Chapter 8: The Envelope

"You were told not to come to this floor," Dane said.

"I was told not to stay," Demi said. "It's a medical result addressed to the person it concerns. If I held it, I'd be negligent."

She held out the envelope.

Dane looked at it for a long time without taking it.

I stepped up beside him.

"Open it," I said. "Please. Open it in front of me."

He took it.

We went out into the corridor so Timmy could sleep, and Bev came and stood at my shoulder.

Demi stayed by the door with her hands folded.

Dane tore the flap and pulled out two stapled sheets.

I watched his eyes move across the first page.

They stopped halfway down.

"What?" I said.

He didn't answer.

I took the paper out of his hand.

The page was full of columns of letters and numbers I didn't understand.

At the bottom, in bold print, it said:

Probability of paternity: 0.00%. Alleged father is excluded as the biological father.

I read it again.

The words didn't change.

"That's wrong," I said.

"It's a lab report, Hannah."

"It's wrong."

I turned to the second page.

Near the bottom was a small gray box with a line of type.

Sample note: Mixed genetic profile detected in alleged father's specimen. Recollect recommended.

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