I made him pea and mint soup that day. He always liked it. I would carry his lunch up on the Star Wars tray we had after his morning nap. I'd stop about halfway on the stairs sometimes and listen to him softly breathing through the door left ajar. The machines would sometimes squeak in his room which is when I knew they'd need cleaning. But I'd done that the day before.
When I paused on the stairs that day, there was silence. That's how I knew.
Paddy Dobson
3rd March 2022