Sons and Daughters

Agnes watched as her oldest grandchild sat at the kitchen table. A glass of orange squash in front of him. She could see he was worried but trying not to show it.

"Bono. Are you alright?"

"Granny."

"Yes, Bono."

"Why are Mammy and Da so worried about Aunty Cathy and the man who came to school?" Agnes picked up her tea towel before putting it back down. The child wasn't stupid. He had a right to know.

"Your Daddy is the oldest." She stalled for time. "You know that. When his Daddy died he helped me look after the little ones. So he worries."

"Oh."

"The man at the school yesterday is not nice. You never ever talk to him again." Agnes watched as the young boy went back to his school work.

Xxxxx

Dermot walked across the road dressed as a teddy bear. The mobile phone he carried ringing loudly as he tried to get it from inside his costume.

"Maria! What? Where are you? Is Betty there?" He paused. "Has anyone told Ma? No I'll ring Trevor. Is he ok?" He listened as Maria explained how Mark had been brought into hospital.

"The Guarda are here. They don't think Mark's crash was an accident. They think he was pushed off the road. The van is a mess." Maria looked over to see Betty staring into space. The blonde woman seemed withdrawn, shocked. "He's in a bad way. They're taking him for a brain scan. He's not breathing on his own. Your mother needs to be here. And Cathy and Bono."

"Maria, is he gonna die?" Dermot frowned as he thought of his older brother. It seemed the family was falling apart slowly. Frankie had died years earlier, Simon was in prison and now this.

"I dunno. He's badly hurt." Maria sighed. "Get your mother here. Look, I have to go."

Xxxxxxx

Buster stood outside Cathy's office building. He was determined to protect her. His best friend's older sister would always see him as an annoying little crook but the Brown's were family as far as he was concerned.

"Wha?!" He looked up as Trevor walked towards him. The young priest frowned as he walked across the road.

"We got to get Cathy to the hospital. Mark is in the emergency department. He's badly hurt. Rory is getting Mammy and Bono now."

"Oh no."

"I called Cathy." Trevor stated as the blonde appeared. Buster swallowed hard.

"Is he gonna be ok?"

"He better be, Buster. He better be."

Xxxxxx

Maria sat next to Betty as the young blonde closed her eyes. The noise of the waiting room seemed alien to her, even though she'd nursed in the Emergency Department for years.

"He's fit and healthy. That'll be in his favour." Maria stared firmly. Betty nodded.

"Have they said anything?"

"Dr Walters will talk to you. She's grand. She'll tell us what's going on."

"Maria, you're a nurse. What do you think?"

"I think." Maria paused. "Mark is tough and has a strong will. We wait for the CT scan."

"He's tubes everywhere. He's not able to breathe himself."

"Betty. Maria." They turned to see Agnes and Rory walk towards them. Rory stayed silent for once.

"The doctors are with him." Betty closed her eyes.

"I left Bono with Grandad." Agnes watched as her daughters in law nodded. Maria bit her lip as an alarm sounded. Suddenly doctors and nurses hurried into the room a few feet away. Shouts for adrenaline and crash carts caught their attention. Betty shook her head.

"No."

"Not my boy." Agnes whispered as the younger woman began silently sobbing.

Xxxxxx

A/N more soon. Please review.