After what seemed like an eternity, they finally pulled up outside the entrance and Sarah grabbed the door handle in a panic to get out of the van. She ran into the hospital, then stopped in her tracks when she realised she didn’t know where to go.

George caught up with her. ‘This way,’ he said.

They turned right and hurried along a corridor where Sarah spotted Lena talking to a man in a white coat. She quickened her pace until she was standing next to them and Lena turned towards her with a solemn face.

‘Where is he? Is he OK?’ Sarah asked breathlessly.

‘I’m … I’m … Oh, Sarah …’ Lena groaned.

‘What’s wrong? Where’s Tommy? I want to see him!’ Sarah cried, her heart pounding in her chest. Something wasn’t right, she could tell by the expressions on their faces.

The doctor placed his hand on Sarah’s arm. ‘Please, take a seat,’ he said, indicating a row of chairs against the wall.

‘I don’t want to sit down. I want to see Tommy,’ Sarah said, and desperately looked from Lena to the doctor for answers.

Lena looked away, dabbing her eyes, as the doctor said, ‘Miss Jepson, we did everything we could, but I’m very sorry to tell you that Tommy passed away ten minutes ago. There was nothing we could do for him.’

Sarah saw the doctor’s lips moving, heard his words, but they didn’t make sense. Her mind refused to accept what she was hearing. This must be some sort of silly mistake and the doctor was talking about another patient. ‘Don’t be silly. I’m here to see Tommy Jepson and he’s had a fit, that’s all. Where is he? What ward is he in?’

‘Miss Jepson, you don’t seem to understand what I am telling you. Your brother has died.’

No … he can’t be dead, Sarah thought. They’ve got it wrong. Furiously shaking her head in denial, she began to feel as if the walls were closing in on her. The whole world seemed to stop at that moment, yet she was stuck spinning on the spot. Her legs felt weak, and she crumpled towards the floor, but then George grabbed her around her waist to pull her back up and towards a seat.

‘I’m so sorry, Sarah,’ sobbed Lena.

Sarah looked up at the woman, but couldn’t speak. Lena was crying, but she just felt numb. They said her brother was dead. Tommy, the child she loved like a son. She should be sobbing, hysterical even, yet she felt nothing – nothing but a strange sensation of almost not being there, watching the scene from afar.

‘She’s in shock,’ she heard the doctor say to a nurse.

‘I’ll fetch her a cup of sweet tea,’ the nurse said in a hushed voice, and seemed to vanish as quickly as she appeared.