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you’d rather be locked up in jail on a murder charge?’
    ‘Of course not.’
    ‘What then?’
    ‘You were only worried cos we were all on those stolen pills of yours.’
    ‘I didn’t see you turning them down in the bar.’
    ‘You weren’t interested in saving me, you were only interested in saving yourself.’
    ‘If that’s all you think of me, Bro, it breaks my heart.’
    ‘Fuck you, Charlie, don’t get all superior with me. I know you.’
    ‘I had to make a decision, you and Zoe were rabbits in the headlights. I did what Mum would’ve wanted.’
    ‘Stop fucking using Mum like that.’
    ‘She wouldn’t want us to destroy our lives over this.’
    ‘I said leave her out of it.’
    ‘Reporting the accident would’ve been like disrespecting her memory. Is that what you want to do, disrespect Mum?’
    Billy lunged for his brother, grabbed his shirt and shoved him so that the two of them spilled off the chair and on to the floor, beer and sandwich flying. They struggled on the ground for a while, Billy trying to punch Charlie but only glancing the side of his head, his knuckles crunching into the floorboards. Charlie backhanded Billy across the face, knocking him sideways and bringing tears to his eyes, a sting of blood to his cheek. Charlie scrambled on top and used his weight to pin Billy down, holding his wrists against the floor in a gesture of surrender. It was all over in a few seconds, Charlie getting the better of his little brother as usual.
    ‘Just relax,’ Charlie whispered in Billy’s ear.
    Billy was struggling to get free from the weight of his brother, but Charlie had a firm hold, a lifetime’s experience of keeping Billy pinned down.
    ‘Take it easy.’ Charlie spoke softly, like he was comforting a baby.
    Billy’s breathing slowed and the tension left his body. He caught his breath back. ‘It’s OK for you, I have to follow the story. It’s in my face all the time.’
     ‘I know.’ Charlie was still holding Billy’s wrists and sitting on top of him. ‘It’s fucking stressful, I understand that. I know all about stress. I deal with dying people every day at A&E, you think I don’t know? But we just have to stay cool, and this will all blow over.’
    ‘You think?’
    ‘We have to keep it together. Help each other through.’
    Billy looked at his wrists, Charlie’s thick fingers still holding tight. ‘I’m OK, you can let go now.’
    Charlie considered this for a moment, then released Billy’s wrists and stood up.
    Billy pushed himself up on his elbows and rubbed his cheek where Charlie had slapped him. It felt alive with blood, just below the surface.
    ‘Sorry about that,’ Charlie said.
    ‘It’s OK.’ Billy looked at the mess on the floor, bits of sandwich floating in a pool of beer.
    ‘I’ll clean up,’ Charlie said.
    He offered a hand out. Billy took it and got up. Charlie put a hand on Billy’s shoulder.
    ‘Why don’t you try to get some sleep,’ he said. ‘You look like shit.’
    Billy stood rubbing his neck.
    ‘That whiplash still bothering you?’
    ‘Yeah, a bit.’
    ‘Want something for it?’ Charlie pulled a couple of blister packs from his pocket, one painkillers, the other sedatives. He handed both to Billy.
    ‘Two of each should sort you out. Just keep the packs, in case you need more.’
    Billy looked at the packets in Charlie’s hand. ‘Keeping me doped up and out of trouble, yeah?’
    Charlie gave a mock reproachful look. ‘Just trying to help my wee brother out. Is that a crime?’
    Billy took the packs and pocketed them.
    ‘Maybe I should go for a lie down.’
    ‘Now you’re talking, it’ll all seem better once you’ve had some proper rest.’
    Billy turned and went upstairs, leaving Charlie to clean up the mess. At the top of the stairs he stopped. He looked back down. The Wu-Tang Clan had started up already, quieter this time.
    He walked to Charlie’s room, went in and opened a drawer in the bedside table. It was full of