Millicent tried to listen, but Neville's voice suddenly seemed to come from very far away. Clinging onto the counter, she tried to regain her balance, but the world kept spinning faster and faster and the more she blinked the more spots seemed to swim before her eyes. It was as if she was in a bubble, only the bubble was turning red and she couldn't understand why.
She blinked, feeling hot tears trickling down her cheeks, only when she wiped them away her hand turned red. Why would tears be red? It made no sense. And why would she cry? She never did.
She realised she couldn't hear Neville at all any more and looked up, the world spinning faster as she tried to focus on him. He looked alarmed and she tried to reach out for him, calm him, when she felt more hot tears running down her neck - only it was on the side of her neck. How would - why would...?
The realisation that the liquid came from her ears didn't come to her. Nor did she realise it was blood. Not even as the world went from red to black and she finally lost the balance she'd been keeping.