At Seventeen
Chapter 18
Morning awakened Nicky, and his senses, numb at first, were
awakened also. Today was the day he was to go to Sligo. He hadn't a moment to
lose. Bryan and the others hadn't left a text message on his phone, he found.
That was disappointing, but it obviously confirmed that Mark's condition was
stable. He was in grave danger of dying, but things hadn't got any worse. I'd
better get moving, he told himself, and I have to leave messages for a few
people.
He went downstairs. It was eight o'clock. His little brother Adam was already up
watching television. He gave a grunt as Nicky entered the room. "What is
that you are watching?" asked Nicky, incredulous. It was clearly engrossing
Adam totally. "Pokemon," answered Adam monotonously, before adding in
obvious delight, "Ah, Blastoise, he's a really good one! I have a card of
that!"
Nicky decided not to say anything more, as he was bewildered with the concept of
Pokemon, and it was clear no words would get through to his younger brother.
Then he heard a beeping sound from the hallway where he had left his mobile
phone the night before, a text message at last. It was from Georgina, asking him
if he had got home alright from the PoD. Knowing he had to tell her everything
about Mark, he dialled her number. He really loved her at this moment, and the
concern she was displaying for him.
Georgina didn't answer. But her younger sister Cecilia did, who was eighteen and
also a student like Georgina. She loved music as well, and had been part of a
group who entered a song into the National Song Contest. They had got to the
final, but hadn't won. Cecilia had been disappointed, as a win had meant entry
to the Eurovision Song Contest representing Ireland, but was nonetheless upbeat
about the group's future. She and Nicky had talked for many hours about music.
She responded enthusiastically when he asked for Georgina.
"She's here, Nicky, hold on a second," Cecilia held the phone away,
but not so far that Nicky couldn't hear her, "Georgiiinna! It's Nicky. Yes,
okay. So, Nicky, how are you doing?" "I'm fine," said Nicky
honestly, "but I'm afraid Mark isn't. He's in hospital in Sligo at the
moment. So I'm going to have to go up to visit him."
"Oh, now isn't that terrible!" Cecilia tutted. "Poor Mark! What's
wrong with him, is he very sick?" "I don't know," Nicky lied,
"I'll have to see. It means I won't be around for the next few days
anyway."
Cecilia hadn't heard that final comment because there was a noise in the
background, and the next thing he knew, he heard Georgina's voice on the other
side of the phone. "Nicky? You got my text message? That was quick."
"Yeah, Georgie," he smiled, unbeknowns to her, "and I'm so sorry
about last night. I left only a few minutes after you did. Turns out there was
nothing left for me once you'd left." Georgina's heart softened. At the end
of the day Nicky really did care about her, she knew that. "So, what other
news have you?" She heard him swallow loudly. "Nicky, what is
it?"
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"So I have to go to Sligo," he finished, as no sound was heard on the
other side of the line. "Georgina?" Georgina had never been so shocked
in her life. She knew Mark very well, and liked him. He had always been nothing
but friendly and courteous toward her. Some of the lads messed around with her,
but Mark never had. He was quite sensitive and she was afraid of what this
illness might do to his personality, let alone his life.
Nicky grew worried at her silence. "Georgie? Please don't ignore me. I have
to go, I really do. He's my mate, he's sick, for God's sake, Georgie, he could
die. Please don't do this. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."
"Then go, Nicky, for heaven's sake!" she managed to say. "I know
Mark, too, you know! I'm just shocked, that's all."
His voice grew calmer. "Oh, Georgie, Georgie, I forgot. I really did. But I
love you, Georgina, you know that, don't you? I really do. I'm only doing this
because I have to, and I owe it to Mark as well. We'll only lose a few
days." He heard Georgina sigh. "Go. And give him best wishes from me
and Cecilia."
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Shane regretted what he had said last night. He had not slept at all. Memories
of his confrontation with Kian in the early hours haunted him. His eyelids
flickered slightly, he needed sleep. But he also needed to see Mark, he told
himself.
He wasn't quite sure why he had been so cold to Kian and Eimear. He didn't even
know her, for one thing. There was hardly any reason to be infuriated with a
stranger, for that was what she was. And Kian hadn't exactly done something to
set him off like that either.
It must be something to do with Cassie. He was still reacting with anger to the
break-up. And it wasn't even as they had been very close either, or seen each
other very much.
Well, whatever it was, he told himself, that bothered him so much about it, it
would stop right now. He couldn't keep clinging onto the memories for the rest
of his life. He had to move on. And now was as good as any other time to do it.
The first step was to apologise to Eimear and prove to Kian that he was over
Cassie.
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Kian was still a little bemused at what happened the night before as well. But
unlike Shane, he was not remembering the incident at the hospital, but something
that had happened after he had left Shane standing in the corridor.
He had went down to the lobby where Eimear was waiting to get a cup of coffee
behind a harried young man, who was running his hands through his hair with
worry. He looked grief-stricken, and was not making any motion to put the money
into the machine. Eimear was too warm-hearted to rouse him from his stunned
state, so she just stood there, silent and still. Kian saw her and pulled her by
the arm.
"What are you doing?" she had looked startled. "I'm just waiting
to get a cup of coffee." "We're going home," he had told her.
"Or I mean, I'll walk you to your hotel, and then go home myself."
There was no point in hanging around Shane at the moment. He was beyond talking
to. She said not another word, and the two of them walked silently out of the
hospital into the night.
It was milder now, although there was still a chill in the air, it being
December. Eimear had appeared confused, and was quiet, only speaking when Kian
made the effort to talk to her. Eventually he had looked at her and said,
"You know Shane is only being like that because he still hasn't coped with
that American one going off on him."
"Sorry?" He recollected himself, of course she didn't know the story,
how would she know? But it was only fair that she knew now that he'd mentioned
it, and to understand Shane's behaviour. So the story was told, of how Cassie
Macmillan had met Shane, he had been besotted with her. Of the recent break-up
and the manner it was done. And Shane was an especially sensitive person. He
didn't recover from things like that very easily.
Eimear had looked like it all made sense to her. As if she had been through
something similar as well. She kept on saying "I understand" and
"Of course" which Kian found strange.
"You seemed really hurt by his comments," he said suddenly. Eimear
looked at him curiously. "No, what I mean, Eimear..." he trailed off.
"I need to explain. His behaviour is inexcusable, don't just accept it.
That day when you met him first, when he barely spoke to anyone, it was his
first time outside of our houses since Cassie phoned him to tell him it was
over. He's still bitter against the guy who she's going out with now. He's got
to learn."
She had looked at him with her piercing green-hazel eyes, similar to Shane's,
and answered almost in his voice: "Have you never lost someone you
love?" "Of course I have! My grandparents have died, I cried at their
funerals. And they're dead, Cassie's not. He's being like a child. Girls come
and girls go."
Her next question startled him. "Do you think she really loved him?"
"I don't know, I didn't know her too well, I mean I saw her a lot,
but..." He looked at her with new eyes. "Why are you interested
whether she did or not? You're not sweet on him, are you?" She bent her
head, her cheeks inflamed. "You are!" Shane 1, Kian 1, he thought to
himself. Okay, so he had figured out Kian's interest in Jane. But Kian had now
discovered that this pretty Dublin girl had some sort of thing for Shane
herself. Surely this counted as 2 goals. He barely knew the girl, whereas Shane
and Kian had been friends for years, and could read each other's thoughts quite
well.
Eimear was embarrassed, but she spoke in a clear voice. "Maybe I am
interested. But as you said, he's still coping with the break-up. I'm not going
to make a move. But he's a nice guy. I like him. I'm not going to admit I love
him. You won't get that out of me. But I promise this - I won't go near him. I
can wait. I'll be back in Sligo in Easter, you mark my words."
And thinking back on her words, Kian believed her. It was quite sweet really,
she would wait for Shane. A good-looking, friendly, bright girl. And he didn't
even deserve it. Whereas the girl Kian was after was interested in someone else,
namely one of his best friends. Why couldn't things work out the way you wanted
them to?