When he was fully awake, Martha was pleased to see him sit up while the nurse took his blood pressure and temperature. The young woman smiled and chatted as she worked, removing the drip from Danny’s arm while telling him that the doctor made his rounds later in the morning and would hopefully allow Danny to go home. The nurse left with another huge smile and a trolley appeared at the door of their room. Martha was offered coffee while Danny chose orange juice.

‘Will I really be able to go home this morning?’ he asked.

Martha ruffled her son’s hair. ‘Fingers crossed! The doctor we spoke to yesterday said so and you’re looking good to me, apart from the bedhead.’ Danny managed to smile, prompting a warm feeling to run through her body. Martha was aware that she too would need time to recover from the ordeal they’d suffered.

After breakfast, which Danny wolfed down, he was allowed a bath, a luxury he told his mother he’d never take for granted again. Martha was on hand to help him, talking of mundane things in an effort to bring normality to the unreal situation.

Once back in the side ward, Richard arrived, bringing Danny a fresh change of clothes and some toiletries for his wife. Her thanks were brief and cool but neither parent wished Danny to pick up on their mood, so they spoke of trivial things and remained civil to each other. Richard told Martha that her mother was waiting at home, having insisted she cook a meal for their return.

Unsurprisingly Elaine had been cool towards her son-in-law that morning. Her attitude was more eloquent than any words, but Richard expected no less. It wasn’t her he wanted to win back, it was Martha, yet he remained unsure if this could ever happen.

For most of the night, Richard’s mind replayed the earlier conversation with his wife. It scrolled round and round like a stuck gramophone record, the words he’d spoken and the words he wished he’d said tormenting him. But it was too late – the conversation was gone. He hoped there would be others if only she’d give him the chance to make it up to her, but if only were such sad words.

Richard knew Martha’s priority, and his, would be to help Danny recover. He wondered if the kidnapping would still have happened if he hadn’t started a relationship with Serena or precisely what her role in the events had been. There would be time to find out. DI Radford would no doubt be asking more questions and Richard hoped to learn more from him, even though he expected no sympathy from the man.