‘No, Spencer isn’t here. Do you know where you are?’ Jeff asked.
‘Where is Grace, she needs me,’ said Birdie tiredly.
‘She will come when I tell her you are OK,’ said Jeff firmly.
He knew Grace was sleeping off her alcohol binge in the company of the family housekeeper, Thea, who Violetta had asked to drive down and sit with Grace.
A nurse walked into the room. ‘Two of the daughters are here now,’ she said to Jeff, as she started to check Birdie’s vitals.
Birdie waved her hand away. ‘Go away, I’m not sick.’ The nurse hid a smile and raised an eyebrow at Jeff. He knew this was a good sign for Birdie.
‘Would you like to see them now?’ asked Jeff.
‘Of course,’ said Birdie imperiously.
Jeff opened the door and addressed Violetta, Carlotta and Spencer.
‘She’s awake but she is a little confused,’ he said quietly. ‘This is normal.’
‘I’m not confused at all,’ Carlotta heard from inside the room.
As she walked inside, unsure of what to expect, she saw Birdie sitting up in bed, looking as though nothing had ever happened. ‘Carlotta, darling,’ Birdie said.
Carlotta rushed to her side, took her hand and bent down and kissed her mother repeatedly on the cheek. Spencer stood in the doorway, overwhelmed at the sight of Birdie.
‘Well, come here and say hello to your wife then,’ said Birdie to Spencer.
Carlotta and Spencer and Violetta glanced at each other and then at Jeff.
‘Mom, that’s Spencer, not Leon.’
‘Who’s Leon? That’s Spencer, my husband,’ she said crossly.
The room was silent as Spencer approached. Jeff nodded for him to go along with it.
Birdie reached out her hand. ‘Oh Spence, are you all right?’ she asked.
Spencer took her hand. ‘I’m fine darling, I’m fine.’
Carlotta looked away as tears filled her eyes. Jeff and the nurse headed out of the room and Carlotta and Violetta followed them. ‘Why does she think she’s married to Spencer?’
‘Memory loss is normal after a head trauma like this,’ Jeff explained. ‘Normally the memory will return eventually.’
‘But what if it doesn’t?’ asked Violetta.
‘We will cross that bridge when we come to it. One day at a time, as you have been doing.’
‘What should we do?’ asked Carlotta.
‘Keep talking to her, she will get tired easily though, so don’t overdo it.’
‘I meant about Leon and Spencer and the whole marriage thing,’ said Carlotta impatiently.
‘At this stage I would not push her on it,’ said Jeff. ‘We need to ease into these things slowly. The last thing I want to see is her upset or agitated.’
They watched as Jeff walked away and Spencer came out. ‘She told me to go away, that she was tired and wanted to sleep,’ he said. ‘She has no idea how long she’s been in a coma for.’
Carlotta sat down in a chair in the hallway and felt exhausted.
