Raymie Nightingale

A nurse greets the three girls outside the hospital. Raymie goes in with Louisiana, but Beverly, still shaken, sits outside on the curb with Bunny. A kind and motherly nurse named Ruthie takes care of Louisiana and asks Raymie what happened. The magnitude of the recent events overwhelms Raymie, and, shivering, she tells Ruthie about the contest and that her father ran away, “and he isn’t coming back” (249). Ruthie wraps her sweater around Raymie, who starts to cry. Ruthie calls Ramie’s mother to tell her that Raymie is at the hospital and that she is fine and ready to be picked up. Ruthie also offers her sympathies to Raymie’s mother for being married to a “skunk.” 

Raymie’s mother arrives at the hospital and holds Raymie close. Beverly’s mother arrives and sits with Beverly and Bunny on the curb. Louisiana’s grandmother arrives and sits silently crying by Louisiana’s bed. Raymie tells the whole story in detail multiple times, including to a reporter from the Lister Press. The reporter takes Raymie’s picture.

During the day Louisiana develops a high fever and falls into a deep sleep. Beverly leaves with her mother and Bunny. Rather than go home, Raymie stays in Louisiana’s room and that night sleeps on a cot brought in by Ruthie. Raymie wakes up before Louisiana and Granny, who is sleeping in a chair by Louisiana’s bed. When Raymie looks at the doorway, she sees a silhouetted cat. It is Archie. Archie brushes past Raymie, leaps onto Louisiana’s bed, curls up, and goes to sleep. As if nothing more can surprise her, Raymie goes back to her cot, and she, too, falls asleep.

Louisiana wakes up feeling better. She is happy but also remarkably unsurprised to see Archie on her bed, as if she knew he would be there. Louisiana looks around her room, and when she greets Raymie she refers to her as Raymie Nightingale.

Ruthie comes into Louisiana’s room and tells Raymie that she has a phone call. It is her father, who has seen Raymie’s picture in the paper. Raymie takes the phone but cannot think of anything to say to him. Jim is also stuck for something to say, so after a long silence Ruthie takes the phone from Raymie and sharply tells Jim that Raymie needs rest since she just saved someone’s life, then hangs up. Raymie goes back to sleep, and when she wakes up, she wonders whether the long silent call with her father was just a dream.

Louisiana enters and wins the Little Miss Central Florida Tire contest. She sings “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head.” In the audience supporting her are Granny, Raymie, and Beverly (with their mothers), Ida Nee, Mrs. Sylvester, and Ruthie. To celebrate, Louisiana, Raymie, and Beverly go to the top of Belknap Tower. Louisiana, who is afraid of heights, keeps her eyes closed while Raymie describes everything they can see, the locations of all of their misadventures and escapades laid out: Swip Pond, the hospital, Golden Glen, Building 10, Jim Clarke Family Insurance, Ida Nee’s house, and on and on in more detail until Beverly picks up Louisiana, holds her at the railing, and tells her to look for herself. Beverly reassures Louisiana, “I’m holding onto you” (263), and Raymie adds “I’ve got you too” (263). The three friends hold each other’s hands and look out at the world together.