It broke Violet's heart to see her mother look right at her and not seem to really know her--though truth be told, Violet only vaguely remembered Helena from her childhood. And the woman in this hospital bed looked very different from what she did remember. She supposed she looked a lot different, too, after all these years--she'd been just a child then, and now she was a young adult. No wonder her mother didn't recognize her.

"It's all right, mum, it'll be all right," she murmured softly, trying not to crowd around the bed, where the Healer already was, and make her mother feel they were ganging up on her. Violet wasn't even sure she should venture to say anything--the Healer's brief comment seemed to have had a negative effect and Violet didn't want to add to it. But still, she couldn't just stand around and do nothing.

I need to talk to that Healer later, when Mum's settled down--ask her what she really things is wrong and when she might get better (Violet refused to think 'if she got better'). And her grandfather! or one of her uncles--they needed to get back down here more. They were adults when Helena had left, she might still remember them. Violet used to think she couldn't wait until she was grown up and could take charge of things, but being an adult was hard and now she rather wished she didn't have to do it all.