Do you hear me up there? If he has to stay here at Brigg Farm forever, if I have to keep on visiting him, year in and year out, I don’t care now. If that’s what it takes to keep him alive, then so be it. I surrender my claim to him as long as he lives. Do you hear me? Gus has to live. I can bear the rest.

Their pain was made bearable only by the kindness of others. The Strathavar folk rallied to make a rota for milking which gave Angus the chance to visit the hospital each precious hour on Saturday and Sunday. Steak pies and sponge cakes appeared out of the air on the kitchen table to sustain their broken hearts. Gus’s little pals sent cards and letters and gifts for him. Peg wept each morning when the school bus passed at the bottom of the track, knowing that Gus was lying so far away from all that was normal. Netta no longer cared what was happening in Yorkshire. If the business was ruined so be it, but Polly kept her informed and loyally kept up her sewing.

A flow of kindness from her Griseley customers came through the post. The Oldroyd girls send a parcel of magazines addressed to Gus. Elsie Batley sent a huge bouquet to the farm and a box of fancy chocolates to boost Netta’s morale. There were even greetings from the Scotia crowd and prayers of encouragement from the church folk. Peg and Angus were humbled that so many strangers were concerned for the plight of their child.

Drew came up by train to meet up with them outside the hospital and Netta introduced him shyly to Peg and Angus as they made the trek down to the ward. Her parents were impressed by the way he could ask the sort of questions in medical language that got pertinent answers, not evasions. He explained every procedure to them in simple terms. Netta took him in briefly to see Gus who was now out of immediate danger but very weak. ‘This is Dr Stirling who’s as keen on Leeds United as you are on Queen of the South.’

In the quiet of the Station Hotel he was able to explain what might happen next in Gus’s treatments. ‘He’s being transferred to orthopaedics now, being rested on a firm bed with lots of massage and therapy on his limbs. Perhaps he’ll need calipers for a while to strengthen them. He’s over the worst but there’s still a long way to go. He’s a spirited wee lad. He’ll do fine, I promise.’

Netta wished she could believe him as they walked along the platform. It felt strangely comfortable to have him to herself in the very place where she and Rae had met so many years ago. Another man and another farewell.