They go inside.

Doctor Eggleton takes Agnes’ pulse. He puts a stethoscope to her chest and listens. He takes her blood pressure. Bim watches. Agnes’s eyes are tired.

When the doctor has finished his examination Bim asks, “how she doing?

The doctor motions that they should talk outside. “We’re just going to talk outside mum,” Bim tells her. They go outside and the doctor closes the door.

Agnes is lying on her bed. Outside she can hear the muffled whispered voices of Bim and the Doctor talking.

After a while she closes her eyes and falls asleep.

The Doctor opens the door to Agnes’ room. “I’ll be off then Agnes.”

He shuts the door. “She’s asleep, Bim. And you should get some rest too.”

14

Not long after the Doctor leaves Bim is sat at the kitchen table. On the table is a red bowl with steaming hot water. Next to the bowl stands a round mirror. Bim is shaving.

He stops and looks at his reflection. He is crying.

15

Later, Bim prepares a meal. The kitchen has not been built for him. The process is arduous. He drags a chair around so that, when he has to, he can tip himself out of his wheelchair and use it to lean against when he needs to get things out of his reach.

A a pan is steaming.

16

Bim eats alone. He is looking through an old family photo album. He flicks through numerous photos of his mum and dad. There is one of him at a Christmas when he was a boy.

He remembers it. His dad hands him a present. Agnes is smiling. Bim tears off the wrapping. It’s a subuteo, miniature football set. “Not quite the real thing,” says his dad. Agnes says, “Come on Bill clear the table off and have a game.

Bill looks at Agnes he doesn’t really want to play.

Later. Bim and his Dad are playing. Bim scoots around the table in his wheel chair. He scores a goal and cheers like a pro. Bill slams his hand down on one his players breaking it. He looks at his son “Course, its quite a different thing to do it proper like.”

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