What Alice Forgot

The chapter opens with Alice thinking disconnected thoughts and experiencing a sharp pain in her head. She believes she is blissfully floating in a body of water and can see her toenails, which have been painted different colors by an imprecise, childish hand. She hears the nearby cries of “Marco!” “Polo!”, and then her thoughts shift to types of soft cheese and the scent of lavender. She thinks she must be in bed with her husband, Nick. She hears people calling her name and finally regains consciousness: She has fallen off a bike during a spin class and is lying on the gym floor. Her friend and work colleague, Jane, whom Alice thinks does not look right, is kneeling next to her. She tells Alice that she must have fainted and fallen off the bike. Alice does not like gyms and does not know why she is there. She is worried because she believes she is 14 weeks pregnant. The news shocks Jane, but she tells Alice the baby is probably fine.

The spin class instructor calls 000 (the Australian equivalent of 911), and an ambulance with two paramedics arrives. Jane explains that Alice has been unconscious for 10 minutes.