‘Yes, it seems ye can’t survive without me after all.’ The old nurse shook her head. She’d only retired two weeks earlier, but thanks to some HR glitch, she was still on the system. She’d never wanted to retire. ‘I was meant to go to my sister’s, but…’

‘It’s so lovely to see you.’ Liv bit her lip; it had been such a truly emotional few hours since the accident, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to laugh or cry at the sight of her.

‘Ach, you know I’d come in – even the best of custard and Christmas pudding couldn’t keep me at home if I’m needed here,’ Peggy said picking up a clipboard, eager to get back on her rounds.

Out in the main corridors, the hospital had that forced cheeriness of Christmas Day that always made Liv feel a little sad. She’d only worked a handful of holidays, the first when she’d been training and Rachel had also stayed in Dublin helping out with one of Dublin’s busiest homeless shelters. That had been one of her happiest Christmases, even though they hadn’t actually celebrated it properly until two days later. She had been working on the maternity wards and Rachel had been waiting outside for her after she’d finished. She could remember them walking back to their flat as if it were yesterday. Sometimes, it seemed those days together were only a whisper away. They were young and it felt as if nothing could ever touch them – of course, they hadn’t figured on a tumour growing silently, behind Rachel’s quick blue eyes.

This morning, the tinsel and Christmas trees couldn’t quite penetrate her sadness. She knew that everyone who worked in the hospital did everything they could to make the place as cheery as possible, but there was no covering over the fact that they would all much prefer to be at home, surrounded by family and friends, celebrating near a warm fire or at least sitting in their own favourite armchair.

It reminded her of a text she’d received from Pete. It had arrived on her phone late last night. She pulled it out now; it was a meme making fun of her for having to work over Christmas Day. She texted back, tried to think of something snappy, but could only manage a quote from the Carry On movies – any mention of sore misgiving never failed to raise a smile between them. It was their thing. They’d watched every Carry On movie they could get their hands on while they’d sat with Rachel. They’d lapped up anything that would make them laugh, anything that would take their mind off things; so now, when there was nothing else to say, they often threw random quotes at each other.