I can't remember this particular bit, so I might change my mind when I've tracked down my copy of the book, but I think the use of that particular kind of linking can be deceptive.

If I recall correctly, Never Let Me Go is written kind of in the style of memoirs, so introducing that type of linking is clever. It's a neat way of showing how a character views events from his or her past, but it can also create a feeling of unease. Maybe events didn't actually happen in the way the character is relating. What happened in those intervening six years? Etc.

RJ's way of doing things had to be different because of the type of story he was telling. You can't do such obvious links with a third person style.

I will, of course, get back to this once I've got my hands on a copy of the book.