She looked around and saw that she was lying in a hospital bed, in a private room. The blind was pulled down, but only a little more than halfway, so that she could see that it was dark outside. She lifted up the blanket that was covering her. She was wearing a hospital gown with a pattern of small purple flowers on it. Her stomach was throbbing, but mostly she felt numb. ‘Where am I?’ she asked. Her voice sounded muffled, as if she were wearing earplugs. ‘You’re at CUH,’ said the nurse, still smiling. ‘You were attacked, if you recall, and you suffered an injury. How are you feeling?’ ‘I don’t know,’ Katie told her. ‘Strange. My stomach hurts. My back, too. Ouch. What time is it?’ ‘Three twenty.’ ‘Three twenty in the morning, you mean?’ ‘That’s right. You’ve been under the anaesthetic.’ Katie tried to sit up, but her arms didn’t seem to be strong enough to lift her. The nurse came over and helped her to lean forward while she tucked another large pillow behind her.
