Chapter 12
The nurse popped her head around the door. ‘Ah, you’re awake, Joseph.’
Joseph snatched his hand away from Sarah’s grasp. ‘Who are you?’
‘Don’t take it personally. He’s still suffering from confusion, so this sort of thing isn’t unusual.’
Sarah turned to the nurse. ‘How long will this go on?’
‘I’m afraid it’s hard to say. He might be as right as rain tomorrow.’
Lili sighed. Although it had suited her, to begin with, that Joseph was not with it and couldn’t contradict her regarding their supposed friendship, she had changed her mind. All she wanted was to ask him about the ring and the woman called Alena.
Joseph turned his head to look at Lili. ‘Alena.’
Lili took his hand. ‘I’m right here, Joseph.’ She glanced across the bed at Sarah, whose expression was one of surprise, until she understood; Lili was playing along to see if he revealed anything about Alena.
‘You came back,’ he said excitedly. ‘I must tell Otto.’ Joseph looked about him until his eyes settled on something. ‘Otto? Where have you been?’
Lili and Sarah looked at each other. There was no one else in the room apart from the nurse, who was helping Joseph to sit up and arranging his pillows behind his back.
The nurse whispered, ‘This sort of thing isn’t unusual either, I’m afraid. Sometimes people hallucinate. They see other people, even talk to folk who aren’t there.’ She paused and looked at her patient. ‘Are you comfortable, Joseph?’
He did not respond. They all realised he wasn’t in the here and now; he was lost in the past, in a world full of ghosts. ‘Otto – where are you going? Don’t leave. She’s here. She returned, just like she promised.’
The nurse left the room. Sarah resumed her seat, perched on Joseph’s bed. Lili stayed seated in the chair at his bedside, holding his hand. ‘Joseph, who is Otto?’
Joseph shifted his head to look at Lili. ‘Otto loves you. He knew you’d come back.’
Lili fingered the ring. Otto and Alena – were they the couple to whom these rings belonged? She glanced at Sarah.
‘I’m afraid I don’t know who Otto is,’ Sarah said.
Joseph was getting agitated. ‘No, Miriam isn’t here, Otto.’
Lili exchanged a glance with Sarah, who was mimingMiriamand shrugging her shoulders as if to say she had not heard that name before either.
Joseph continued, ‘I don’t know where she is, Otto. They took her. Miriam’s gone …’ And with that, he cried.
Lili patted his hand, trying to console him.
‘I’ll call for the nurse,’ Sarah said, intending to do just that when a member of the kitchen staff walked in carrying a hot plate of food. ‘What’s all this, Joseph? We can’t have you crying into your dinner, can we?’
Joseph looked at the jolly young woman and smiled.
‘Now, that’s better. We have roast lamb, mashed potatoes, veggies and gravy.’
Another young woman stepped in with a small table on wheels.
Lili got out of her seat so that the woman could position the table over Joseph’s bed. ‘I’m in the way. I’d better go.’
‘You don’t have to go,’ the young lady commented.
Lili thought that it would be the best time to leave, while Joseph was busy with his meal, so she didn’t upset him.
Sarah followed her to the door. ‘You’re not a good friend of Joseph’s, are you?’
Lili turned around to face Sarah.