I was grateful to get up when the sun strained through the broken slit of the wooden Venetian blinds. Madeleine still hadn’t stirred after I had taken a shower and was ready for the day.
“My head is killing me,” she groaned her voice sounding thick beneath the blankets.
“You go… I just want to….” Her voice trailed off as she fell back into sleep.
I placed water and her phone on the bedside table and left.
Outside, the streets were frenetic with commuters and, as I stepped on to the pavement, I imagined what it would be like to set off to work at a Roman hospital. I eyed the apartments a few doors down and, as I passed, two women dressed for the office came through the gate and paused to talk. The gate was left open, and I could just make out the large foyer with its polished concrete f
