Several times in the bath I had almost fallen asleep but afterwards I sat on the sofa in clean shorts and T-shirt, damp hair dripping cool water down my back, my mind hopping from anxious thought to anxious thought.

‘What if Oliver is a crackpot?’ I tried not to pin my hopes on him. ‘What if the trial is dangerous? What—’

‘What if you tried to relax for just a little while?’

I tucked my legs under me on the sofa and rested my head on Nell’s shoulder. ‘Thanks for coming.’

‘That’s okay. I only wish we were back here under different circumstances, but who knows, Adam could wake up any second. We could all be on the beach tomorrow sipping cocktails.’

Her fingers threaded through mine and for the first time in days I felt a glimmer of positivity, which lasted until the phone rang.

It was the hospital.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Oliver

Oliver had been surprised to receive a phone call from Nell yesterday afternoon.

‘Anna’s told me everything.’ Her tone had been hard, almost confrontational. For a split second, Oliver had thought she was ringing to tell him to stay away from Anna and Adam.

‘It sounds barmy but we’ve checked out your website and looked at the breakthrough that Japanese neuroscientist has achieved.’

‘I can talk it all through with—’

‘All this research into consciousness. This progress. How come most people don’t know about it?’

‘It isn’t a secret. Most things are out there on the web. If you’re not interested in science you don’t look for it—’

‘It’s fascinating,’ Nell said. ‘I can’t stop googling. Did you know that in one study it was found that 70 per cent of the participants who were in a locked-in state and doctors believed had no awareness, could actually communicate when the right equipment was used?’

‘Umm, yes. I know.’

‘If you train an algorithm to translate brain activity, we can see the images from inside someone’s mind.’

‘Yes. We’ve progressed that several steps further—’

‘And there are loads, literally loads of people on YouTube waking from comas after being given a sleeping tablet. Is this something you’d try?’

‘No. I think—’

‘Also—’

‘Nell. Would you and Anna like to come and have a look around? See the work we’re doing.’ Oliver’s palm was clammy with nerves, the phone slippery in his hand.

‘We’re not committing to anything.’

‘Of course not. Just a chat.’

‘Even if we agree, there will be conditions.’

‘Of course.’

‘And… and if you hurt Adam, I will hunt you down. I’ve got—’

‘Skills?’ Oliver cut in. ‘Look, this isn’t a Liam Neeson movie. This is real life. Adam and Anna’s lives and I don’t take that lightly. I’ve been… I have some degree of understanding of what Anna is feeling right now.’