‘They tried everything,’ Zahra tells me. ‘Your favourite music, they would read to you and dance and paint your toenails. They’ve been coming down here in shifts with your parents to sit with you. A different one every night. We don’t mind too much, they bring us all biscuits and cake. I’ve never seen a family like it. You are very loved, young lady.’
I pause for a moment to take that in.
‘Your brain and your body have been through a lot, Lucy. Give yourself time to catch up. Simple things first, deep breaths, let your eyes adjust to the room. If you can feel your toes and fingers then move them, move your neck from side to side too. We will get there.’
My breaths feel slow, shallow. Breathe, Lucy.
‘Did Emma tell you, you’d made the news, too? It went viral. All these pics and videos. Kids were crying because they thought Elsa was dead. The headlines in the papers were that you had “frozen” the traffic.’
She laughs under her breath.
‘Why was I on the bridge? On a bike?’
‘Emma said you were on your way to a party? It’s what you do – you dress up as princesses and perform at parties.’
‘I do? I dress up?’
‘You do. But they had to cut your dress off at the scene to rescue you. That is why you also made the news. You were in a thong and Converse and someone got a picture on their phone, a less than conventional princess.’
‘I wear thongs?’
She laughs again, with her whole body. ‘Emma told us it was lucky as normally you prefer to go commando.’
I do? I am pretty sure I don’t as Beth told me that spiders can crawl up my minnie while I’m asleep. Their leftover legs then stick to you and become pubes.
‘Emma told us you were the funny one.’ I grab Zahra’s hand suddenly and she grabs it back. ‘She also told us you were a fighter. The feisty one. Classic Lucy to take on a double-decker in fancy dress and stop the traffic. But she had no doubt that you would wake up. I’ll go and chat to your doctors to see what we do next. The call button is here if you need me but I think this lot have it covered.’
I glance over to Emma. I’m very much drawn to her feet. Emma, those are old lady moccasin shoes. Mum has slippers like those in burgundy velvet. She does look different. She goes in to hug Jag and they look over at me, HOLDING HANDS. Emma! She has that jerk doctor boyfriend called Simon. I’ve seen him ogling my boobs before. Have they broken up? Has being in a coma and nearly losing me meant she thought long and hard about the love she deserved and hooked up with this Asian dude? I like him. I don’t remember him though. Jag? The door suddenly whips open and Meg surges in, dropping her bags to the floor and launching herself at me.
‘Oh my LUCY!’
I put my arms around her but, in truth, words scream inside my consciousness even louder. MEGGSY, YOU ARE FRICKING ANCIENT. Is that grey? Behind her is a man I recognise. That’s her husband, Danny. I never quite got the physical appeal of him as I thought he looked like a sad lumberjack but now there’s a paunch there. Did he stress-eat while I was in a coma? Meg pulls away from me and studies my face.
‘Don’t you dare do that to us again, OK? We have been out of our goddamn minds.’ Her eyes fill with tears and she cups my face.
‘Meg? I don’t get it.’
My breathing becomes more shallow as I look into her face. You’re Meg. You’re definitely Meg. But you’re old. I have a tattoo and wear thongs. I am really confused. My lip goes and I start to cry, using the palms of my hands to wipe at my tears. Meg grabs me harder and I rest my head on her shoulder. This feels the same. This definitely feels the same.
‘I didn’t mean to shout at you. I just… Lucy.’
‘She’s been through a lot. She’s really out of it…’ Emma says. ‘I’m sorry, Lucy. I got so excited. This must be so much for you to take in.’
‘Danny and I were just about to jump on a train when Tess called…’
‘Yeah, Meg ran back, actually sprinted. Only time she ever does that is in a Next sale,’ Danny jokes.
Meg narrows her eyes at him. I can tell she’s been running from the sweat patches under her boobs.
‘How are you feeling? What don’t you get?’ she asks, wiping a tear from my face.
‘I just don’t remember being on that bike at all…’ I continue. ‘Why the hell do you look so middle-aged?’
‘Well, that part of her isn’t broken at least,’ Meg says, laughing. Another person stands in the doorway. She’s young, a teen, and carries a takeaway coffee. She stands there in denim shorts and a cropped top, a checked shirt tied around her waist. She certainly likes her eyeliner.
‘Aunty Lucy?’ she says, her face beaming.
I look up at her, my mouth open. She looks just like Meg. Just how Meg looked but slightly different. My stare seems to scare her though. Jag looks over at Emma as she starts to work it out.
