“How are you feeling?” she said, the classic opener for any conversation with a psychiatric patient.

“Fine,” said Lauren. Despite the lack of rest, she felt focused, determined and strong. She smiled faintly at the doctor, hoping to strike the right balance: sane but tired, grateful for all the help but ultimately, better off at home.

“Did you manage to get any sleep?”

“Oh, not really,” said Lauren, laughing weakly. “They were up quite a bit. But it’s good, to get back in the swing of things. Yesterday and the night before, I had the whole night off—not many new mums can claim that, can they?”

Lauren felt her cheek start to twitch, rubbed at her face to stop it.

Doctor Summer regarded Lauren with interest. “The time limit for the temporary detention order is up very soon. But you know that, don’t you?”

“I can’t deny it’s been on my mind.” She swallowed. Careful, now. “Everyone has been so kind, and the support has been excellent but I sort of feel guilty, now that I’m better. There must be people who need the bed much more than I do.”

The doctor nodded, and then she said, “Your case has been a very unusual one, Lauren. I’ve not come across anything like it before.”

Lauren raised her eyebrows. “Oh?”

“When you came in, I thought you were definitely suffering from puerperal psychosis. When I see a patient with the level of paranoia you initially presented, we usually expect to keep them for a while. It takes weeks to recover from a crisis like that, in normal circumstances. But here you are, apparently better, in less than three days.”

“I do feel well. I’m glad you think so too.”

The doctor frowned. She lifted her pen and looked as if she was about to sign the paper in front of her, but then she lowered it again. Was that the release form?

“What do you think happened, the day you were brought in?”

This was a test; she must answer correctly in order to pass. She took a controlled breath before she began. “I believe I was in a sort of waking dream,” said Lauren. “I don’t know much about shock or anything, but the idea that the boys had been changed seemed to come upon me, I’m not sure why. When they were returned after they were taken I looked at them and my eyes saw something else. I was definitely hallucinating. But then, it went away. Very quickly I started feeling normal again.”