Ashes to Ashes
Chapter Fourteen
Darragh was bordering on unconsciousness when he vaguely felt the car stop. He tried to open his eyes but he couldn't seem to muster the energy. The other man (Darragh vaguely remembered him introducing himself as Caoimhin) got out of his side of the car and pulled open the door behind the driver's seat, helping Darragh to sit up.
"Come on, sonny," he whispered to him. "Come on, you can make it. We're here now. Just come on, you can do it." Darragh forced his eyes open and managed to stagger out of the car.
Caoimhin knocked on the door, as Darragh was starting to slump to the floor again. Hoisting him up, Caoimhin managed to get Darragh upright as the door was pulled open.
Grainne saw Caoimhin first, then Darragh, then the blood. And then she realised.
"Oh my God, Darragh!" Grainne whispered, throwing her hands to her mouth in shock. "Quickly, bring him inside!"
Caoimhin brought Darragh in and Darragh managed to stagger over to the sofa, pulling Grainne down with him. Grainne laid Darragh against her, stroking his hair and whispering to him.
"I'm sorry, Grainne," he whispered, feeling himself beginning to give up.
"Don't speak like that, Darragh. Come on. Keep fighting!"
"I'm trying … I don't think it's working …"
"Please, Darragh. You know I can't do this without you!"
"I want to stay so badly," Darragh whispered, feeling tears begin to run down his face. "I want to see the wee ones grow up, and I want to stay with you so much …"
"You can, Darragh!"
"Grainne, I love you so much, do you know what?"
"Please, Darragh, don't go!" Darragh weakly reached up and gripped her hand with all of his strength.
"I'm so sorry … tell the kids I love them as well, all right? Never give up, Grainne. You're strong. You can do this. And promise me one thing …"
"What, Darragh?"
"Move on, Grainne. Don't dwell on this, all right?"
"A – all right," Grainne was crying now, tears rolling down her cheeks as he held her dying husband. And then her heart skipped a beat as she saw the sobbing little boy standing in the doorway. Miceál wasn't making a sound; he was just watching his father with wide, teary eyes.
"Daddy," he whispered, and then he came forward and touched his father's face. "Daddy,"
"My wee lad," Darragh murmured, trying his best to keep the pain out of his voice. "You be a brave boy, all right? Look after Mummy and Aoibheann and Caolan."
"I will, Daddy." Little Miceál immediately stopped himself from crying, jutting his chin out and looking determined. 'Daddy?'
"What, Miceál?"
"When I get big I'm going to fight for Ireland too. I'm not letting them bad men get away!" Darragh smiled as he felt the remainder of his energy leaving him. Miceál climbed up onto the sofa and he curled up next to his father, forcing himself to be brave beyond his years.
Grainne held her husband and her young son close to her, and she bowed her head in prayer, her hair falling across her face and hiding the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. She prayed for God to take Darragh, and to keep him at peace.
"At least you'll be with Oisin again," she whispered to her husband, who managed another smile. "I love you, Darragh."
"I love you too. I love you all." Darragh's voice was faint and barely there. They were the last words he spoke. Grainne held her husband tightly as she felt his breathing become laboured, and then a beautiful peace came over his face, and he became still.
"Come on, sonny," he whispered to him. "Come on, you can make it. We're here now. Just come on, you can do it." Darragh forced his eyes open and managed to stagger out of the car.
Caoimhin knocked on the door, as Darragh was starting to slump to the floor again. Hoisting him up, Caoimhin managed to get Darragh upright as the door was pulled open.
Grainne saw Caoimhin first, then Darragh, then the blood. And then she realised.
"Oh my God, Darragh!" Grainne whispered, throwing her hands to her mouth in shock. "Quickly, bring him inside!"
Caoimhin brought Darragh in and Darragh managed to stagger over to the sofa, pulling Grainne down with him. Grainne laid Darragh against her, stroking his hair and whispering to him.
"I'm sorry, Grainne," he whispered, feeling himself beginning to give up.
"Don't speak like that, Darragh. Come on. Keep fighting!"
"I'm trying … I don't think it's working …"
"Please, Darragh. You know I can't do this without you!"
"I want to stay so badly," Darragh whispered, feeling tears begin to run down his face. "I want to see the wee ones grow up, and I want to stay with you so much …"
"You can, Darragh!"
"Grainne, I love you so much, do you know what?"
"Please, Darragh, don't go!" Darragh weakly reached up and gripped her hand with all of his strength.
"I'm so sorry … tell the kids I love them as well, all right? Never give up, Grainne. You're strong. You can do this. And promise me one thing …"
"What, Darragh?"
"Move on, Grainne. Don't dwell on this, all right?"
"A – all right," Grainne was crying now, tears rolling down her cheeks as he held her dying husband. And then her heart skipped a beat as she saw the sobbing little boy standing in the doorway. Miceál wasn't making a sound; he was just watching his father with wide, teary eyes.
"Daddy," he whispered, and then he came forward and touched his father's face. "Daddy,"
"My wee lad," Darragh murmured, trying his best to keep the pain out of his voice. "You be a brave boy, all right? Look after Mummy and Aoibheann and Caolan."
"I will, Daddy." Little Miceál immediately stopped himself from crying, jutting his chin out and looking determined. 'Daddy?'
"What, Miceál?"
"When I get big I'm going to fight for Ireland too. I'm not letting them bad men get away!" Darragh smiled as he felt the remainder of his energy leaving him. Miceál climbed up onto the sofa and he curled up next to his father, forcing himself to be brave beyond his years.
Grainne held her husband and her young son close to her, and she bowed her head in prayer, her hair falling across her face and hiding the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. She prayed for God to take Darragh, and to keep him at peace.
"At least you'll be with Oisin again," she whispered to her husband, who managed another smile. "I love you, Darragh."
"I love you too. I love you all." Darragh's voice was faint and barely there. They were the last words he spoke. Grainne held her husband tightly as she felt his breathing become laboured, and then a beautiful peace came over his face, and he became still.