Harry shifted on his pillow. ‘Wh-what? How do …’ He blinked again and opened his eyes wider, and as his vision cleared he saw Ellen on the chair, with Billy standing behind her. ‘I’m dreaming,’ he muttered.

Dr Lucan smiled at Ellen. ‘I’ll leave you to waken him.’ Turning to Billy, he said, ‘If anyone questions you about being here out of visiting hours, tell them I said you can be here for half an hour.’

Billy grinned. ‘Thanks, doctor. I will.’

‘Will you also tell Mrs Randell that I’ve had words with the mill owner and there’s something to discuss. I’ll try to call in and see her on Monday.’

Harry was holding Ellen’s hand with his bandaged fingers. ‘It’s you,’ he was murmuring. ‘I’ve been having nightmares, and just now I thought I was dreaming. Do you remember when I met you, Ellen?’ He closed his eyes again. ‘You were just a schoolgirl and I waited till you were grown.’

Ellen smiled. She had left school on the occasion he meant, and clearly he’d forgotten, and she didn’t bother to remind him.

‘There was a song.’ His words were slurred. ‘It was about you. Irish, I think.’

Billy laughed. ‘I didn’t know I had any Irish sisters!’

‘He’s under ’influence of something,’ she murmured, and chuckled. ‘I bet he won’t remember that we’ve visited after we’ve gone.’

Harry opened his eyes again. ‘You came to see me, didn’t you? I found your handkerchief when I woke up. I told Jim’ – he indicated the next bed, whose occupant had his back to them – ‘that you’d been and I don’t think he remembered anything. He didn’t answer me, anyway. He’s in a bad way, poor lad. Got burned in a fire. Is that why I’m here?’

‘Yes,’ Ellen said. ‘Don’t you remember?’

‘Keeps coming back,’ he murmured. ‘Falling off a ladder. I was on ’top of a barn, I think. That was a stupid thing to do, wasn’t it? I’ve climbed many a ladder but never fallen off one. Is that you, Billy? Were you there? Did you see what happened?’

Billy approached the bed and shook his head. ‘No, I didn’t. I was away on another job. Heard about it, though. You were knocked off ’ladder. Luckily you fell into ’water so you didn’t break any bones.’

Harry looked at his hands. ‘But I’m bandaged and my hands are sore – I mean, really sore – and my chest is too.’

‘That’s why you’re in hospital,’ Ellen told him quietly. ‘It’s so you don’t try to do things before you’re healed. But you’ll soon be home again,’ she added. ‘Children are looking forward to seeing you.’

He gazed at her. ‘You’ve never left them on their own, Ellen?’