I gave him Jimbo’s address and told him to check it out. After that I made the decision—no more time travelling. I would go and see Jim in hospital and tell him it was over. I had tried a few times to get through on the phone. Then finally, on the Wednesday, they told me that he had gone. ‘What do you mean—gone?’ I asked. ‘Who am I speaking to?’ the lady at the hospital asked. I covered the mouthpiece, and tried to explain to Dad as quickly as I could what was going on. Dad took the phone. ‘I’m a friend of Jim’s, and we’re wondering how he is, that’s all.’ Dad listened for a moment, said a few ‘I sees’, then hung up. ‘Strange,’ he said. ‘They’re not exactly certain what’s happened. Seems he’s just taken himself off. Evidently he’s done this once or twice before. They’re working on it.’ I must have been looking worried. ‘Hey, Toby, I know how you feel, but it’s not really our problem.’ ‘Dad, if it’s not our problem, and if it’s not anyone else’s problem, then there’s an old sick man alone somewhere, maybe in trouble.’ ‘Hmm.
