The days went by, and although the fever still caught Felicity off guard at unexpected moments, she was beginning to adapt to her new surroundings. The hospital room, with its elegant decor and view of a well-kept garden, was becoming less foreign to her each day.

Today, as she remained in the room, Felicity was assisted by the youngest of the caregivers, a man with a European air and white hair. He was the youngest of the three caregivers. As he helped her move around the room and showed her some objects, Felicity decided it was time to try and communicate more directly.

With the notebook the caregivers had given her, Felicity began to ask questions, carefully writing down what she learned.

“What is this?” she asked, pointing to a teacup on a table.

The caregiver, smiling, replied, “Tea.”

She wrote the word in the notebook and continued, pointing to a book nearby.

“And this?”

“Book,” he answered.

Felicity jotted that down as well and then pointed to a plant in a pot.

“And this?”

“Plant,” he replied.

Curious, Felicity then pointed at him and asked, “What’s your name?”

Asher, watching her fondly, pointed to himself and said, “Asher.”

Felicity wrote his name down in the notebook, and with a mixture of hope and curiosity, pointed to herself and asked, “And me?”

Asher, with a look of both melancholy and affection, replied, “Allegra.”

Discovering that her name in this world was Allegra was a significant moment for Felicity. Asher, seeing her reaction, showed a mix of emotion and tenderness, making the moment even more important for her.

Though the sporadic fever still surprised her, and she sometimes lost track of time while sleeping, Felicity was determined to adapt. During her waking moments, she used the notebook they had given her to record words and phrases in the new language, creating a personal dictionary to better understand her surroundings. The constant presence of Asher and the connection she was beginning to form with him offered a glimmer of hope amidst her confusion.