Unable to bear the pain any longer, she flopped back onto the stage – defeated.

Meagan stared up at the standard-issue ceiling tiles. She hadn’t been in a hospital since Jemima’s appendectomy after Mile’s premiere. How did hospital staff do it? The uniform and smell were enough to put Meagan off let alone the hours and pay. Just then, the curtain swooshed back and Meagan’s exhausted junior doctor popped her head in.

‘How are we doing?’ said Dr Blandy as she flicked her floppy purple fringe aside.

‘Just give me the bad news,’ said Meagan.

‘Really it’s just news, isn’t it? It’s how you feel that makes it good or bad…’

‘Just spit it out.’

‘You’re pregnant. Yay,’ said Dr Blandy going in for a flaccid fist bump.

‘What?’ gawped Meagan propping herself up on her elbows.

‘What?’ said Todd.

Meagan almost jumped out of her skin. What the hell was he doing here?? But then she remembered. Numb with pain and beer – she had told the keyboard player to contact the last person who’d texted. She’d thought it was Jemima but it had actually been Todd. This was beyond a disaster.

‘Wait, this is bed nine?’ said Dr Blandy consulting her notes. ‘Damn. I’ve done it again. I am sooooo sorry. I’m like, super tired. You’re the ankle – so, not broken. Yay. We’ll get you bandaged up, give you some anti-inflammatories then you’re good to go.’

While Meagan sat in shock, Dr Blandy made her getaway, briefly popping her head back through the curtain.

‘Aaaand if you could keep that little snafu to yourself that’d be aces. I’m sort of, completely on a final warning. Cheers,’ she said before disappearing again.

Meagan puffed her cheeks, too stunned to be angry.

‘The fuck was that?’ she said falling back onto the bed.

Well, at least her ankle wasn’t broken. There was too much going on for her body to fail her now.

‘Wow. Can you imagine us having—’ Todd began.

‘Don’t. Listen, thanks for coming but I can handle it from here.’

‘How are you going to get home?’ he asked.

‘I was thinking of trying out this new thing called a cab,’ said Meagan, nixing any and all attempts to be her knight in shining armour.

‘You need help—’

‘Seriously, mate.’ Meagan grimaced. ‘Look, sorry if I’ve been a bit of a—’

‘Bitch,’ Todd said. ‘It’s okay.’

Meagan lay still. What was with everyone backchatting her? As she studied his face, formulating her acerbic response she noted that something was different. There was a grit to him that hadn’t been there before or maybe she hadn’t noticed.

‘I just wanted to make sure you got home okay. That was all,’ he said standing.

‘Wait, where are you going?’ she said, reaching out.

‘Back to my date…’

Meagan’s face froze. A date? Lying on her hospital bed, that same loneliness she’d felt at the Hudson Hicks party began to close in on her. She turned away unable to watch him leave. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him sit back in the visitors’ chair as tears splashed onto her pillow. Todd pushed a crumpled tissue into her hand.