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“Father”　at　home？　Seriously？　Do　you？’

He　thought　he　had　something　on　Fats；　he　thought　he　had　got　him。

‘You’re　a　dickhead；　Cooper；’　said　Fats　wearily；　and　Andrew　laughed。

IV
‘Dr　Jawanda’s　running　about　fifteen　minutes　late；’　the　receptionist　told　Tessa。

‘Oh；　that’s　fine；’　said　Tessa。　‘I’m　in　no　hurry。’

It　was　early　evening；　and　the　waiting…room　windows　made　patches　of　clear　royal　blue　against　the　walls。　There　were　only　two　other　people　there：　a　misshapen；　wheezing　old　woman　wearing　carpet　slippers；　and　a　young　mother　who　was　reading　a　magazine　while　her　toddler　rummaged　in　the　toy　box　in　the　corner。　Tessa　took　a　battered　old　Heat　magazine　from　the　table　in　the　middle；　sat　down　and　flicked　through　the　pages；　looking　at　the　pictures。　The　delay　gave　her　more　time　to　think　about　what　she　was　going　to　say　to　Parminder。

They　had　spoken；　briefly；　on　the　telephone　this　morning。　Tessa　had　been　full　of　contrition　that　she　had　not　called　at　once　to　let　Parminder　know　about　Barry。　Parminder　had　said　it　was　fine；　for　Tessa　not　to　be　silly；　that　she　was　not　upset　at　all；　but　Tessa；　with　her　lengthy　experience　of　the　thin…skinned　and　fragile；　could　tell　that　Parminder；　beneath　her　prickly　carapace；　was　wounded。　She　had　tried　to　explain　that　she　had　been　utterly　exhausted　the　last　couple　of　days；　and　that　she　had　had　to　deal　with　Mary；　Colin；　Fats；　Krystal　Weedon；　that　she　had　felt　overwhelmed；　lost　and　incapable　of　thinking　of　more　than　the　immediate　problems　that　had　been　thrown　at　her。　But　Parminder　had　cut　her　off　in　the　middle　of　her　rambling　excuses　and　said　calmly　that　she　would　see　her　later　at　the　surgery。

Dr　Crawford　emerged；　white…haired　and　bearlike；　from　his　room；　gave　Tessa　a　cheery　wave；　and　said；　‘Maisie　Lawford？’　The　young　mother　had　some　difficulty　in　persuading　her　daughter　to　abandon　the　old　toy　telephone　on　wheels　that　the　latter　had　found　in　the　toy　box。　While　being　pulled　gently　by　the　hand　after　Dr　Crawford；　the　little　girl　gazed　longingly　over　her　shoulder　at　the　telephone；　whose　secrets　she　would　never　now　discover。

When　the　door　closed　on　them；　Tessa　realized　that　she　was　smiling　fatuously；　and　hastily　rearranged　her　own　features。　She　was　going　to　bee　one　of　those　awful　old　ladies　who　cooed　indiscriminately　over　small　children　and　frightened　them。　She　would　have　loved　a　chubby　little　blonde　daughter　to　go　with　her　skinny；　dark　boy。　How　awful　it　was；　thought　Tessa；　remembering　Fats　the　toddler；　the　way　tiny　ghosts　of　your　living　children　haunted　your　heart；　they　could　never　know；　and　would　hate　it　if　they　did；　how　their　growing　was　a　constant　bereavement。

Parminder’s　door　opened；　Tessa　looked　up。

‘Mrs　Weedon；’　said　Parminder。　Her　eyes　met　Tessa’s；　and　she　gave　a　smile　that　was　no　smile　at　all；　but　a　mere　tightening　of　the　mouth。　The　little　old　lady　in　carpet　slippers　got　up　with　difficulty　and　hobbled　away　around　the　partition　wall　after　Parminder。　Tessa　heard　Parminder’s　surgery　door　snap　shut。

She　read　the　captions　to　a　series　of　photographs　showing　a　footballer’s　wife　in　all　the　different　outfits　she　had　worn　over　the　previous　five　days。　Studying　the　young　woman’s　long　thin　legs；　Tessa　wondered　how　different　her　life　would　have　been　if　she　had　had　legs　like　that。　She　could　not　help　but　suspect　that　it　would　have　been　almost　entirely　different。　Tessa’s　legs　were　thick；　shapeless　and　short；　she　would　have　hidden　them　perpetually　in　boots；　only　it　was　difficult　to　find　many　that　would　zip　up　over　her　calves。　She　remembered　telling　a　sturdy　little　girl　in　guidance　that　looks　did　not　matter；　that　personality　was　much　more　important。　What　rubbish　we　tell　children；　thought　Tessa；　turning　the　page　of　her　magazine。。　

An　out…of…sight　door　opened　with　a　bang。　Somebody　was　shouting　in　a　cracked　voice。

‘You’re　makin’　me　bloody　worse。　This　in’t　right。　I’ve　e　to　you　for　help。　It’s　your　job　–　it’s　your—’

Tessa　and　the　receptionist　locked　eyes；　then　turned　towards　the　sound　of　the　shouting。　Tessa　heard　Parminder’s　voice；　its　Brummie　accent　still　discernible　after　all　these　years　in　Pagford。

‘Mrs　Weedon；　you’re　still　smoking；　which　affects　the　dose　I　have　to　prescribe　you。　If　you’d　give　up　your　cigarettes　–　smokers　metabolize　Theophylline　more　quickly；　so　the　cigarettes　are　not　only　worsening　your　emphysema；　but　actually　affecting　the　ability　of　the　drug　to—’

‘Don’　you　shout　at　me！　I’ve　’ad　enough　of　you！　I’ll　report　you！　You’ve　gave　me　the　wrong　fuckin’　pills！　I　wanna　see　someone　else！　I　wanna　see　Dr　Crawford！’

The　old　lady　appeared　around　the　wall；　wobbling；　wheezing；　her　face　scarlet。

‘She’ll　be　the　death　of　me；　that　Paki　cow！　Don’　you　go　near　’er！’　she　shouted　at　Tessa。　‘She’ll　fuckin’　kill　yer　with　her　drugs；　the　Paki　bitch！’

She　tottered　towards　the　exit；　spindle…shanked；　unsteady　on　her　slippered　feet；　her　breath　rattling；　swearing　as　loudly　as　her　beleaguered　lungs　would　permit。　The　door　swung　shut　behind　her。　The　receptionist　exchanged　another　look　with　Tessa。　They　heard　Parminder’s　surgery　door　close　again。

It　was　five　minutes　before　Parminder　reappeared。　The　receptionist　stared　ostentatiously　at　her　screen。

‘Mrs　Wall；’　said　Parminder；　with　another　tight　non…smile。

‘What　was　that　about？’　Tessa　asked；　when　she　had　taken　a　seat　at　the　end　of　Parminder’s　desk。

‘Mrs　Weedon’s　new　pills　are　upsetting　her　stomach；’　said　Parminder　calmly。　‘So　we’re　doing　your　bloods　today；　aren’t　we？’

‘Yes；’　said　Tessa；　both　intimidated　and　hurt　by　Parminder’s　cold　professional　demeanour。　‘How　are　you　doing；　Minda？’

‘Me？’　said　Parminder。　‘I’m　fine。　Why？’

‘Well　…　Barry　…　I　know　what　he　meant　to　you　and　what　you　meant　to　him。’

Tears　welled　in　Parminder’s　eyes　and　she　tried　to　blink　them　away；　but　too　late；　Tessa　had　seen　them。

‘Minda；’　she　said；　laying　her　plump　hand　on　Parminder’s　thin　one；　but　Parminder　whipped　it　away　as　if　Tessa　had　stung　her；　then；　betrayed　by　her　own　reflex；　she　began　to　cry　in　earnest；　unable　to　hide　in　the　tiny　room；　though　she　had　turned　her　back　as　nearly　as　she　could　in　her　swivel　chair。

‘I　felt　sick　when　I　realized　I　hadn’t　phoned　you；’　Tessa　said；　over　Parminder’s　furious　attempts　to　quell　her　own　sobs。　‘I　wanted　to　curl　up　and　die。　I　meant　to　call；’　she　lied；　‘but　we　hadn’t　slept；　we　spent　almost　the　whole　night　at　the　hospital；　then　we　had　to　go　straight　out　to　work。　Colin　broke　down　at　assembly　when　he　announced　it；　then　he　caused　a　bloody　awful　scene　with　Krystal　Weedon　in　front　of　everyone。　And　then　Stuart　decided　to　play　truant。　And　Mary’s　falling　apart　…　but　I’m　so　sorry；　Minda；　I　should’ve　called。’

‘…　iculous；’　said　Parminder　thickly；　her　face　hidden　behind　a　tissue　she　had　pulled　out　from　her　sleeve。　‘…　Mary　…　most　important　…’

‘You　would　have　been　one　of　the　very　first　people　Barry　called；’　said　Tessa　sadly；　and；　to　her　horror；　she　burst　into　tears　too。

‘Minda；　I’m　so　sorry；’　she　sobbed；　‘but　I　was　having　to　deal　with　Colin　and　all　the　rest　of　them。’

‘Don’t　be　silly；’　said　Parminder；　gulping　as　she　dabbed　at　her　thin　face。　‘We’re　being　silly。’

No；　we’re　not。　Oh；　let　go　for　once；　Parminder　…

But　the　doctor　squared　her　thin　shoulders；　blew　her　nose　and　sat　up　straight　again。

‘Did　Vikram　tell　you？’　asked　Tessa　timidly；　tweaking　a　handful　of　tissues　from　the　box　on　Parminder’s　desk。

‘No；’　said　Parminder。　‘Howard　Mollison。　In　the　deli。’

‘Oh　God；　Minda；　I’m　so　sorry。’

‘Don’t　be　silly。　It’s　fine。’

Crying　had　made　Parminder　feel　slightly　better；　friendlier　towards　Tessa；　who　was　wiping　her　own　plain；　kind　face。　This　was　a　relief；　for　now　that　Barry　was　gone；　Tessa　was　Parminder’s　only　real　friend　in　Pagford。　（She　always　said　‘in　Pagford’　to　herself；　pretending　that　somewhere　beyond　the　little　town　she　had　a　hundred　loyal　friends。　She　never　quite　admitted　to　herself　that　these　consisted　only　of　the　memories　of　her　gang　of　school　mates　back　in　Birmingham；　from　whom　the　tide　of　life　had　long　since　separated　her；　and　the　medical　colleagues　with　whom　she　had　studied　and　trained；　who　still　sent　Christmas　cards；　but　who　never　came　to　see　her；　and　whom　she　never　visited。）

‘How’s　Colin？’

Tessa　moaned。

‘Oh；　Minda　…　Oh　God。　He　says　he’s　going　to　run　for　Barry’s　seat　on　the　Parish　Council。’

The　pronounced　vertical　furrow　between　Parminder’s　thick；　dark　brows　deepened。

‘Can　you　imagine　Colin　running　for　election？’　Tessa　asked；　her　sodden　tissues　crumpled　tightly　in　her　fist。　‘Coping　with　the　likes　of　Aubrey　Fawley　and　Howard　Mollison？　Trying　to　fill　Barry’s　shoes；　telling　himself　he’s　got　to　win　the　battle　for　Barry　–　all　the　responsibility—’

‘Colin　copes　with　a　lot　of　responsibility　at　work；’　said　Parminder。

‘Barely；’　said　Tessa；　without　thinking。　She　felt　instantly　disloyal　and　started　to　cry　again。　It　was　so　strange；　she　had　entered　the　surgery　thinking　that　she　would　offer　fort　to　Parminder；　but　instead　here　she　was；　pouring　out　her　own　troubles　instead。　‘You　know　what　Colin’s　like；　he　takes　everything　to　heart　so　much；　he　takes　everything　so　personally　…’

‘He　copes　very　well；　you　know；　all　things　considered；’　said　Parminder。

‘Oh；　I　know　he　does；’　said　Tessa　wearily。　The　fight　seemed　to　go　out　of　her。　‘I　know。’

Colin　was　almost　the　only　person　towards　whom　stern；　self…contained　Parminder　showed　ready　passion。　In　return；　Colin　would　never　hear　a　word　against　her；　he　was　her　dogged　champion　in　Pagford；　‘An　excellent　GP’；　he　would　snap　at　anyone　who　dared　to　criticize　her　in　his　hearing。　‘Best　I’ve　ever　had。’　Parminder　did　not　have　many　defenders；　she　was　unpopular　with　the　Pagford　old　guard；　having　a　reputation　for　being　grudging　with　antibiotics　and　repeat　prescriptions。

‘If　Howard　Mollison　gets　his　way；　there　won’t　be　an　election　at　all；’　said　Parminder。

‘What　d’you　mean？’

‘He’s　sent　round　an　email。　It　came　in　half　an　hour　ago。’

Parminder　turned　to　her　puter　monitor；　typed　in　a　password；　and　brought　up　her　inbox。　She　angled　the　monitor　so　that　Tessa　could　read　Howard’s　message。　The　first　paragraph　expressed　regret　at　Barry’s　death。　The　next　suggested　that；　in　view　of　the　fact　that　a　year　of　Barry’s　term　had　already　expired；　co…opting　a　replacement　might　be　preferable　to　going　through　the　onerous　process　of　a　full　election。

‘He’s　lined　someone　up　already；’　said　Parminder。　‘He’s　trying　to　crowbar　in　some　crony　before　anyone　can　stop　him。　I　wouldn’t　be　surprised　if　it　was　Miles。’

‘Oh；　surely　not；’　said　Tessa　instantly。　‘Miles　was　at　the　hospital　with　Barry　…　no；　he　was　very　upset　by　it—’

‘You’re　so　damn　naive；　Tessa；’　said　Parminder；　and　Tessa　was　shocked　by　the　savagery　in　her　friend’s　voice。　‘You　don’t　understand　what　Howard　Mollison’s　like。　He’s　a　vile　man；　vile。　You　didn’t　hear　him　when　he　found　out　that　Barry　had　written　to　the　paper　about　the　Fields。　You　don’t　know　what　he’s　trying　to　do　with　the　methadone　clinic。　You　wait。　You’ll　see。’

Her　hand　was　trembling　so　much　that　it　took　her　a　few　attempts　to　close　down　Mollison’s　email。

‘You’ll　see；’　she　repeated。　‘All　right；　we’d　better　get　on；　Laura　needs　to　go　in　a　minute。　I’ll　check　your　blood　pressure　first。’

Parminder　was　doing　Tessa　a　favour；　seeing　her　late　like　this；　after　school。　The　practice　nurse；　who　lived　in　Yarvil；　was　going　to　drop　off　Tessa’s　blood　sample　to　the　hospital　lab　on　her　way　home。　Feeling　nervous　and　oddly　vulnerable；　Tessa　rolled　up　the　sleeve　of　the　old　green　cardigan。　The　doctor　wound　the　Velcro　cuff　around　her　upper　arm。　At　close　quarters；　Parminder’s　strong　resemblance　to　her　second　daughter　was　revealed；　for　their　different　builds　（Parminder　being　wiry；　and　Sukhvinder　buxom）　became　indiscernible；　and　the　similarity　of　their　facial　features　emerged：　the　hawkish　nose；　the　wide　mouth　with　its　full　lower　lip；　and　the　large；　round；　dark　eyes。　The　cuff　tightened　painfully　around　Tessa’s　flabby　upper　arm；　while　Parminder　watched　the　gauge。

‘One　sixty…five　over　eighty…eight；’　said　Parminder；　frowning。　‘That’s　high；　Tessa；　too　high。’

Deft　and　skilful　in　all　her　movements；　she　stripped　the　wrapping　from　a　sterile　syringe；　straightened　out　Tessa’s　pale；　mole…strewn　arm