‘I know you, Ellen Randell.’ Harry put his head back against the thin pillow. ‘You’re planning summat.’ He gave a deep sigh. ‘I can tell.’ Ellen heard an unfamiliar sound and realized he was trying to hum with his dry throat the refrain he said was hers. As she hovered between laughter and tears, Jim Smith was brought back to his bed swathed in towels and thin bath sheets, and he cried out when he was eased gently back on to the mattress. Harry turned his head away. He couldn’t bear to see the boy in pain, but even when the nurses had finished giving him medication and covered him with clean sheets they could still hear him crying for his mother and ‘Benny’.

Tannerson got up from his chair and came to stand by Harry’s bedside. He was obviously upset, and covered his mouth with his hand. ‘He’s called that name before,’ he muttered. ‘I think it’s the boy who died.’

The nurses put a canvas screen round Jim’s bed and moved away. Ellen waited a moment and then, getting up from her seat, moved the screen slightly and went to stand by his side.

‘Sh-sh-shh,’ she said softly. ‘It’s all right. Benny’s resting.’ Tenderly, with the lightest of touches, she placed her fingers on the back of Jim’s neck where there were no burns and gently stroked him. ‘He’s quite safe, onny sleeping.’

‘Ma!’ he whimpered, his eyes wide open but not seeing her. ‘Ma! Is that you?’

‘Yes,’ she murmured. ‘I’m here.’

‘Ma, it’s hurting.’ His voice dropped, sounding not quite so desperate, and Ellen guessed that the medication was starting to take effect. ‘Did I kill Benny?’

‘No,’ she breathed. ‘Of course not; you’re dreaming, Jimmy. Be my own brave boy.’

‘Jimmy,’ he whispered, his words slurred. ‘You allus called me Jimmy, didn’t you, Ma?’

She stroked his neck again. ‘I did,’ she said. ‘What else would I call my lovely boy?’

‘I love you, Ma.’ He closed his eyes. ‘I miss you. Benny said …’

‘I love you too. Hush, now,’ she coaxed. ‘Go to sleep. Everything will be all right by ’morning.’

He took a shallow breath and dropped into a deep sleep; she kept her fingers on his young skin for a moment longer and then drew away, and turned to see Tannerson with a nurse behind him, watching her.

She swallowed. ‘He’s sleeping,’ she said unnecessarily, and was troubled to see tears in both Tannerson’s and the nurse’s eyes.

They moved away to let her through and she sat by Harry’s bed without speaking. Then silently she began to cry, her shoulders shaking with sobs, and no one spoke a word.

Tannerson drove her home. For most of the way he didn’t interrupt her silence by talking, but when they were almost there he began to tell her Jim’s story.