Her pager went off and she apologized as she checked it, all the while keeping one eye on me. ‘You know, if nothing else, you’d do yourself a favour by telling me who you are … or at least what happened. We can look after you better, and you’ll recover faster. Which means you can leave sooner.’ She took her hand off the pager. ‘The police would like to ask you some questions.’ I snorted and shook my head. ‘Yeah, OK, I know … But you mustn’t worry. It’s just that they think you’re a migrant and they’ve had the bloody coast guard out all day looking for wreckage or other survivors. The sooner you tell them you’re not, the sooner they’ll leave you alone. I’m not going to let anyone question you until you’re fit to talk.’

I pursed my lips and shook my head again.

‘I’m not under arrest, am I?’ She agreed that I wasn’t. ‘So then I don’t have to say anything to them. And in case they ask, I don’t want my photograph taken, either. Is that clear?’

‘OK,’ she shrugged. ‘But you are going to have to talk to them. Eventually. You have no clothes, no money, no ID. I can help you, you know.’

‘How?’ I said.

‘Well …’ She hesitated. ‘Apart from getting you well again, we, I mean they, can help protect you, if that’s what you need.’

An edge of exasperation crept into her voice. She was moving between caring and irritated. That was a good sign. People are rarely scared by someone who annoys them.

‘No,’ I said. ‘You can’t. Protect me, I mean. That policeman outside? What was it you called him, a “vulture”?’ She cleared her throat and dropped her eyes. ‘You know, I’m sure he’s a very decent vulture. But when his boss finds out I’m not a migrant, helping to protect me isn’t going to be top of his to-do list. Believe me. You’re very well meaning and all that, Rose, but this isn’t just a hospital now. It’s a prison.’

‘You wouldn’t be the first patient here to think that, I can tell you. But you were awake, eh? You had me and Doctor Mann fooled, that’s for sure. Well …’ she sighed, ‘God knows you need something. Everyone in here does. But no one’s going to hurt you. Not on my watch. I can give you my word on that.’ She hesitated for a moment, and then decided to ask again. ‘Tell me who you are. Or at least … At least tell me what your name is.’ She looked at the monitor and checked her pager again. ‘I can hardly call you “angel”, can I?’

‘If I tell you my name …’ I struggled to find words that would inspire trust, not instil terror. ‘Oh man, this is going to sound nuts.’