Blix was ushered through the hospital corridors, and ended up in a waiting area for patients and relatives. He recognised Irene Ramm. She introduced him to her daughter, Martine, who smiled shyly, but took Blix’s hand when he held it out to her.
A short distance away, a man with curly hair and glasses stood up. ‘Kasper Bjerringbo,’ he said. ‘I … I’m a friend of Emma’s.’
Blix shook his hand too, before turning to a woman he recognised from the news. Anita Grønvold, Emma’s boss at news.no. She also got to her feet and shook his hand.
‘Have you been in to see her?’ he asked, glancing towards the nearest ward.
‘Not yet,’ Irene answered. ‘She’s sleeping. The doctor wanted us to wait until she woke.’
They passed the time by watching the news bulletins on a big TV screen. Recent mobile videos of the explosion appeared, together with interviews with people who’d been in the audience – former contestants, and employees who’d worked on the last broadcast. Petter Due-Eriksen had to give a comment, and Gard Fosse issued a statement in which he emphasised the fact that the police had prevented a far more serious incident, thanks to their speedy and competent action.
The perpetrator was now identified as Even Eckhoff, and snippets about his life were now being broadcast. A camera team was outside his mother’s house, but details of how Emma had shattered the windowpane to call for help had not yet hit the headlines.
Just before midnight, a doctor allowed them to go in. Emma blinked sleepily, but watched them as they entered. A machine made a peeping sound. A monitor showed her pulse rate as fifty-eight. One by one they gathered around her bed.
It was Martine who spoke first: ‘You don’t have any hair anymore.’
Emma looked at her. Smiled lamely, before turning her gaze to Irene. Then Kasper.326
‘I haven’t had any hair for years, sweetheart,’ she said to her niece. ‘But I’ve got a lovely bandage, don’t you think?’
Emma lifted her hand and touched her head. Martine crawled up on to the bed.
‘The doctor told me what happened,’ Emma said, her eyes now on Blix. ‘That you shot him.’
Taking a step forwards, Blix nodded.
‘He made me interview him,’ Emma said, turning to Anita now. ‘I didn’t manage to finish editing it.’ A twitch contorted her face.
‘You mustn’t think about work now,’ Irene told her. ‘You just have to relax and get better.’
Emma gave her sister a fleeting smile.
‘But not for too long,’ Grønvold interjected, before winking at Emma and starting to cough.
Martine put a hand on Emma’s head.
‘Careful,’ Irene said behind her.
‘I can’t feel anything, anyway,’ Emma said. ‘It’s fine.’
Martine carefully caressed the shiny part of her skull that wasn’t covered by bandage.
‘It’s smooth,’ she said.
‘Yes, it is,’ Emma replied.
‘It looks a bit strange,’ Martine added.
Emma shot a look at her sister again, before saying: ‘You get used to it. I think it looks pretty cool, in fact.’
Kasper began to say something, but had to clear his throat first.
‘You do,’ he said. ‘You look…’ it seemed as if he didn’t know how to continue the sentence ‘…even better than before,’ he rounded off.
Emma smiled. Her lips were dry.
‘But will your hair never grow again?’ Martine asked her.
Emma slowly shook her head. ‘No it won’t, honey bunch. But it doesn’t matter. To be honest, it’s absolutely fine.’