Pressed up against KJ, I could feel his erratic heart beat through my clothing. I whispered ‘Are you OK?’, and he nodded his head.

At the other end of the dining table, another friend raised his eyebrows in question. I interpreted this as a silent comment on my apparent intimacy with KJ. I mouthed back that I was checking up on an ill friend, and not to worry.

DTJ, seated between us, observed this exchange. She was of the opinion that KJ was faking his illness. She pointed across the table at another guest and shouted ‘Look at him! He’s the one who is really ill!’.