his eyes were stinging and tearing already , and he could hear lois coughing . neither of them seemed to have noticed anything different at all . `` you could say that , '' she said with a playful grin . he 'd been in the water for at least an hour before she 'd spotted him . i was alone , in the hands of the strangers . she knew that no one she wanted to see was likely to walk in and still she looked . a knock sounded gently on the door . 