CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Cheryl had just spoken to Ste and now was lying back on the hotel bed at the Travelodge. Nate was at the window and looked at her, "So?"

"I said I'd keep him posted", she replied. Nate nodded, but at the same time he could clearly see that she was finding this whole Brendan situation very difficult.

"So, what now? Chez?"

Cheryl shook her head at him in a complete daze, "It wasn't meant to be like this..."

Nate went and sat next to her on the bed and held her, "It's HIM who's broken the promise"

Cheryl met his eyes, "That's NOT fair"

Nate was taking charge now, "No...it's NOT fair...he told you that he would take the hit for Seamus's death...and now he does this!"

Cheryl looked to the bed cover and tried to make sense of it all, "His mind is not in a good place...he hates prison"

"Still...folk shouldn't make promises they can't keep"

Cheryl watched him go stand near the window again. She thought about his words. Promises you can't keep. Maybe she couldn't keep her promise to keep quite that she killed Seamus...

At a hospital in Cork, Brendan was being wheeled in on a stretcher. The Accident and emergency medics met at the doors, "Who is he?", asked the Nurse-in-charge.

The Paramedic shook his head as they hurried up the corridor, "We don't know...we just had an anonyimous call...he's in pretty much in a bad way"

The A&E consultant pointed to a curtained clinical area ahead of them, "Put him in bay 6"

At the hotel, Nate was getting all jittery about the vehicle in the carpark outside, "I'm pretty sure that was the one that was following us down the motorway"

Cheryl was starting to pack up their stuff into the luggage on the bed, "They're watching us hun, you know that"

Nate pulled the curtain across and started to help with the packing, in quick fashion, "That's why you should cut all ties...until at least we're rid of them"

Cheryl looked somewhat vacant at him, then was distracted by her phone going off. She snatched it up, "Yes...what...okay, is he alright? please don't go...please...", she held the phone in front of her gazing at the screen.

"Who was it?", Nate asked.

Cheryl was zipping up the case, "It was that bloke from earlier...Bren's in hospital"

Nate frowned, "Which one...is he alright?"

Cheryl shook her head, "he said they were near Cork...get on the lap top...and google hospital's in Cork"

Nate lifted the laptop and did as instructed, but was this really a good idea? He just knew all this was going to end badly...

Meanwhile Brendan was being treated at the Irish hospital in Cork. The A&E consultant looked up from the notes as Brendan laid back sedated, "We are treating him for the sepsis, but the source of the infection is here", he lifted Brendan's hospital gown and the nurse in charge got sight of the ugly festering wound on his lower side, "A stab wound?", she gasped.

The consultant shrugged, "looks like it"

"I think we better inform the police...", suggested the nurse, "Something is not quite right here"

In Chester, John-Paul slung the T-towel onto the draining board and turned to Ste as he entered the kitchen, "yep, I've done all the washing up as well"

Ste laughed, "ta...you are spoiling me"

John-Paul gathered Ste into an embrace and stared into his eyes, "Why wouldn't I?"

"Why wouldn't you", teased Ste and leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Just as things were starting to heat up between them and get hot, Ste's phone interrupted them.

John-Paul rolled his eyes as Ste pulled out of the embrace, and looked at his phone, "Oh for fucks sake...who is it now?"

Ste silenced him with his hand up, and spoke, "Cheryl? He's where? Cork...okay...yeah...yeah...ME?", he glanced at John-Paul then quickly turned his back on him, and lowered his voice "...I get it...just...just leave it with me and try not to worry..."

John-Paul folded his arms, "So, what's she saying now? Leave WHAT to you? Dare I ask!"

Ste swallowed, "Brendan's in a bad way in Cork...I'm gonna have to go to him, Cheryl can't, because the police are watching her"

"Are you mad or something?

Ste was setting up the laptop, "I'm gonna book a flight...or maybe I should do it at the airport?"

John-Paul sighed and held his head in his hands, "This is just great", he muttered with sarcasm.

Ste glanced up from the screen, "I'm sorry...I really am, but I'm all what he's got"

At the same time, the Garda had arrived at the hospital and were on their way to see a patient with a festering stab wound. The nurse in charge pointed to the curtain at bay 6, "He's right in there...he's not a well man"

"Still want to see what we can find out about him"

The two officers pulled the curtain across, "Five minutes", instructed the nurse.

Brendan laid back resting his eyes. When he opened them, he looked at the two officers up and down.

"So...do you have a name?". asked the first officer who had dark hair.

Brendan shrugged at first then replied, "I was gonna lie to yous, truth be told...but what the hell, the names Brendan brady and I've escaped from a prison in the UK"

The two officers glanced at one another, Brendan could just tell this had completely threwn them.

"Now that has you both stumped, doesn't it?"

"Just tell us the truth, you have received a nasty stab wound and you better tell us where you obtained it..."

Brendan exhaled and tilted his head, "Hmmm...I have a reputation of never being honest...and when I AM being honest...you STILL don't believe me", he pulled a face and chuckled.

The older Garda officer looked at the younger officer, "Okay...call the station, see what you can find out...about a Brendan Brady"