Page 13 of Christmas Magic at Inishbeg Cove

‘Oh god,’ Conor held his head in his hands as he paced the room.

Faye felt sick in the pit of her stomach. Her heart ached for this family; although she had only just met them, she knew how close they were. It took her back to being eighteen again when her own grandmother had passed away. Cancer had stolen her so the circumstances were different but she still remembered the searing pain as if it were yesterday. The doctors shaking their heads and telling her in their stark, bleak words that there was nothing more they could do for her. She just prayed that Conor’s grandmother would pull through; although Kitty was frail, she was a spritely woman and young at heart and Faye knew those qualities would stand to her.

‘We have to get to the hospital,’ Conor said, finally jumping into action.

‘But you’ll have to take the tractor and that will take you hours,’ Úna said.

‘I know,’ Conor said running his hands through his hair. ‘But it’s better than sitting here waiting for news.’

‘I’ll come with you,’ Faye offered, without thinking.

They both turned to look at her. ‘Are you sure?’ Conor asked.

‘I’d be glad to keep you company.’

He nodded. ‘Thanks, Faye.’

‘Well I’ll go back up to the house and keep an eye on the farm. Be sure to call me if you have any news,’ Úna said. ‘And drive safely, you two.’

8

The journey to the hospital in Limerick seemed to take forever. Once they left Inishbeg Cove, the snow had been cleared from the main roads but it still took over an hour just to reach Ballymcconnell. Not long into the journey Conor had realised that if they were to have any hope of arriving at the hospital before nightfall, he needed to get a car. He decided to call into a friend in the town and after Conor had explained the situation to him, he offered them his car. As they set off the rest of the way to Limerick, it was a relief to escape the bouncy, cold tractor and be in the comfort of a car as they travelled the rest of the way there.

Conor didn’t say much as they drove along, whether it was because of lingering awkwardness from the night before or maybe he just wanted to be left alone to process the worries inside his head. Faye knew he was fearing the worst and she wanted to give him the space to deal with that, so she stayed quiet and stared out at the passing scenery.

Conor had phoned his dad to see if there was any update on his grandmother’s condition but Paul said they had taken her to theatre as soon as the helicopter had landed at the hospital and he hadn’t heard a thing from anyone since.

They eventually arrived at the hospital and sprinted from the carpark to the hospital building. They explained to the receptionist in urgent tones that they were the family of Kitty Flynn. She directed them to a family waiting room where they found Conor’s father, Paul pacing up and down inside.

‘Any news?’ Conor asked urgently.

Paul shook his head. ‘Nobody will tell me anything. She’s been in that theatre for ages.’

A breathless Margo ran into the room a short time after. She embraced her brother, then she hugged Conor, before finally turning to Faye.

‘I didn’t expect to see you here,’ she said, squeezing Faye’s hands inside her own.

‘I’m so sorry to hear about your mum,’ Faye said.

‘The one Christmas I didn’t come home…’ Margo’s voice waivered and Faye noticed tears welling in her eyes. ‘If she doesn’t pull through, Faye, I’ll never forgive myself.’

‘Come on, Margo, your mum is a force to be reckoned with,’ Faye reassured her. She put her arm around her boss and then wondered if she had crossed a line but when Margo pulled her closer and sobbed into her shoulder, Faye knew it was okay.

‘Oh, I hope you’re right.’ Margo shook her head before slumping down into a chair.

They all took seats in the waiting room each lost inside their own heads, held prisoner by their worries.

Eventually a doctor wearing scrubs entered the room. ‘Are you the family of Kitty Flynn?’

‘We are,’ Conor said standing up, closely followed by his father and Margo.

‘The good news is that she’s awake.’

‘Oh thank god,’ Conor exhaled heavily as Margo began to release great sobs of relief.

‘She sustained a fractured hip in the fall and she was also showing signs of hypothermia but she’s stable now if you’d like to come and see her?’ The doctor smiled at them all. ‘She’s in St Joseph’s ward, it’s the last bed on the left.’

Gratitude warm and joyous flooded through Faye that Kitty was going to be okay. She was so happy for the Flynn family that they would get more time with their precious mother and grandmother. They hugged one another tightly while Faye remained on the fringes. She was acutely aware that she was not part of the Flynn family and now she felt like an interloper in the midst of this family scene.