“I’m still so grateful they were returned so soon,” said Lauren, her eyes spilling tears as she thought of her lost boys, the terrible possibility that they were forever lost, and that after these two aberrations had gone back she would have nothing at all.

No. Don’t think like that. There’s hope, she thought, if I can just get to the water.

Lauren watched the doctor struggle to cradle the baby in her arms. Soon she was forced to place it back on the floor, where it seemed happier and began to behave like a baby again. Lauren put the one in green back down, too. Bishop and Selver were not like Morgan and Riley in any way, apart from their appearance; they hated being held and couldn’t tolerate it for very long at all. Morgan and Riley, in contrast, were the cuddliest babies in the world. Her arms ached for them. When all this was put right, when she found them and switched them back, she silently promised she would hold her boys in her arms and never let them go.

The doctor put her pen and clipboard on one side.

“I spoke to the Senior Investigating Officer on your case today. He said there have been some developments.”

“Oh?”

“He said that due to a lack of evidence they’ve decided to drop the case.”

“What does that mean? They don’t think that woman Natasha did it, after all? I did tell them that it wasn’t her, that they needed to keep looking.”

“They say they’re no longer looking for anyone else in relation to the abduction.”

Lauren stared. She couldn’t work out what was being implied. But then, suddenly she could. “Oh, they don’t think I did it myself? Is that what they’re saying? That’s not even possible, I was asleep. How could it have been me? I was asleep, on a bench, and someone took my children. I know I have to take some of the blame, but—”

“When deciding on the best care plan, I have to take many things into account. Sometimes, with puerperal psychosis, it’s difficult to tell precisely when it’s medically safe to discharge. Sometimes, symptoms can be masked temporarily, only to return very rapidly, and indeed much more acutely.”

Why has she put the pen down—

“I’m afraid what I’m about to tell you might be disappointing …”

No—

“We won’t be letting you go home tomorrow …”

“NO!”

“I have applied for detention under Section—”

“YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO!”

The doctor reached for the emergency button. A few seconds later, two security guards entered and relieved Doctor Summer, who in the process of restraining Lauren from throwing herself at the window, had bruised a finger quite badly.

The guards placed Lauren back in the chair just as Nurse Pauline entered with a cup of medication.