Stopping briefly to get a change of clothes, Holly and Charlie sped up the A38 to Bristol at a pace just within the legal limits. Rachel had told them not to rush, that she was settling Harry in and there was nothing they could do except provide moral support, but Holly felt drawn to the hospital, with Charlie by her side, so that he could understand the true implications of what it was like to have a child with CF and an infection. But more than that, she wanted to be there for her sister and nephew, to help chase away the loneliness and isolation that walked hand in hand with cystic fibrosis.

‘We’ve been lucky so far,’ Holly explained as Charlie drove, his BMW being more reliable than Holly’s older Vauxhall Astra. ‘Harry’s had one stint in hospital, but the fresh air of Willowbury is great for him, and Rachel’s very vigilant. She’ll be blaming herself, unfairly, for this current hospital stay, but—’

‘Short of keeping Harry in a bubble, though, there’s nothing she can do,’ Charlie finished Holly’s obvious line of thought.

‘True,’ Holly replied, feeling, despite herself, comforted to have Charlie there by her side. ‘Of course, this new generation of drugs could change all that.’

‘I know,’ Charlie said quietly.

They pulled into the nearest car park and headed swiftly down the hilly street towards the BRHC. It sat off to the side of the Bristol Royal Infirmary and was buzzing with activity, as always. Once through the doors, after a quick stop in the hospital’s gift shop, they headed up to the Paediatric Respiratory Ward and navigated their way to Harry and Rachel. After checking in with the desk, Holly turned to Charlie.

‘I’ll go and see how they are.’ She paused, looking up at him, searching his face, as if looking for an answer. ‘I think you need to see him, too, but they probably won’t let both of us in at once.’ Before she could think better of it, she leaned upwards and placed a light kiss on his mouth. She felt him stiffen in surprise, but then return the kiss, very tentatively.

‘Thanks for coming with me,’ she murmured.

‘I wanted to,’ Charlie replied. ‘Let me know when I can see them.’