Chapter 2

BLACKNESS

Conal straighten his stiff neck and slowly raised his head from the side of the passenger seat where it had become lodged. It took him a moment to come into a clear vision and then he peered over to the driver's seat.

"Brrr…Bren…dan. BRENDAN!"

Brendan lay back in the driver's seat, lifeless and with blood on his face. Conal clambered from his seat and moved cautiously over to where Brendan was lying.

"Brendan can you hear me?" (His voice was a first soft but then became more desperate as he realised Brendan wasn't responding to his touch) I am going to get some help ok? Don't you worry!

He reached into his coat pocket and called 999. The operator kept him talking whilst giving instructions until the ambulance came and took over.

"Hello can you hear me?"

It was the paramedic. Conal managed to muster a "in here" however his voice was slowly fading with the shock.

"What is your name son?" (He was looking through the window with strangely reassuring eyes that Conal was trying hard to resist trusting)

"Conal, my name is Conal O'Malley"

"Ok Conal I need you to help me, ok?" (Conal nodded as the paramedic opened the door slowly and crouched on the floor whilst another paramedic saw to Brendan)

"Are you trapped on anything Conal?"

"No" (His voice was breathless)

"Ok good then I need you to pull on my arm so I can help get you out of the car. Do you understand?

"I can't leave him!" (He looked back at Brendan)

"He is getting the best possible care and the best thing you can do for him is let the paramedic work." (He extended his hand and Conal latched on, his face was caring and invited confidence)

Conal made his way out of car and into the back of an ambulance. He saw Brendan being pulled from the wreckage and immediately rushed on a stretcher. People surrounded him and Conal lost sight, but there was little time to long for his lover as Conal himself was injured and needed urgent medical attention.

At the hospital Conal was waiting in a cubical for the doctor to come back with his X-Rays. He was bewildered by the nights experience and lay back on the pillow, rubbing his saw, bruised eyes. Just when he started to relax into a semi-sleepy daze a nurse came in.

" Hello Mr O'Malley my name is Caroline and I'm the A&E nurse who is going to be looking after you ."

Conal produced a weak smile and recoiled to his previous position. She realised that he was disturbed by the night's events so checked his drip and turned to leave.

"I am going to check on some other patients but if you need me press the buzzer ok?" (He looked up and nodded)

"Wait! Can I make a phone call?"

"Yeah of course you can, I'll get you a phone."

She left and returned a few minutes later with a phone on a trolley that's wheels buckled ever few centimetres. The noise was loud and irritating to all the other patients around the cubical, however Conal didn't react it was like he was desensitised to all sound including human speech. He slowly picked up the receiver; it was shaking in his hands as he couldn't find the steadiness to dial the number. When he had finally calmed his nerves enough he had to think who he should tell, then he remembered the Ste had told him that whenever he needed him, he was only on the end of the phone. The phone rang. It was an agonising wait for Ste to pick up and when he finally did Conal couldn't collect his thoughts and express them in fully formed sentences.

"Hello?"

Silence

"Is anyone there?"

"St…Ste"

"Who is this?"

"Conal" (his voice was shaky and timid)

"Conal…" (He was struggling to identify the quiet voice)

"Conal O'Malley" (His voice was stronger as he attempted to make Ste realise it was him)

"Oh Conal, are you ok?"

"It's Brendan…"

He paused.

"What's wrong?" (His voice was taking a concerned tone as he feared the worst)

"Brendan…there was an accident and Brendan was hurt badly and I don't know what is happening and they won't tell me and… "(His voice was become more broken as it slowly descended into sobs of desperation)

"Ok. I'm comin' down to the hospital, you just stay there ok?" (He frantically started packing clothes into a bag and writing a note for Noah)

"I won't move" (He was relieved that Ste didn't make the phone call awkward. He lay back on the on the pillow and closed his eyes)