“Mm-hm. You remember we talked about this? Your new heart hasn’t yet got the nerve connections that would ordinarily help it to reflect changes in your activity, so it will beat significantly faster than the old one. It simply doesn’t respond so promptly to any increase or decrease in physical stress. That reconnection will take quite some time to come back.”

“I remember you and Mr. Azziz explained that—it’s not worrying me. In fact I think it disguises how I’m feeling to other people, which can be useful.”

“Yes, you’ll make a good poker player for a while. Just remember you can’t feel chest pain in the normal way yet either, which is why we all have to keep such a close eye on you. But this is excellent, really. Is nothing concerning you then, Lucy?”

“No…” Lucy’s answer was slightly qualified. Courtney Denham waited. “Physically I feel almost unnaturally well, just so much better than before the transplant.”

“But emotionally?” he prompted her. He didn’t know too much about her personal life, though he didn’t think she had a serious boyfriend. Maybe there was some other problem at home. Or if she were seeing someone, the strain of aftercare would be a bit of a burden to anybody unprepared or unwilling. You had to be scrupulous with your cleanliness while your immune system was so heavily suppressed—and so did anyone in your love life. Intimacy was often frustrating even for long-time couples, and almost impossible unless your partner was unselfish.

A thought suddenly occurred to him. “Are you thinking of traveling to Australia, Lucy, to see your family?” He looked at her for a moment, her emotions not in the least transparent. But it was entirely probable that she might want to go to them after such a knife-edge experience. It was a talking point to each of her doctors that her family hadn’t come to see her here, in the UK. “Our general rule about travel is that it’s not really recommended to go abroad for the first few months after your transplant. We’ll monitor you very closely, of course, and if you continue with this kind of progress, and you’re keen to see your parents, I’m sure we would approve that sometime after the New Year.”

She took her time, and looked at him intently, wondering what he would make of what she was about to say. “No, I don’t have any wish to go away, Mr. Denham. It’s more that the world I am in now, right here, is suddenly a totally different one.” She paused, aware she had his complete attention. “My dreams are wild, really vivid. My taste in food has changed a bit. And…my orientation feels different.”