Chapter 5: Some visitors for Carol

Chapter 5: Some visitors for Carol

Two hours later a tall man arrived at the hospital. He asked to see the woman in yesterday’s street accident. He didn’t know her name. The doctor came downstairs. ‘Who are you?’ she asked the man.

‘My name is Pavel Brychta. I saw the accident and I called the ambulance. Is the woman all right? I just wanted to know that. I was afraid she was dead.’

The doctor smiled. ‘Would you like to see her? She’s much better now.’

‘Yes, please,’ answered Pavel.

‘Then come with me.’

They went upstairs in the lift and walked along to Carol’s room. At the door, they stopped and looked in through the window.

‘She’s sleeping,’ said the doctor.

‘But she looks well,’ said Pavel. ‘Yesterday she looked so white! I was afraid for her.’

Just then, Carol opened her eyes and saw a man through the window in her door.

She sat up. ‘Jan!’ she shouted. ‘Jan!’

‘Oh dear!’ the doctor said. ‘Not again! She hit her head in the accident and she’s confused about some things. She thinks that you are her husband from England.’

‘Shall I go?’ asked Pavel.

‘Perhaps it’s better - yes,’ answered the doctor.

She went into Carol’s room and closed the door. Pavel walked slowly back to the lift. Then the lift door opened and a man ran out, with some beautiful red flowers in his arms. He looked at the numbers of the rooms and then went quickly into Carol’s room. He didn’t see Pavel. But an older man came slowly out of the lift next. He saw Pavel, and stopped suddenly. Pavel stopped too.

‘I’m sorry,’ said the old man. ‘My eyes aren’t very good… I thought… You see look -’

‘Yes, I know,’ said Pavel. ‘I saw your friend.’

‘He’s not my friend - he’s my son. Please, tell me, what is your name?’

‘Pavel Brychta.’

The old man looked very afraid. His face went white, and his mouth opened and closed, but he said nothing.

Now Pavel was afraid.

‘You don’t look very well,’ he said. ‘Would you like to sit down? And shall I call a doctor? There’s a doctor in this room here…’

‘Please…’ said the old man. ‘My son is in that room. Please take me to him.’

Pavel took the old man’s arm.

In Carol’s room, Jan put the red flowers on the bed and took his wife’s hands.

‘Oh, my love, are you all right?’ he said. ‘I can’t understand it. Why did you run in front of a bus? How did it happen?’

Carol didn’t answer his questions.

‘Jan?’ She looked up into his face. ‘You are Jan? Tell me that you’re Jan.’

‘Of course I’m Jan! What are you talking about?’

The doctor came up to the bed. ‘Wait a minute,’ she said. ‘You told me that your name was Pavel Brychta. Are you Mrs Vlach’s husband, or not?’

Just then, Carol looked behind Jan. She saw Pavel with Jan’s father through the window of her door. Her eyes got bigger and bigger.

‘Who - is - that?’ she said.

Jan and the doctor turned and saw Pavel.

‘My God!’ said Jan. ‘I don’t know!’

The doctor looked back at Jan’s face. ‘Two men, but only one face,’ she said quietly.

Then Jan’s father opened the door of Carol’s room and the two men came in.

Jan stood up. He looked at his father. ‘Who is this man?’ he asked.

‘His name is Pavel Brychta,’ answered his father. ‘Please bring me a chair and some water. I need to sit down before I can answer your question.’

Jan got a chair for his father and the doctor gave him some water. Then she left the room quietly.