When he flipped the power back on, Harry was pleased to see the pump spin for around twenty seconds, cutting off when a gauge showed that the water flowing to the house had reached the correct pressure.

As he reattached the pump cover, a gust caught Harry by surprise and the grit he inhaled made him start coughing. He clutched his ribs and hacked violently, grabbing the toolbox and jogging back to the house.

Ed sat shirtless at the kitchen table as Harry rushed in.

‘Is it fixed?’ Ed asked, but Harry ignored him and leaned under the kitchen faucet to gulp water.

‘This damned cough!’ Harry rasped. He swallowed water, then hacked a big bloody glob into the sink.

‘You OK?’ Charlie asked as she stepped into the doorway wearing a robe. ‘That cough’s getting worse.’

‘All good,’ Harry denied, swallowing the taste of blood as he looked round and tried not to wince at the powerful ache in his chest.

‘Is the water back on?’ Charlie asked.

‘Should be,’ Harry said. ‘I’m gonna ask Vern to look at that pump, though. I think we might need a bigger one.’

‘I’ll go for my shower now,’ Ed said.

Charlie cracked a cheeky grin from the doorway. ‘I’m nearest,’ she announced. ‘I’m gonna use all the hot water today.’

‘Aww!’ Ed shouted, knocking his chair back and charging after his sister.

But Charlie was already halfway up the stairs. ‘I’m gonna take a looooong shower today,’ she teased, reaching the landing and opening the bathroom door. ‘You boys are gonna freeze your balls off!’

Ed slipped at the top of the stairs, then pounded the door as Charlie cracked a maniacal laugh from inside. He wore a huge smile as he came back into the kitchen.

‘Charlie’s a meanie,’ Ed said.

‘Peach-flavoured space food, coming up,’ Harry told Ed as he opened a cabinet and took out a brown bag. It had simple black printing, USDA Emergency Adult Nutrition 12lbs. Not for Resale.

Harry scooped the powder into two breakfast bowls and added half a mug of water, which made it swell into a doughy, cream-coloured porridge. Space food could be baked to make a sweet, slightly nutty bread, or mixed with a range of synthetic flavours designed to make it palatable for kids.

‘Breakfast for monsieur,’ Harry said, hamming it with a French accent as he placed the bowl and flavour sachet in front of Ed. Then in his normal voice, ‘Charlie managed to buy a bag of apples if you want one.’

Ed preferred the synthetic peach flavour and turned up his nose. ‘What are we doing today?’

Harry crunched an apple. ‘You need to go online and do some independent learning modules this morning.’

‘Can’t I go into town with Charlie?’ Ed moaned.

‘She’s seeing a patient today,’ Harry said. ‘If there are no virus alerts, we might all go bowling together on Saturday.’