She looked at her bed where she’d already set out her uniform for tomorrow, her school bag propped up against it. Notebook, pencil case, headphones, water bottle, apple – all packed up ready, just like she did every school night.

Nearly there, she told herself, just a few more days.

Downstairs, someone answered the door and then her mother was calling up to her, and to her father.

‘What?’ Evie went out onto the landing, but there was no reply, just a hurried conference of adult voices at the kitchen door.

*

There had been no choice in the end. Nell could have gone to Gina, but when she’d stepped outside, trying to sound reassuring as she promised Maude she wouldn’t be long, Rowan Cottage was dark, and the lights in Spinnaker Cottage were still glowing gently.

And Carolyn hadn’t hesitated.

Between them, they had helped Maude down the yard. Carolyn insisting she drive them herself, leaving Ollie and Evie at home.

*

At least the A & E department was still functioning. They didn’t have to wait very long, and by the time they were seen by a doctor, a tall man with a reassuring manner, Maude had calmed down a little. She was, if anything, unnaturally with-drawn.

She sat on a bed in a cubicle, her legs extended, her foot raised on a folded towel. Wrapped in a blanket, shivering. Shock, Nell thought.

‘Well, it’s a nice clean cut, I’ll give you that much.’ The doctor moved to the sink in the corner and began to wash his hands. ‘And I don’t think you’ve done any serious damage there.’

‘There was a lot of blood,’ said Maude quietly.

‘I’m sure there was. But there’s nothing to worry about. We’ll clean the wound, then put a couple of stitches in.’

‘Will it hurt?’ said Maude.

‘Will there be a scar?’ Nell asked.

‘Nothing that won’t fade over time,’ said the doctor.

*

It had been incredibly kind of Carolyn to wait.

‘You should go,’ Nell had said. ‘We might be a while, and we can get a taxi back if we need to.’

But Carolyn had insisted, and once they were done, and they had made their way carefully out of the cubicle and back into the waiting area, she was still there.

‘I said I’d text Ollie when we knew what was going on.’

‘Thank you,’ said Nell, ‘but you really didn’t have to stay.’

‘I absolutely did,’ said Carolyn. ‘Maude, how are you feeling, sweetheart?’

‘I’m all right.’ Maude said softly, not really making eye contact.

‘Yes. Well. Let’s get you two home,’ said Carolyn.

*