There was a reason she was the head nurse, and why parents trusted her with their sick and injured kids. She was a hard-ass who didn’t beat around the bush, but, most impor- tant, she protected her patients fiercely and fought tooth and nail to get the best treatment for them. Even when Wendy was hospitalized, she remembered being scared and crying alone in her room while, in the hallway, Nurse Judy’s booming voice laid into doctors when she didn’t agree with their treatment plan.

It had been under her insistence that they ease up on the sedatives and, when Wendy was overcome with fear and grief and entirely unable to pull herself out of it, it was Nurse Judy who came in and guided her through with gentle words and distractions.

When her mother and father were too deep in their own mourning—her mother spending daylight hours in bed, her father joining search parties in the woods until he could no longer stand upright—it had been Nurse Judy who stepped in to take care of Wendy.

It was a solid bond of trust, one that Wendy needed to abuse in order to see Peter and stop the shadow.

Wendy’s mother glanced at her husband. For three heartbeats, she waited as they exchanged a silent look before Mrs. Darling turned back to Wendy. “Why don’t you ask Jordan to go with you?” she suggested.

Wendy inwardly groaned. She knew her mom was trying to help her out, that her father would feel better if Jordan was with her. She was probably also suggesting it in an attempt to nudge Wendy into making up with Jordan.

Her mother’s parenting was coming at a very inconvenient time.

Mr. Darling didn’t say yes, but he also wasn’t saying no.

“Fine, I’ll ask Jordan if she’ll go with me,” Wendy conceded.

She could tell her father didn’t want to agree to it. In all honesty, she didn’t blame him. It also felt kind of nice—but mostly strange—to know that he was still being protective of her. Again, it was terrible timing. It also made lying to him harder.

“Keep the volume up on your phone,” he finally said. “If I call it, you better answer, or I’ll come down to the hospital and get you myself.”

Wendy pulled out her cell phone and tilted the screen to face her parents as she turned the volume all the way up. “Done,” she said with a nod.

“And call when you’re on your way home!” he added. Mrs. Darling gently rested a hand on his shoulder.

“I will, promise,” Wendy said. She bolted out of the house before he could change his mind.

Now that she was outside, she could go find Peter. She would have to figure out the details of lying about Jordan later. For now, she just had to hope that her parents didn’t call the hospital to check her alibi. And, hopefully, Jordan was still mad enough at her to stay away and not blow her cover.