‘Hi, Mum.’
‘Hi, love, I thought I’d just try you on the off chance you’d finished work.’
‘Just one appointment left,’ she says, running a hand through her long red hair. ‘Sorry I missed your last few calls, it’s been a busy week.’
‘Oh, that’s OK, I know how busy you are. You work so hard.’
‘Too hard!’ comes her dad’s voice in the background.
‘Don’t mind your dad,’ her mum says softly. ‘We both think it’s amazing what you do. You’re so strong, love. We’re both very proud of you.’
They always have been, cheering embarrassingly loudly at her graduation ceremony and helping her out with the cost of extra training even though, looking back, it probably meant they missed out on holidays and nice extras they might have otherwise had. She owes them so much.
‘I know you are. It means a lot. How’s Nan doing?’
‘She’s doing all right. I think she’s missing the old flat, but we all seem to be bumbling along OK together. Shall I go get her? I know she’d love a chat.’
Phoebe glances at her watch. ‘I’d love to, but I’ve got to go to my next appointment. I’ll ring back later, though.’
‘All right, love. You take care, speak soon.’
‘Bye, Phoebs!’ she can hear her dad shouting in the background.
‘Oh, and send our love to Max,’ her mum says as they’re saying their final goodbyes.
Phoebe swallows hard. ‘I will do.’
It’s been a while since Phoebe last saw Tara, her final patient of the day. It always makes her uneasy when there’s been a long gap between visits. So much can change in a short space of time. She wishes she was able to check in more regularly, but there simply isn’t time. Yet another thing that can often make her feel as though, however hard she tries to do her job well, it isn’t enough.
Tara wasn’t doing so great the last time they spoke. The voices had been getting louder and more insistent, so together with the team of doctors, they’d agreed to up the dose of her medication.
When Tara opens the door, it’s a relief to see that she is wearing clothes. There was a spell when she was convinced that her entire wardrobe had been bugged with recording devices.
‘Hello, Tara! It’s nice to see you. Can I come in?’
Normally at this point, Tara would peer her head out the door to suspiciously check that no one was following Phoebe before maybe, or maybe not, letting her in. But this time she simply nods and disappears into the living room, leaving Phoebe to follow her.
From an initial inspection, the living room shows some promising signs that things have improved for Tara. The curtains are open and it makes Phoebe realise she’s never seen Tara’s front room bathed in daylight before. The television is facing into the room, too, instead of turned towards the wall as it was before so that the government couldn’t watch her every move.
After Phoebe’s long and exhausting day, she feels suddenly filled with optimism. These are some of the best bits about herjob – those moments when you can see someone turning a corner, their life becoming brighter.
‘Your place is looking great, Tara,’ Phoebe says as she sits down in the armchair, Tara positioning herself on the edge of the sofa. The surfaces look surprisingly clean and there’s even a sweet, fresh scent in the room. Maybe it’s just fresh air, Phoebe thinks as she notices the ajar window. It certainly makes a change from some of the places she’s visited today. She looks around again appreciatively. ‘It seems like you’ve been doing really well since we last saw each other.’
But as Phoebe turns back towards Tara, she notices the expression on her face.
‘And how are you feeling, Tara?’ she asks gently, immediately adjusting her tone.
Tara bites her lip, and despite the cleanliness of the flat, Phoebe notices that her face looks gaunt, her eyes tired.
‘They’ve gone.’
‘Who has gone?’
‘The voices. They’ve gone away.’
‘Well, it sounds like the medication is working then.’
But Tara’s eyes fill with tears.
