Sidney sat and watched Amy for a long time, until he heard his wife call, ‘The doctor’s here.’

He stayed another moment, just watching her suck air. Then he left the room, closing the door quietly, and with one arm still holding his chest, re-emerged in the living room.

He said, ‘You shouldn’t yell out like that when she’s sleeping.’

Sarah gave him a look. ‘What did you want me to do then, Sidney? Send you a message with my mind?’

‘Just walk down the corridor.’ He sat down beside her on the couch and tried to put his hand on her knee. She did not unfold her arms, so he left off. Sharon was in the kitchen, doing something. Fiddling with the teapot by the sound of it. His mother likely still in her room. Cassie had run off permanently, it would seem. Probably using the phone in their parents’ bedroom to call Peter.

The doctor came in from the verandah, flanked by Sidney’s father, whose face showed nothing of his previous exertions. Nothing of the anger, or the violence. Brendan was nowhere to be seen.

Doctor Wilkie removed his glasses to rub his eyes before kneeling down beside Sidney. He said, ‘Alright, let me take a look. You want to lie down here or in your room?’

‘Amy’s asleep in my room.’

‘Here it is, then.’

Sidney lowered himself with care down on the couch. Sharon entered, two cups of tea in her hands. Ernie took one. She looked at Doctor Wilkie, lifted the other cup to him, received a shake of the head and started drinking herself. If the doctor was surprised to see her out here, he didn’t show it.

‘You alright in here, doc?’ Ernie asked. The doctor nodded. ‘Sid? I’ll be in the kitchen. I got something I want to talk with Sharon about.’

‘You leaving?’

‘We’ll just be in here.’

‘You know you went too far with Brendan.’

His father looked at Doctor Wilkie, then at his son on the couch, forcing a smile to his lips that looked fake to everybody present. Good thing the doctor was more focussed on Sidney’s arm, which he moved a little, levering it up by the forearm. His father walked into the kitchen, Sharon trailing.

‘Does this hurt?’ the doctor asked.

Sidney nodded through clenched teeth as the doctor moved the arm to afford him a clearer view of his chest. Sarah’s hand had at last found his own and he took from her the comfort she offered.

‘What do you think?’ Sidney asked.

‘It’s not all that bad, son. Your chest is a mess. Some of the cuts are deep, but nothing drastic. Ernie said you struck a kangaroo and it went through the windscreen?’

Sidney nodded.

‘So these scratches on your chest are from the kangaroo kicking at you?’

‘Yeah.’

‘And it was kicking a while?’

‘Under a minute, I guess. But it felt like forever.’

‘Well,’ the doctor said, standing up, ‘I have to say you are terrifically fortunate. I’ve seen kangaroos do far worse than this in far shorter time. He took his glasses from his nose again and rubbed at his eyes. ‘I think you’ve dislocated your shoulder. You’ve never done that before, have you?’