Out of Character by Annabeth Albert
Chapter Seven
Jasper
This was my favorite part of the week, especially when I got to do it with April by my side. I liked walking the hospital corridors in costume, getting smiles from passersby. I knew firsthand how scary it could be visiting loved ones in the hospital, and if we made a sibling or grandparent grin for a minute, that meant a lot to me. And the doctors and nurses worked so hard that I liked bringing some lightness to their days too. Like the doctors earlier in the restroom. We’d made them laugh, and maybe Milo couldn’t see the value in that, but I did.
Not that I expected Milo to see any of this my way. April was right. He looked like he was chewing glass as we made our way down the hall, jaw set, eyes straight ahead, shoulders back. He might as well be a prisoner we were escorting to an interrogation. He stiffened further as we reached the large and airy patient lounge favored by some of the older patients and their families—lots of art supplies and games and puzzles, and less of the toys and play equipment of the spaces intended for tiny kids.
“Smile,” I ordered Milo as we paused at the door.
“Trying.” His smile looked closer to that of a dog with a bellyache, and I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or groan.
“Try harder.”
“Hey, Jasper! How’s it going?” Natalie, the room attendant greeted us, her Disney-print scrubs as cheerful as the rest of the colorful space.
“Great.” I moved aside so everyone else could enter the room.
“You brought a new Neptune with you!” She smiled at Milo, who managed a nod.
“Yup. This is Milo.” I gestured at him, almost accidentally hitting him in the chest. He was sticking close to me, and his nerves would be endearing if it were anyone else.
“Hey.”
The kids had taken notice of our group, and moving slowly, they clustered around us. I loved feeling like an actual superhero for a moment, even if my superpowers couldn’t extend as far as I’d like. Some kids were in pajamas and slippers, while others were in hospital gowns and robes. A few had IV poles with them, and as usual some were in wheelchairs while a couple of others had walkers. We got some smiles and waves from those who had seen us before, and as much as I didn’t want any kid to have a long hospitalization, making our regulars happy made my insides all warm.
“So, who’s up for a game of Odyssey?” I asked the group.
“Are you going to let me win this week?” Jenny, an imp of a girl who reminded me a lot of a younger April, offered me a toothy grin as she leaned on her walker.
“No chance.” I wasn’t going to play one of my best decks, but I’d still give her a good game.
“I want to play Prince Neptune.” Chase, another regular, spoke up from his wheelchair. His eyes were more tired this week, his skin pale, head slumping forward. His dad, who was an ever-present fixture on the ward, hovered nearby.
“I…uh…” Milo swallowed several times. His own skin was a worrisome shade of greenish-white. Crap. The guy couldn’t even manage five minutes in costume. I should have known.
“Sure thing,” I answered for Milo. He’d play Chase even if I had to personally shuffle for him and push him into a chair. “Let us get the decks out.”
I steered Milo toward the table in the back of the room that I always used as a staging area for the decks and props.
“What’s your problem?” I demanded as soon as we were out of earshot.
“I don’t have one.” His expression was more pained than sullen, but I still wasn’t impressed.
“Yeah, you do. You think you’re too good to play some kids?”
“No! That’s not it.” Milo was quick with the denial before pausing to lick his lips. Gaze darting away, he still radiated discomfort. He lowered his voice further. “I… Other than April when she was little, I haven’t been around a lot of sick kids. Like that boy… He’s really sick.”
Oh. His reaction made a little more sense now. I’d been volunteering so long that I forgot that not everyone was used to sick kids and medical equipment. And Milo’s unease stemming from a place of uncertainty and compassion was better than him continuing to freak out over being seen in costume.
“He is.” I softened my tone and put a hand on his arm. His very bare, very warm arm. Oops. I shouldn’t have touched him, and my voice sped up as a result. “Prince Neptune is his favorite character. He was in the hospital in the fall, and Ronnie always played with him. So how about you don’t let him down?”
“I’ll try.” Milo’s nod was firmer now, and he accepted the two introductory-level decks I handed him.
“Good. Let Chase play the purple deck. It’s his favorite. And you’ll need to shuffle for him.”
“Got it.” Milo headed over to the small table where Chase and his dad were already waiting. I took another two decks over to where Jenny was waiting to kick my ass. April and the others also found kids to visit with or play. Jenny was a good enough player that I needed to focus on the game, but my attention kept wandering over to Milo’s table.
To my surprise, he was smiling. He laughed at something Chase said before plunking down a card, arm muscles flexing, crown catching the light. Damn. He really was the perfect Neptune. He’d never accept the compliment, but he did regal well, and the white of the toga contrasted nicely with his Italian looks. Something about the gold jewelry worked for him, too, and my brain kept buzzing with unwelcome thoughts about teasing his ears and neck.
“Jasper! How are the games going?” Ned, the administrator of the hospital’s charitable foundation, came into the room, followed by a young, dark-haired woman a little older than me. I paused my game with Jenny so that I could give them my attention.
“Great.” I’d worked with Ned on some projects for the kids before, but my main contact with him had been through my parents when they’d needed to apply to the foundation for assistance with April’s many hospital bills.
“And how nice to see April full of energy.” Last time I’d seen Ned, April had been fighting off another bacterial infection, and he’d stopped by to see how my parents were holding up.
“Yup. We’re lucky.” And we were. Not all families got to bring their loved ones home, and I tried to never lose sight of that. We owed a ton to this place, to both the doctors and the administration. Thanks to Ned and the foundation, my parents hadn’t had to lose their house when bills continued to mount.
“I wanted to come see your group today because Allison wants to tell you about our latest fundraising efforts for the foundation.”
“Yes.” Allison had a big smile and a bubbly voice. “Every year we do a big fancy dinner and silent auction, but this year we’re doing something a little different.”
“And fun,” Ned added. He was like a proud grandpa, and I couldn’t wait to hear Allison’s idea.
“Yes! Fun. Costumes. It’s going to be a costume ball.”
“Oh my gosh. That sounds so cool.” April appeared at our table, undoubtedly sensing the possibility of getting all fancy. But the annual fundraiser was the sort of thing with seats going for three digits and big law firms and accounting firms buying tables for their partners.
“Yeah, it does. But I bet tickets are going to be pricey.” I tried not to sound regretful. We wanted the foundation to raise tons of money, and I didn’t want them lowering prices just so some broke college students could attend. But then Allison smiled wider.
“Well, we’re aiming for the corporate sponsors, true. But we’re also asking a few of our regular visitor groups to join us. Mingle with the guests, do pictures, help make sure everyone’s having fun.”
“I want to do it.” April bounced on her feet, practically quivering like a puppy. Homeschooling really was getting to her, and I wanted her to have this opportunity. And if it helped the foundation raise money, I’d be there.
“I’m in.” I nodded, loving how April gave a happy laugh in response.
“And the rest of the group?” Allison pulled a small notebook from a pocket in her cardigan. “I’ll need to know how many tickets to comp.”
“We’ll need Neptune,” April said, predictably eager, while I was still counting in my head.
“I’m not sure…” Getting Milo to do this more than once probably wasn’t going to happen, let alone something with bigwigs. Even now, I could see him eyeing Ned and Allison like they were seconds away from laughing at us, more of that unease he’d had with the doctors rolling off him.
“You know everyone’s going to want a picture with him.” April made the puppy-dog face she did so well that had gotten me into this mess with Milo to start with.
“He is rather…impressive.” Allison smiled in his direction, but Milo busied himself with his game with Chase. Maybe his empathy for Chase could convince him to don the costume more than this once. Maybe.
“I’ll ask him.” Heck. Now I needed Milo to continue this gig, and that was not a comfortable thought at all. I much preferred being the guy swooping in with the big save, not the person needing a hand. My neck itched. He’d better agree. And now I had that much more pressure to help him find the replacement cards. I might need more than good luck to pull this off.
