"Hello?"

In spite of my discomfort, I couldn't help smiling at the sound of his voice,

"Hello stranger"

"Sarah, is that you?"

"Yup"

"Ha, ha, ha" he laughed, "Come on up"

I thought I heard the click of the door as he pressed the switch in his flat and then my legs gave way and I fainted!

"Sarah"

He was a million miles away, strange that I could hear his voice, he kept on and on saying my name, but I couldn't see him.

"Sarah" he said it again and he seemed nearer, a lot nearer,

"Michael, let her sleep, she's going to be all right"

"Who was that? Whoever it was, was talking to my Mickey, I wanted to shout out and tell whoever it was that he was my brother, not theirs"

It took a gargantuan effort to open my eyes, but gradually I managed it and saw my brother talking to a woman, she looked like a doctor thank God and it was her who saw me,

"Michael, look"

He turned and the look in his eyes was priceless,

"Hi" he said softly, "Thank God you've woken up, I was beginning to think you wouldn't"

"How long was I out?"

"Well it was five o'clock last night when you rang my bell, it's now ten o'clock in the morning of the following day"

"Hello Sarah" the woman said, "I'm Doctor James, or Frankie to my friends, can I just run a few checks on you?"

"Must you?" I grinned weakly, But I struggled to sit up anyway,

"You've been pretty well worked over haven't you?"

"He's an expert" I volunteered wearily,

She tested me with her stethoscope and prodded me here, there and everywhere before declaring that I had no broken bones,

"Just some very good bruises Sarah" she said quietly, "Your brother here tells me you wouldn't want the police involved, is that right?"

"Yes" I looked at Mickey and he held my gaze, "Mickey will sort it" and he grinned as he nodded.

"A word please big brother" I said after the doc had left,

"What's up kid?"

"Just wondering is all"

"Ok, wondering what?"

"Well I seem to be naked under the bed clothes"

"Really?" he looked up to the ceiling innocently,

"Yes really Michael"

"Well, I, er, I, well I thought I had better get you into bed"

His face was bright red, he looked just like a naughty little schoolboy caught looking up the teacher's skirt,

"I didn't enjoy it Sarah, honest"

"Oh so you don't think I'm pretty then?"

"Aw Sarah, you're gorgeous and you know you are"

"Ok, you just saved yourself, but where are my clothes?"

"I washed them, they're out on the line drying"

"They didn't need washing did they?"

"Well apart from the blood and the urine, no, they were fine"

"Urine?"

"You'd had a little accident"

"Oh, sorry" I felt silly then,

"Don't be sorry, they'll take a while to dry in this weather though, why don't you soak in a nice hot bath, it'll do your bruises good?"

That sounded nice so I allowed him to draw a bath for me while I got out of bed and slipped into one of his shirts,

My upper body was a mass of bruises, my right eye was puffed up and swollen as were my lips, thankfully none of my teeth were missing, but I looked a mess and I felt it!

"You'll heal before you know it kid" he said from behind me, "And you'll be as gorgeous as ever"

"Thanks" I laughed, "You always were good for me when we were kids"

"Yes well I'm going to be good for you for a little while yet, you'll be staying here for a few weeks at least while you heal up"

"Ok" I said cheerfully, "But on one condition"

"Oh?"

"I know you slept on the sofa last night"

"Yeah, so?"

"We share the bed"

I could see him thinking about how uncomfortable the sofa must have been last night, then he looked at me and said without the trace of a smile,