The words drifted through space, and Ally felt like she was hallucinating, in a place where time was sliding sideways. The images were all retro, things from her past that floated through her vision in reverse chronological order.
That was it. In her mind, time was going backwards. But was it just in her mind? She looked again at Kristen and gasped. Finally, finally she understood the horror of what was really happening. . . .
Oh my God.
"I got here as soon as I could after they called me," came a voice from the doorway. She turned and saw Karl Van de Vliet, together with the nurse Marion. "You really shouldn't be down here. I don't know who gave you a card. But we've brought a wheelchair. You really should be resting."
Marion rolled the chair through the door and expertly plucked the card from the reader.
"Now, please sit down," she said. "We all just want to be on the safe side, don't we? I'll need to give you a sedative."
Ally looked at Van de Vliet, wanting to strangle him.
"No, you're not giving me a damned sedative. I don't want to be on the 'safe side.' I want the truth. And I want it now."