gentle, kind; if heâs acting aggressively, something must be wrong in his head. Lucy shivers violently. How will he react to her?
17
Lucy waits with Al and Ben in the foyer of the hospital. This one is different to JDâs hospital. Itâs huge and busy. People coming and going. Some shuffle, others stride carrying flowers and gifts. Everyone hurrying about with heads filled with their own problems. No one knows her thoughts.
She watches the front doors, waiting for her mum. There is no way she is going up without her. Al and Ben sit in chairs, tapping their feet â not talking. Then the sliding doors open and her mum appears, slightly flustered.
âHey,â she says, hugging Lucy.
Lucy looks at Ben and Al. âThanks guys.â She hugs them both. How close the three of them havebecome so quickly. Another bizarre turn.
âAnytime,â Al says.
âText me,â Ben asks, âafter you see him?â
Lucy nods, grateful for their support.
Mum holds her hand as they ascend, and Lucy is glad for it. She wants to ask what will happen but knows this time her mum doesnât have the answer. They enter Level 6, as instructed by Mr K, and see him at the end of the hallway. Lucy grips her mumâs hand tighter.
âLucy, youâre here,â he says loudly.
âIâm here,â she agrees.
âCarl is awake. But heâs not right â heâs not himself. I need to see if you can make a difference.â âOkay,â she says, but wonders what she can do.
They walk down the corridor, past doors open on people in beds, looking up vacantly at TVs. An old man bending over, the back of his open gown exposing his hairy, saggy buttocks. Her mother squeezes her hand. Nurses push wheelchairs and IV drips. Up ahead a large tea trolley is parked outside a door. 624.
She breathes deeply. Carl is awake, she remindsherself, and talking. He is not right? What exactly is wrong with him? What if he gets angry with her?
Suddenly a loud shattering noise. A cup has smashed on the floor. Lucy looks at her mother wide-eyed, unconsciously squeezing her hand again. Her mother gives her a small smile. They step into the doorway; the curtain in front of them is closed.
âIâm so sorry. So sorry.â Itâs Mrs Kâs voice. âMy Carlo, he normally the good boy.â
âItâs okay,â an unfamiliar voice says.
âOkay?â Carlâs voice, but deeper. âIâd say thatâs as far from okay as you can get. Isnât it your job to collect cups and wash them, not smash them? Canât see your boss thinking thatâs okay.â
Lucy frowns. The tone is snide, hateful.
âHere!â Carl shouts so loudly that Lucy jumps. âYou forgot this!â
A saucer hurtles into the curtain in front of them and clatters to the floor, unbroken but chipped. An orderly bends down to pick up the saucer, as he opens the curtain. Seeing them standing there, he says casually, âCommon in head injury,â by way of explanation. âThe aggression and violence.â
Lucy looks past him to where Carl lies on thebed. He is stretched out, propped up, glaring towards her. She freezes. It looks so much like him, but so much unlike him. The difference is disturbing and disconcerting. Itâs like sheâs seeing a copy of Carl, with a few tiny variations. His face is white, yet grey. His eyes are open, but she canât see his eyes properly. The entire socket is black, making him look alien, foreign. Eyeball-less. Like a face without eyes. His mouth is a thin, mean line. Then it drops open, as though someone has shot him with 100 volts of electricity.
Lucy stares at him. Carl, but not Carl. He smiles. A sly, wolfish grin.
âHey,â he says, super casual, like heâs trying to chat her up. But his voice is deep and gravelly. Nothing is right about him. âLong time, hey?â
Lucy nods. Even though itâs only been
17
Lucy waits with Al and Ben in the foyer of the hospital. This one is different to JDâs hospital. Itâs huge and busy. People coming and going. Some shuffle, others stride carrying flowers and gifts. Everyone hurrying about with heads filled with their own problems. No one knows her thoughts.
She watches the front doors, waiting for her mum. There is no way she is going up without her. Al and Ben sit in chairs, tapping their feet â not talking. Then the sliding doors open and her mum appears, slightly flustered.
âHey,â she says, hugging Lucy.
Lucy looks at Ben and Al. âThanks guys.â She hugs them both. How close the three of them havebecome so quickly. Another bizarre turn.
âAnytime,â Al says.
âText me,â Ben asks, âafter you see him?â
Lucy nods, grateful for their support.
Mum holds her hand as they ascend, and Lucy is glad for it. She wants to ask what will happen but knows this time her mum doesnât have the answer. They enter Level 6, as instructed by Mr K, and see him at the end of the hallway. Lucy grips her mumâs hand tighter.
âLucy, youâre here,â he says loudly.
âIâm here,â she agrees.
âCarl is awake. But heâs not right â heâs not himself. I need to see if you can make a difference.â âOkay,â she says, but wonders what she can do.
They walk down the corridor, past doors open on people in beds, looking up vacantly at TVs. An old man bending over, the back of his open gown exposing his hairy, saggy buttocks. Her mother squeezes her hand. Nurses push wheelchairs and IV drips. Up ahead a large tea trolley is parked outside a door. 624.
She breathes deeply. Carl is awake, she remindsherself, and talking. He is not right? What exactly is wrong with him? What if he gets angry with her?
Suddenly a loud shattering noise. A cup has smashed on the floor. Lucy looks at her mother wide-eyed, unconsciously squeezing her hand again. Her mother gives her a small smile. They step into the doorway; the curtain in front of them is closed.
âIâm so sorry. So sorry.â Itâs Mrs Kâs voice. âMy Carlo, he normally the good boy.â
âItâs okay,â an unfamiliar voice says.
âOkay?â Carlâs voice, but deeper. âIâd say thatâs as far from okay as you can get. Isnât it your job to collect cups and wash them, not smash them? Canât see your boss thinking thatâs okay.â
Lucy frowns. The tone is snide, hateful.
âHere!â Carl shouts so loudly that Lucy jumps. âYou forgot this!â
A saucer hurtles into the curtain in front of them and clatters to the floor, unbroken but chipped. An orderly bends down to pick up the saucer, as he opens the curtain. Seeing them standing there, he says casually, âCommon in head injury,â by way of explanation. âThe aggression and violence.â
Lucy looks past him to where Carl lies on thebed. He is stretched out, propped up, glaring towards her. She freezes. It looks so much like him, but so much unlike him. The difference is disturbing and disconcerting. Itâs like sheâs seeing a copy of Carl, with a few tiny variations. His face is white, yet grey. His eyes are open, but she canât see his eyes properly. The entire socket is black, making him look alien, foreign. Eyeball-less. Like a face without eyes. His mouth is a thin, mean line. Then it drops open, as though someone has shot him with 100 volts of electricity.
Lucy stares at him. Carl, but not Carl. He smiles. A sly, wolfish grin.
âHey,â he says, super casual, like heâs trying to chat her up. But his voice is deep and gravelly. Nothing is right about him. âLong time, hey?â
Lucy nods. Even though itâs only been
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