“She sees us differently now,” Tora said. “She sees us for who we are, not what we are.”

“Maybe,” Harlan said.

After a long, thoughtful pause, Argus said, “Okay, so she’s different. What I want to know is…can she keep a secret?”

It was a good question, one to which Tora didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know,” she said. “That’s why you’ve got to get dressed.”

Reluctantly, Argus began putting on his clothes.

* * *

It had become crowded around Angelina’s bed.

After the news that the girl was safe had spread through the forest to all the searchers, dozens of people had come down to the hospital to see if Angelina was going to be all right.

Mr. and Mrs. Abruzzo were there, Mrs. Abruzzo crying quietly as she rubbed her daughter’s hand, Mr. Abruzzo standing by his wife with an arm around her shoulder for support.

They hadn’t said anything yet, but Maria was sure they were still furious with her for losing Angelina in the woods. They would be dealing with Maria later, probably when they got home and away from all these people. Maria wasn’t looking forward to it, but she knew she’d screwed up and deserved whatever punishment they came up with.

Sergeant Martin was there in the room, moving silently about while scribbling things into his notebook. Every once in a while he would ask someone’s name and birth date, then go back to his writing.

In one corner of the room stood Ranger Brock. After checking in to see how Angelina was doing, he’d moved to a spot by the wall and stood there watching and listening to everyone else in the room. Every so often he would say something to Sergeant Martin, but he seemed content to be there just in case he was needed.

Finally there were the medical staff. Doctor Dhillon and Nurse O’Neal had been there with Angelina from the start, but other doctors and nurses came in and out, taking blood samples and temperature readings, returning test results, or just stopping by to see how the little lost girl was doing.

With all the people in the room, Maria had moved away from her sister’s bedside, happy to be out of the spotlight for a while. She was standing close to the ranger, wondering if she could get something to eat in the hospital, when someone said, “She’s awake!”

The crowd closed in around Angelina, and Maria was forced to take a spot at the end of the bed near her sister’s feet. Still, she could see that Angelina’s eyes were open and she was trying to smile as best as her blue, cracked lips would allow.

“My baby!” sobbed Mrs. Abruzzo, leaning over the bed to give her daughter a hug.

“Angelina!” said Mr. Abruzzo, grabbing her hand. “We were so worried…”