‘Come on, Kerry love. Soonest done, soonest mended.’

It was a saying from their childhood. Kerry stood up uncertainly, her hands icy cold. She felt sick with apprehension.

They walked slowly from the room, through the narrow hallway and up the stairs to the back bedroom.

Kerry hesitated at the doorway. The white room looked forbidding in the bright light. Briony pushed her gently through the door. Inside there was a large table, covered in newspaper, and a chest of drawers with all sorts of instruments and padding set out neatly along the top.

‘Hop on the table, my love, and let me have a quick feel.’

Briony helped Kerry off with her coat, and in a dream she pulled herself on to the table top, her legs feeling like jelly, her hands trembling so she found it difficult to use them. She lay back slowly, her head touching a soft pillow.

‘Relax yourself, dear, so I can have a good mooch around!’

Denice’s voice was loud. It echoed in the hollow confines of the room. Unlike the rest of the house, this room was bare. No knick-knacks of any description, it was like a doctor’s surgery. Even the blinds on the one window were plain black. They were pulled down and the artificial light cast shadows on the white walls. Kerry closed her eyes.

Denice pulled up her dress and began to feel around her stomach, digging her fingers into the softness of her belly.

‘She’s well on, Briony, over three months. It’ll be the hook, I’m afraid.’

Briony licked dry lips. Kerry’s face was as white as the walls around her. Her eyes strayed to the implements on top of the dresser, and one large imposing piece of metal with a hoop on the end made her feel faint.

‘Kerry ... Kerry love, are you all right?’

Kerry opened her eyes and shook her head. Then, sitting bolt upright, she was sick. Briony stood by shocked as Kerry threw up, over and over again.

Briony went to her sister. ‘All right, all right, Kerry. Relax, love, take deep breaths.’

Kerry looked at the instruments again and once more started heaving.

‘Get... Get me out of here, please, Bri ... I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe!’

Denice ran through to her newly installed bathroom and began to fill the bath, shouting, ‘Bring her through, Briony, she’s in shock I think.’

All the time she was praying that Kerry Cavanagh would not be sick again on her new lino or all over her new bathroom suite.

Briony put Kerry’s arm over her shoulder and helped her to the bathroom. There she sank down on to her knees, her whole body shaking with fear.

Between them Briony and Denice stripped her of her clothes and placed her in the hot tub. She lay back in the hot water, breathing deeply, her breasts heaving with every breath she took.

‘Feeling better, Kel?’