Down on Luck

“Ye always say that.”

“Please. Listen. It might be too late to clean up his mess now. We have to talk about this. He’s in a bad way. He could even be dying. Ye’re the next of kin, so. Why do you have blood on yer forehead?”

“Long story.”

“Usually is,” Eoin said. “Oh, I met your girlfriend. She opened the door when I first got here. She’s smokin’ hot! And she has a great rack.”

“I’ve noticed. What did ye talk about?” I asked.

“Not much, just da and the family. She seemed really interested.”

I could almost hear the dime drop as I realized why Maggie started acting the way that she had.

“Hold on a minute,” I said.

I tried to call but got no answer. I had just been over there so I figured she was screening. I switched over to text. I typed out as heartfelt an apology as I could in the characters allowed. It only took her a few minutes to respond. So few that there was no way she had actually read the message.

Get Lost! Leave me alone!

Well, that’s that then. As much as I wanted to keep trying, I also refused to be some kind of creepy, stalker cliche. Besides which, I should really be focusing on my family and not moping over the ending of my fake relationship. No matter how much I would have liked it to be real. I really had to deal with the issues that were confronting me. I couldn’t run anymore.

“Everyt’ing okay?”

“Let’s go, little broth’er.”

Chapter Fifteen

Gavin

The hospital was as depressing as when I’d been in there with my last knife wound. Not dirty or anything. State medicine wasn’t nearly that terrible. If anything it was a bit too sterile. Not in the sense of cleanliness but over all. Everything from the uniforms down to the wallpaper devoid of any color or life. Everything done with a machine efficiency. Functional and effective but not the sort of place you would want to spend a lot of time. Though that could have partly been the point.

The doctor was pleasant enough. Her skirt-suit matching her stark white lab coat, giving her the vague air of a super-villain. Her dark brown skin keeping her from looking washed out.

“ ‘Tis a staff infection,” the doctor was saying as I looked through the window into the room, “his immune system was already compromised, which left him even more vulnerable.”

“What are the chances?” I asked, more worried than I’d been in a while.

“Not sure honestly. T’ough we canna do anything wit’out informed consent for extreme measures. He’s in no condition to sign so it will need ta be you. Without it he will definitely die.”

“Right t’en,” I said taking the clipboard she was holding and signing on the spot indicated.

“Oh, o-okay,” the doctor said, clearly surprised by my enthusiasm.

“Do whatever’s needed,” I said, handing back the clipboard.

That done I went out to where Eoin was waiting. He looked worried and scared which seemed to be his default states.

“Buck up little, brot’er, it’s all in hand.”

“You signed?” he asked, I sat down next to him.

“O’ course I did was t’ere ever any doubt?”

“Well-”

“Donna answer t’at.”

“So he’s gonna live?”

“Can’t tell. The doctor didn’t even know but they couldn’t do anyt’ing without consent which they now have. I’ve cleared them to do anything needed.”

“Oh, t’ank Brigid!”

“No, t’ank me. Brigid wasn’t holding the pen.”

“Ye know what I meant! What changed yer mind? I t’ought ye were at the da end o’

yer rope wit’ him.”

“Maybe ye showed me a better way. You were so ridiculously dedicated it was hard for it not to rub off at least a bit. Maybe t’ere are some people it’s wort’ not giving up on.”

I had been referring to my dad at that moment but also couldn’t help thinking of Maggie. I was holding on pretty hard. I’d never done that before, even with real relationships, what few there were. It only went to further prove that Maggie was someone special. I really was starting to love her, in a way I wasn’t sure I’d loved anyone before.

“Well, if it ain’t the prodigal son!”

Eoin and I both looked up to see the remaining three McSteele boys coming in through the meticulously cleaned sliding doors.

“Hey boys,” I said, getting up and hugging all of them in order of height, from Big Noel to Little Jim. Medium Liam standing between them.

“Ye ready to get outta hear?” Noel asked rhetorically, knowing full well how we all felt about hospitals.

“Hell yes!” I enthused.

There was a flurry of gasps from a cluster of Ward Sisters coming out of a nearby break room.

“Patrick couldn’t make it, hey?” I asked as we headed for the doors.

“Couldn’t get a flight,” Liam said.

“We’re still going ta take you out on da town o’ course,” Noel said.

“I t’ink I remember t’at,” I said, trying to remember the last time I’d been out.