Jenny did as he ordered, her palms clammy as she ushered the children to the family sitting near them on the beach.

Zoe was trying to ask more questions but fortunately the other family immediately saw the problem and took over, comforting and distracting the little girl.

By the time she’d sprinted back to Alex, Libby was barely conscious. Her lips were tinged blue and she was wheezing badly.

Alex was trying to reassure her but Jenny could see the tension in his broad shoulders.

‘The adrenaline hasn’t touched her and I don’t have any with me. I left it in the house. Everything is swelling up,’ he muttered, raking long fingers through her hair in a gesture of frustration. ‘Go through her handbag again and see if you can find hydrocortisone. I told her to carry both.’

Frantically hoping that Libby had followed her brother’s advice, Jenny pushed aside lipsticks, mirrors, nail varnish, ribbons and closed her fingers around an ampoule of hydrocortisone and a syringe.

‘I’ve got it!’

‘Draw it up,’ Alex ordered, struggling to keep Libby’s airway patent.

Jenny did as he asked and handed him the syringe.

‘I can’t stop what I’m doing—you’re going to have to do it,’ he said immediately. ‘She carries a tourniquet. Put it on her arm and find a vein. I want you to give it IV. Where the hell is that helicopter?’

Jenny didn’t argue but she was suddenly terrified that she wouldn’t be able to do what he asked.

Working in a well-equipped accident and emergency department was very different to delivering lifesaving first aid on a beach. Especially when the victim was someone you knew.

Her hands were shaking and she felt physically sick.

She tightened the tourniquet, aware of the sound of a helicopter in the distance.

By now a small crowd had gathered and Alex was giving instructions.

‘Make an “X” in the sand so that they can land, and clear everyone away! Hurry!’

Jenny concentrated on Libby’s arm. ‘That looks like a good vein.’

Please, let it be a good vein.

‘Go for it. And don’t miss.’ Alex lifted his eyes and his gaze burned into hers, giving her courage. ‘Good girl. You can do it.’

She swallowed hard and then swabbed the skin and picked up the syringe. She pushed the needle, felt the skin give and then she was in the vein.

‘Well done.’ Alex was still watching. ‘Now inject it—that’s right. A bit faster.’

As Libby removed the syringe, the paramedics sprinted up to them with oxygen.

Alex grabbed it and covered Libby’s mouth and nose with the mask. ‘Get me some more adrenaline,’ he ordered swiftly. ‘I’ve given her one lot and it’s done nothing. I want to try some more.’ He turned his attention back to his sister, stroking her hair and talking gently to her while maintaining her compromised airway. ‘If this doesn’t work I’ll need to intubate her.’

He swore softly, the strain clearly visible on his handsome face, and Jenny stood watching, totally powerless to help as the paramedics handed Alex a syringe.