“Like the part you’ve got. You always like Cosmo in the movie.”

“But that’s just it. There’s no way I can imitate him!”

“You don’t have to. Be yourself.”

“Who am I, Tracy?” I paused. I thought, who am I to ask her who I am? She can’t remember who she was! She led me up on the stage. No one was around. She stood me by the piano, taking a seat at it. She started the lines I knew so well.

“Come on, Adam. Snap out of it! Why you’re Adam Schofield, aren’t you. And Adam Schofield’s a part-time actor isn’t he. Well, what’s the first thing an actor learns . . .” She continued with my solo. The end came, and she came flying into my arms, ready to be carried off stage. She jumped, and I caught her. Normally there were three to catch me, but I was the only on there.

As I stared into her eyes, I glimpsed what I had once seen before, a long time ago. That face, Tracy. I set her down, and she looked at me for a second, then came rushing toward me. Throwing her arms around me, tears in her eyes. “Oh, Adam.” She said. I put my arms around her, and we went to kiss. I stopped her, however, because of the cold.

“Tracy, is it really you?”

“Yes, I think.”

“Tracy, I’ll never let you down again.” Just then, I started coughing. I tried to catch my breath, but couldn’t. I reached for the piano, but missed it, and fell on the floor. The last thing I heard was Tracy calling for an ambulance.

A bright light shined into my eyes. I saw a foggy image of a person with a medicinal mask on. “He’s coming out of it!” The man said. “You’re going to be all right now.”

“What. . .what happened?”

“That cold of yours, topped with all that stress, made you lose consciousness. Fortunately for you, you got here in time. With all that stress, you couldn’t have fought it on your own.”

“How long am I here for?”

“It’s hard to say. At least a couple of days until you get your strength back.” I tried in vain to lift my head up. I laid it back on the pillow and rested. The doctor left the room, and in came a nurse.

“Boy, Adam, I didn’t think I’d be seeing you so soon!”

“Hannah?”

“You’ve got it. I told you that if you took this case you’d be in over your head.”

“I guess I should have listened to you after all.” I said, coughing.

“Lie still.”

“Where’s Tracy?”

“Tracy? She’s outside. She has been pacing ever since she brought you hear. Do you know you owe that girl your life?”

“I know all too well.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. Can you ask her to come in here?”

“I don’t know if that’s wise.”

“Please, Hannah, for me?”