He made copious notes, gradually bringing events closer to the present. I gave the impression of coming up against a blank wall about a year ago, shaking my head and crying. At least I had a chance at getting a job as an actress if anything else failed!
“Alright, just relax for a minute and take stock of where you are right now. I want you to stop trying to remember, as it’s clearly distressing for you.”
He looked at me and I smiled through my tears as if it was a wonderful experience to remember a few remnants of memory.
“Well, Rebecca, we’ve made real progress this morning. I’m more than satisfied to believe that you will make a good recovery. I believe that your amnesiac state was brought on by emotional trauma, probably relating to your returning to Britain after living overseas and the death of your mother. I think it would be a mistake to rush things, as often the brain cuts of unpleasant things until you are in a position to deal with them.”
“Does that mean I shouldn’t go for hypnotherapy?”
“No, I think you are probably strong enough. I’ll speak to Doctor Manners, so she’s aware of the situation. But I feel we’ve made real progress.”
“Does that mean I’m not bonkers?”
“As I said, your condition was brought on my some emotional trauma. It doesn’t explain your mysterious circumstances, but I feel that with careful monitoring over the next few weeks, you’ll be as right as rain.”
I returned to the ward, or to my room to be more precise, and had a spot of lunch. Doctor Penshurst popped his head round the door as I was finishing.
“So, it’s definitely Rebecca, then?”
“Yes, it would seem so.”
“Anything more coming through?”
“A little, in dribs and drabs, but not really. I just don’t think I’ve been back in the country long.”
“Well, at least you know who you are. Do you still want to go through with the hypnotherapy?”
“If you think it’ll help?”
“I do, yes.”
“Okay.”
Caroline Manners was a pretty woman who looked about thirty. She was of Afro-Caribbean origin, having a slim build and lovely figure. The old me would have found her attractive, while the new me admired an attractive woman, but there was none of the old chemistry.
The Detective Inspector was there as well. Caroline asked me whether I minded him being present, and I’d said no.
As it happened, I was in control throughout. She told me to relax and tried to induce a light trance. I went with the flow. I kept to the story I’d devised with the psychiatrist, without deviation or embellishment.
My father died when we were abroad. We’d stayed on, and I returned after my mother died quite recently. I mentioned no dates and no clues as to where we lived. I hinted at South America, the Far East and Africa, dropping in Spanish, Afrikaans, Swahili, some Chinese and some Thai place names and words. I came back by plane from Europe. I hadn’t a passport, but special documentation issued by a consulate somewhere. No, I didn’t remember where. I had an uncle in London. No, I didn’t remember his name.
By the end, it seemed that I’d remembered a lot, but actually no one was any the wiser.
Caroline asked whether I wanted to try again in a couple of days.
“Can I let you know how I feel?”
“Of course. But, if I know the powers that be, they’ll want to discharge you.”
“Why?”
“Well, you’re not injured, you have no ailment and you aren’t mentally ill. We’ve no reason to keep you.”
“But she has nowhere to live!” said the Detective Inspector.
“That’s not our problem. The social services may assist, but we’re a hospital, not a housing association.”
“I’ll speak to the Social Services,” he said.
I smiled my thanks.
An hour later, I received a visit from the social security officer based in the hospital. She’d spoken to the police and the social worker. She’d been asked to provide me with documentation and accommodation for the weekend. She gave me a single payment of fifty pounds to tie me over until Monday.
“You must report to the Social Security office on Monday morning if you want more. If your circumstances change in the meantime, there’s a phone number on the card that you can call and let us know what’s happening. Here’s your emergency National Insurance Number. Once you have a permanent address, please let the local office know and you’ll be given your permanent card. We will try to investigate your story, based on what the doctors have told us, but we’re very short staffed at the moment, so it will take three or four weeks. If you can help us in the meantime, we’d be very grateful., so if you find your uncle, perhaps he could give us a ring?”
I was in a bit of a daze. It looked like the hospital decided that they needed my bed, and as I wasn’t terminal, they were releasing me into the care of the social services. In turn, the social services arranged for me to have some money and a place to sleep. It was a bed-sit somewhere in Hull, near the university.
I was back in my room, trying to work out my next move when Doctor Penshurst returned.
“How did it go?”
“Okay. Nothing new, really. But I keep getting snippets back all the time. Unfortunately, they are all disassociated and don’t mean a lot.”
“That’s good, I’m sure as time passes they’ll all start to make sense. Well, we’ll keep you in one more night, and if there are no problems, you’ll be free to leave tomorrow, Friday.”
“Thanks.”
“I still think you’re an alien,” he said with a smirk.
I stared at him, slowly causing my eyes to squint. “EXTERMINATE THE HUMAN!” I said, Dalek fashion.
He looked shocked for a second, but then grinned.
“Oh, Doctor Who!” he said
“There was a trailer on telly last night, with the Daleks.”
“You had me worried for a moment.”
“When I get everything back, I’ll let you know.”
“Please do, I’m intrigued to know your story.”
I just smiled. I bet you are. So would the newspapers!
I was obviously off the at-risk register, for they allowed me to come and go quite freely. I wandered down the corridors and found the pay phones.
I changed a five-pound note into coins in the small shop as I bought myself some mints.
It was about five o’clock when I dialled the colonel’s number.
“Leech-Thomas.”
“Hello Colonel. I’ve a message from Rob. He wants to know if you got his last message, and if so, did you pick up the package?”
“Who is this?”
“You wouldn’t believe me even if you knew.”
“How do you know Rob?”
“It doesn’t matter now, but he’s alive and well. Did you get the package?”
“I’m not prepared to talk about this on the telephone. If you know my number, then you’ll know where Rob and I meet. Meet me there in an hour.”
“I can’t do that right now, but I will try to get there by this time tomorrow.”
“Is that all?”
“For the moment.”
“How will I know you?”
“You won’t. I know you.”
I put the phone down with a surge of power. For the first time in my life, I felt as if I was in control of my own destiny.
I was just on my way back to my room when I heard a voice shout.
“Rebecca!”
I turned and saw David hobbling along on his crutches. I waited for him to get to me.
“Shit! I’ve just been down to your room to see you and found you’d gone.”
“I’m sorry. I wanted to see if I could remember any phone numbers. I thought by looking at a phone, it would help.”
“Did it?”
“A little, as I think I am remembering a bit about my uncle.”