The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain

Author:Antoine Laurain [Antoine Laurain]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781908313874
Publisher: Gallic Books
Published: 2015-09-04T04:00:00+00:00

Hotel Paris Bellevue ***

Madame, Monsieur,

Should you require any information about Laure Valadier, who stayed with us on the night of 15 January and was taken ill, please contact reception.

Kind regards,

The management

That evening, they had let him see her through a window. She was lying in a room shared with several others. The patient next to her was hooked up to a ventilator. Laure seemed just to be asleep with a drip in her arm. When he returned the next day he was allowed to sit at her bedside. Her face was relaxed, her eyelids closed. Her breathing was barely perceptible, in and out at regular intervals. The hushed room was bathed in weak artificial light. There were six beds he now counted, and the men and women lying in them were all deep in the kind of sleep that goes on for days, weeks, years, or even until the end of their lives, leaving loved ones to wonder: was he aware he was dying, or was he already long gone? The only sound was the quiet pumping of the ventilator by the neighbouring bed, which went on continuously as if it had a life of its own which would never end. The human race could die out, mortal bodies turn to dust, and this pump would go on gently rising and falling until the end of time.

‘It’s William,’ he finally murmured. ‘I’m here. Apparently people in comas can still hear. I don’t know if that’s true. Don’t worry, I’m looking after Belphégor. He’s eating his Virbac biscuits, the duck ones. Amandine and Pierre took over your work today; they’ll finish restoring the Virgin Mary for you.’

He placed his hand over hers. It didn’t move.

‘I have to go to Berlin soon to do the ceiling for the German guy – Schmidt or Schmirt, is it? – you know, the gold mouldings.’

I’m scared of storms.

‘I’ll think of a plan for the cat. I’ll think of something, don’t worry.’

I’m scared of zoos. I’m scared because the animals are in cages.

‘You have to wake up. You have to come back, Laure.’

I’m scared of boats.

‘All this for a bag. I told you not to buy it, it was too nice.’

I’m scared when I don’t understand. I don’t understand why I’m here.

I’m scared when I don’t know where I am, and I don’t know where I am. I don’t know ‘when’ I am.

I’m scared when William talks to me and I can’t say anything back.

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