As the hand finally lifts, I squint. Try to make out more of the face in the dark. Afraid I am replacing some stranger’s face with one I would so much rather see.

But no, it really is him. It has to be.

“Jasper?”

13

“SORRY,” JASPER SAYS QUIETLY, SITTING NOW ON THE BED A LITTLE DISTANCE away. My eyes have adjusted so that I can see the faint outline of him in the darkness. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I reach forward and grab onto him, not convinced he’s there.

“What happened to you?” I ask, finally releasing him. I have so many questions. “Are you okay?”

“Shh. I’m screwed if someone finds me in here. We both are.”

He gets up. I can hear him shuffling around near the wall. When the light near my headboard finally goes on, I brace myself. For Jasper’s flesh to be waterlogged, to be peeling off his bones. But even in the gray light of the hospital room, he looks better than he has in a while.

Jasper smiles and lifts the badge that’s hanging around his neck, then sits back down on the bed next to me. It’s a hospital ID that says Janitorial Staff. “Not bad, huh?” He looks down, admiring it. “I took my mom’s while she was asleep and doctored it. If I hadn’t been so busy with hockey maybe I could have gone into the fake ID business or something.” His smile fades, and all I can think about is how terrified I felt, looking for him in that water below. How relieved I am that he’s okay.

“Jasper, what happened on the bridge?”

“I think we should start with what the hell this is.”

And I think of pushing again, making Jasper explain first, but then I am not sure I’m ready for his reply.

“Some doctor other than my dad is claiming that the whole Outlier thing is caused by some illness,” I say, much more matter-of-factly than I feel. “I mean, no one’s said the word ‘Outlier’ in here. But that’s the subtext. My dad says this guy’s whole thing is bullshit.”

“Well, looks like somebody believes it.” Jasper motions to the room. “Your dad must be losing it on them.”

“He will,” I say, swallowing back my unease. “I talked to him on the phone, but he was in DC. He is coming back, but he hasn’t gotten here yet.” And it makes me feel even worse saying that out loud. More desperate. I consider going into more details—the strep, the PANDAS, the bioterrorism—but that’s not going to help. And there’s only one thing I absolutely need to tell Jasper. “Kendall was here.”