I do sometimes wonder why she works in A & E, given her lack of empathy for a lot of the people we have to treat, but I’ve never summoned the courage to ask her. Tonight won’t be the night either, as the flow of people coming through the door and being blue-lighted in is only accelerating as we go further into the early hours. People often ask me how I cope working twelve-hour night shifts, but the time simply flies and, in a weird way, I often prefer them to the slightly slower day shifts. By the time we get to the morning handover I’m running on pure adrenaline, as are the rest of the team. Tonight will be even more intense, but thankfully I won’t be here as this is the end of my three nights on and I’m looking forward to a hot shower and a long sleep. By the time I meet Luke again for lunch on Monday, I should be more or less back in the right time zone. I’ve already vowed that I’m going to make sure the flat is presentable as I want to be ready if there’s the faintest possibility of moving this on from the PG zone we’re in currently.

* * *

When I get back home, I’m surprised to find Sarah in the kitchen, dressed in a pair of Mike’s boxer shorts and a T-shirt, operating the coffee machine as if she’s known it all her life. This must be the fourth time I’ve seen her here, which has to be some kind of record.

‘Morning, Tilly,’ she says. ‘Rough night? Fancy a coffee? I think I’ve mastered this machine now.’

‘Thanks, Sarah, but I think I’m going to have a hot shower and head straight to bed.’

‘Umm.’ She bites her lip uncertainly. ‘There’s someone in there.’

‘What?’ I exclaim crossly. ‘Mike knows not to be in the shower when I get home from a night shift. It’s literally cardinal rule numero uno.’

‘It’s not Mike,’ she tells me conspiratorially. ‘It’s her.’

‘Who?’

‘You know, the mystery woman in the other bedroom.’

‘You mean Lena?’

‘Yes. She arrived just after I got up. She just staggered in, grunted a greeting at me, dumped her rucksack and disappeared into the bathroom. She’s been in there for nearly an hour.’

‘For fuck’s sake.’ Although it’s Lena’s flat and she has every right to come and go as she pleases, I’m not very good at having my post-shift routines mucked about. I just want to wash and go to bed.

‘I tell you what,’ I say to Sarah with a sigh. ‘Maybe I’ll have that coffee after all. Tell me how things are with you and Mike.’