The Girl Who Didn't Know What To Believe

Meritxell woke to the mouth-watering smell of
hot chocolate, and the rather less appetising
smell of sleeping dog. She immediately ignored
those and thought about Grandpa, and
wondered how he was, and how strange it must be to sleep
in a hospital with people walking around and machines
beeping. So the first thing she did, sitting on her bed with
Hume beside her, was to switch on Merlin and call home.
Her Mother looked tired on the screen, but was pleased
to see and hear her, and told her that Grandpa was being
looked after as well as possible. Aunt Dora came into the
bedroom and sat beside Meritxell giving her a kiss on the
top of her head. Then she and Hume both squeezed up so
Mother could see and talk to them too, which was lovely in
one way, thought Meritxell, but being in the middle felt a bit
like being a tube of toothpaste.
At breakfast, Meritxell found she was rather hungry, and
while she filled herself up with bread and slices of cheese
and ham and hot milk, she talked to Dora, and Dora listened.
Aunt Dora was very good at that, which frankly most
people are not, because they seem to think that interrupting
and giving their own opinions is more important. But
Dora would nod and look interested, and make little noises
or ask questions just enough and not too much. Even after
Meritxell had finished, Dora just said “Goodness that’s a
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