Tristan Farnon had just taken his vest off, trying to remember the last time he hadn't had a long day when there was a knock at his door. He called out in answer and "It's Carmody," came the reply. The latter entered at the friendly command of "come in," and pressed the door shut behind him so as not to disturb Siegfried, as it was his night off.

"I just came to say goodbye," Richard said with a little more ease than he did when he first arrived at Skeldale House. Although at present he was trying to avoid looking at Tristan's bare chest.

"I thought you weren't going until tomorrow?"

"I start very early - didn't want to disturb you."

"How will you get to the station?"

"Siegfried's driving me there."

"Oh, right," Tristan said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, having nothing else to talk about. "When are your exams?" he blurted out even though he already knew the answer.

"A few months away."

"I'm sure you'll do better than I usually do."

"I thought you said you did pretty well," Richard said with a good-natured smirk as he leaned against the door.

"Well, I'm pretty bloody hopeless actually." Tristan wanted to add, 'I was trying to impress you,' but thought better of it.

"I might not do all that well myself."

"Rubbish, you'd probably do better than James and he's qualified."

"Well," sighed Richard, "In theory." Tristan looked at the brilliant young veterinary student and thought how they had all been so threatened by him, how his knowledge of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia had made Tristan feel about an inch tall, and how he had tried to challenge him and failed spectacularly. He almost felt guilty for suggesting Richard do the rough and muddy work in dealing with Dent's piglets and sow. Yet Carmody did say in the pub afterwards that he had 'asked for it.'

"How's your bruise?" Tristan asked sheepishly, pointing to Carmody's face.

"It's alright. Can't say it hurts at all." The shiner still loomed below his right eye, but a yellow tinge was beginning to take the place of the red, black and blue.

"Your girlfriend will think someone's punched you in the face."

"I have been, in a manner of speaking." They both laughed. Tristan regaled him with the story of how he had dealt with the same sow in a similar manner and had come home just as filthy, his glad-rags caked with pig slop. Carmody smiled.

"Must be a rite of passage," Tristan added.

"Perhaps I should put it to the examiner that it be part of the exam."

"Not a bad idea." They stood in silence. It was difficult to talk as friends after getting used to eachother only just before Carmody was to leave Yorkshire.

"We'll all miss you, you know."

"That is nice to hear, especially as I was rather conceited to begin with."

"No, that's alright. Besides, I'm the pompous cuss around here; you just leave that sort of thing to me." Carmody smiled again and Tristan added in an unfeigned manner, "I'm sure your girlfriend will be happy to have you back."

"I shan't think Virginia noticed I've been gone."

"I'm sure she noticed; we certainly wi–." The phone cut him off and Tristan made for the door but after two rings he heard James answer it. Suddenly he was in close proximity to Richard and as the door softy clicked back into place they were practically nose to nose. Richard moved forward. Tristan was damn near paralyzed; only his lungs seemed to work. He only just managed to close his eyes as their lips met. 'Oh damn and blast,' Tristan thought, 'What on earth am I going to do about this?' But he didn't have the heart to push him away and Richard certainly wasn't going to. In fact, to his surprise, Carmody was thoroughly kissing him and what surprised him more was that he was thoroughly kissing him back. He dare not break away. What in God's name would he say after this? His mind hadn't been this blank since his oral parasitology exam. Siegfried might as well have been yelling at him. Skeldale might as well have been ablaze and he wouldn't have noticed. To think, all of his feelings of jealousy and having to prove himself superior to Carmody might have been another feeling entirely.

Slam! went the front door. It instantly made them jump as if it were a gunshot. They couldn't possibly look at one another and for a minute or so they just stood there breathing. The pounding of their hearts was practically audible in the quiet house.

"Sorry," Carmody said.

"No, no," Tristan said in a total stupor.

"I'd better go." Richard went for the door. Tristan stopped him by standing near the door, blocking his path and looking at the floor. Richard faced the door and stared at the doorknob.

"You will write to us, won't you?" Tristan held out his hand though still didn't dare to look up. Carmody took his hand, shook it once firmly and broke away.

"Certainly," he said quickly and quietly but with great sincerity. And then he was gone. Tristan heard his footfalls on the stairs and exhaled. He hadn't been so lost for words in all his life.