Chapters (67)
- Cover
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
Cat didn’t want to influence her one way or another though her first thought was that she would be well suited to the right branch of psychiatry. She had to take her time and look into it in depth and detail. It was easy to be swept away by one charismatic lecturer. She remembered having been passionate about dermatology as a student, merely because she had fallen for one consultant as had a good many of her friends.
‘They’re desperately short of psychs of course, but that isn’t a good reason for going into it – has to be the right fit for you.’
‘I went to another talk that was pretty engaging too – I’d have gone a long way to hear her.’ Rosie named a prizewinning cardiologist.
‘My God yes – she’s often referred to as the humble genius.’
‘I know why. There she was, this great doctor, and she said two things that really hit me. One was “We really know so little about the human body, even today”. The other was “Doctors don’t heal and we don’t cure. The body itself does that and we give it a bit of technical assistance.” Do you think that’s true of the mind as well?’
‘Pretty much. The other way of putting it is “Most things get better of their own accord”. Maybe that’s true of the mind, but it’s definitely “most things”, not “all”. Interesting questions, Rosie. I know it’s full on at the moment, and he’s in London, but have you seen Sam lately?’
The girl picked her empty coffee cup, did not meet Cat’s eye.
‘You know how it is.’
‘This was always going to be tough – a bit of a test. Chris and I had to run our early relationship from two different continents when he was to Africa for a year. It can be done if you set your mind to it. You make it work.’
Rosie picked up her bag from the floor and the bill from the table but Cat whisked it away.
‘You can pay when you’ve qualified.’
‘Thank you very much. I have to get back to my studies but I’m so pleased we met.’ She often spoke rather formally.
‘Where are you at?’
‘Neurology. Epilepsy. Brain electricity.’
‘Good luck with that.’
‘I really don’t understand half of it.’
‘Nor me but don’t say anything. I’m not sure when Sam’s next up but why don’t you come to Sunday lunch whether he’s home or not?
If Rosie replied, her voice was drowned in the hubbub they walked through as they left.