Owen Harper's father

The death of Owen Harper's father led to Owen choosing to become a surgeon.

Owen found his father dead in his bedroom one morning, slumped against the wall. He had had an aortic aneurysm, making him look like he was frowning, as if straining to hear something. He was wearing only his shirt, boxers and one sock. The other was still in his hand.

Owen recounted the death of his father to Marianne Till, causing tears to slip down his cheeks. He told her he became a surgeon not to save others, but to stop the same thing from happening to him.

He used to use the word "shufti", but Owen had no idea what it meant. (PROSE: Slow Decay)