Nancy tried to help him to his feet. ‘You need to go to the hospital, Ged, the blood’s pumping out of you. Let me tie this around your waist to try and stop it.’ She pulled the black scarf from her neck and lifted up his T-shirt, her eyes wide open with shock. ‘Fucking hell Ged, it’s deep, blood’s gushing out all over the place. They’ve sliced you up good and proper.’

‘Get me back home, Nancy, it’s not that deep. Stop overreacting. I’ll go to the hossy in Manchester. I need to get away from here, please just help me to get home.’

Nancy hovered over him. She owed him nothing – the way he’d treated her she should have left him to rot. Not so much of a big boy now, was he? Ged’s mobile started to ring, but he ignored the call; his life was at risk here. He knew it was touch and go whether he’d make it or not. He could take a turn for the worse any second, he just needed to get home. Nancy hooked his arm over her shoulder, and she started to walk back towards the train station. She was strong this girl was, and she was doing a pretty good job of supporting him.

‘Ged, are you sure you can do this? I’ll get a taxi if you want?’ He didn’t reply. His body was weak and all he wanted was to go home. Nancy was his only lifeline.

She knew, when they got back to the train station, that he needed to act normal. If anyone even suspected that he’d been knifed they would ring the police at the drop of a hat and he’d be arrested and have the book thrown at him.

‘Ged, try and stand up properly, we’re nearly there. Please. Trust me, you need to act normal if you want me to get you home.’

She pulled his hood up over his head and he walked as tall as he could to the platform. ‘Just get me home, please. I want my mam,’ he sobbed.

Ged doubled up in pain as he sat on the train. Beads of sweat were visible all over his forehead, he was burning up. Nancy held scraps of tissue in her hand, patting his forehead to try and cool him down. She seemed to have stopped the bleeding from the stomach area, but he was in so much pain. He needed to get to the hospital as soon as they reached Manchester.