Nathan looks up as the Reverend and Mrs. Philpott enter the ward and walk quietly towards Stephanie’s bed. He stands and offers Marion his chair.

Marion smiles and shakes her head, waving him back down again. ‘Any change?’ she asks in a hopeful whisper and glances behind her as her husband moves another chair to the bed. She nods her thanks to the tear-stained woman keeping vigil beside an equally young man.

‘Came in late last night’ Nathan says in a hushed aside.

‘We will include them in our prayers’ she murmurs, closing her eyes in sad acceptance of the need to do so. She bends to carefully brush a light kiss on Stephanie’s forehead where an area of taut new skin shows pink between deeper and still scabbed abrasions.

‘How’s she doing?’ her father asks.

‘The consultant’s going to come back and talk to you...’

Marion gasps and puts a fearful hand over her mouth.

‘Nothing bad!’ Nathan hisses urgently. ‘Sorry. Jeeze, what a prat! I didn’t think, sorry. He wants to explain what’s going on, that’s all. There’s only so much they’ll tell me. I know they’ve cut the medication and keeping an eye on her reactions. She’s still hanging on, wherever she’s gone to. I’m really sorry. As if you’re not stirred up enough already without me dropping a bollock like that!’ he looks up at the ceiling and grimaces at having sworn in front of her. He rubs his forehead with the heel of his hand when he looks back. ‘Guess I’d better apologise for that little slip of the tongue as well’

She wipes away the tears that sprang from her eyes the moment she feared worse news. ‘It’s fine’ she sighs. ‘We’ll wait and speak with him.’ She glances at her husband and reaches for his hand ‘We hoped we might see some improvement. Every day we pray that...’

‘She is improving! I know it doesn’t look like it...and it’s hard to believe what they tell you sometimes when it’s not there for you to see but she is. I watch every beat, every stat, every line and peak on these things and she’s holding steady. No panics, no dips, no highs, not for days. And that’s what he’ll tell you too’

‘Perhaps....’ Reverend Philpott looks first at Marion and then at Nathan ‘We should offer thanks for that much’

Nathan draws a long breath and sits back, looking resigned to listening but unwilling to join in their prayers. ‘You go ahead’ he says, looking round him. ‘I might go and grab something to eat while you’re here’

‘It would mean such a lot to us all’ the Reverend includes Stephanie with his eyes ‘if you would join us’

Marion lays her hand on top of the cradle covering Stephanie’s legs for Nathan to take ‘Our own quiet prayers....as a family. Please. A few moments...And if you would rather not pray, the strength she feels through you will be enough. Please’ her fingers curl and uncurl to persuade him complete the circle of hands.

Reluctantly and with a barely concealed sigh, Nathan places his left hand in hers and slides his right beneath Stephanie’s and grips her fingers, carefully avoiding the cannula in the back of her hand. Barney and Marion bow their heads and he watches as their lips move in murmured prayer, hearing nothing but the sibilance of esses and the hum of ems. Feeling awkward, his head lowers and he closes his eyes while he searches for words he might say himself.

‘El na refa na lah’

Startled, his eyes spring open and he looks guiltily from side to side, supposing he has shouted the words still ringing in his head. Seeing Stephanie’s parents on the other side of the bed, with their heads still bowed and their prayers uninterrupted, he blinks his bewilderment but after a few seconds, he smiles understanding and closes them again. His lips start to move as he repeats the words silently.

Nathan kicks back his chair and stands up in panic, breaking the circle of hands as Stephanie rasps and gurgles, her head desperately thrown back against the pillow, her eyes open and terrified, her fingers snatching at the air while a monitor screams an insistent single note.

‘STEPH!’ He turns panic-stricken eyes on the nurse who hurries forward as Barney and Marion, clinging to each other and staring horrified at their daughter, step back to let her through. ‘DO SOMETHING!’

The nurse leans over Stephanie so that their eyes meet and she smiles as she makes a swift adjustment to the machine nearest the bed. ‘Hello, Stephanie. Welcome back. Try not to panic' she says, leaning closer and taking her hand to reassure her. 'There’s a tube in your throat to help you breathe, try and relax, it will breathe when you do now. Keep it going. That’s it’ she nods as Stephanie’s eyes become marginally less fearful and the choking sounds that filled the ward gradually subside. The ventilator clicks with the rise of her chest. ‘Good girl. That’s very good.’ she says, reaching for the panel on the wall above her head and flicking switches. ‘Your Mum and Dad are here.’ She laughs softly when Stephanie frantically searches the width of her vision. ‘Yes, he’s here too.’ The nurse reattaches the leads Stephanie has ripped from the monitor and touches Barney and Marion’s clasped hands ‘A quick hello and then I’ll have to ask you to leave for a few minutes’ she includes Nathan in her smile ‘We didn’t expect this! Just a few minutes while the doctor takes a look’

Tear-washed and shaking, they each take their turn to lean over the bed and whisper their hellos.

Woodbury General Hospital

Chapter Forty-two

Tawny House, Manor Road

‘Here we are, all safe and sound’ Jeremy, with Harriet on his arm, drops her suitcase inside the front door as they step over the threshold.

‘My, ye look well’ Jeannie smiles and stands ready to take Harriet’s coat. ‘I see there’s nae need tae ask if ye had a guid time’

‘We had a marvellous time’ Jeremy enthuses, giving her a sly wink ‘and madam here got herself a beau!’

‘I did no such thing’ Harriet removes the chiffon scarf from around her neck and hands it to Jeannie with her coat. She gives him a long hard stare before turning to Jeannie again ‘We met with someone I have not seen in a very long while’

‘An Italian Stallion’ Jeremy swoons, nudging Jeannie as he passes into the sitting room.

‘Vittore is no stallion of any description!’

‘Hmmm, more of a pygmy goat’ he flops onto the sofa, grinning ‘BUT he does have the most amazing eyes’

‘Vittore?’ Jeannie repeats, her eyebrows rising in question as she and Harriet share a look ‘The same wee man in the photographs?’

‘The one and the same.’ Harriet eases herself into her chair and gives a sigh of exhaustion ‘How does being a passenger in a car tire one more than sitting in an armchair at home?’

‘Did someone mention photographs?’ Jeremy claps his hands together and sits forward eagerly ‘Oh, do let me look. I love old photographs’

‘At this very moment, I am too weary to fetch them. Another time, maybe’

‘I know where they are.’ Jeannie offers. ‘Ye could mebbe look through while ye hae yer tea?’

‘Can we?’ his eyes sparkle with renewed enthusiasm ‘Ooh, go on. Please?’

‘If we must’ Harriet agrees but follows with a word of warning. ‘Any mention of how old I look by comparison and they are put away immediately’

‘Ooh, I could make a fortune out of some of the photographs of Martin’ Jeremy drones nasally and laughs. ‘Never been published and I can see why. He was the most hideous looking baby you’ve ever seen! It’s a wonder the midwife knew which end to smack.’ He marks his chest with a finger ‘Cross my heart I won’t say a word. I’m just interested’

‘Very well’ she smiles up at Jeannie ‘If you wouldn’t mind’

‘It’ll take me a minute a two tae find the right album’

‘Oh, bring them all!’ Jeremy instructs with a flap of his hand ‘I’m in no hurry to go anywhere’

Jeannie cackles with laughter ‘I’m nae Charles Atlas!’

He looks confused.

‘There are rather a lot of them’ Harriet twinkles, amused.