Where the Forest Meets the Stars

When she wakes up the following day, thinking about Ursa, Jo is in a hospital in St. Louis, and she recalls having been flown there once the nurse reminds her. Jo asks the nurse about Ursa, but the nurse doesn’t reveal anything. Jo remembers being shot; all she wants to know is what happened to Ursa. Jo had surgery on her leg to repair vascular tissue. She asks if Gabriel Nash is there. The nurse confirms that Jo is up for visitors and leaves.

A police officer and a detective enter Jo’s room. Jo once again asks about Ursa. The detective asks how Jo knows the girl’s name. Jo admits Ursa told her, but she doesn’t know Ursa’s full name. She demands to know if Ursa is alive. The detective says they don’t know “because she’s still in surgery or post-op” (244).

The officers ask Jo many questions about her relationship with Ursa and about the night of the shooting. It’s clear they’ve already spoken to Gabe and asked the same questions. Jo feels them judging her when she talks about the living arrangement. She worries she’s in trouble with the law because she cared for Ursa.

After the officers leave, Jo drifts in and out of sleep.