‘It’s awful,’ Bob says. ‘If you don’t think it’s awful you probably deserve to be here.’

‘OK, sometimes it is . . . but the best thing about Fleet Ward is, nine times out of ten, there’s something happening. Yeah, it’s seriously weird a lot of the time, but you’ve got to admit, there’s always stuff going on. Stuff to look at and talk about and get involved in.’ I nod towards the windows. ‘We all think everyone out there is living it up, having the time of their lives, but the truth is, most of the time it’s pretty dull.’ What use is bleedin’ rails, anyway? ‘Well, not in here, it isn’t. One thing this place isn’t ever . . . is boring.’

‘I’m bored right now,’ Lauren says. ‘Listening to this.’

‘I’m just saying, that’s why I’m OK with coming back. Because there’s going to be things happening.’ I look at everyone around the table, then up to give that camera lens a good hard stare. ‘And whatever happens, I’m ready for it.’ I sit back. ‘OK, speech over . . .’

Tony smiles at me and winks while Lucy and Donna nod enthusiastically. Ilias actually claps and I want to kiss him for it.

The legs on Lauren’s chair scream against the floor as she pushes it back and stands up. ‘Right, that’s enough shits and giggles for one day. I’m going to get a few pills down my neck, then it’s Pointless Celebrities, Casualty and Mrs Brown’s Boys.’

Lauren’s announcement of the evening’s scheduled viewing, as carefully selected by Lauren, is like a starting gun going off. If it was a race that involved standing up and sitting down again, pissing about in the doorway and, in Ilias’s case, polishing off everyone’s leftovers.

I wander out into the corridor.

Marcus and George are talking outside the nurses’ station. Marcus catches my eye and nods.

I smile at him and take my place in the queue for meds.

Once I’ve swallowed the three different lots of capsules and tablets, I stand around trying to decide what to do and where to go. I’m glad I said my piece back in there. I feel stronger, readier, but it certainly doesn’t mean I want to spend the evening bunched up with everyone in front of the box.

I can sense someone standing close behind me and I presume it’s Mia, taking her WEO duties a bit too seriously. When I feel a hand clutching at mine I turn round and discover it’s Shaun.

‘All good, mate?’

He starts to pull me towards the TV room.

I say no and tell him I’m not up to it, that I’m ready to turn in.

He grunts and keeps on pulling.