Inside their SUV, Jennifer had taken the front seat, Laurie and Jack the middle, and Neil had climbed into the back row. Although she responsibly had her seat belt on, Jennifer had twisted herself around, facing the rear, essentially sitting on her right leg.

“Okay, you guys,” Jack said, once they got under way. “You’ve kept me in suspense long enough about whatever happened today that was scary and is going to change our visit.”

Jennifer rolled her eyes in the direction of the driver, suggesting it might be best if they held off on discussing sensitive issues until they were back at the hotel. Laurie caught on immediately and whispered as much to Jack. Instead, what they ended up carrying on was an animated discussion about India, and New Delhi in particular. They also talked about Jennifer’s imminent graduation from medical school and how she’d been considering surgery, possibly eyeing New York-Presbyterian for a residency. Jack found the view of the traffic outside the window fascinating for the entire fifty minutes.

When they pulled up to the front of the hotel, Neil called out, “Let’s all group around Jennifer as a safety precaution.”

“What for?” Jack questioned.

“It’s part of what we have to tell you,” Laurie said. “It’s not a bad idea. One can never be too careful.”

Laurie, Jack, and Neil got out of the car before Jennifer, who was cooperating under protest. When she self-consciously followed, the others were grouped around her door as she emerged. In a tight group, they made their way inside.

“Why don’t you guys check in, and then we’ll all have a cold beer?” Jennifer said, recovering her dignity. “Neil and I will wait for you.”

As it was well past midnight, the bar crowd had thinned. There was some kind of live music, but the group was on a break. Jennifer and Neil found a table as far from the music as possible, around a bend and away from the main seating area. A waitress appeared as soon as they sat down. They ordered a round of King-fishers for everyone and settled back into overstuffed chairs.

“This is the first time I’ve felt relaxed all day,” Jennifer said. “I even may be a little hungry.”

“I like your friends,” Neil said. He thought briefly about confessing how he had mistakenly shared Jennifer’s secret with Laurie, but then chickened out. After the stress of the day, he was afraid of what it might do to her mental state. The problem was, he didn’t want it coming from anyone other than him if she were to be told, but he felt he could trust Laurie. Neil was confident he’d never do anything to make Laurie feel she had to tell.

“I don’t know Jack very well, but since Laurie thinks he’s terrific, he must be.”

The waitress brought the beers.