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Sarah's head, and she hurried into the living room to check what was going on.
    'Kingston, drop it,' Jamie shouted. He was chasing the dog around the room, but stopped as soon as he saw Sarah. He waved his arms in a gesture of astonishment. 'He keeps trying to run off with my toys,' he exclaimed.
    The evidence was still in Kingston's mouth, and Sarah grabbed the dog's collar and removed the prized possession. 'You can't have Jamie's truck,' she told him sternly. 'Go and play with your ball instead.'
    Kingston's ears perked up. Ball? That seemed to jog a distant memory. He'd heard that before, somewhere or other... Ball... He knew ball. Looking around, he went to sniff it out.
    Sarah glanced at Jamie. 'We have to go soon, chick. Will you put your toys away for me, please? Then we'll get in the car and go with Grandad to see your mummy.'
    Jamie gave a whoop of joy. 'Yes,' he shouted. 'Yes.. .1 want to see Mummy.'
    He looked at her eagerly, and Sarah wished that she could be as positive about the meeting as he was. 'You know that she won't be able to sit up to talk to you, don't you.. .and that we can only visit for a little while? The nurse said we could have ten minutes. That's not very long.'
    The nursing staff were worried that a longer visit would result in both mother and son being upset and they were wary of Hannah's spine being further damaged if she tried to get closer to her little boy.
    He nodded. 'I'm going to give her my flowers. She'll like those.'
    'Yes, she will.'
    Sarah turned away, not wanting Jamie to see her expression. Her eyes filled up with tears whenever she thought of her sister lying in the hospital bed, unable to move. It was heartbreaking.
    Jamie was full of anticipation, though, and some time later they went to the hospital and headed for Hannah's room. Jamie went over to his mother's bedside.
    'See what I brought you?' he said eagerly, thrusting the posy of flowers forward.
    'They are beautiful,' Hannah said softly. 'Come here and give me a kiss.'
    Jamie pressed a kiss on his mother's cheek and talked to her for a while, telling her about his friends and everything that was going on at school. Hannah listened and put in a comment every now and again. She was trying very hard to put on a cheerful face for her young son, and Sarah could only guess at how difficult that must be for her.
    Sarah's father was sitting beside the bed, and now he leaned forward and spoke quietly to Hannah. 'Are you bearing up all right? Is there anything we can bring in for you? Some books on audiotape, perhaps?'
    'That would be good, thanks.' Hannah was doing her best to be amenable, but the light had gone out of her eyes and Sarah felt wretched for her.
    It was a wrench when she had to take Jamie out of the room a short time later, but the nurse told him, 'When your mummy is feeling a little bit better, she'll be able to sit in a chair and talk to you, and then you can stay for a little bit longer. Will you like that?'
    Jamie nodded solemnly. He looked up at Sarah. 'Is she going to be better soon?'
    'I hope so, Jamie.'
    She walked with him along the corridor, showing him the hospital gardens from the windows, doing what she could to take his mind off having to leave his mother. Her father was going to stay with Hannah for a little while longer, and more than anything, Sarah hoped that he would be able to bring her out of her depression.
    She was pointing out to Jamie the fountain and a collection of four bronze statues that decorated a paved area outside the building when she glanced around and saw that Mark was coming their way. His stride was long and purposeful, and he looked good, wearing a beautifully tailored suit that sat easily on his masculine frame, so that her heart made a strange little lurch in her chest.
    'I thought you might be around here,' he said. He glanced at Jamie. 'Have you been to see your mummy?'
    Jamie nodded.
    He must have sensed Jamie's reservations, because he murmured, 'I expect that you'll be