Taking hold of the bottom of his shirt, I lift it off him as gently as I can. Looking down at his chest I can’t help the sympathetic wince. His dark skin is covered in rapidly rising bruises, new ones forming fast over yellowed older ones. I stand and circle around to his back. It’s even more mottled here where he hadn’t been able to protect himself. He’s right about there being no cuts but there is plenty enough. I place a careful hand on the least bruised area on his shoulder.

‘I’m so sorry, Sam.’

He covers my hand with his own and squeezes. ‘It’s not, you know.’ He glances at me over his shoulder and smiles at my confusion. ‘It’s not your fault.’ Then he seems to get uncomfortable and turns back around, dropping his hand. ‘Can I get some of them tissues, Tace?’

I set him up with a heap before heading to the water’s edge. I squat down to splash water over my face. The stinging gets a lot worse, but I make sure to get everything. The river water isn’t as pure these days; Pop says it’s all the weirs and dams they keep building upstream. But it will do till I get home and find some disinfectant.

I splash over my hands and arms as well, getting as much of the dirt off as I can. Sam joins me. At some point Rhi’s sobs dry up. I hear her stand and come up behind me, figuring she needs a wash too.

Hands on my back shove me headfirst into the water. It’s deep enough I go all the way in and come up spluttering and coughing. Rhi stands, hands on hips, laughing her susoos off. She should’ve known to run. I grab her around the ankles, yanking her in before she can scream. I hold her head under for a bit as punishment.

‘Oi!’ She splashes at me once I finally let her up.

‘Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it, cuz,’ I mock.

Sam is laughing and groaning in pain. Rhi and I share a look, before grabbing one leg each and dragging him in.

We end up wrestling for a bit like that, splashing and carrying on. Laughing out our relief at having made it through. There’s something so normal about it, playing in the river. We might not have done it together before, but it’s what every mob does. Sam’s too sore to do much, so it’s only a short play. We stay in a bit longer to rub ourselves clean and get the mud out of our shoes.

Semi-presentable we climb out, squeezing out as much water as we can. My energy is draining fast and the last of the light is fading. The mob will be home soon. How’re we gonna explain this?