The seas remember to come in and out. The waves are solar-powered. They stay going even in the dark of night. They’ll take deck chairs and towels and rubber shoes, tennis rackets, buckets and spades, beach balls and picnic tables, tins and rollies, plastic coffee cups and nappies. They’ll gobble seaweed and leave it back. They’ll lunge at jellyfish. They’ll take your coastline. Your breath. The sea comes in hungry and can take your son and daughter under, caressing them, swallow them whole.

*

Buzzers went off and everything froze.

As I like it.

‘We’ve given her magnesium, no more steroids, give her a break for a minute, she’s crashing, some adrenaline and epinephrine, please, and perhaps some atropine. Code Blue. Move. Move. Quick as you can. Thank you.’

‘Could you get out of my light? Trying to find a line. Fuck.’

Potatoes falling from the sack. Thump. Heartbeats. Thump. Onetwothreefourfive.

‘Someone needs to give this more time, OK, start the count …’

‘Is that what she wants, does anyone know what she wants?’

‘Of course it’s what she wants … she can’t be more than what? What age is she? Anyone? Age? Quick as you can … Age?’

‘Jesus, more fluids maybe? Someone. Now. Nurse. Now.’

‘What’s happened?’

‘No idea. OK. Line in. And move. Next. Twenty milligrammes. Thank you.’

‘Who’s looking after her? Any chance of that file? Quick as you like.’

‘What in the name of God are on her feet?’

‘OK. File … here.’

‘Read. Loud.’

‘Thirty-nine. Female. Oh, shit. Perhaps Mr … You should take a look here.’

‘Are they slippers?’

‘Jesus, they can’t be!’

‘Paddles. Ready. OK. Clear. Now.’

‘Yes, they’re blobfish slippers, sir.’

Charge –

Charge again.

chargechargechargechargecharge –

‘FUCK SAKE NOW. Hurry up. Quick – OK, sorry, sorry, next. Another line and good. Thank you.’

Jesus.

‘Why did she let herself get into this state?’

‘Please stop screaming but I know, it’s the twenty-first century – right?’

‘Right!’

‘I think she was … it seems, I don’t think she attended, yeah, nothing, look …’

‘Noooo.’

‘Yeah, take a look, here, and look.’

‘OK and clear again …’

‘OK now, Ms Hynes, we know this is frightening, but just stay with us … OK … we will do all we can, just try to breathe … all we can to …’

Save you.

Code.

Charge again.

A freckly nurse pulled off my rings and frantically began removing my red nail varnish off my index finger, the paint transferred to her cotton ball in the shape of my fingernail, and she held on to it like a child grasping the ear of a stuffed rabbit.

I really don’t want them to think I’m lazy. Still can’t move my fingers. Move your fingers, I scream at myself.

G’wan, dare you, show them you’re not lazy! That’s it. Good girl.

Father again – Christ, let me not die to the sound of him. I think of waves. I lie back and do the dead man’s float.