Sam winces, and Aidan squeezes his shoulder. “How many is he having a day?” he asks. His voice has lost its usual humour and now has the firm edge I’ve heard at the hospital when he’s ordering everyone around.

I shake my head. “I don’t know.” I feel disloyal talking about Charlie, but these men are his family, and we all want the same thing—Charlie happy and healthy. “He had one that I know of yesterday,” I say slowly. I hate those fucking things and what they do to him more than I’ve ever hated anyone or anything in my life.

Aidan tsks. “They’d stopped altogether. Why start again?” he muses.

“I don’t know, and you know what else?” I lean forward and whisper. “I won’t know because he refuses to talk about it.” I sit down at the table and sigh. “I know they’re bad and seem to last longer than they did before.”

“Maybe we should talk to Harry?” Sam says in a doubtful voice. “He might know more.”

I shake my head dismissively as soon as they mention Charlie’s boyfriend. “The only time he’d notice a seizure would be if it happens while Charlie’s on his arm in public or when he’s naked.” I shrug. “Those are about the only things he’s interested in.”

I grimace at the thought of my work colleague, Harry. Charlie’s been going out with him since he met him at an office party four months ago. I’d taken Charlie as my plus one, and Harry had taken one look at him and made a beeline towards him. Then I’d had to watch as Charlie fell under his spell.

I tap my fingers on the table. I’ve always disliked Harry, and the feeling is entirely mutual. He’s arrogant and a complete wanker and when I got the job we both went for, it had cemented the mutual mistrust. My dislike has been made worse because he’s such a tosser towards Charlie.

He’s in love with Charlie’s looks and parades him around like he’s the latest diamond-encrusted Rolex, not to mention the way he puts him down and makes sly jokes about how much he earns. And Charlie makes so many excuses for him: Harry is too tired from work; he’s had a bad day. It drives me fucking mad, and Charlie and I actually fell out over it a month ago. That led to Charlie not talking to me for a week which upset me badly because I can’t bear him to be angry with me. So I’ve backed off for the time being.

“When was Charlie’s last epilepsy review?” Aidan asks, bringing me out of my thoughts. “This should have been picked up at that.”

“Who knows?” I shake my head. “He never mentions them and won’t talk about it.”

Aidan straightens. “We should talk to him.”

“That won’t work because he won’t tell you anything,” Sam says, surety in his voice. “He’s so set on telling everyone that he’s fine, he won’t admit to any problems.” He looks at me. “And you know that too.”