Wolf

By Sophie Swerts Knudsen

Award winning story about ten-year-old Seppe who on his tenth birthday finds out he has cancer and urgently needs an operation and chemotherapy. During his stay in the hospital, he falls into a deep depression and refuses to leave his room. One day, however, his parents bring him a book on the North American Sioux Indians, and Seppe loses himself in their stories, their way of living and their fascinating rituals. He draws strength and energy from his daydreams in which he becomes a strong Sioux warrior. Seppe also befriends Katinka, a nurse with native American ancestors, and with Teresa, a girl on the cancer ward. Slowly but surely, Seppe will find the strength and courage to fight his disease.
Wolf is a realistic story about a boy with cancer who fights courageously to battle his disease, even though it is not always easy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sophie Swerts Knudsen
• Release date: Jun 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463821626

Sophie Swerts Knudsen

Sophie Swerts Knudsen was born in Belgium but currently lives in Copenhagen, Denmark with her Danish husband and two daughters. Sophie studied Translation Studies in English, Italian and Dutch at the University of Antwerp/Leuven in Belgium. After graduation, she worked as a tour director in the USA and Canada for two years.Today, Sophie teaches English at the University of Copenhagen and she writes books in her spare time. The inspiration for her books derives from her many travels in the USA and Canada, but also her immediate surroundings in Scandinavia.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Today, I’m turning ten. The twentieth of February, to be precise. Which is to say that I’m a fish – Pisces. But I find all this fuss about horoscopes very silly. I don’t believe a thing about them. In fact, I have a dislike of water. A lion! Now that’s an awesome animal – strong and brave. A fish you quickly gobble up, and that’s that. All gone.

I’m sitting in the car with my parents, on our way to the hospital. I would rather have stayed home, but mum and dad insisted that I should come along. Wasn’t I interested in the results of the test anymore? Of course I am, but I’d much rather prepare for my birthday party. There’s still so much to do before my friends will be standing at the door – soon. I’ve no desire to waste my time with doctor Hansen. He’s a crabby creature with old-fashioned glasses. Through squinting eyes, he peers at you as if you’ve caught the worst disease in the world. Fortunately, I’ve brought along my new iPhone, and we don’t have to drive far.

Mom and dad haven’t said a word since we left home. It is my birthday, after all. You’d have thought they’d be a little happier about it, wouldn’t you?

‘So, here we are, Seppe. Put on your coat – it’s cold.’ Mom reaches for her handbag on the backseat before she gets out to open my door.

The hospital is in a small city close to our town. The building is quite large, but old. It seems to me that the windows date from before the war, and there’s barbed wire on top of the walls around the place. I bit creepy, I think. At the entrance there’s a huge white staircase with a ramp next to it for wheelchair patients.

We report at the reception. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait. We take the lift to the fourth floor and we seat ourselves in the waiting-room. I’m still wearing the earbuds of my iPhone and I lip sync to the songs.

Then a nurse shows us into the consulting-room. From behind his desk, Doctor Hansen rises to shake my parents’ hands. I quickly kill my iPhone player and offer him my hand. Yuck, what a limp rag of a touch. Dad says that you must always give a firm handshake. Doctor Hansen should find a better way of greeting his patients. I gaze up at him and there again you meet those eyes behind the round pixie spectacles.

We sit next to each other in a row, the three of us, just like at school. My parents do in fact resemble the kids in my class. They are quiet and gaze at the doctor attentively, appearing even somewhat frightened. There’s no need for that. Everything’s going to be OK, surely?

Doctor Hansen rustles up a few sheets of paper from an orange folder on his desk and gives a little dry cough. He takes a black-and-white X-ray photo, puts it up on a white viewing box and switches on the light. Once again that little cough.

‘Mr and Mrs De Koninck, Seppe. This is an X-ray of Seppe’s knee.’

Oh gee, so very solemn, I think. I roll my eyes but turn my head away so that the doctor won’t see me. He sounds exactly like the principal at school.

‘As you can see, there’s a large, dark spot on Seppe’s kneecap. I’m afraid that’s not good news at all.’

What, no good news? I look at mom, who has suddenly turned pale. Dad grabs mom’s hand. OK, that’s very strange.

Another little cough. That must be some nervous tic of Dr Hansen’s. Now I’m all ears.

‘This dark spot is a malignant growth, and it’s quite dangerous,’ he says slowly and seriously.

‘Mom?’ I tug at her sleeve. I need to ask something about the growth.

Mom looks at me with tears in her eyes, caresses my cheek and draws me close to her.

Suddenly I get a stabbing pain in my stomach, just like on days when I really don’t feel like going to school.

‘Your son has a malignant tumor that must be removed as soon as possible. This will first be done during an operation, after which he will have to receive chemotherapy.’

‘I don’t want an operation at all. Mom, can’t I just take a few pills?’

Mom holds me even closer. I’m only just able to peek over her shoulder at dad. He is staring at the X-ray, his jaws clenched.’.

‘Can the operation be done in this hospital, Doctor?’ she asks as timidly as a mouse.

‘Our hospital specializes in cases like these, Mrs. De Koninck. We’ll make sure that Seppe gets only the very best treatment.’

‘When must he go in?’ Mom’s voice sounds shaky. Dad suddenly leans over and, without saying a word, ruffles my hair. The same blonde colour as his.

‘Preferably as soon as possible. If it can