Violet’s eyes, wide and uncomprehending, scanned the room before landing on Katie. She flinched, a delicate recoil against the pillows. “You… who are you? I don’t know you.” Her voice was a fragile thread, laced with genuine-sounding confusion. She turned her face into Michael’s sleeve, a child seeking shelter. “Michael, who are they all? Why are they looking at me like that? Make them leave. I’m frightened.”

A stunned silence gripped the room. Her face crumpled. “Miss ...