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Chapters (118)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Also by Leona Deakin
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. 84
  90. 85
  91. 86
  92. 87
  93. 88
  94. 89
  95. 90
  96. 91
  97. 92
  98. 93
  99. 94
  100. 95
  101. 96
  102. 97
  103. 98
  104. 99
  105. 100
  106. 101
  107. 102
  108. 103
  109. 104
  110. 105
  111. 106
  112. Acknowledgements
  113. Reading Group Questions
  114. Read More
  115. I
  116. 2
  117. 3
  118. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘So he could have been elsewhere in the hospital before that?’

Karene finished the banana and folded the skin into a neat parcel. ‘It’s unlikely.’ She finally looked up. Her eyes were swollen. ‘The notes follow the patient.’

‘And there’s nothing recorded before last night?’

‘Nope.’

Both women were silent for a moment. Bloom suspected Jameson might be right about the sleight of hand. She could see how Harry’s missing days might be explained by some miscommunication but something didn’t add up. It felt wrong and she knew that was an instinct to be interrogated.

‘His injuries are worse than they were before, Augusta. Much, much worse. He didn’t have a head injury, only a small cut on his forehead. I checked him from head to toe. I’m not imagining this.’

‘I believe you,’ said Bloom, and she did.

‘So what happened to him?’

‘I don’t know, Karene, but we’ll find out. I promise.’

Karene looked hesitant. ‘What if it doesn’t matter?’

Bloom was pretty sure she knew what was coming next but she asked, ‘What do you mean?’

‘What if he never comes round, or—’

‘Has some permanent brain damage?’

‘You know how devastating head injuries can be. He might wake up with a totally different temperament. Instead of quick-witted and fun-loving, he might be aggressive and depressed. He might not be my Harry any more.’

‘Well.’ Bloom wasn’t sure what to say. ‘You’ll have some tough choices to make if that’s the case. But there’s no point worrying about that yet. OK?’

Karene’s eyes filled with tears and she gritted her teeth in an effort to stay in control.

‘And you know as well as I do that personality changes are usually only associated with frontal lobe damage. Do you know if that’s what he has?’

‘No.’ Karene wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘You’re right. I need to focus on the positives.’

A tall, slender man in a shirt and tie walked over to them. ‘Miss Harper?’

Karene stood. ‘Yes, that’s me.’

‘I’m Mr Lyle, Harry’s consultant.’

‘Can I see him? Is he conscious?’

‘He’s stable but it may be a while before he regains consciousness and until then it’s hard to know what damage he’s sustained.’

‘If any?’ said Bloom.

The consultant looked Bloom’s way for the briefest of moments, but it was long enough: long enough to know that when he then said ‘Indeed’ he didn’t mean it at all.

‘If you follow me, I can take you through to see him.’

9

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