Wild Fiction

Chapter 72

‘Hello,’ Genevieve croaked when Rebecca came in the following day.
Rebecca’s grin stretched across her face and she squeezed Genevieve’s hand and kissed her.
‘Is it going to be like this every time I come to see you?’ Rebecca asked Genevieve.
‘Until they know that I’m going to live, I think so. I was very tired after yesterday’s visit. I find all the information wears me out very quickly. The hospital is very good with coma patients. Did you know that they have a special news summary that they start running when you lapse into a coma and then introduce you to the news in a piecemeal fashion on your recovery? And everything they saved from the news was things I was interested in.’ Genevieve’s speech was slow and forced. She had to pause and swallow many times.
‘Yes, I had to do a character profile for you so they’d know what to collect for you.’
‘Oh... thank you... I suppose.’
‘I came here every day while you were in your deep sleep and made sure you were all right.’
‘What have you been doing for the last four months?’
‘I’ve been as bored as a snail without an evening shell to go out in. You went into the coma when I went off to meet Martin Kent. I made him sign the contract to publish the book and since then, I’ve been hinting that my body is his when the book hits the shelves. Can you believe that he believes it?
‘Ever since then, the author’s been bugging me and asking me where the disks are, where the manuscript is and please can he have them back to write the ending to the story. He’s made me, and you, all sorts of promises but I just stood my ground and refused. He made promises about sequels and then sequels to those sequels and about advertising and public appearances and public appeals. Anything that he thought might work. Now he’s just moping about, waiting to see what happens. He claims that he’s written a few more endings but I’m not sure about that.’
‘But what about all the publicity write ups, interviews and photo-shoots, etc.’
‘I’ve handled all of it. I’ve told him what to say, where to be, and how to act. He’s become a very good, or should I say obedient, puppet. Tomorrow is Friday and it’s the book launch. The author’s going to be very busy signing copies everywhere.’
Genevieve smiled and then looked over Rebecca’s shoulder and her face dropped. Rebecca turned and saw the nurse coming into the room.