Bold Fenian Men
Chapter Nine
"Gearoid's dead." Padraig heard a hazy voice float through his head, but he couldn’t figure out who it was, or what he meant by "Gearoid's dead".
"Jesus!" he heard someone yell.
"What?"
"They've got Padraig as well!"
"No!" There were running footsteps and suddenly someone was stroking Padraig's hair.
"Padraig? Padraig, can ye hear me?"
"Cillian?"
"Padraig!"
"What's happened?" Padraig asked weakly, trying to sit up. Cillian shook his head a forced him back down again.
"Lie still. You're hurt."
"What's happened?" Padraig asked again.
"I don't know. I found you unconscious. I thought you were dead for a minute there."
"He kicked me in the head," Padraig said suddenly, remembering. "I passed out because of a kick … good Lord, I'm loosing it, aren’t I?"
"I don’t know. You're bleeding. He must have split your head open." Padraig glanced around, and then he saw Gearoid's still, lifeless form slumped at the other side of the alley. Everything hit him, coming back to him so quickly it made him feel dizzy with shock. He gasped.
"Gearoid!" Cillian once again pushed his friend back down into a lying position.
"It's too late, Padraig."
"What?" Padraig asked in blunt disbelief.
"Gearoid's been killed. There's nothing we can do for him." Padraig didn’t fight against Cillian anymore. He sighed, and then tears began rolling down his cheeks as he realised that Gearoid was just another Volunteer in a long line that had died because of him.
"Jesus!" he heard someone yell.
"What?"
"They've got Padraig as well!"
"No!" There were running footsteps and suddenly someone was stroking Padraig's hair.
"Padraig? Padraig, can ye hear me?"
"Cillian?"
"Padraig!"
"What's happened?" Padraig asked weakly, trying to sit up. Cillian shook his head a forced him back down again.
"Lie still. You're hurt."
"What's happened?" Padraig asked again.
"I don't know. I found you unconscious. I thought you were dead for a minute there."
"He kicked me in the head," Padraig said suddenly, remembering. "I passed out because of a kick … good Lord, I'm loosing it, aren’t I?"
"I don’t know. You're bleeding. He must have split your head open." Padraig glanced around, and then he saw Gearoid's still, lifeless form slumped at the other side of the alley. Everything hit him, coming back to him so quickly it made him feel dizzy with shock. He gasped.
"Gearoid!" Cillian once again pushed his friend back down into a lying position.
"It's too late, Padraig."
"What?" Padraig asked in blunt disbelief.
"Gearoid's been killed. There's nothing we can do for him." Padraig didn’t fight against Cillian anymore. He sighed, and then tears began rolling down his cheeks as he realised that Gearoid was just another Volunteer in a long line that had died because of him.