She paused. Her back was to me, so I couldn’t see her face. For all I know, she was doing that grown-up thing when your facial expression says something different to your words, by winking or something. I don’t know.

‘… why don’t you bring this device in for me to have a look at? I can examine it and determine whether or not it may have played a part in Sebastian’s condition. We are feeling our way in the dark a little here. Any help, any further information might be useful. And it might put Malcolm’s mind at rest. I think he feels as though this is somehow his fault.’

‘Because it is!’ I wailed.

It was like I had climbed to the top of a hill, then tumbled all the way back down again. For the first time ever, I had told someone the whole truth, and they hadn’t tried to shut me up. And then Mam and Dad came back in and … pushed me back down the hill.

It was also the first time in ages they’d actually agreed on something.

They’d agreed that I was talking nonsense. That’s a shame because right now I need people to believe me.

Chapter 28

Before Dad drove me home, I went into Seb’s room along the wide corridor. He was fast asleep, connected by wires to a machine that was making no noise but had little flashing numbers on a panel with switches and stuff. Mam and Dad were outside in the corridor, talking to yet another doctor.

He looked okay, lying on his back, mouth half open. His green goalie top was folded on a shelf next to him. The nurse who was with him had closed the blinds, and it was cool and shady. When I got closer, I could see his eyelids twitching, and occasionally he parted his lips as if he was muttering something, but when I put my ear to his mouth I couldn’t hear anything. He was definitely dreaming.

‘Seb! Seb!’ I said, but the nurse gently told me, ‘Shush. The doctors think it might be better to let him sleep. If that’s what his body needs.’

‘He’s been asleep for hours,’ I said, but I didn’t try to wake him again. Instead, I sat on the chair and took his hand and told him quietly, ‘Wake up, Lil-Bro, wake up.’ Then I lowered my head to rest it on his hand and I stayed there for a few minutes and the nurse left the room.

It’s daft: I half expected – or perhaps hoped – that Seb would open one eye and say, ‘Hey – we fooled them!’ Of course, he didn’t. He just lay there, occasionally twitching part of his face, or the hand I was holding.