“Mum?” “Nell—” Hearing my voice, she bursts into tears. She’s hysterical. “Mum, are you OK? What’s happened?” Fear has me by the throat. “It’s your dad . . . there’s been a terrible car accident—” I can hear urgent voices in the background. “Mum?” “The police are here, he’s been airlifted to the hospital—” Her voice is drowning under thick, heavy sobs. “They say it’s really serious . . .” More voices. A sense of panic. “Mum, I can’t hear you—” “Nell, I’ve got to go . . . I’ll call you from the hospital.”
