The Shock of the News “How are you feeling today, Janet dear?” asked the Health Care Assistant, tucking the thin hospital blanket under the hard hospital mattress. “You’re certainly looking better.” The figure in the bed stirred. “I think I’d like to sit up. Help me, will you? It’s so difficult these days; even the tiniest thing seems to tire me out.” “Well, you’ve been very ill – you mustn’t try to do too much too soon. Would you like something to read? Here,” the HCA took a pile of papers and magazines from the table at the end of the bed and offered them to the patient. “There’s bound to be something there to keep you occupied until lunchtime. It must be very dull for you, being in this room all on your own. If I had my way, I know I’d prefer to be on the main ward with the other patients – it does get a bit noisy at times, granted, but at least there’s always someone to talk to. Still, I suppose after all this time it might be a bit much for you if you were out there.” The patient looked up sharply. “What do you mean, “after all this time”? I only came in to have my appendix out a couple of days ago.” Flushing crimson, the HCA began to back out of the room. “Yes, of course,” she said. “Um, well, I must be going.” And she went. Janet shrugged. Clearly the woman must have got her muddled with another patient. She turned back to the pile of magazines – there was really nothing there to interest her; she had never been one to enjoy the mix of domestic tips, gossip and fashion that other women seemed to thrive on. “Drivel,” she snorted, rejecting all but the single newspaper, which she placed on the bed table in front of her, smoothing it as she did so. It had clearly been well-read and was probably wildly out of date. “Never mind,” she sighed, settling down to read. “Prince George goes to Big School” was the story which took up most of the front page, followed by “Man Lands on Mars”, and “Katie Price weds fourteenth husband – says ‘It’s true love this time.’” Janet frowned, puzzled. What utter nonsense! Surely this paper must be a spoof? Opening the paper at random, her eye fell on a small heading tucked away at the bottom of the centre page. “Coma woman wakes after ten years.” She must get her eyes tested; it was really difficult to read the small print. As she focused and began to make sense of the words, her heart began to beat rapidly and her skin prickled with fear. “Brighton woman, Janet Dawkins, aged 57, woke yesterday from the coma she has been in since a botched appendix operation in September 2013.” Doctors say they have yet to break the news of her missed years to Mrs Dawkins as she has been too frail. During the time she was in the coma, her husband, William, and two other members of her immediate family have died, and her son has been imprisoned for life for murder. “She is waking up to a very different world,” said the consultant, Mrs Serena O’Callaghan, “and we need to tread very carefully so as not to cause Mrs Dawkins too much distress.” Tears – whether of rage or distress she didn’t know – coursed down her face as she stared at the date of the paper - 4th September, 2024. How could it be? Janet Dawkins – that was her name! And the article mentioned William – her William! But he wasn’t dead! What on earth was going on? That date was ten years in the future – and yet…. And yet… She let out a loud scream of anguish and pressed the buzzer by the bed.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 16:21:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015