A Voice in the Distance by Tabitha Suzuma

Author:Tabitha Suzuma [Tabitha Suzuma]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781407042183
Publisher: RHCB

Chapter Nine

FLYNN

The day after I come round, they transfer me out of the ICU and into a normal ward, where they keep me hooked up to a heart monitor. I sleep a lot even though the ward is really noisy and the nurses keep waking me up to take my blood pressure. After a few days, I am taken into a small room with two doctors and a social worker and asked a whole barrage of questions about the overdose. Later I find out I am being moved to another hospital. All the tubes are out and I'm bored out of my mind from lying in bed all day, but they say that I can't go home. The place I'm going to is a psychiatric hospital near Brighton, twelve miles away. I say, 'You've got to be joking,' and they reply, 'I'm afraid you don't have a choice.' Then Rami comes to speak to me and tells me it will be easier if I just go along with it. I try not to get too visibly upset because Rami looks exhausted. Anyway, this is all just stupid bureaucracy. I'll be able to slip away easily enough when I get to this new place. I am perfectly sure the NHS has better things to do than run after me.

A woman and a man come to pick me up around noon. They introduce themselves as Sue and Ash. Sue has multicoloured hair and Ash is as camp as they come. Sue drives and Ash gets into the back seat beside me. Rami and my parents are supposed to be meeting me at the new hospital with some of my clothes and stuff. As if they expect me to stay there! What a fuss.

When I arrive outside the formidable white-pillared stone building, set back from the winding country lane in acres of parkland, things don't exactly go to plan. I expected to find Rami and my parents waiting outside, ready to be persuaded to drive me home. Jennah and I would then catch the 16.23 from Angmering station and be back in London in time for dinner. But there is nobody waiting for me when I arrive and Ash doesn't leave my side.

I am taken into a sort of waiting room and I have to fill in lots of forms and hand over all my 'personal possessions'. I have nothing visible on me except for my mobile phone and my watch. But they ask for my belt as well, then my shoes. I am annoyed – it's going to be a pain trying to retrieve all this stuff once my parents arrive. When they insist on seeing the contents of my pockets, I feel my blood pressure begin to rise. They take the coins and the bunch of keys. They put it all in an envelope with my name. Then they make me follow them upstairs in my socks.

There is a heavy-duty fireproof door on the first landing, and Sue pulls out a card and swipes it through a slot and a buzzer sounds and the door is pushed open.

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