“The nurse told me.”
“Room 17?” Then she realized. “They must have moved her now that she’s out of danger. They must really be sure.”
He nodded. “The nurse said she’d be very sleepy. She said only to stay a minute.”
“She’s been on a kind of landing till now.” For some reason it seemed important to explain. “Where everyone could see her. And of course she’d throw herself about and groan and I was shouting and trying to get through to her. It was rather horrible.”
But they had come to the door of Mama’s room and he was not really listening. “All right?” he said with his fingers on the handle, and they went in.
The first thing that struck her was how pretty the room was. It was full of light, with pastel-coloured walls and a big window which overlooked the park. There were flowered curtains, an armchair and a furry rug on the floor. Mama was lying in a neat white bed, untethered, without tubes, one hand tucked under the pillow, the other relaxed on the covers, as Anna had so often seen her in the Putney boarding house, and seemed to be peacefully asleep.
Max was already by the bed.
“Mama,” he said.
Mama’s eyelids fluttered, sank down again, and finally opened quite normally. For a moment she stared in confusion and then she recognized him.
“Max,” she whispered. “Oh, Max.” Her blue eyes, the same colour as his, smiled, half-closed, and then opened again full of tears. “I’m so sorry, Max,” she whispered. “Your holiday… I didn’t mean…” Her voice, too, was just as usual.
“That’s all right, Mama,” said Max. “Everything is all right now.”
Her hand moved across the bedclothes into his, and he held it.
“Max,” she murmured. “Dear Max…” Her eyelids sank down and she went back to sleep.
For a moment, Anna did not know what to do. Then she joined Max at the bed.
“Hello, Mama,” she said softly, her lips close to the pillow.
Mama, very sleepy now, hardly reacted. “Anna…” Her voice was barely audible. “Are you here too?”
“I’ve been here since Saturday,” said Anna, but Mama was too sleepy to hear her. Her eyes remained closed, and after a while Max disengaged his hand and they went out.
“Is she all right?” he asked. “Is this very different from the way she’s been?”
“She’s been in a coma for three days,” said Anna. “She only came out of it while I was with her last night.” She knew it was childish, but she felt put out by the fact that Mama seemed to remember nothing about it. “They told me to keep calling her, so I did, and finally she answered.”
“I’m sorry,” said Max. “Was it awful?”
“Yes, it was. Like one of those dreadful, corny films.”
He laughed a little. “I didn’t know they still did that – making you call her. I thought these days it was all done with pills. You may have saved her life.”
She was careful not to say so, but secretly she was sure that she had. “It was probably just the German instinct for drama,” she said. “I can’t imagine them doing it in England, can you? I mean, you wouldn’t be allowed into the ward for a start.”
They were walking back along the corridor and near the stairs they met the sour-faced nurse of the first day, carrying a bedpan. At the sight of them – or more probably of Max, thought Anna – her mouth relaxed into a smile.
“
Na
,” she said in satisfied tones, “
die Frau Mutter ist von den Schatten zurückgekehrt.
”
In English this meant, “So your lady mother has returned from the shadows,” and Anna, who had had time to get used to German phraseology, managed to keep a straight face, but, combined with the bedpan, it was too much for Max. He spluttered some kind of agreement and dived round the next corner, Anna following and hoping that the nurse would think he had been overcome with emotion.
“They all talk like that,” she giggled when she caught up with him. “Had you forgotten?”
He could only shake
“Room 17?” Then she realized. “They must have moved her now that she’s out of danger. They must really be sure.”
He nodded. “The nurse said she’d be very sleepy. She said only to stay a minute.”
“She’s been on a kind of landing till now.” For some reason it seemed important to explain. “Where everyone could see her. And of course she’d throw herself about and groan and I was shouting and trying to get through to her. It was rather horrible.”
But they had come to the door of Mama’s room and he was not really listening. “All right?” he said with his fingers on the handle, and they went in.
The first thing that struck her was how pretty the room was. It was full of light, with pastel-coloured walls and a big window which overlooked the park. There were flowered curtains, an armchair and a furry rug on the floor. Mama was lying in a neat white bed, untethered, without tubes, one hand tucked under the pillow, the other relaxed on the covers, as Anna had so often seen her in the Putney boarding house, and seemed to be peacefully asleep.
Max was already by the bed.
“Mama,” he said.
Mama’s eyelids fluttered, sank down again, and finally opened quite normally. For a moment she stared in confusion and then she recognized him.
“Max,” she whispered. “Oh, Max.” Her blue eyes, the same colour as his, smiled, half-closed, and then opened again full of tears. “I’m so sorry, Max,” she whispered. “Your holiday… I didn’t mean…” Her voice, too, was just as usual.
“That’s all right, Mama,” said Max. “Everything is all right now.”
Her hand moved across the bedclothes into his, and he held it.
“Max,” she murmured. “Dear Max…” Her eyelids sank down and she went back to sleep.
For a moment, Anna did not know what to do. Then she joined Max at the bed.
“Hello, Mama,” she said softly, her lips close to the pillow.
Mama, very sleepy now, hardly reacted. “Anna…” Her voice was barely audible. “Are you here too?”
“I’ve been here since Saturday,” said Anna, but Mama was too sleepy to hear her. Her eyes remained closed, and after a while Max disengaged his hand and they went out.
“Is she all right?” he asked. “Is this very different from the way she’s been?”
“She’s been in a coma for three days,” said Anna. “She only came out of it while I was with her last night.” She knew it was childish, but she felt put out by the fact that Mama seemed to remember nothing about it. “They told me to keep calling her, so I did, and finally she answered.”
“I’m sorry,” said Max. “Was it awful?”
“Yes, it was. Like one of those dreadful, corny films.”
He laughed a little. “I didn’t know they still did that – making you call her. I thought these days it was all done with pills. You may have saved her life.”
She was careful not to say so, but secretly she was sure that she had. “It was probably just the German instinct for drama,” she said. “I can’t imagine them doing it in England, can you? I mean, you wouldn’t be allowed into the ward for a start.”
They were walking back along the corridor and near the stairs they met the sour-faced nurse of the first day, carrying a bedpan. At the sight of them – or more probably of Max, thought Anna – her mouth relaxed into a smile.
“
Na
,” she said in satisfied tones, “
die Frau Mutter ist von den Schatten zurückgekehrt.
”
In English this meant, “So your lady mother has returned from the shadows,” and Anna, who had had time to get used to German phraseology, managed to keep a straight face, but, combined with the bedpan, it was too much for Max. He spluttered some kind of agreement and dived round the next corner, Anna following and hoping that the nurse would think he had been overcome with emotion.
“They all talk like that,” she giggled when she caught up with him. “Had you forgotten?”
He could only shake
Similar Books
