relented.
“Alright, I’ll ask them both. But it’s not my fault if they’re too
busy. Okay?”
Rachel nodded,
content at last. “Okay!”
“Well, I’m glad
that’s sorted out, then,” Dr Jones said, putting his hand on Gina’s
shoulder. “Come on, Gina. It’s time to go. We don’t want to be late
on the first day, now, do we?”
“I’m not
looking forward to this,” Gina said to Dr Jones. And turning to her
daughter, she said, “And you don’t know how lucky you are! I’m as
nervous as hell!”
“I’ll swap with
you if you like!” Rachel said, rather too hopefully.
“I think we had
better go before we have this conversation all over again!” Dr
Jones said.
Gina kissed and
hugged Rachel one more time before she and Dr Jones left. After
they had said their goodbyes, Rachel took her glasses off and
snuggled down in her bed. She was full of excitement. She was going
to meet him at last! The man that still caused Sarah Williams’s
heart to jump even when it was in the body of another woman.
It was silly
really. If she had spoken about it to anyone they would have moved
her to a psychiatric ward in no seconds flat. But she couldn’t help
it. She had always been a very down to earth sort of person. She
had never believed in ghosts, or anything paranormal. As for
religion, well, she was brought up as a Catholic, but she was not
too sure about all that, either. She hoped that it was true, and
that there was a God. Quite often in her life there had been times
when she thought she was going to find out, one way or the other.
But then she would wake up, and find herself back in the hospital
again. She had never remembered any strange lights or experiences.
Somehow it was a disappointment. But this was different.
For the first
and only time in her life, she was sure of something that she could
not explain rationally. The thought of Robert McCord coming to see
her later that day made her heart beat faster. She couldn’t explain
it, but it was true. She was excited and filled with anticipation
at the prospect of seeing him.
She was sure it
could not be her own feelings. Her heart, Sarah’s heart, had
reacted instantly at the sight of his photograph. For herself, she
hadn’t thought that he was that much more handsome and attractive
than Sarah’s husband, Alex. But his picture had brought no such
reaction. If it was just her own feelings deceiving her, surely she
would have reacted at the sight of Alex’s picture, not a stranger,
who’s name was unfamiliar to her. But somehow, even before she knew
who he was, before she had read that he had worked for Alex
Williams, before she had guessed that he and Sarah must have had an
affair, her heart had definitely reacted. And it still reacted.
All through the
day, waiting for her mother to return with the two men, she felt
like a silly schoolgirl on her first date. The hours dragged on and
on. She saw Gavin Smedley again, still sheepish about being caught.
She asked him what punishment Nurse Kaye had subjected him to, but
he refused to tell her, admitting only that it was diabolical. He
was also no longer allowed to bring his newspaper with him on his
rounds with the trolley.
Later had come
Rachel’s physiotherapy. First she had been manipulated by a nurse
she hadn’t met before. It sounded bad, but it just meant moving her
arms and shoulders about, making sure the muscles in her chest were
still mobile, and healing well after the surgery. She had made her
usual joke about having a zip fitted, but the nurse was not
impressed. After that came the treadmill.
Rachel felt
like she had ran for miles on that treadmill today, with Dr
Cornwall egging her on all the time. He kept making her go faster
and faster, until she was a wet, sweaty mess. She was gasping for
breath when she told him, “I’m going to tell...my mother on
you...You’re trying to kill me!”
“Rubbish!” Dr
Cornwall had replied. “You’re stronger than I am! You could pull a
cart with
“Alright, I’ll ask them both. But it’s not my fault if they’re too
busy. Okay?”
Rachel nodded,
content at last. “Okay!”
“Well, I’m glad
that’s sorted out, then,” Dr Jones said, putting his hand on Gina’s
shoulder. “Come on, Gina. It’s time to go. We don’t want to be late
on the first day, now, do we?”
“I’m not
looking forward to this,” Gina said to Dr Jones. And turning to her
daughter, she said, “And you don’t know how lucky you are! I’m as
nervous as hell!”
“I’ll swap with
you if you like!” Rachel said, rather too hopefully.
“I think we had
better go before we have this conversation all over again!” Dr
Jones said.
Gina kissed and
hugged Rachel one more time before she and Dr Jones left. After
they had said their goodbyes, Rachel took her glasses off and
snuggled down in her bed. She was full of excitement. She was going
to meet him at last! The man that still caused Sarah Williams’s
heart to jump even when it was in the body of another woman.
It was silly
really. If she had spoken about it to anyone they would have moved
her to a psychiatric ward in no seconds flat. But she couldn’t help
it. She had always been a very down to earth sort of person. She
had never believed in ghosts, or anything paranormal. As for
religion, well, she was brought up as a Catholic, but she was not
too sure about all that, either. She hoped that it was true, and
that there was a God. Quite often in her life there had been times
when she thought she was going to find out, one way or the other.
But then she would wake up, and find herself back in the hospital
again. She had never remembered any strange lights or experiences.
Somehow it was a disappointment. But this was different.
For the first
and only time in her life, she was sure of something that she could
not explain rationally. The thought of Robert McCord coming to see
her later that day made her heart beat faster. She couldn’t explain
it, but it was true. She was excited and filled with anticipation
at the prospect of seeing him.
She was sure it
could not be her own feelings. Her heart, Sarah’s heart, had
reacted instantly at the sight of his photograph. For herself, she
hadn’t thought that he was that much more handsome and attractive
than Sarah’s husband, Alex. But his picture had brought no such
reaction. If it was just her own feelings deceiving her, surely she
would have reacted at the sight of Alex’s picture, not a stranger,
who’s name was unfamiliar to her. But somehow, even before she knew
who he was, before she had read that he had worked for Alex
Williams, before she had guessed that he and Sarah must have had an
affair, her heart had definitely reacted. And it still reacted.
All through the
day, waiting for her mother to return with the two men, she felt
like a silly schoolgirl on her first date. The hours dragged on and
on. She saw Gavin Smedley again, still sheepish about being caught.
She asked him what punishment Nurse Kaye had subjected him to, but
he refused to tell her, admitting only that it was diabolical. He
was also no longer allowed to bring his newspaper with him on his
rounds with the trolley.
Later had come
Rachel’s physiotherapy. First she had been manipulated by a nurse
she hadn’t met before. It sounded bad, but it just meant moving her
arms and shoulders about, making sure the muscles in her chest were
still mobile, and healing well after the surgery. She had made her
usual joke about having a zip fitted, but the nurse was not
impressed. After that came the treadmill.
Rachel felt
like she had ran for miles on that treadmill today, with Dr
Cornwall egging her on all the time. He kept making her go faster
and faster, until she was a wet, sweaty mess. She was gasping for
breath when she told him, “I’m going to tell...my mother on
you...You’re trying to kill me!”
“Rubbish!” Dr
Cornwall had replied. “You’re stronger than I am! You could pull a
cart with
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