Page 144 of Serenity Falls

The corridor is unnervingly quiet. A couple of blue-clad nurses glide serenely past. We scurry along to the end: Ward C. I tap 1001 into the keypad beside the door. It buzzes open. Paula is right. There’s no one on the desk. We hurry past. Private Room 2 is on our right.

We pause outside. ‘I can wait here,’ I say.

Hailey shakes her head. ‘No, if you stand outside it will look suspicious.’

‘Right. Okay.’

She pushes the door open and I follow her in. May is sat in a high-backed chair by the window. She looks smaller. Fragile. It’s weird how hospital diminishes people. She’s wearing shorts and a vest top, a blanket over her legs. She turns as we enter. She smiles, but it’s slow, like all her movements are at half speed. They’ve drugged her, I think. I’m not a doctor, but it seems to me that’s not how you should treat a patient with dementia.

‘May!’ Hailey exclaims, and runs over to hug her. May remains limp in her arms. Eventually, she raises one hand to clasp Hailey’s shoulder.

‘Are you okay, May?’

‘Serena?’

‘No, it’s Hailey. Your niece.’ Hailey draws back. ‘See?’

May blinks at her. ‘Hailey. Yes. Of course.’ She looks at me. ‘And is this your boyfriend? He’s a little old for you.’

I flush, and Hailey laughs. ‘No, May. This is just a friend. You met him the other day.’

‘Dan Barker,’ I say, holding out a hand. ‘I just moved here with my daughter.’

May grasps my hand. ‘You’re new?’

‘Yes.’

Her grip tightens. ‘Then get away, Mr Barker. Get away while you can.’

I look at Hailey helplessly.

‘May,’ she says more firmly. ‘We need to get you out of here. Okay? We’ll speak to your doctor, let them know this is all a mistake. You’re coming home.’

There’s a pause. It may be my imagination, but the haziness in May’s eyes seems to clear. She shakes her head. ‘I won’t be coming home, Hailey. This damn disease. I can’t … I can’t tell what’s real any more. I can’t tell if it’s now or back then. They know it. They’re scared I’ll say too much. They won’t let me leave.’

‘May—’

‘No, you need to listen.’ May leans forward. Her voice is low and desperate. ‘Let me tell you while I can. I’ve kept my word. Kept quiet. For Davey. But you need to know. He’s not dead. He didn’t drown that day.’

‘May, please ,’ Hayley pleads. ‘Not this again. It’s not helping.’

‘That boy tried to hurt him. I saw, but he ran away.’ May frowns. ‘Damnit, I can’t remember his name. But his father, Green, he was high up in the council.’ A coy look comes over her face. ‘He was sweet on me, but I told him – I’m a married woman.’

Hailey smiles. ‘Of course you did.’

‘That’s why we had to pretend Davey was dead. If he told people what happened, it would ruin everything. And everything here must be perfect.’

‘Why?’ I find myself asking. ‘Why does it have to be perfect?’

May looks at me suspiciously. ‘Or we won’t be spared from the Flood.’

I feel a shiver scurry through me. The Flood.

May looks down. Her hands are shaking. When she looks back up, I can see the clouds starting to gather again in her eyes.

Hailey takes May’s hands in her own. ‘May, you’re upsetting yourself.’

May smiles sadly. ‘Oh, Serena, honey. Why did you take so long to come home?’