What's right...?

Tricky day. Started with incredibly early start to get into London, meet T then travel out to some bit of Essex that felt like the end of the world to see CT. She's been very ill, one of several in a group of colleagues, two of whom recently died. As we feared but daren't have actually thought, she's clearly going to be next, and sooner rather than later. Throughout our time with her she was really upbeat and funny and ascerbic as always, but left to go back to the station feeling like we'd been punched in the stomach.
Went through the meetings and other stuff in the afternoon in a bit of a daze, so was lovely to meet up with G&N for totally different catch up-chat and gossip and speculation and cocktails and laughter, and discussion of the various kids and their successes and worries. Stayed out too late so very tired by the time I rolled back into MK station....never needed a cup of tea so much.
Oval station was a delight though-a book exchange, nice notice and very polite staff with Mozart on the tannoy. Little oasis.