‘The MRI scan showed lesions in the region of your brain that controls memories. The surgeon also found evidence that a hole had been drilled in your skull to insert the type of needle typically used to treat brain tumours.’

‘And they used it to fry my memories?’

‘Yes and no. Memories are not all stored in one place, but the hippocampus is where our memories seem to start. Damage to it can either affect our ability to make new memories or recall past memories. But you still remember everything before 2013 and you haven’t forgotten the skills you’d learned in training.’

‘So older memories are somewhere else?’

‘I’m not one hundred per cent sure. I’m not certain anyone is. We only really know what we know from brain injury case studies. The men who survived being shot in the head in the Second World War taught us more than anyone about the brain. The bullets at that time were fired fast enough to penetrate the skull but were small enough to only cause localized damage. So neurologists could look at the track of the bullet and compare this to the functions that had been lost – sight, movement, memory, etc. – and determine which areas of the brain did what.’

Harry was smiling.

‘What?’

‘You’re quite bright, aren’t you?’

She gave an embarrassed laugh. ‘I don’t know about that,’ she said. ‘We can all sound intelligent when we’re talking about our own field.’

Harry’s eyes closed momentarily.

‘You know you haven’t lost everything,’ she said. ‘You still have the most important bits, like your personality and memories of your family, your children.’

‘Just not you.’ Their eyes met and it felt to Karene as it always had. She wanted to take his hand, kiss him, hold him. ‘That must be hard for you.’

‘A little.’

‘How long had we been together?’

‘Eighteen months. But I’m not supposed to tell you too much.’

‘No, go on. I want to know.’

Karene hesitated then remembered Bloom’s advice about helping him to remember. ‘We met at a conference where we were both speaking. You’d heard me speak before so introduced yourself and we just hit it off. There was a lot of teasing.’

‘What were you speaking on?’

‘Mental resilience. It’s my specialism. What it takes to remain resilient in the face of stress and pressure.’

‘The perfect person to have on my team, then.’

‘That wouldn’t be the first time you’ve said that.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah. You’re pretty helpless and needy.’

Harry laughed for the first time since the ball. The sound filled Karene with joy and she couldn’t help grinning.

‘Thank you for making me laugh.’

‘That’s my job.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Taking care of you, making you laugh, making you think, and I know you don’t know me any more but I’m not sure I can stop doing those things.’