‘BE ABOUT five minutes,’ the pharmacist said as he took Sidney’s prescriptions.

She nodded and sat on a chair next to the shelves of vitamins and hair dyes. She inhaled the aromatherapy oils vaporising on the counter — orange, lavender, and perhaps patchouli — and stared at the fragrances locked in the glass cabinet.

Down the stairs with so many stars lit bright

I walked with you until you were sober

In the Hedera helix green and white

Don’t you remember how I held you tight

And didn’t let you fall as we stumbled

Down the stairs with so many stars lit bright

If she recited The Poem in her head often enough, she wouldn’t forget it. A woman with balding grey hair wheeled her walking frame towards the prescriptions counter.

When you crash through the morning harsh and light

Do you remember how they played our song

In the Hedera helix green and white

If only again the fire would —

‘I just got me make-up done.’ The balding woman parked next to Sidney and plonked her bum down on the walking frame’s seat. ‘Whatcha think?’

Sidney looked at the woman’s flaky red skin. ‘I think you look beautiful.’

‘Now I’ve got me face all nice, I need to find a man,’ she said loudly. ‘Men. Ones with nice arses.’

‘Whatcha want a man for, Coral?’ A greying blonde woman wandered over. The daughter?

‘Only ones with nice arses.’

‘My husband left me and moved to Tasmania,’ Coral’s daughter told Sidney.

Sidney frowned. A lot of signs were pointing to Tasmania.

‘Best place for him, love,’ said Coral. ‘Now ya just haveta find a new one with a nice arse.’

Coral’s daughter snort-laughed.

‘Nice arses!’ shouted Coral. ‘Nice arses!’

Sidney glanced at the pharmacy assistant, who was striding towards the cosmetics aisle, ignoring Coral.

‘Sidney Loukas,’ called the pharmacist.

She was going to ask him if he knew what blood in mucous might indicate, but, when she stood, she could see the pharmacy assistant interrogating an auburn-haired girl in school uniform. Aubrey! Sidney walked over. ‘Which colour did you choose, sweetie?’

Aubrey looked up, her face as red as the box of make-up the pharmacy assistant must have caught her taking.

‘Bring it over and I’ll pay for it with my prescriptions.’

The pharmacist repeated her name.

‘Thank you.’ She took the Derma Camouflage Crème from the pharmacy assistant and collected her tablets.

Aubrey didn’t speak as she followed Sidney to the front counter. Sidney glanced at her while she paid; she was biting her bottom lip, fighting back tears. Sidney handed her the paper bag containing the make-up, and Aubrey rushed out into the shopping centre.