“Dreams, tastes—yes, I can see that. You’ve been through a lot. Taste might be your head dictating what you should be eating? The drugs normally make you feel hungrier, especially the prednisolone. You should talk to Dr. Stafford about it.” Lucy wasn’t a bit convinced by this, but let it go for the moment. “I’m not sure I know what you mean by your orientation.”

“Mr. Denham, I’ve always been right-handed. But now, I automatically pick up a pen with my left hand. And a soup spoon. And I feel like my left is stronger.”

“I haven’t heard of this before. But it doesn’t really worry me. Your heart is a pump, and we haven’t interfered with your brain, which is what determines which hand you use. Possibly it’s a response to the drip, a tentative feeling in your right hand, even a soreness after the operation—although that would normally occur on the left side, strangely enough. Have you had more blood drawn from the right arm? Anyway, let’s see if it lasts—not that it’s important at all.” He made a note on her chart. “Anything else?”

“The food. I’ve been a vegetarian for around ten years. Now I want to eat some meat again.”

“Well, I approve. It’s your instinct for strength, Lucy; and possibly the medication too. But try to limit how much red meat you eat, for the sake of your new heart. Fish and chicken will score high points with your dietician, though. Let’s check that out later too.” He made a second note.

“And the dreams. I’ve been having really intense dreams, strange images, and even dislocated sounds…” She knew she couldn’t make him fully understand.

“Lucy, your life was close to the edge. First the Chagas’, then the harsh treatments, with strong drugs. Ultimately a transplant—a long, demanding operation. And then postsurgery. I would expect your mind to take some strange twists for a while.” He looked at her and saw she was not reassured by this. “But let’s see about getting you to a psychologist, and you can go into this in depth. These drugs can have some very unpleasant side effects. I’m sure you’ve been told all about the emotional highs and lows that come with some of the medicines. I’ll set an appointment up and get someone to call you from the hospital within a day or two, but I’ll mention it to Dr. Stafford too—he’s the expert in this department. He might want to suggest a new balance of medication.” He looked at her with kindness, but she felt as though she was being dismissed as an irrational female. She stopped trying to explain and smiled her thanks, bringing the appointment to an end.