They slept in bunk beds, crowded in with other children of a similar age, boys in one room, girls in another. Lee hadn’t wanted to be parted from her friends, but Hooper had insisted.
“That’s how it is,” he said. “Boys and girls are segregated at night time, it’s always been like that, I’m sure you can understand. Don’t worry, you’ll see each other again in the morning.”
Will felt almost delirious at the thought of sleeping in a proper bed, in a proper house, in complete safety. The last two nights he had hardly slept at all, and coupled with everything they had gone through, he was exhausted. Hooper led them to the boys’ room whilst Susan took Lee to the girls’.
Will was surprised to find the room full already of sleeping children, the air warm and thick with the smell of warm bodies.
