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Trevor nods. “Maybe another time for me?”
“Sure thing. We’ll be right back.” I stand and Ant follows suit.
“We can start a game.” Holden moves to the TV and turns on a gaming console that I don’t know the name of because it changes every year. An Xbox Whatever 1234.
Out in the hall, I line Ant up next to a terrible Majestic and Inspiring Lion poster, ask her a few questions about Holden, but then turn the conversation in the direction I was hoping I could as soon as I saw her with Trevor.
“When was the last time Trevor left the hospital?”
She chews on her lip. “Um, probably not since he was admitted for extended care. It’s been,wow, I don’t know, seven months? Maybe longer?”
“Can you keep a secret from him?”
“No.”
I bark out a laugh. “I appreciate the honesty.”
“I mean...” She tilts her head to the side, her curls bouncingaround her chubby cheeks. “What’s the secret?”
“You know that Holden was trying to win that VR headset prototype, right?” Ant nods, so I continue. “Well, since he didn’t get it, Holden and I are making something for Trevor so he can feel like—like he’s not always in the hospital. We’re trying to make our own VR headset, and we need help from his friends.”
Her eyes light up. “How can I help?”
“How about you text me the next time you and any of his other friends get together?” I give her my phone number. “We want to know what you guys like to do and we want to include people he’d be happy or surprised to see.”
She smiles. “When would you be giving it to him?”
“Before the end of December.” If I recall, Trevor’s birthday is December twelfth anyway. It’ll make a great giftandgive me time to piece together the glasses and documentary. My deadline is just four days after. It’ll be a tight squeeze adding the reveal, but if I have all the other footage filmed and edited, it’ll be more of an insert job than an edit.
“A birthday present?”
“You’re reading my mind, Ant.” I pause, debating if I want to ask. “And maybe, if you want, you could mention to Trevor about me interviewing him? Kind of strange to not have an interview from one of his siblings, but I’d understand if he doesn’t want to be on camera or doesn’t feel up to it.”
She smiles. “I think I could get him to agree.”
We wrap up the interview at the same time Holden starts screaming in shocked anger. Libby rushes to the room to quiethim, warning that she doesn’t want to have to kick him out again for disturbing the other kids. Ant and I watch as they go head to head and then play each other, and then the winners of each game—Trevor and Ant, because they spend more time playing this game—battle each other. Ant doesn’t award Trevor any pity points and totally decimates him, shaking her hands in the air like the sore winner she is.
Holden thinks I’m in the bathroom.
If he were paying more attention, he’d wonder why the hell I need my camera for that. But he’s not paying attention; instead he’s consistently getting his ass handed to him by freshmen in a game of something-or-other.
I approach the circular desk where Libby shuffles paperwork, humming to some song on the radio behind her.
“Hi, Libby.” I offer a smile that she reluctantly returns.
“Can I help you?”
“Actually, yeah. I was hoping I could speak to Trevor’s doctor?”
She stiffens, halfway out of her seat. “Is he okay?”
“Oh my god, he’s fine. I’m sorry. He’s totally fine. I just had a question for them, if they’re not busy.”
Libby settles back into her seat and flips through some stapled sheets of paper. “I mean, they’re doctors, so they’re kind of always busy, but... let me see. Dr. Elmore isn’t on duty yet, but Dr. Solomon’s shift ends in a few minutes. I can see if she’s got a second.”
“Please. I’ll wait.” I backtrack to a stiff seat in the waitingroom and keep my eyes on the hallway leading to Trevor’s room. Holden agreed to be the gatekeeper of the Trevor information, so the last thing I need is him finding out I’m digging into things myself.
Dr. Solomon arrives a moment later, her Avengers scrubs under her long white jacket the first thing I notice. She stops at the desk, but Libby points at me.
