"Joy Atkins has met many people while running Mercy Hospital's gift shop, but she has never come across anyone quite like boy genius, Connor Sherman. Connor is a fifteen-year-old high school senior set on starting college as soon as possible. All his life he's been poked, prodded, examined, and filmed by doctors and documentarians, and he's now eager to leave home and gain some independence, despite his mother's wariness. But an accident lands him in the hospital, and his discharge is delayed again and again when a series of mishaps endanger is health. Can Joy discover who is out to harm Connor and why? Meanwhile, Joy and her friends are working hard to plan a surprise birthday for their dear friend, Shirley Bashore. But for every task completed, another takes its place. Can they get everything done in time and keep their surprise a secret?"--Page [4] of cover.