“What about hallucinations?” Daisy asked.
“What about them?”
“Like if I thought I was in a castle or something while I was unconscious, would that be weird?”
Doctor Watson glanced across at the nurse before looking back at her. “Do you think you’re in a castle now?”
“No, I was just wondering.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Just a joke, really. Sorry, I know it’s not funny to joke about things like this. So, am I okay to go home?”
“Keep an eye out for headaches,” he replied while writing on his notepad. “And keep those grazes clean. All right?”
“Will do.”
“Have you got anyone we could ring to come and get you?”
“My housemate, Tabitha. She’s probably worried sick about me.”
“What’s her number?”
Daisy gave it to the nurse by his side. She went to make the call while Daisy changed out of the gown back into her normal clothes. She was surprised to find they weren’t torn or stained after being hit by the car.
Was she even hit by it?
Something happened when she opened the box. She remembered a bump but it wasn’t like she was hit. It was like something else.
She gave up trying to work it out. What mattered was she was all right.
Tabby arrived half an hour later. Daisy was kept company by the porter at the east entrance to the hospital, him talking nonstop about the upcoming revamp of the east wing. She nodded politely but her mind was elsewhere.
He left her when she saw Tabby pull up in her car.
“I leave you alone for five minutes and this is what you get up to?” Tabby said, holding the passenger door open for her to climb in. “What happened?”
Daisy told her, ending by saying, “It’s really weird but I could have sworn I was in the castle with Jock but then I woke up here so I dunno.” She shrugged. “I must have dreamed it.”
“Maybe not,” Tabby said. “Maybe you really were there.”
“Come on, you’re not serious. I really woke up all the way over at MacGregor Castle just so the Laird could ask me to go to a party tomorrow night? Then I fell asleep and woke up back here in hospital. You think that’s likely.”
“I’m not saying it’s likely. I’m saying it’s possible.”
“Yeah but anything’s possible if you look at it that way. A giant space badger could appear on your roof in ten seconds time.”
“Space badger?”
“Cut me some slack. I’ve just come out of hospital.”
“No, I like this idea. He’s come down from an alien planet to save mankind by growling at us and digging underground for some worms to eat.”
Daisy scowled. “You’re teasing me.”
“I’m just saying some things about your story don’t add up. You were hit by a car but you didn’t damage the car. No one saw the crash. You don’t remember getting hit yet you remember vividly what Jock said to you and what the castle infirmary looked like. Is it at all possible that you were really there?”
“In his castle? What did I do, teleport?”
