Jim pulled across the curtain and in a familiarity that only comes with growing up together, they had a long and earnest chat. Ah, Mags. Someone had a heavy hand. Yarself? Ah, now ya overdid it today. Face looks like a rock. Yarself? Oh, how can ya inject yarself? Yar mighty. Dentists are most peculiar. Ya knows they say they kill themselves a lot? High rates of suicide. Rally? Dentists. No way. Easy ta get their hands on drugs maybe. Should I ask him if he’s all right? Stop, yar terrible. Hardly a word out of him. ’Tis a strange wan though. I’m terrible sorry it’s come ta this. Are ya sure ya knows what yar at? Hope you know what yar doing? Paddy is no fool. A prick … yeah … but no fool. He might never come back. Donna set yar face like that for ever now whatever else ya do or ya’ll be in some pickle. Ah, he’ll come home. He has ta. ’Tis a bit far now. No. Of course. Shocking. Indeed. Fuck it anyway. To Hell. So. Tired. Exhausted. No. One. Yet. They’re in the old house. Bernie’s mam’s place. Bermingham. Up behind the Old Quarry Cottages. Have the number. Here. I’ll just lave it here. OK? How’re ya fixed? If ya had ta travel? Ya sure? Of course I wouldn’a send ya alone. Ah no, the Hospital is lovely. Long as they leave me alone. Haha. No. No no. Not at all. ’Twas a very dark night. Ah, that’ll be spring. Ah, right. I do think it’s the right plan. Not looking likely that the shame will smoke him out. Soon. ’K. Too young really. Ah, but now. We. Will tame. Her. We’ll try. Paddy better come back soon or I’ll tell ya. Niquita. Worried. So easily led. Very like Krystal. Jonathan – ah right little cunt. Don’na warn him. Not yet. I’ll see how it’s going. Oh, sweet Jaysus but Paddy better come back ta not disgrace us. I said I’d bring him back. Settle yarself. Just hope that’s where he is. But a course it is, he has no imagination. Homing.

Like a dirty pigeon.

Angelus bells faintly called out from the cathedral.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

Jim promised Margaret Rose that he understood a sickness was the best way to tug at the heartstrings of Paddy, and specifically to shame him among family and friends, publicly. But Jim also wasn’t convinced that Paddy had strings attached to his heart, and he was, in his opinion, beyond shame. And while Margaret Rose agreed a little, she said that he was a proud man, wouldn’t like the talk if she did up and die for herself, and he’d never live down the shame of leaving her alone to die. Jim washed his hands in our little sink and left the Ward.

The last segment in Sunday evening’s triptych of entertainment was the arrival of two young girls, dancing and stretching, bending upwards and forwards in short neon tops, bright greens and pinks and pristine white frayed short-shorts that showed their bum cheeks.