Banshee Song

Book One

Chapter Twenty-Four

The packed waiting room was deathly still as the stunned occupants struggled to absorb the painful news. Hope simply stared at Colin dumbfounded. "no" she moaned softly in denial. She did not hear him correctly; there had to be some mistake.

Colin looked mournfully at her, empathy reflected in his warm brown eyes. "I'm sorry Hope. J.T. is dead."

"No." she cried as tears filled her eyes. "NO!" she let out a heartrending cry and collapsed to her knees. Bo quickly caught her and held her in his arms. He held her tightly as she shook from the force of her violent sobs. She felt her heart break, felt her son being ripped from her arms. She catapulted from her husband's arms and vaulted toward her son's room. "I've got to see him. I've got to hold him." She cried as she entered the room where doctors were finishing with J.T. She stopped still at the sight of her little boy sliced open from his failed surgery. Bo quickly pulled her out of the room, away from the horrible sight, and held her firmly against his chest.

The quiet waiting room was slowly coming to life as it broke out into muffled sobs and shocked murmurs. Colin pulled himself out his self- imposed judgment of guilt and again hid his pain under his duties. "I'll call Uncle Shawn and Aunt Caroline. And the Hortons as well."

Bo looked at him thankfully. He couldn't focus beyond the trembling woman in his arms. "Thanks, Colin."

Colin walked away, shaking his head. {Don't thank me. I failed. Again.}



Chloe racked her stunned mind for something to say to comfort Brady. She still couldn't understand what had just occurred. {How did this happen?} She wordlessly wrapped her arms around Brady.

His entire body was stiff and tense. He simply stared ahead of him. He had just found out about his baby brother, and now, just like that, he was gone. He had never gotten the chance to know him, to love him. He sat in shock; he didn't know how he was supposed to feel.

Minutes passed as the people in the small room dealt with their strong feelings of pain and grief. Chloe looked over to where Belle was uselessly trying to comfort Shawn. Shawn was a sickly gray, and his eyes cloudy and cold. Chloe remembered with a sharp pang of sadness, their earlier conversation. Mere hours ago, Shawn had told her about J.T.; how important that kid was to him. And now he was gone, the most important thing in Shawn's life was gone.

Shawn stood quickly, his fast actions throwing off Belle's arms. He stiffly walked out of the room. Belle moved to follow, but Chloe stopped her. "No, Belle. Let me." She looked back at the motionless Brady. "I think Brady needs you."

Belle nodded and wrapped her arms around Brady's still body. She released her pent-up emotions and cried her pain into his chest. He softened with his Belle's tears and turned his attention to comforting his little sister, once again pushing aside his own pain.



Chloe found Shawn out on the balcony staring out on the lights of the city below. He gripped the iron rails, his knuckles white with the force. She could see the bitter fury radiating off of him. The fury, and the grief. She stood watching him, saying nothing.

Happy little visions of J.T. bounced in Shawn's head, mocking him with cruel memories. He remembered the first time he saw little J.T., the first time he held him, the first time the little boy smiled at him in recognition. He remembered plans and dreams for the future with his little buddy, visions of J.T. growing up, becoming his own man.

And now he was dead, his future gone with him.

Chloe silently watched him, waiting for him to release what he was holding inside. She was soon rewarded for her patience.

"why?" he croaked in a small voice. "DAMMIT! WHY?!" he threw his head back and screamed at heaven. Chloe's heart twisted at the raw, naked pain displayed on his face. He savagely kicked over a wooden bench, trying to release his anger at the unfair turn of events.

He laughed mirthlessly and again turned his attention to the One above. "What, our family hasn't suffered enough pain and sorrow?!" he cried sarcastically. "You have to take away an innocent child – the most important part of our family?!" "ANSWER ME! WHY?!" his anguished cry echoed in the night sky.

He dropped to his knees, his anger momentarily extinguished only to be replaced by the ever-present grief and despair. "why" he cried out in a choking sob, tears running down his cheeks. "why did he have to die?"

Chloe wrapped her arms around her recently 'adopted' brother and held him. She held him and rocked him while he cried his tears of bitter grief and heartbreak. She cried her own tears, feeling her friend's pain and despair.



Ariel stood in her room and looked out the window of her heavy, metal door. Silent tears ran down her cheeks. There was so much pain, and sadness. She could feel it. Death had come for the little one. They were in pain, the people in the waiting room. She could feel their pain, it called out to her, reminded her.

{Her da held her tightly as they look over her mum's grave. She has gone to Heaven. Everyone she loves has gone to heaven. Her grandparents-wide open eyes staring out from still bodies- her aunt-blood streaming from her body bathing Brianna in a baptism of blood. They are in Heaven. Where is her da? And her uncle Colin?}

She pounded mournfully on the thick glass. Pain. Such deep, familiar pain. And sorrow. They are crying, hearts spit open, sorrow, despair, anguish pouring out and onto Brianna, the girl called Ariel.

Ariel could take no more; their pain was too strong, overwhelming her gentle spirit. Her bright green eyes rolled back into her head, the whites flashing brightly. She reached down into her soul and pulled forth her song. Song of sorrow, song of despair. Song of death.



The haunting melody carried through the halls of the hospital into the waiting room. Caroline smiled slightly through her tears. "Looks like the wind has started up again. Whoa, listen to it howl." The others murmured their agreements.

But Colin and the elder Shawn Brady reacted differently. They heard the wind for what it really was; there was no mistaking that song, the familiar pain that accompanied it. Shawn pulled Colin aside. "Ye know what this is, don't ye?" Colin simply nodded. Shawn continued thoughtfully. "This has been goin' on for awhile now. It has to be…Where's Chloe?"

Colin looked around the crowded waiting room full of mourners. "I don't know. We better find her before someone else does."

Shawn agreed. "And before that someone realizes what Chloe is."



Chloe continued to hold Shawn until he slowly pulled away. He moved to stand against the railing, once again looking down at the city. "Boy, listen to that wind. Strange, though, I can hear it, but I can't feel it." He looked back at Chloe. "Chloe?" he questioned.

She stood stiffly on the balcony, her eyes rolled back into her head. Once again, she felt a call from within, a summons she was forced to obey. She cried helpless tears. She could feel their pain, it was so strong she couldn't shut it out. It grew until it consumed her, becoming her, turning her into a vessel of pain.

She opened her mouth and sang a strange song full of sadness and grief. The notes spilled from her mouth and washed over Shawn and in his mind he was transported back to another time, when he had been someone else.



{Sean Cassidy anxiously stood in the waiting room with his wife Elizabeth. He nearly ran to the smiling man who had just come from the delivery room. "Sheamus!" he called out to his brother-in-law. "How is she?"

Sheamus smiled that goofy grin of his. "Rhianna is doing just fine, and so is yer brand new nephew! Come and see our little Sean Brady!"

Sean entered the delivery room and looked tenderly down at his twin sister, exhausted from hours of painful labor, and the sleeping babe she held in her arms.

"Sean!" she exclaimed softly at her brother. "Come and see! Would ye like to hold him?"

Sean held the tiny, wriggling red-faced baby in his arms and felt a peace like he had never known wash over his soul.}

Shawn blinked rapidly. {What the hell was that?} The memories overwhelmed his mind and he slowly sank to the floor, unconscious.

Chloe finished her song, her waning strength flowing out of her. She swayed and joined Shawn on the balcony floor.