diff --git a/pyyeti/nastran/bulk.py b/pyyeti/nastran/bulk.py
index 504dcad..18b8d1b 100644
--- a/pyyeti/nastran/bulk.py
+++ b/pyyeti/nastran/bulk.py
@@ -777,10 +777,12 @@ def rdcards(
     for symbol in include_symbols:
         if not len(symbol) > 2:
             raise ValueError(f"Symbols must have a length >1, got {symbol}")
+            
+    kwargsReturnType = "list" if return_var == "list" else "array"
     kwargs = {  # save args for use in _rdinclude
         "name": name,
         "blank": blank,
-        "return_var": return_var,
+        "return_var": kwargsReturnType,
         "dtype": dtype,
         "no_data_return": (),  # return value from _rdinclude must be iterable (not None)
         "regex": regex,
@@ -825,7 +827,7 @@ def rdcards(
             for val in vals:
                 cur = len(val)
                 mxlen = max(mxlen, cur)
-                key = val[0]  # before it gets turned into dtype
+                key = int(val[0])  # before it gets turned into dtype
                 val = np.array(val).astype(dtype)
                 if todict:
                     Vals[key] = val