‘We’ll be throwing him out today,’ Morgan said when she made her way up to ICU on her first break.

‘Well, that’s good news.’ Liv looked down at Finn who had just woken. Estelle was sitting next to him, in the most luscious green velvet coat, perfectly poised, groomed and wafting expensive, suffocating perfume. It seemed to Liv that the frightened girl she’d met that first evening had been transformed into a woman who might have strode from a centre spread of Cosmopolitan. She made Liv feel so dowdy by comparison with her hair scraped back and wearing her polyester uniform and sensible rubber-soled shoes.

‘You’re awake, darling?’ She bent over him and kissed him lightly on his forehead, rather than causing any pain where he was bruised along his cheek and jaw.

‘Yes, yes, oh…’ He stopped, surprised perhaps to see Liv standing once again at the end of his bed. ‘No need to worry. They’ve said there’s no concussion and no lasting damage,’ he said cheerfully, although Liv knew that from the bruising and the bashing he’d gotten, he must be in some discomfort.

‘Yes, well, your consultant will likely transfer you to a general ward and they might just keep you in for another day, to be sure,’ Morgan said carefully, because there was no telling with a head injury.

‘It’d be nice to get home though; it is Christmas, after all,’ Finn said.

‘Tell me about it, mate.’ Morgan slipped his chart back on the trolley.

‘Sorry, I forgot, neither of you have had much of a Christmas either,’ Finn said, looking from Morgan to Liv.

‘Not so bad for me – I only live down the road and my wife works shifts too, so we’ll just have our Christmas Day a little late,’ Morgan said moving on to the next patient.

‘And what about you?’ Finn fixed those blue eyes on Liv.

‘Usually, it’s Christmas at home with my family, but well, maybe it’s a January Christmas celebration this year…’ It sounded rather parochial, but she loved it. Every year, just the four of them – somehow, it felt as if Rachel was still there with them. Probably very different to the grand plans Finn and Estelle would have in the city.

‘Home?’

‘Ballycove. It’s in the west…’

‘I know it, I’ve been there.’ He smiled, perhaps remembering. ‘It’s a long way to travel for a slice of turkey though.’ He was laughing now.

‘I suppose it is, but like you, my plans were thrown up in the air on Christmas Eve, so I’m just going to make the best of it.’

‘I’m sorry you missed it.’