Please God, don’t let this be a massive mistake.
41
Alice
‘Right, Big Al, it’s 10 a.m. You know what that means?’
‘You’re never going to call me Big Al again?’
‘Incorrect. It’s the quick-fire-questions game. One hour of relentless questioning, no time for thinking: just the first answer that comes to mind. Them’s the rules, remember!’
Much to Alice’s surprise, she’d woken up that morning to a handwritten ‘Daily Fun Schedule’ attached to her curtain. The moment she saw it she felt sick.
How the fuck did that get there?
Did he come inside my cubicle?
No, he wouldn’t have.
But who else would have put it there?
‘Alfie, what on earth is th—’
‘Before we go any further, Alice, I want to assure you I did not set one foot inside your curtain. I promise you. I pulled a few strings and got one of the nurses to help me.’
For some unknown reason she trusted him on this one.
‘OK … but still, what the hell is it?’
‘It’s our daily fun plan. A regular schedule to keep you entertained, courtesy ofmoi. It’s pretty great, I won’t lie.’
Alice scanned the sheet of paper.
The early morning was assigned to the nurses’ rounds and then there was time allocated for breakfast and washing – a generous hour and fifteen minutes – before the supposed fun and games began. She sensed the extra fifteen minutes had been added in a slight panic. Alfie probably wasn’t sure how much time a badly burnt woman needed to get herself ready for the day. Bed baths with burns weren’t a fast or enjoyable experience.
The rest of the day was laid out and time-boxed to within an inch of its life.
10.00–11.00: Quick-fire questions.
11.00–12.00: Reading. (She wasn’t quite sure if this meant out loud to each other or silently. She prayed for the latter.)
12.00–13.00: Lunch.
13.00–15.00: Physio for Alice and Alfie (depending on the day).
15.00–16.00: Puzzle books.
16.00–17.00: Nurses’ afternoon rounds.
17.00–18.00: Musical round. (Give me strength.)
18.00–19.00: Dinner.
19.00–20.00: Group walk. (In his dreams.)
20.00–21.00: Bedtime stories.
21.00 onwards: Sleep or DMCs.
