The door opens and I look up with a start.

‘Hi there, Maggie.’

Dr Elms walks in, followed by Claire.

‘How are you feeling this morning?’ he says, sitting down on the plastic chair by my bed.

‘Where’s …’ I say, willing myself to get the word. ‘Where’s … my … girl?’

A look passes between Claire and Dr Elms. A look that says something is wrong, something is terribly wrong.

‘Tell,’ I say, terrified now. ‘Please … you got tell … me.’

Claire sits down on the other side of the bed and puts her hand on my arm. I don’t like the way she is looking at me. It scares me.

‘What?’ I say. ‘What … is it?’

Dr Elms takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. Then, replacing them, he leans forward and speaks slowly, gently.

‘Maggie, do you remember I told you that you were involved in a car accident?’

I nod my head.

‘Well, your vehicle was found submerged in water on the banks of the river.’

The river. I see a canopy of trees, their branches bending in the wind.

‘You were lying face down on the riverbank,’ he continues, his eyes boring into mine as he speaks. ‘Unconscious with some head and hand wounds.’

I look down at my hands for the first time. I have no fingernails.

‘It seems you made contact with the vehicle as you tried to stop it rolling into the water,’ says Dr Elms.

I look down again at my mutilated hands. There is only one reason why I would try to stop a rolling car and that would be because there was someone inside it.

‘Whereishi?’ I say, my whole body seizing up with fear. ‘Elspeth?’

I try to grab the doctor’s arm, but the effort almost knocks me sideways. The pain in my chest intensifies and I flop back on to the pillow.

‘This might be too soon, Dr Elms,’ says Claire. ‘Perhaps we should wait a little longer.’

‘In my experience it will be worse if we leave it,’ says Dr Elms, his voice muffled as he turns away from me. ‘She is asking the question. I am obliged to answer truthfully.’

They are talking as though I’m not here.

‘Worse?’ I say. ‘Tell … what … happened.’

He sits up straight and clears his throat. His eyes can barely meet mine.

‘Okay,’ he says. ‘We think you were trying to free her when you were knocked unconscious.’

‘Her,’ I say as the room folds in on me. ‘Wh–what?’

‘Your daughter,’ says Dr Elms. ‘The fire crew reported that she was still in the car when the car rolled into the water. The door was locked.’

I shake my head; try to take in what he is saying.

‘No,’ I say. ‘I’d never …’

Dr Elms goes to speak then stops.

He looks across at Claire. She shakes her head.