“Hi,” I said, a little uncertainly.

“Is Marcus around?

And please, don’t warn him I’m here, he’ll just tell me I shouldn’t have bothered coming.” She did not answer me right away.

Instead she glanced sideways at the other nurse beside her, a quick, frightened look that passed between them and that I was not supposed to see, and the second nurse looked down at her hands.

I felt my own smile begin to falter.