‘Look,’ Tash continues, completely misinterpreting my silence, ‘what have you got to lose? If his story is true, you’ll find a nurse looking after a confused old woman. You can make something up about knocking on the wrong door and forget all about it. If not, well, isn’t it better to find out that he’s lying to you sooner rather than later? Lance the boil before it gets too big and painful.’ She reads out the address. I have absolutely no intention of doing any of the things she said, but it’s the one piece of solid information that she’s been able to find so, despite my fury with her, I reluctantly write it down.

‘Is that everything?’ I ask her. ‘Or is there some other aspect of my private life you’d like to gatecrash?’

‘Look, I know you’re annoyed now, but I just have your best interests at heart. Maybe it’s nothing, but it might be something, and I wouldn’t sleep well at night not sharing what I knew.’

‘You wouldn’t know anything if you had left well alone.’

‘I don’t understand why you’re so cross with me. I’m trying to help you here.’

‘Bollocks. You don’t give a shit about me. If you did, you would just have been happy that I’d found someone. But no, there has to be something off, doesn’t there, so you can go sniffing around trying to dig up some dirt to share with your mates in scandalised whispers. And what did you find? Nothing.’

‘That’s not true.’

‘Oh, just fuck off, Tash!’ I yell as I stab the button to cut off the call.

* * *

‘Tilly, can I have a word?’ Dr Patel says a few days later as I finish dressing the wound on a lady who lost an argument with a kettle full of boiling water.

‘Sure, what’s up?’ I ask as I follow her to the area where Luke received his dressing-down from Dr Rogers. I’m pretty sure I haven’t done anything wrong, but my heart is beating harder in my chest anyway.

‘I bumped into your sister,’ she begins, looking slightly uncomfortable. ‘She, aah, indicated to me that there had been some disagreement and you’re not taking her calls or answering her messages.’

‘I’m sorry. She had no business dragging you into it.’

‘She didn’t, but I got the impression she was desperate. Look, I know our relationship is strictly professional and you’re therefore quite welcome to tell me to mind my own business, but I’m here if you want to talk about it.’

I’m trying not to let my surprise show, as Dr Patel really, really doesn’t do touchy-feely, so Tash must have seriously done a number on her.