Page 143 of Wonderstruck

This was something else entirely. Something he’dbeen trying to battle for the last half of his life. A part of me felt guilty for being so hard on him when we came back after summer, but then again, I had no idea that the man stirring in the bed next to me was the reason he was—

Wait.Why was he stirring?

I blinked away the dryness of my eyes, watching thethin sheets shuffle.

The sound of a soft groan broke through mythoughts. My head snapped up, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw Jason’s eyes flutter open.

Oh. God. He was awake.

What the hell was I supposed to do? What was Isupposed to say?

Hello, sir. You don’t know me, but I’m Rory.Terribly sorry about your circumstances. I hear that hypothermia is a real bitch this time of year?

Panic and uncertainty swirled in my chest as Istood on instinct and moved closer to the bed. His eyes were glassy, unfocused, squirming from the harsh light, but they eventually landed on me.

“Where… where am I?” His voice was hoarse,barely more than a whisper.

“You’re in the hospital,” I rushed, my voice wavering.“Honeywood General.”

He frowned, the sunken lines in his forehead deepening as he tried toprocess the information. Then his dull, almost grey eyes wandered to me. “Who are you?”

“I’m Rory,” I said, nerves wrecking my voice as Ipulled at my fingers nervously. “I’m with Finn and Daisy. Jack too. They’re not here right now, but they’ll be back any minute.”

His face twisted, like I was saying everything tentimes the speed he could handle. I probably was. But I’d never done this before. I didn’t know what I was doing.

As I controlled my babbling, I set my eyes back onJason, and for a moment, I saw something that looked like shame flash across his features. He muttered something under his breath, but I couldn’t make it out.

“The.. uh… doctors said you’re stable, for now,” Ishifted on my feet. “Should I go… get one of them?”

“No, not yet.” He shook his head, his lip tremblingslightly. “I-I need a minute.”

The thing that slapped me with shock was how sober he sounded.

His looks were a different story. But his voice? It was almost… normal.This wasn’t the man Finn and Daisy had describedto me. He didn’t sound indifferent or cruel. He just sounded… lost.

“Are you okay?” I asked hesitantly.

He let out a dry, humourless laugh. “Never beenbetter. I think I'm in my prime, actually.”

I couldn’t help but smile faintly. “I suppose you're the one I need to thank for Finn's sarcasm, then.”

He smiled too, a small, fleeting thing, as hegroaned. “Um, how do you know them? Finn and Daisy?”

“I met Daisy at Liberty Grove,” I said, shufflingawkwardly. “She’s one of my best friends.”

“And Finn?”

I nodded, swallowing my nerves.

Here goes.

“He’s my boyfriend.”

For the first time, some colour returned to hischeeks, and the green I saw every day in Finn's stare shone back at me too. “That’s nice. That’s good news to wake up to.”

He shifted slightly, wincing at the movement. Istepped forward, adjusting the pillows behind his back. I didn’t think before my mouth opened. “They worry about you all the time, you know.”

He rolled his sunken eyes, a pained chuckleescaping him. “They? Daisy, sure. But Finn? The kid hates me.”

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