Somehow I managed to answer her questions. My name. His name. Our address. The date he was born. When she asked me what was wrong with him all I could say was, ‘Blood. There’s so much blood.’

‘Don’t worry, Tamsyn. We’re going to help him. The ambulance is on its way. Help will be with you soon. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you until it gets there?’

‘No,’ I said. ‘No, I need to get back to him.’

I put the phone down then rested my head against the receiver. I didn’t want to go back. I wanted to stay in the phone box, where I was safe, where I didn’t have to watch Granfer die.

‘Don’t be dead,’ I whispered as I walked back. ‘Please don’t be dead.’

When I reached the door, gaping open as I’d left it, all I could see was the dark, cramped hallway. The stairs rose away from me. I listened but there was no sound. I tried to step inside but I couldn’t move. I was frozen. I didn’t want to see him dead. I didn’t want to see his blood-soaked lifeless body. As I stood frozen to the spot I saw myself, aged ten, sitting at the top of the stairs looking down on the collapsed figure of my mother, her body wracked with sobs, the man in the yellow raincoat weighing her down with his heavy hand.

I have no idea how long it was before the wail of sirens finally approached our road. I waved frantically, tears prickling my eyes as relief flooded me.

‘Up there!’ I said, pointing into the house. ‘He’s up there.’

They ran inside, but I didn’t follow them. I sat on the wall, numbed, arms clasped around my body, as I listened to their urgent voices, their footsteps, and the crackle of radios. It felt like hours before two men finally emerged from the house carrying my grandad on a stretcher. As they passed me I stared at him, flat and still, pale-faced, covered with a blanket, green canvas straps tying him down. The mask over his face misted and cleared. Still alive. But only just.

‘Miss?’ I looked up at the man. His eyes were kind. Crinkled at the corners. ‘If you could step back now? We need to get him in the ambulance.’

I nodded then bent to kiss Granfer on the top of his head. He smelt musty and sweet and I wondered if this was what people smelt like before they died.

‘Do you want to wait here?’

I shook my head vigorously, eyeing the house. ‘Can I stay with him?’