‘I’d like to say it was,’ Charlie joined in the laughter, ‘but I’m still having flashbacks!’

‘Well, thank you for seeing me,’ Rachel said. ‘Holly’s been nagging me to make an official appointment with you since you moved in, but I’ve been so tied up with the campaigning, and Harry’s been on some new medication recently, that I haven’t had the chance. There have been a lot of demonstrations by the families of CF patients in your neck of the woods at Westminster lately. You’ve probably come across them. The campaign’s colour is yellow.’

‘Yes, I’ve seen one or two,’ Charlie acknowledged. ‘It always amazes me how well attended these things are, and how much support they have.’

‘We like to be vocal about it when we can,’ Rachel replied. ‘People with the condition themselves can’t be too close physically, because there’s a danger that they might make each other ill, so friends and families choose to campaign on their behalf.’

Charlie was shocked, and he felt his heart, again, go out to the woman opposite him. How incredibly isolating that must be for those with the condition, never able to interact with each other in person for fear of getting ill. ‘I can’t imagine how difficult that must be for you, and for Harry,’ he said. ‘If I can do anything to help, I will.’ He paused. ‘And do keep in touch if there’s anything else I should know. I want to help.’

‘Thank you,’ Rachel stood up. ‘It’s a step forward just to be here in this office; Hugo Fitzgerald used to send out a letter in response to me every so often, but that was about as far as it went.’

Charlie tried not to grimace. He’d been hearing far too much about the actions, or lack thereof, of the previous incumbent, and while respect for the dead and for the holder of the seat before him counted for some things, it was getting more and more difficult to remain diplomatic, the more he found out. ‘I’ll be in touch,’ he assured Rachel.

Wandering to the door to escort her out a moment later, Charlie turned back to Helen when Rachel was gone.

‘Can you get all the info you can on the re-evaluation of the next generation of cystic fibrosis drugs and email anything useful you find?’ he said.

‘Sure thing, boss,’ answered Helen, coolly efficient as ever and already working through Charlie’s burgeoning pile of email and paper correspondence. ‘Do you want me to update the office Twitter feed as well? I’ve got the photos from your visit to Willowbury Primary last week that still need to go on.’