Catherine, wake up, we'll be able to go now.
…
Cathy, can you hear me? Do you feel better? You're still really hot.
Marc?
Yeah, I'm here. You can put your shirt back on, it's dry—but your jeans are a lost cause, too bad. They're still way too wet and I won't be able to get them back on you. We're not going to waste time.
I won't be able to walk.
No, we're not going to walk—we're both getting on my horse and we'll go slowly. Okay? You willing to try? Otherwise I'll go alone and get help.
Nooo, I want to stay with you, don't leave me here alone.
Okay, then let's go. Hold on to me, I'm going to put you on the horse.
**********
7:30 PM
Hello? Hello? Yeah, it's me—we're on horseback, we just came out of the forest, at the little bridge. Can someone come meet us? Catherine has a really high fever. She's not injured, but I think she needs to be taken to the hospital.
****************
8:00 PM
Here's your dad's 4x4. Cathy, open your eyes, he's going to take you to the hospital.
No… not the hospital… my house.
Oh, Cathy, sweetheart, what happened? Are you hurt?
Dad?
We're going straight to the ER, you're burning up. But why are you in just a shirt? Where are your clothes?
I'll explain…
Alright, into the car. Marc, you're taking the horse back to the center? Stephane is waiting for you, sweetheart—he was worried sick. Marc, are you coming to the hospital with us?
Maaaarc!
I'll come, Cathy. Go on, you'll be faster with your dad. I'll get there as soon as I can.
*************
Damn it, we've been waiting for two hours—are they ever going to come examine her or what?
Stephane, calm down. They told her dad there's nothing life-threatening, so she's not a priority.
Yeah, but still—she had hypothermia, she fell off a horse, she's burning up with fever, that's a lot. And why is she just in a shirt? What happened?
I don't know. Her dad brought her in like that. She must've been soaked.
Cathy! Cathy! Can you hear me? Talk to me, please!
My head hurts…
Okay, we'll ask them for something for the pain. But tell me—where are your clothes?
Marc.
Marc what?
He took them off.
Marc took off your clothes?
Yes.
Sweetheart, what are you saying? Why did Marc take off your clothes?
So he could sleep with me.
????
Mom, I want to go home.
No, sweetheart—Stephane is right, you have to be examined first. We'll ask you questions later when you're feeling better.
Where's Marc, Mom?
He's not here. Don't cry, sweetheart—Stephane is here, he'll stay close to you.
****************
10:30 PM
Hello, are you her parents? I need to ask you a few questions to understand what happened to your daughter.
She may have been raped — you should question him…
Stephane, stop it! What are you talking about?!
You pick up your daughter half naked, barely conscious, and she tells you that Marc undressed her to sleep with her. Don't tell me that thought didn't cross your mind. Don't you find that strange?
Madam, can you tell us more? Are we dealing with an accident, or with a suspicion of rape?
It is true that Marc brought Catherine back in just her underwear and her shirt. We didn't take the time at that moment to question him about it. But they were caught in the storm, so I assume she was completely soaked — that's why. We know him very well, he cares deeply for Catherine, he would never have hurt her. What you're saying is absurd, Stephane. She hadn't been well for a few days already — she had been complaining of headaches, chest pain, and extreme fatigue — but I was far from imagining that she would still go out riding with that storm on the way.
***********
11:00 PM
Eli, I'm calling to get some news. How is she?
She's gone in for a whole series of tests.
Are you holding up okay?
Yeah… we're just having a hard time keeping Stephane under control.
Stephane—why?
Catherine was only wearing a shirt, and she briefly told us that Marc had undressed her to sleep with her. He completely lost it. Did he tell you what happened? We left so fast…
Uh… yeah… Catherine's horse got scared of the storm, she fell. They were soaked, with only one horse. Marc got scared and chose to take shelter in the cabin rather than take the risk of going back. He dried their clothes and they rested a few hours before heading back. That's all. What is Stephane going to imagine?
Horrible things. But don't worry. In any case, tell Marc not to come—otherwise it'll blow up again between those two. I'll keep you updated as we find out more.
*********************
Marc, are those Catherine's clothes you put in the bathroom?
Yeah, her jeans and her sneakers. They're still wet, they didn't manage to dry completely and they're really dirty.
That's why she was only wearing her shirt?
Yeah. Why are you asking me that, Mom?
Listen, Marc… Elisabeth doesn't want you to go to the hospital. At least, not right now.
But why? What's going on? Did they find something serious?
No, no, sweetheart. They're running tests on her, so you wouldn't be able to see her anyway.
But… what's the real reason?
Stephane is there. He's furious at you because you undressed her. He's imagining things.
What? What are they imagining? That I assaulted her? Mom—no!!!
I know, sweetheart, I know it's not true. And Elisabeth knows it too. She just wants to protect you and avoid you running into him, that's all. You'll go see her tomorrow. She'll let us know once the results are in.
How can he think that about me, do you realize? I didn't touch her. She just fell asleep in my arms, Mom. Nothing more.
****************
Midnight
What's going on? Why all this commotion? Sir, who are you?
My name is Marc Monvallier, and I'd like to see Catherine Levair who was admitted earlier tonight. I know visiting hours are over, but no one will give me any news and—
You're Marc?
Uh… yes… that's me.
Come with me to my office.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude to the woman at the front desk, it's just that I really need to know how she's doing. When I brought her back…
Calm down. I'm going to explain. Miss Levair arrived in the ER with mild hypothermia and a very high fever. We were told she had fallen off a horse in the forest and had remained there for several hours. So you're the one who found her.
Yes, that's right. We didn't really stay in the forest—we were in a hunting cabin we knew, so I was able to make a fire to warm her up. But it was too dangerous to go back out during the storm, otherwise I would've brought her in right away, of course.
Don't blame yourself—you did exactly the right thing. From the fall, she only has bruises on a good part of her body, a sprained ankle, and she hit her head, but nothing serious. The tests didn't reveal anything grave. However, she has pneumonia.
Pneumonia??? But you don't catch that in just a few hours, do you?
No. Her parents told us she hadn't been feeling well for several days already. And then being outside, soaked, plus the shock of the fall—her body couldn't handle it.
So now she has medication and she'll be able to go home?
Yes, but not right away. We're most likely going to keep her for a few days for observation, to see how her lungs respond to the treatment.
But why are visits forbidden? Is she contagious, or are we the ones at risk of giving her something else?
No—the issue is elsewhere. And that's actually why it's a good thing you're here.
????
Since she started to come around a bit, she's been very agitated. She absolutely needs to rest for the medication to work, but she hasn't been able to fall asleep. I understood that she was being bombarded with questions—especially by her boyfriend—so I asked him and her parents to leave and not come back until tomorrow, so she could calm down. But nothing has worked.
Why not?
Because she keeps asking for you.
Me?
Yes. She hasn't stopped calling your name. She explained to us what you did for her, and she's worried about you.
She's worried about me? But why?
Because no one is telling her where you are or how you're doing. We thought she would calm down once she was alone, but every time someone enters her room, she asks to speak to you.
Then go tell her right away that I'm fine and that I just couldn't come see her, I'll explain why later.
No—you're going to tell her yourself. But on one condition.
Yes, of course. Which one?
I'm allowing you to see her for 30 minutes. But at the end of those 30 minutes, I want her to be asleep. You managed to get her to sleep for a few hours in the cabin, so I think you can do it again now.
********************
Cathy?
Marc? Is that you?
Yeah, I'm here.
I couldn't see you, no one would tell me where you were. I thought something had happened to you. Why didn't you come to the hospital too?
It's a long story, I'll tell you later. Listen to me, Cathy, I need to talk to you. I was exceptionally allowed to come see you because you can't fall asleep…
I was waiting for you.
I'm here now. You know better than anyone that your body needs rest. How long had you actually been sick?
I don't know, I didn't really pay attention, I had too many things to do.
Bravo, future nurse! Okay, okay, I get it. But right now, I'm only allowed to stay with you for 30 minutes, on the one condition that I manage to make you fall asleep.
You have to put me to sleep?
Yeah, that makes you smile already, that's a start. Are you in pain anywhere?
No, I'm okay. Well… yeah, actually, everywhere. It feels like I did a workout, but it's manageable. I just feel kind of numb.
That must be the meds doing that. So close your eyes, I'll stay right next to you. You can calm down and relax. I'll keep watch for the zombies again tonight.
But if I can't fall asleep in 30 minutes, what are they going to do?
They'll probably knock you out with a baton because they're fed up with you. But either way, I'll have to leave—so let's enjoy the 20 minutes we've got left, okay?
Marc?
Yeah?
Could you do like in the cabin?
Make a fire? No, I don't think they'd agree to that.
No… lie down next to me so I can fall asleep.