‘We’ve been going through the missing persons register to see if there is anyone who might possibly be you,’ PC Oaks tells me. ‘We’ve checked all the girls who have gone missing recently, and they’ve all been ruled out for one reason or another. So now we’re having to consider historic cases, which takes more time. Obviously we will keep you updated as soon as we find anything of relevance. Which I’m sure will happen – I don’t want you to worry.’

But how can I not worry? I don’t know who I am and no one seems to be looking for me.

The nurse bustles in as PC Oaks and the social worker leave. ‘You OK, dear? Anything I can get you? You must be bored, all on your own here with nothing to read. Do you want me to bring you some magazines from one of the wards? There are always some lying around.’

‘Yes please, that would be nice,’ I say. I’m not entirely sure what she means by magazines, but something to read would be good.

‘Or do you want to watch TV for now? You’re probably still tired, so that might be easier.’

‘TV?’

‘Yes, here you go …’ She picks up a remote control and points it at the screen on the wall, which fizzes into life.

‘Oh TV!’ I say. ‘Yes. Yes, please.’

I watch TV for the rest of the day. It helps take my mind off my dire situation.

TV seems both familiar and unfamiliar. I’ve a feeling I’ve seen something like it, but not quite the same. And after a few hours, I feel totally drained. I’ve watched everything from smiling people winning money by answering questions correctly, to a programme showing children with distended stomachs who are dying because they haven’t got enough to eat, which makes me cry. There are programmes where people cook amazing-looking dishes and a team of judges choose which is the best, and ones where two people just sit in chairs and talk to each other.

I don’t recognize anyone, but the day passes quickly between that and thumbing through the magazines which the nurse brings in for me. It’s fun to look at some of the pictures but all the stories seem to be about allegedly famous people I’ve never heard of. I guess that’s what amnesia does to you.

The next day, I am staring mindlessly at the TV when PC Oaks and Ellie appear again about an hour after breakfast. I’m watching a programme where they seem to change topic every few minutes with seemingly no links between the sections at all, people come and go into the studio to be interviewed and now and again there are what I eventually work out must be adverts. It doesn’t seem familiar in any way and I’m starting to find that quite disconcerting.