Let Them Have Cake (19 page)

Chapter 17

             
Voices were calling to her, but they weren’t calling her Anne-Marie. Why were they calling her Anna? She hadn’t been called Anna for months. The fog was so thick that everything was a blur. Her head hurt and her eyelids were terribly heavy. She finally got them open and looked closer. Geoffroi was sitting next to her; holding her hand. He had shaved his beard. But why? He always wore a beard. She heard Monique’s voice and Genevieve’s. And Jacque’s voice, too. They were all talking at once and seemed really excited. Their voices hurt her head and she clamped her hands over her ears.

             
Geoffroi noticed and said, “We’d better talk quieter, guys. I think her head still hurts.”

             
Anna smiled. Geoffroi was so sweet and considerate.

             
Monique whispered, “Do you think she’s out of the coma?”

             
“Not entirely, but her fever is down and I believe she’ll go in and out for a while longer,” Geoffroi answered.

             
Anna wondered whom Geoffroi was talking about. Who was in a
coma? She’d better wake up pretty fast. Someone needed help and she was the only nurse around. She tried to sit up, but only managed to lift herself an inch or two before falling back down.

             
“She’s moving. Do you think she’s uncomfortable? Shall we turn her? She’s been on her back for a couple of hours,” said Genevieve.

             
Geoffroi gently turned Anna to her side and tucked a pillow at her back.

             
Monique fluffed the one under her head and repositioned it.
             
Genevieve rubbed her back. The fog returned.

             
Where was Geoffroi now? He was gone again and she was alone. It was dark and lonely and she was afraid, but she was warm and comfortable, wherever she was, and drifted off to sleep.

***

             
“Come quick. She’s got her eyes open,” Mark said to Jeff who had been standing at the window, his back to the bed.

             
“Anna? Are you awake? Can you hear me?” Jeff asked.

             
She was so confused. Where was she? She tried to open her eyes but the lids were so heavy it seemed impossible.

             
Jeff sat in a chair next to the bed and took Anna’s hand in his.

             
“Do you hear me sweetheart? Talk to me Anna, say something, please.”

             
She managed to open her eyes just a slit, but couldn’t understand what she was seeing. When did Geoffroi shave off his beard?

“Where’s your beard?” Anna asked.

             
“My beard? I’ve never had a beard.”

             
“You always wear a beard and your hair is usually longer. Where’s your long hair?” Anna looked confused.

             
Dr. Jeff Andrews took charge and began asking the questions he routinely used in neurological checks.

             
“What is your name,” he asked.

             
“Anne-Marie.”

             
Jeff and Mark exchanged looks. “Anne-Marie? Anne-Marie who?”

             
Anna answered, “Anne-Marie Toussaint. The only Anne-Marie here, of course.”

             
Mark drew circles in the air next to his head to silently tell Jeff he thought Anna was crazy.

             
Jeff frowned at Mark and asked Anna, “Where is here? Where are you right now?”

             
“In the hamlet. We tried to leave, but we couldn’t. Remember? It was too foggy.”

             
Jeff sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

             
“Geoffroi, why do you always do that? Are you nervous?”

             
“Do what?” Jeff asked.

             
“Run your fingers through your hair. It’s cute, but you only do it when you’re worried about something.”

             
“Anna, do you know who I am?”

             
“Of course. You’re Geoffroi.”

             
Jeff replied, “That’s correct. I’m Jeffrey. What is my last name?”

             
“Andrieux. You’re Geoffroi Andrieux.”

             
Jeff and Mark looked at each other for a long moment before Mark said, “I’m going to go get the girls. They should be back from the tour by now and they’ll want to see Anna awake.”

             
Jeff turned back to Anna. “All right. Now for the last question, and this is a big one. What are the date and the day?”

             
“I’m not sure of the exact date, but it’s Saturday.”

             
A sigh of relief escaped his lips. “Thank God. You’re right. It is Saturday.”

             
“Now I remember. It is
Saturday April 4, 1789
. It’s our wedding day. We’re to be married today in the chapel at
Versailles
.”

             
Smiling, Anna snuggled back into the pillows and dropped off to sleep.

***

             
Tiffany twirled a strand of her long dark hair between her thumb and forefinger. Michelle chewed on her lower lip. Mark paced the floor.

             
“Do you think she has permanent brain damage?” Mark asked.

             
Jeff frowned at Mark before answering. “Of course not, why would you think that?”

             
“She’s really acting whacko, that’s why. She doesn’t know who she is or where she is. Is that normal?”

             
“No, it’s not normal, but that doesn’t mean the effects of the meningitis are permanent, either. She had viral meningitis, not bacterial. Bacterial is much more severe.”

             
“How can you know for sure that she’ll be okay?” Michelle asked.

             
“Again, viral meningitis is usually of a short duration and doesn’t leave residual problems. Her fever didn’t get above 102 degrees, and she’s only been out of it for a week.” Jeff waited for a response from the trio.

             
“When is she going to get better?” asked Tiffany.

             
“She’s already better. She doesn’t have a fever any longer and she’s beginning to wake up.”

             
“Yeah, but she’s loony tunes,” Mark said.

             
“I prefer the term disoriented,” Jeff replied, frowning at Mark.

             
“Whatever.” Mark rolled his eyes. “I still say she’s whacked.”

             
Tiffany sat in the chair next to the bed and wiped Anna’s brow with a damp cloth.

             
“Talk to her, Tiff. She can hear you,” Jeff instructed.

             
“What should I say?”

             
“Say anything. Tell her what you did today.”

             
“Anna? It’s me, Tiffany. Michelle and I went shopping today. You really need to wake up and get better so you can go with us.”

             
Anna moaned and turned onto her side. She was facing Tiffany and her eyes fluttered and opened a few times, but didn’t stay open.

             
“Did you guys see that? She tried to open her eyes. She did hear me.”

             
“That’s good, Tiff. Keep talking to her,” Jeff answered.

             
“Michelle bought this really cute beret. It’s black velvet, and she absolutely looks French when she wears it.” Tiffany gently shook Anna’s shoulder, trying to wake her. “She bought this black muff thing, too, though I don’t know when she’s ever going to use it in
California
.”

             
“I’ll use it when I go skiing. That’s when. When are you going to wear that skintight black dress that you bought? You look like a hoochie-mama in it,” Michelle responded.

             
Tiffany jumped to her feet and put her hands on her hips. “I do not look like a hoochie-mama. I just look sexy, that’s all. I don’t know where I’ll wear it, but when I do, there won’t be any other girls wearing the same thing.”

             
“You can bet on that. No one else has taste that bad.”

             
Tiffany grabbed a handful of Michelle’s hair and gave it a yank. “You bitch. You’re jealous because you’ve got such a big butt no way could you wear it.”

             
Mark was doubled over in laughter. Anna’s eyes were now wide open and she was trying to sit up in bed. She looked confused and alarmed at the same time.

             
“Stop it, you two,” Jeff said sternly. “You act like you’re still adolescents instead of grown women. You’ve been fighting like this for years.” He turned to check on Anna. “Look, you managed to wake Anna up.”

             
Tiffany and Michelle turned their attentions back to the bed.

             
“Hi, Anna. How are you feeling?” Tiffany asked.

             
“Who are you?” Anna looked confused.

             
“I’m Tiffany. This is Michelle. We’re in
Paris
, remember?”

             
Anna looked around the room. “
Paris
? Not
Versailles
?”

             
Jeff pushed the girls aside and sat down. “Anna, we came back from
Versailles
when you got sick. That was a week ago. You’ve pretty much been out of it since then.”

             
“Sick? I’ve been sick?”

             
“Yes. You’ve had viral meningitis. Remember those headaches you kept complaining about?”

             
“Yes. I remember having a couple of bad headaches.
Meningitis? I’ve had meningitis?”

             
Jeff patted her shoulder reassuringly. “You’ve been sick for a few days, but your temperature is back down to normal and I’m sure you’re over the worst of it.”

             
“A few days? Only a few days? Isn’t this April?”

             
“No. It’s January. Why would you think it’s April?” Jeff looked bewildered.

             
“Because I’ve been gone more than a few days, that’s why. A lot has happened to me.”

             
“Nothing has happened. You got sick, so we came back from the hotel we were staying in next to
Versailles
. Lurline called the hotel doctor to help us decide how best to take care of you. He and I concurred that you didn’t need to go to the hospital, so I’ve been taking care of you here in the hotel.”

             
“I need to go to the bathroom.” Anna struggled to her feet.

             
“Let me help you.” Jeff took her by the arm.

             
“Just lead me there. I can do the rest. I’d like a bath. Do you think that would be safe?”

             
“Sure. It will make you feel a lot better. You’ve been getting sponge baths in the bed.”

             
“Bed baths? Who’s been giving them to me?”

             
“Me.”

             
“You? You’re a doctor. Doctor’s don’t give bed baths.”

             
“Well, I did. Come on. You can’t stay up too long.”

             
Jeff poured bubble bath into the water and filled the tub. He helped Anna get settled, and then left the room. He left the door open a couple of inches and positioned his chair in a way that he could monitor Anna in the tub.

The warm water felt wonderful. Anna leaned against the back and slid down so that she was in the water up to her neck. The bubbles were lavender scented and she could feel her muscles relaxing. She stayed in the tub until the water began to grow cold.

“Jeff? Could you please come help me out?” Anna asked.