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Hurriedly, we follow Issey through the long corridor to the breakout area where we find Dad eating biscuits and watching TV with a group of sour-faced old men. I can’t believe my eyes. He looks even younger than he did last night and right now, I’d say he could easily pass for forty. His skin looks so fresh and rejuvenated, and he even appears to have put on some weight, giving him fuller, more rounded features.
I gasp. My father hasn’t looked this good since… well, since forever.
“Carly!” he shouts, pushing back his chair and standing up to greet me. “Thank God, you’re here. These idiots have been trying to keep me a prisoner, but I knew you’d come and rescue me. Now, please, please, just sign their bloody consent forms so that I can leave here as soon as possible. I’m telling you, if I spend another second here, I’ll go crazy.” Tilting his head, he glances beyond me and starts waving frantically. “Hello Nick, good to see you again. We’ve got a lot to talk about. My positive affirmations have finally worked! Look, I’ve healed myself through the power of thought.”
“You have indeed,” Nick agrees.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Dad beams. “The next novel I write is going to be a belter. I’ve even thought of a title:ThePath toHealing Mark Two: How I Cured Myself in Seven Days And Then Got Totally Plastered.” Throwing down his chair, he begins dancing around the room, waving his arms and singing “Gimme Shelter” at the top of his voice.
Nick snickers. He seems to find my father terribly amusing. I, however, fail to see the funny side.
“Stop encouraging him, Nick,” I scold. “You’ll only make it worse.”
“Oh, don’t be such a spoilsport. Let your dad have his fun. I promise it will wear off soon, so don’t worry.”
“Ahem,” interrupts a deep voice. I turn around and find Dr Noble standing behind us. His face looks grim. “Carly, could I have a quick word with you in my office?” He throws a glance in Nick’s direction and adds, “Alone.”
Nick frowns at me and I mouth, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
Puffing air through my cheeks, I follow Dr Noble into his office and take a seat at his desk. Clasping my hands, I wait nervously for him to leaf through various files and documents.
At last, he lets out a sigh, takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. He looks as if he hasn’t slept for about a week. Running his fingers through his hair, he forces a smile and says,“Listen, I’ll level with you, Carly. It’s a Sunday, and I don’t normally work on Sundays, but Annie told me it was important, so I came in anyway. To be frank with you, your father’s recovery is nothing short of miraculous and, with your permission, I’d like to detain him here for a couple more days. I need to run some tests and write a full report about what took place here.”
I clear my throat. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that will be possible. My father has expressed very vocally that he wants to leave here. Issey says he’s caused a lot of trouble on the ward today and it’s clear he doesn’t like hospitals. Plus, from what I can see, he’s fit and healthy, so there’s no reason for him to stay.”
Dr Noble laughs stiffly and wipes the corners of his mouth. Beneath the surface, I can sense a volcano about to erupt. “I don’t think you quite understand the magnitude of what we are dealing with, Carly. Steve has not only recovered from the stroke, he’s also displaying some truly phenomenal capabilities.”
“Such as?”
“Well, he came to the hospital a frail old man, but he’s leaving as some sort of… some sort ofHercules. For crying out loud, he snapped a door off its hinges today and ripped the wheels off a wheelchair without even breaking into a sweat. I’ve never seen anything like it. And then there’s his face: his skin appears so much younger than it did when he arrived, almost like he’s aging in reverse.” Dr Noble says the last part in a whisper.
I giggle nervously, desperate to quash this line of questioning. “Oh come on, doctor; listen to yourself. Do you seriously expect me to believe that my father is some kind of superhero? Really! He looks just the same as he did yesterday. Perhaps you’re taking this thing far too—”
“Do not mock me,” Dr Noble hisses, finally beginning to lose his cool. “You and I both know what’s happening with your father isn’t normal and warrants further investigation. I simply cannot authorise his release today.”
“What do you mean?” I’m shouting now. “If my dad is fit and of sound mind, then you have no grounds for keeping him here. Look, I’ll sign any consent form you want; just please let him leave here today. I won’t allow you to use him as some sort of human guinea pig.”
Dr Noble opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by a knock at the door. “Come in,” he shouts, clearly irritated.
The door opens and Nick enters the room. Placing one hand on the back of my chair, he reaches across the table and shakes Dr Noble’s hand. “Hi! I’m Nick Craven, Carly’s boyfriend. I heard raised voices and wondered if everything’s okay in here?”
“Everything’s fine,” the doctor snaps. “We were just discussing what’s best for Steve—” The sentence dies as he attempts to pull his hand away, but Nick refuses to let go.Staring intently at him, Nick fixes Dr Noble with a hypnotic glare that makes his posture slacken, like he’s suddenly gone drowsy. Shoulders slouched, the doctor slowly sits back down, his eyes vacant as a mannequin.
“That’s right,” Nick purrs, releasing his hand. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Good… empty your mind completely, relax every part of your body and just focus on my voice. You’re falling deeper and deeper into trance. Deeper and deeper…”
Obediently, Dr Noble shuts his eyes.
Nick continues to stare at him, his hold over thephysicianas potent as a cobra about to strike. “When I will you to do a thing, it shall be done. From this moment on, my will is your will, and you shall cross land and sea to do my bidding. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Dr Noble whispers. Slowly, he opens his eyes again and blinks a few times. Then a broad smile spreads across his face. “What was I saying? Oh yes. So Carly, if you’ll just sign these consent forms, I can let your father go home today. He’s made a phenomenal recovery, so I see no need to keep him here any longer.”
“Great!” I take the paperwork from him and hastily sign everything off.
Nick hovers by the door, grinning. “We’d like to thank you and your staff for taking such good care of Steve, Dr Noble. We’ll be forever grateful.”
“Well, that’s what we’re here for,” thedoctor says cheerily. “All done?”
“Yes.” I hand him back his pen and the consent forms.
