it was falling apart and the hospital staff seemed to consist of teenage volunteers.) The story improved in the second half of the book, Duffy was more bearable and quit whining, and the suspense picked up towards the end. This was an okay young-adult Point Horror from the 90's. show less

This was a bit of a freaky book and I don't recommend it for those who are already nervous about hospitals.
After the girl becomes sick and winds up in the hospital, she has to figure out if she really saw/heard a murder or was just so ill she imagined it. The anticipation of waiting to find out what is real from an unreliable narrator and knowing that the consequences could be deadly if what she thought she witnessed was in fact real is amazing. The author once again delivers a great medical drama mystery!