Tilly raised an eyebrow at the fullness of the pharmacy bag. “Did you buy the entire chemist out?”

While Kate pinched muffin crumbs from a paper bag and Tilly sipped orange juice from a popper, Tilly relayed what the surgeon had said. All a success. Because Tilly’s appendix hadn’t ruptured, the surgeon expected a smooth recovery over the next few weeks. They were quiet as they spoke, mindful of the other patient who slept through breakfast, and miraculously, as the duty nurse checked her vitals.

As the morning passed and the effects of the general anaesthesia wore off, Tilly started to perk up, picking more enthusiastically at her breakfast. By eleven a.m., Kate was helping Tilly slip out of bed, to find her feet while they waited for the nurse to check her wounds before a shower. When Tilly laid eyes on the tiny, bright bloodstains on the front of her gown, her lips twisted in confusion. She looked up at Kate. “But I’m not in pain,” she said, her green eyes searching Kate’s for an explanation.

Kate chuckled. “I think the Endone may have something to do with that…”

When the nurse returned and decided Tilly’s incisions needed redressing before a shower, Kate slipped outside the curtain to give Tilly privacy. It was fine to stay, Tilly insisted, but Kate shook her head. By the door, she listened to their murmurs, to the nurse’s instructions for aftercare—the stitches in the smaller incisions would dissolve, but when the site healed, Tilly would need to see her GP to remove the stitches below her belly button.

After a few minutes, the nurse pulled the curtain back and disposed of the waterproof dressing packaging in the medical bins by the door. Kate smiled softly at Tilly. You okay? Tilly nodded. Scrubbing her hands at the sink across the room, the nurse looked over her shoulder at Kate. “I have to see a man about a horse. You can help her into the shower?”

Kate nodded. “Sure.”

“Just be mindful of the back of her gown,” she warned. “She’s so slender that it swims on her, so you’ll need to hold it together.” She said it as though Tilly wasn’t in the room. They both watched as the nurse yanked a paper towel from the dispenser and wiped her wet hands.

Tilly was steadier on her feet than Kate expected. At the sink, Tilly peered into the pharmacy bag. “Have everything you need?” Kate double-checked.

She nodded.

“You okay from here?”

Tilly looked up into the mirror. Staring back at Tilly’s hesitant expression, Kate tilted her head in question.

“Can you untie my gown?” Tilly asked.

Kate worked on the double knot at the back of her neck. As she slipped Tilly’s plait aside to see what she was doing, a blush crept up Tilly’s neck. “It’s only me, Til,” she whispered. “You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

“I know.” The bathroom fell silent. “It’s just that I’m used to doing everything for myself…”