‘Oh Kirsty!’ Heather leaned across the table and kissed her. ‘That’s excellent news.’

‘Congratulations,’ said Paul’s dad.

‘It’s been a somewhat overwhelming twenty-four hours,’ said Jamie.

Kirsty stood up. ‘I need to go to the loo.’

‘I’ll come with you,’ said Heather.

‘I wouldn’t if I were you.’

Jamie said, ‘Have you still got a bad stomach?’

‘Yes.’ To prove it, she hurried off.

‘We had an Indian last night,’ Jamie explained to the others, ‘and we were both sick this morning.’

‘Oh.’ Nobody was very interested. Paul had woken up. That was all that mattered. The news about Kirsty’s pregnancy was secondary right now. They were itching to get back to Paul’s room. They needed to know how he was.

Kirsty came back looking pale, and a few minutes later a nurse appeared. ‘Would you like to come back now?’ she said.

‘How is he?’ asked Paul’s mum.

The nurse smiled. ‘Why don’t you come and see for yourself?’

They filed back into the room. Doctor Meer was standing beside the bed, looking pleased, hands tucked into the pockets of his white coat. Paul was propped up with a pillow behind his back. He looked like the living dead, his eyes open but empty of feeling. Jamie wanted him to smile – wished his face would light up with that boyish grin – but he just looked at them, impassive. Heather, Kirsty and Paul’s parents each went up to him and hugged him. He didn’t reciprocate; his arms hung loosely by his side, his hands concealed beneath the sheets. When Heather pulled away Paul looked at her as if she was a stranger.

Amnesia, Jamie thought. He stepped forward, a cautious smile on his face. ‘Alright, mate?’ he said.

Paul nodded, still expressionless.

‘You do remember who we all are, don’t you?’

The others exchanged worried glances.

Paul looked at them all. After a long pause, during which Jamie noticed how silent it was in here without the constant bip-bip-bip of the heart monitor, he said, ‘Of course I remember. Mum. Dad. Jamie. Kirsty. And Heather.’ He pointed at the doctor. ‘I don’t think I’ve been introduced to this guy though.’

Doctor Meer stepped forward and told Paul his name.

‘And you’ve been looking after me?’

‘Not just Doctor Meer,’ said Paul’s mum. ‘All the nurses here, and your dad and me, and Heather and Kirsty and Jamie. We’ve all sat with you, Paul, waiting for you to wake up.’ Tears bubbled to the surface again, and she produced a damp tissue and blew her nose.

‘So I suppose I owe you all my thanks.’

‘You don’t owe us anything, son,’ said Paul’s dad.

‘We’re just so pleased to have you back,’ said Heather.