centigrade, Lauren—about six times hotter than the surface of the sun.’
Oh no, I thought with a sickening jolt. Where had that come from?
I felt queasy suddenly, and was wondering if the hospital would give me a bowl to take with me in Dan’s car, when he stuck his head round the curtain.
‘You all right?’
Rubbing my face with my hands, I smiled wanly up at him. ‘I feel a bit sick actually. Is the nurse still around?’
‘I’ll go look.’
He came back quickly with the nurse in tow, who was all kindness and sympathy.
‘Do you want to wait here a while? See if it passes?’ The nurse felt my forehead with his hand. ‘It is possible the lightning has upset your ears, given you a sort of motion sickness. It has been known to cause deafness. Maybe I should fetch the doctor to check that out. Is your hearing okay? Your vision and everything all right?’
I nodded. ‘I’m fine, honestly, just feeling a bit sick. I was remembering a dream I had while I was unconscious. It made me feel strange, that’s all. Could I take a bowl with me, just in case?’
‘Of course,’ the nurse replied soothingly. ‘But I will also fetch Dr Chin to have a quick look at you. I’m sure it’s nothing to be alarmed about.’
Dan came through the curtain a moment after the nurse had left and sat next to me on the unmade bed. ‘He said I could come in and keep you company. That okay with you?’
I nodded again, swallowing hard to keep the tears of self-pity at bay.
‘I feel so stupid,’ I said between gulps. ‘I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with me, but I keep remembering this dream I had while I was unconscious…it seemed so real.’
‘The nurse said you might feel disorientated for a day or two.’ He smiled sheepishly. ‘I think they assume I’m your boyfriend. They’ve told me to keep an eye on you and treat you gently for a few days.’
‘Oh,’ I said lamely, looking down at my hands, which were folded in my lap.
‘If you don’t feel up to driving, I’ll drop you and Frankie at your home, then make myself scarce—if there’s someone there to take care of you.’
I knew it was a question rather than a statement, and I shook my head again.
‘There’s no one, not at present. And my parents live miles away.’ I hesitated. ‘But a lift to my car will be fine. I can take care of myself.’
‘I’m sure you can,’ he replied with a smile. ‘And I know we’re almost strangers. It’s just that I feel I’ve known you for years. And I want to make sure you’re okay.’
I was saved from having to reply by Dr Chin pulling the curtains apart and advancing on me with a slim torch. He peered into each of my ears in turn, then screwed an attachment onto the torch and asked me to look directly into the beam of light.
‘Hmm,’ he murmured, lifting one lid and then the other. ‘Everything looks good, Ms Taylor, but I suggest you have an eye check at your optician in a week or so. Sometimes sufferers of high-voltage injury develop cataracts at a later date.’
‘Thank you,’ I muttered, sliding off the bed. ‘So I can go?’
He nodded as the nurse arrived with a grey cardboard bowl loosely wrapped in a paper bag. I took it gratefully, and Dan picked up the flowers, then steadied me by my elbow as we made our way down the ward. ‘Frankie’s waiting in the car,’ he told me as we took the lift down to the lobby and walked out into the autumn sunshine. ‘She’ll be pleased to see you back.’
We walked to the car park to see Frankie and the black Labrador peering out of the back window of a silver Shogun, seemingly watching for us. Predictably, my precious terrier went mad with joy when we opened the passenger door, and I spent the next five minutes having my face licked as I sat in the passenger seat waiting for her to calm down. Eventually, Dan lifted her off me and into the back where she was unable to get to me through the dog grille. She sat down resignedly next to the Lab with her tongue lolling out.
We drove carefully out of the hospital car park and Dan glanced sideways at me as I sat clutching the bowl on my lap.
‘How are you feeling?’
‘Relieved,’ I said. ‘Glad to be out in the real world again.’
‘Where am I taking you?’
‘My car’s parked up by the grandstand,’ I replied.
I felt in my coat pockets as I spoke, my fingers probing for my car keys, but I looked up as Dan rattled a bunch of keys at me.
‘I found them when I was searching your pockets for your identity,’ he explained. ‘I didn’t think of Frankie’s disc straight away. I decided they’d be safer with me than in a hospital box with your things. I hope you don’t mind.’
Taking the keys from him, I thought about what he’d said. Did I mind? Couldn’t he have just left them in my coat pocket? I sneaked a sideways glance at him, taking in his handsome features. Was he as harmless as he seemed? My front door key was on the key-ring. He’d found out my address from Frankie’s disc and he could easily have been round to my flat to snoop since yesterday.
My silence must have alerted him to my discomfort, because he took his eyes off the road momentarily to return my look.
‘Hey, don’t look so worried,’ he said lightly. ‘I’m quite harmless, I promise!’
The Sunday traffic was light through the town, and we were soon heading out into the rolling countryside. I stared at the familiar landscape: the green Downs, the trees beginning to turn red, gold and brown, the imposing white bulk of the Grandstand dominating the scene.
‘My car’s over there,’ I said, pointing.
Dan navigated the short distance to where my small blue Fiesta was parked unobtrusively among several other cars in a small car park and drew to a halt nearby.
‘Are you sure you don’t want me to take you right home?’ he said as he turned off the engine and sat looking at me with a concerned expression on his face. ‘Do you feel well enough to drive?’
‘It’s very kind of you,’ I said, returning the look. ‘You have been great, honestly. But right now I’m feeling fine. I just want to go home with Frankie and lick my wounds, so to speak.’
Dan opened his door, walked round the back of the Shogun and let Frankie out of the boot space. She came leaping round to see me as I struggled upright, so I grabbed her collar and walked her towards our car. She jumped onto the back seat and sat watching me expectantly as I threw the sick-bowl onto the front passenger seat.
Dan came up behind me and handed me the flowers, which I placed next to the bowl.
‘They’re lovely,’ I smiled, straightening up. ‘Thank you for everything.’
‘Here’s my telephone number,’ he said, pressing a piece of paper into my hand. ‘Please ring if you
