He looked back to Mary, reached down, touched her bare foot. Joy felt the urge to slap his hand away, but she swallowed it.

“You have medicine for the cattle,” she said. “Give her some.”

“There’s penicillin,” he said. “I don’t know if it’ll do her any good.”

“You can try.”

He fell silent, his fingers still resting on Mary’s toes.

There was a forbidden thing Joy wanted to say. Something that was never mentioned, not in this house, not between these walls. She had never said it aloud, barely even thought it. But now, she had no choice.

“She’s your daughter,” she said.

He pulled his hand away from Mary’s foot, brought his fingers to his chest, cast his gaze down to the floor.

“Don’t say that. You’re not allowed to say it.”

“It’s the truth.”

He formed his right hand into a fist, raised it over her. But she knew he would not strike her. He didn’t have the fury left in him.

“Get her the medicine,” she said. “Please.”

George lowered his fist, turned, and climbed the stairs.

He returned some time later carrying a tray. Noreen went to the corner without being asked, but Joy remained where she was, on the bed next to Mary’s. George set the tray beside her. On it there sat two bottles, one labelled penicillin, the other white spirit. Alongside them, a clean cloth, and a syringe with a vicious-looking needle. He opened the bottle of white spirit, tipped some onto the cloth, then wiped the rubber cap on the bottle of medicine. Then he pierced the cap with the needle and drew some of the liquid into the syringe. Joy hadn’t had an injection since she was a child, but she knew this needle was thicker than any that had ever pierced her skin.

“I boiled it in water to sterilise it,” George said. “I had to guess her weight to measure the dose, but I think it’s about right. Turn her over.”

Joy hesitated, then did as she was told, rolling Mary onto her stomach.

“Pull that up,” he said, indicating Mary’s nightdress.

He dabbed more white spirit onto the cloth, wiped a patch of skin on Mary’s buttock. Joy looked away as he plunged the needle into the muscle. Mary emitted a low groan.

“There,” he said. “Now we have to wait and see.”

He returned the items to the tray and went to lift it. Joy placed her hand on his forearm. He turned his head to her, shock in his eyes.

“Thank you,” she said.

He did not answer.

30: Mary

30: Mary