SARAH

The burn wasn't that bad really although it frightened both of us. I couldn't believe I'd done it at first, I'm normally so careful with things like that. I was distracted, worrying about Danny and school and Johnnie and the pan slipped and the next thing I knew my arm was trapped underneath it. I was so embarrassed, I pride myself on being sensible and coping things but it just hurt so much. The pain is impossible to describe, especially now when it's all over but I remember intense burning as the pan branded my flesh. I'm not good with pain, I think I blacked out briefly because I woke up to the smell of singed dressing gown and mounting pain stabbing through every nerve ending. I tried to stand up, remembered from some first aid course that you should run burns under cold water but my legs wouldn't move so I stayed sat on the floor. They told me at the hospital that I had been in shock, I just remember feeling ice cold and shaking uncontrollably and wishing that Paul would hurry home.

Looking back there must only have been a half hour gap between the incident and Paul arriving home but it felt like hours, I don't think I've ever been so glad to see him. He was fantastic really, normally he's worse about blood and injuries than I am - he fainted when he had to have a couple of injections for our holiday last year. This time he was so calm; he called an ambulance and talked to me until it came. He was so relieved when they dressed the wound in A+E and sent me home. Talk about overreacting, I don't know how long he thought I'd be in hospital for but the relief on his face when they said he could take me home was palpable. It made me laugh in fact, I think the staff thought I was losing my mind. I can see where they were coming from, there I was, sat in the consulting room in my blood-stained dressing gown, doped up on painkillers and cackling because someone was going to take me home. We had to take a taxi because Paul had come in the ambulance with me. He didn't need to bother calling one, he could have driven us both over but I was in no state to argue at the time. It cost us twenty quid to get home - that turned me pale but I was relieved enough not to stay in hospital that it seemed a small price to pay.

The dressing fascinated Danny, his face was a picture when we came home. Johnnie had kept him occupied on the PlayStation whilst we were gone so when he heard the front door opening he had no idea who was coming in. He came thumping down the stairs grumbling away,

'Who's that coming in through our front door?'

Trouble was he was looking back up at Johnnie whilst trying to run down the stairs and lost his balance. Thankfully he was close to the bottom so it wasn't far to fall. It made my heart leap though, I had visions of another trip to A+E in my dressing gown. He went completely floppy, like a rag doll rolling down the stairs, arms and legs everywhere. It's a good thing, if he'd kept his limbs rigid he'd likely have broken something. In the end he was frightened more than hurt, he lay on the floor, so still we thought he wasunconscious,

'Danny! Can you hear me?'

'Mum. What you doing?'

'Mummy hurt her arm and we had to go to hospital. I'll explain later. Now, have you hurt yourself?'

'Yeh. I fell. Down the stairs. Where's Dad?'

'I'm here as well Danny, I took Mummy to hospital. What hurts?'

'My bottom - that's rude.'

'It's not rude Danny, it's just necessary. Anything else hurt?'

'Oops. Sorry. It's necessary. Did Mum fall down the stairs too?'

'No, that's just you silly. Mum hurt herself on a hot pan.'

'Be careful. Stay away from the oven. It's hot.'

'That's what we tell you isn't it? That's why we tell you to be careful, Mummy made a mistake and burnt herself and we wouldn't want you to do that would we? Does anything else hurt?'

'No.'

'Well shall we get you up off the floor then?'

'No. I'll fall over and hurt myself.'

'You'll be ok. You're at the bottom of the stairs now. Come on, I'll help you. You and Mummy can sit down in the kitchen together and I'll put the kettle on for a cup of tea.'

'I don't like tea.'

'Well you can have juice if you like.'

'Alright my lord.'

'Just Daddy will do thank you.'

'Alright my lord. Sorry. Daddy.'

'Come on then. You should come and sit down too Sarah, I'll put the kettle on.'

I shouted upstairs to Johnnie, he came downstairs and we all sat around the table.

'You know, this is the first time in ages that we've all sat around a table together. I should burn myself more often!'

'That's not funny Mum. You shouldn't joke about it.'

'Oh don't be so sensitive sweetheart - it's hardly as if I did it on purpose.'

Johnnie and Paul exchanged glances at this.

'You surely don't think I did it on the purpose do you? Of all the stupid...'

Paul stepped in at this point.

'That's enough in front of little ears. Of course we don't think you did it on purpose but you have had a lot on your plate recently, no-one would blame you for being distracted.'

'Well, it was just an accident ok? I don't need you lot thinking I'm losing it, OK?'

'Alright Mum. Can we talk about something else?'

Typical Johnnie, anything to avoid conflict. He'd bend over backwards to avoid confrontation that kid, Trish knows it too. Still it was one topic that I didn't mind dropping.

'Hey, little one. What have you been doing with your big brother? It's nice to have him home isn't it?'

'Yes. Live long and prosper.'

'Don't be silly Danny. What have you and Johnnie been doing?'

'Dunno. Wait to see.'

'We've been playing on the PlayStation haven't we?'

'Yeh. The Incredibles. Runningbastion.'

Now I had no idea what runningbastion meant. Danny tends to repeat random phrases from films and games so it can be anybody's guess what he means.

'What did you say?'

'Runningbastion. It's a cheat. Lots of life.'

'Oh. Daddy and I aren't any good on the PlayStation are we? I bet it's nice to have some help for a change. How long are you planning on staying Johnnie?'

'I'm not sure Mum, not long. If you're ok I'll probably head home this evening or tomorrow morning. I thought I might pop over and see Gran and and Grandad later as well.'

'That sounds like a nice idea. You could take Danny with you as well if you don't mind. Would you like to go and visit Gran and Grandad Danny?'

'No. Grandad smells funny.'

Paul had been fairly quiet up until this point so I let him deal with that one. After all, it's true, Paul's Dad does smell funny, stale fags and whisky mostly if I'm honest but we don't talk about that much.

'You like going to visit Gran and Grandad Danny. Don't be silly. Sandy might be there if you're lucky.'

Sandy is the dog who has, for some unknown reason, adopted Paul's Mum and Dad. He technically lives four doors down but spends most of his day curled up in front of their fire. They say it's because he likes the company. I have a feeling that the bag of dog treats under the stairs plays a rather larger part in the equation.

'Sandy? Yeh, let's go.'

'Well we'll finish our drinks first shall we? I'm not sure when Johnnie wants to leave anyway.'

'Whenever. I don't mind really. I'll give you a hand cleaning up in here and then we'll head over.'