“I’ll be there as quick as I can.” He hangs up instantly, and I silently plead with him to hurry up. I’m terrified something is going to happen to my sister while I’m all alone, and I don’t know what to do! Why the fuck didn’t I check in on her when I first got back? And why the hell did I take such a long shower?! I should have checked on my sister first. If she doesn’t… Oh god, I can’t think that… Ash has got to be okay. I won’t ever forgive myself for failing her. I should have fought Ma and stayed home from school with Ash instead of focusing on beating that shithead. If I’d been here, this wouldn’t have happened.
This is all that prick’s fault.
He did this, and I’m going to fucking end him for it.
I don’t care. I’ll go to jail.
At least if he’s dead, he can’t hurt her anymore.
Cillian’s betrayal and cruel selfishness caused this.
As long as I live, I will never forgive that cheating bastard.
But I can’t think about him now. I rest my head on my sister’s head as tears roll down my face. Just then, I remember the ladyfrom 999. She hasn’t called yet. She said five minutes, and it must be five minutes now, right? Why isn’t she ringing me back?
I check Ash’s pulse again, and it’s still faint, but her heart is beating, and that’s all that matters right now. What if it stops beating? The horrible thought lands in my head and I immediately panic. Anguished sounds slip from my lips as I hold her closer, and my frantic brain tries to remember the things I learned when I did a first aid course in transition year, but I’m drawing a blank. “Hang on, Ash,” I cry, hugging her and sobbing. “Help is coming. Just hang on until we get you to hospital. Do it for me. You can’t leave me. Please, Ash. Please hold on.” I can scarcely see through my blurry eyes. “I love you,” I whisper. “I love you so much. Please don’t die.”
"Your daughter is stable,” the doctor tells my parents as Shane, Ro, and I huddle around them in the small waiting room at St. Vincent’s Hospital. Ash was taken to ICU after she was admitted to A&E, and we’ve spent a few agonizing hours waiting for news.
“Oh, thank God,” Ma says before dissolving into tears.
Da bundles her in his arms. “Can we see her?”
“She is getting settled in a room. One of the nurses will come to get you shortly." He glances at me and my brothers. Ciarán is driving here from Galway, and he should be arriving any minute now. “Only two at a time. She’s still unconscious, and she’ll be drowsy for a little while.”
“Is she going to be all right?” I ask.
“These are Aisling’s brothers,” Ma volunteers, sniffling. “Our other son is en route. He goes to college in Galway.”
“Aisling is very lucky. Who found her?”
“Dillon did.” Ma touches my arm.
“You got to her in time.” The older man eyeballs me. “A few minutes later, and it might have been too late.”
“Guess it’s lucky I ditched school then.” I shudder to think what would’ve happened if I hadn’t made that decision.
“For once, you won’t hear any arguments from me, son.” Ma shucks out of Da’s embrace and hugs me. “Ash might not be here if you didn’t go back to the house,” she says over a sob. “You saved her life, Dillon. I love you so much.” She quietly cries as I hold her against me, barely able to swallow over the lump wedged in my throat. We came so close to losing Ash. Too close.
“When can she go home?” Shane asks.
“Either later tonight or early tomorrow morning. She’ll be released provided her vitals look good and after our psychiatrist has spoken with her and verified she’s not a threat to herself. Lucy is the psychiatrist on shift today. She’ll talk to you after she speaks with Aisling and recommend appropriate supports and treatments for aftercare.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Da says, and the man leaves.
We sit in strained silence, drinking shit coffee from the machine, until a nurse appears fifteen minutes later and Ma and Da leave with her to see Ash.
“Why did you skip school?” Shane asks while Ro buries his head in his phone.
I fill Shane in on what happened last night and this morning.
“You should have killed the little shit,” Shane seethes, balling his hands into fists.
“I might just after this.”
“No, you leave that cunt to me.”
“What’re you going to do?”
