Miranda watched Rona eating breakfast, mouthful by slow mouthful, and with each lift of the spoon from the bowl to Rona's lips she grew more concerned. When Rona finished Miranda knitted her brow, and looked at how pale she was, and asked:

"Did eating make you feel better, or worse?"

Rona took an eternity to answer and when she did she said "Worse", tentatively as if she wasn't even sure.

"That's not good" Miranda said, more for her own benefit than Rona's. "Are you working today?"

"Yeah."

Miranda felt bad for making Rona talk because she seemed to wince with every word, but she found that she couldn't help herself. "How long's your shift?"

"Six hours" Rona said after some thought. "No, seven, I think."

"No-one else who can do it for you? Your friend, what's-his-name?"

"No" Rona said. She shut her eyes and Miranda worried that she'd go to sleep on the spot.

"Do you want some Sudafed?" Miranda asked at last.

"God, yes please" Rona answered, and it was the most effusive she'd been since getting up.