Bold Fenian Men
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Roisin was the first person to regain their senses and run to Padraig's side.
"We'll need an ambulance, quick!" she called from the floor, as she wrapped her coat around Padraig. "Well? What are youse waiting for?" Someone jumped up for the phone as Cillian and Cearnaigh dived to the floor beside Roisin. Padraig's eyes were open, but they were unfocused and he no longer seemed to recognise anyone or where he was. He was trembling and coughing up blood, but something told Roisin that he was going to be OK.
"Jesus," Cillian whispered, gently stroking his friend's cheek. Padraig's eyes moved up to Cillian's face, but he didn’t speak.
"You'll be all right, Padraig." Roisin whispered gently, taking Padraig's good hand in hers and rubbing it. "You'll be just fine. Just lie there and try to relax and you'll be OK."
"It hurts," Padraig whispered. "Am I dying?"
"No, you're not." Roisin said firmly. "You're just hurt, but we'll get you to the hospital and you'll be just right after a few weeks. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? You can just lie there and we can fuss over you and bring you chocolate." Padraig managed a smile.
"Chocolate? I think I'll need something a little stronger than chocolate!" His eyelids dropped closed again. Roisin gently shook him, but Cearnaigh laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Leave him. He needs his rest. Padraig never passes out if he doesn’t need to."
They sat in silence after that, watching Padraig lying on the floor. No one could believe it. After everything and he'd still come back. After everything that had happened to him he'd still got out of it and made it back. Every breath he took as he lay on the floor brought everyone present hope. They couldn’t do it without Padraig. There was something haunting, something chilling about seeing Padraig so weak, and so near death. Never had they seen him like this before. If there had been something wrong he's never have shown it. And now they saw Padraig as only human, something they'd never really thought about before. All this time there'd been some sort of unspoken belief that Padraig was invincible, that he could do anything. Padraig himself hadn’t believed it, and he'd told them so. But now … now they saw he was right.
Eventually the silence was broken by the sound of sirens. Cillian went outside to wave down the ambulance, and the sudden noise brought everyone in the pub back to life. Some of the men disappeared out of the back. They were wanted IRA men and had to leave in case the police were there as well.
A couple of minutes later Padraig was being seen to by two urgent paramedics.
"Will he be all right?" Roisin asked. One of the paramedics briefly looked up.
"It's not looking good. He's in a coma."
"He won't die, will he?"
"He has severe head injuries." The paramedic said. "I'll be honest. His body's shutting down and he'll probably have brain damage. He'll need a miracle."
"Oh, Padraig," Roisin whispered, gently kissing his cheek as he was moved onto the stretcher and out to the ambulance. "Please be OK. We need you. We all need you so much."
"We'll need an ambulance, quick!" she called from the floor, as she wrapped her coat around Padraig. "Well? What are youse waiting for?" Someone jumped up for the phone as Cillian and Cearnaigh dived to the floor beside Roisin. Padraig's eyes were open, but they were unfocused and he no longer seemed to recognise anyone or where he was. He was trembling and coughing up blood, but something told Roisin that he was going to be OK.
"Jesus," Cillian whispered, gently stroking his friend's cheek. Padraig's eyes moved up to Cillian's face, but he didn’t speak.
"You'll be all right, Padraig." Roisin whispered gently, taking Padraig's good hand in hers and rubbing it. "You'll be just fine. Just lie there and try to relax and you'll be OK."
"It hurts," Padraig whispered. "Am I dying?"
"No, you're not." Roisin said firmly. "You're just hurt, but we'll get you to the hospital and you'll be just right after a few weeks. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? You can just lie there and we can fuss over you and bring you chocolate." Padraig managed a smile.
"Chocolate? I think I'll need something a little stronger than chocolate!" His eyelids dropped closed again. Roisin gently shook him, but Cearnaigh laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Leave him. He needs his rest. Padraig never passes out if he doesn’t need to."
They sat in silence after that, watching Padraig lying on the floor. No one could believe it. After everything and he'd still come back. After everything that had happened to him he'd still got out of it and made it back. Every breath he took as he lay on the floor brought everyone present hope. They couldn’t do it without Padraig. There was something haunting, something chilling about seeing Padraig so weak, and so near death. Never had they seen him like this before. If there had been something wrong he's never have shown it. And now they saw Padraig as only human, something they'd never really thought about before. All this time there'd been some sort of unspoken belief that Padraig was invincible, that he could do anything. Padraig himself hadn’t believed it, and he'd told them so. But now … now they saw he was right.
Eventually the silence was broken by the sound of sirens. Cillian went outside to wave down the ambulance, and the sudden noise brought everyone in the pub back to life. Some of the men disappeared out of the back. They were wanted IRA men and had to leave in case the police were there as well.
A couple of minutes later Padraig was being seen to by two urgent paramedics.
"Will he be all right?" Roisin asked. One of the paramedics briefly looked up.
"It's not looking good. He's in a coma."
"He won't die, will he?"
"He has severe head injuries." The paramedic said. "I'll be honest. His body's shutting down and he'll probably have brain damage. He'll need a miracle."
"Oh, Padraig," Roisin whispered, gently kissing his cheek as he was moved onto the stretcher and out to the ambulance. "Please be OK. We need you. We all need you so much."