‘Oh, right. That call.’ Malaika shifted in her seat and I swear I saw her trying to stifle a smile. ‘Yeah, sorry. I meant to call him again to apologise, but I must have forgotten. It was a moment, that’s all, though . . . of being really angry and doing something stupid. Just one moment, in the whole week.’

Bakshi looked at Marcus. Marcus shrugged.

‘Well, I’m taking it as a very good sign that you’re not disputing that what you did was wrong.’

‘Oh, I know it was.’ I wasn’t going to tell her that I thought it was piss-funny and I certainly wasn’t letting on that I couldn’t remember making the call in the first place. ‘It was dead wrong.’

Bakshi nodded and began to tidy her papers. ‘In which case, on Marcus’s recommendation, and in the hope that this progress continues, I’m happy to move you back on to escorted leave.’

That was it. Short and seriously sweet.

I smiled, nice and humble. A day that I already knew would be one to remember had got off to a blinding start.

‘Cool,’ I said. ‘Thank you.’

Clare was sitting with Shaun and Femi at lunch while the rest of us sat together and watched her. Shaun was still keeping up the whole Marcel Marceau thing, but the two women were talking quietly as they ate. I don’t think Femi was sitting as close to Clare as she was because of a Within Arm’s Length obs stat or anything so I presumed it was part of the normal process of easing the new arrival in gently.

Not wanting to leave her alone with the rabble just yet.

She hadn’t shown up for dinner the previous evening and I hadn’t been there for breakfast, so for all I knew this might have been her first group mealtime. I asked the others and they all thought it was.

‘Has anyone actually spoken to her yet?’

Heads were shaken.

‘Not really had a chance,’ Ilias said. ‘She was with George at the meds hatch first thing and now Femi’s stuck to her like shit on a blanket.’

Heads were nodded.

‘Femi-Nazi,’ Donna said.

‘I reckon she’s a bit up herself.’ Lauren sat back, ready to give her full appraisal of the newcomer, and looked horrified when I stood up. ‘Fuck d’you think you’re going?’

‘Say hello . . .’

I wandered across to their table, told Shaun to budge up and squeezed in between him and Clare. Femi gave me a hard stare, so I smiled to let her know that my intentions were wholly friendly. ‘No worries,’ I said. ‘Just being matey.’