Even though the lists had grown longer and the distance she could comfortably travel had increased, the anxiety still reared its head. She decided that she didn’t really mind when people stared. She supposed if the shoe were on the other foot she’d probably do the exact same thing; curiosity was part and parcel of human nature, after all. What she couldn’t stand, however, was the pointing and the whispering. That was the stuff that hurt. At first she’d look for it everywhere, seeking out the groups of people muttering about her in their hushed tones, but after a while she resigned herself to the fact that looking for it did nothing but make it hurt more. Let thempoint. Let them whisper. It wasn’t nice and it probably never would be, but Alice knew she had the resolve and strength to see it, acknowledge it and move past it. In fact, she found now that these experiences, the source of her fear, were becoming her main motivation for doing something. Proving that in spite of everything she was up and living her life was a delicious victory she got to experience nearly every day.
She’d been waiting for this next task all week. The timing had to be right as there was a lot at stake and multiple things to organize, but now it was all coming together perfectly.
Message to SarahBFF29 September 07.23
Hello! What are you doing two weeks on Saturday? Love you xxx
Message from SarahBFF29 September 08.15
You know very well that it’s my birthday! And embarrassingly at the moment we have zero plans. Who knew 33 could be so depressing! Why? You want to be my Skype date? Love you xxx
Message to SarahBFF29 September 09.17
How about you pick me up from the airport and we can have a proper date? Surprise! I got the payout. I’m coming to stay for two weeks! Happy birthday my love xxx
Message from SarahBFF29 September 09.18
Oh my God. Yes, yes, a million times yes. Unless this is a joke. In which case I will have to immediately get on a plane and kill you. I love you and can’tWAITto see you xxx
Alice’s smug feeling lasted about five minutes before it dawned on her. What was she going to wear? The only flesh Alice had revealed outside her own bathroom was her feetand, at a push, the bottom of her calves. If she was lucky she probably had a swimming costume stuffed into the back of her wardrobe, a pathetic souvenir from a half-arsed attempt at a triathlon about three years ago.
Everything had happened so quickly she didn’t know if she was coming or going these days. The claim against the maintenance company had been processed surprisingly quickly. Whether or not they simply wanted to wash their hands of it, or if deep down they knew they didn’t have a leg to stand on, didn’t really matter to Alice. She’d got her payout and now she had the financial freedom to do what she wanted. First stop was always going to be a holiday to Australia.
In a mild panic, Alice ran into her bedroom and flung open her wardrobe doors.
Suits, suits and more suits. Mostly black, a few navy pieces and one beige cardigan. Holy shit, the situation was more dire than she’d imagined. She started to rummage through the clothes, praying that tucked away at the back somewhere would be at least one suitable outfit, when suddenly her hands clasped around something bulky.
She reached in a little further and pulled out a plastic bag.
What the hell?
Alice turned the bag over and saw the neat black letters stamped across the top.
PATIENT’S PROPERTY.
Of course! Her hospital bag. She must have thrown it in the cupboard when she first got back home. It was a painful token of the accident and an embarrassing reminder that, without family or friends around, Alice had been forced to keep her belongings in a donated hospital bag.
Intrigued, she peered inside.
Toothpaste.
Toothbrush.
Discharge leaflets.
Hospital slippers.
Then she saw it. A small rectangular package, wrapped up in brown paper. Confused, Alice turned it over in her hands, looking for clues as to where it could have come from. She sat on the floor and started to unwrap it. As the last bit of paper fell away, Alice took a sharp intake of breath. In her hands she was holding a book. A puzzle book. The cover was hand-drawn in a familiar scrawl.
Alice Gunnersley’s Very Special Book of Very Hard Puzzles
Her heartbeat quickened. She tried to keep her mind from flashing back to the ward, to him, to his voice. She had to focus.
Why had she not seen this before?
Then something clicked. There was a memory. What was it?
Of course!
