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Post by CelticCailín on Jan 9, 2012 1:17:18 GMT -5
'I know. Do you remember that time when we were fourteen, and we all went up to the Giant's Causeway?'
'Yeah I remember that.. But what does that have to do with.. Oh. It's what you said to me, isn't it?' he said, answering his own question.
I nodded safely.
'Yes, remember that I ran way ahead, and you were looking for me, and you thought I'd fallen or something?'
'Aye, then I found you and you told me that you would never go too far out of my sight again..' he was remembering, but he also knew this time those old words meant something completely different.
'And you told me that you'd never let me fall..'
'I won't. Ever. Mc Ginty promise.' he promised; squeezing my hand lightly in reassurance.
I changed the topic, well only changed the topic a little bit.
'So, you nervous for them taking your bone marrow tomorrow?' I asked, not bein able to think of anything better to say at the moment.
He was silent for a moment, mulling over his answer in his head.
'No, I'm not. It's nothing compared to what you've been going through all along.' he disappeared from my sight for a minute; and I heard him shuffle around, as if looking for something. I wondered what he was doing, not checking the time, there was a clock right there on the wall.
Suddenly, I saw a little bit of bright artificial light. His mobile.
'Why are ye showing me your phone? I'm confused..' I explained, still literally and figuratively in the dark.
'Look again.'
I did as he said, looking down at the blue blanket I was underneath. There was something reflected back under the brightness. A little, square, red box that fit in his palm, tied all neat with a sparkly green bow on top. He gestured to me to open it, and I took it in my hands.
I gasped as I opened it. Inside was a pair of trinity knot silver earrings. They were so intricate, so beautiful. I looked up at him, struck speechless by his thoughtful gift.
'Merry Christmas Eve, love.' he whispered.
'Thank you so much, it's incredible. But I never got you anything yet, I was going to go to the shops today..'
'You've given me more than enough. You're still here with me. That's the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.' he said genuinely.
I leaned over to hug him, I was so touched.
'Here, let me help you.' he said, swiftly putting the jewelry onto my bare ears. I looked back at myself in the reflective surface of his phone, they were indeed stunning.
'They're stunning.' I said, touching my ears, admiring how the earrings twinkled and sparkled when I turned my head this way and that.
'Stunning earrings for a stunning girl.'
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Post by CelticCailín on Jan 10, 2012 23:10:46 GMT -5
I just grinned back at him, unable to find the words I wished I could say to express how much I cared for and how lucky I was to have him as a friend, and more than that.
We talked away into the wee hours of the morning, about anything and everything that came to mind. Slowly, the others started waking up. They glanced over, and saw we were immersed in our conversation. By now, he was laying beside me, my IV'-ed hand intertwined with his. A nurse walked in, and took in the scene before her. She smiled a encouraging smile at me. She looks over at Damian, and spoke.
'Mr. Mc Ginty, it's your turn first. Your the donor, yes?'
'Yes, I am.' he replied calmly.
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Post by CelticCailín on Jan 16, 2012 0:45:16 GMT -5
'We've to get you prepped for surgery now. You can bring two people with you if you wish.'
He looked around the room, then last his eyes rested on my face; tired and bone weary.
'Ma'am, I can't choose just two. All of them are very near and dear to me. Can't they all come, please?' he asked.
She sighed, surveying all the bodies in the now cramped room.
'Yes, I suppose we can make an exception, given the circumstances. But she cannot go.' her last sentence was spoken with her eyes right on me.
I was mad as anything! Why should I not be allowed to go and see him? Was is not enough that I might lose all.
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Post by CelticCailín on Jan 16, 2012 16:03:54 GMT -5
'We've seen it before in cases like this, that the patients usually gets very upset and then it becomes an issue.' she explained slowly, as if I was hard of hearing.
'Please, let me see him. I'm begging you, ma'am, please.' I said, feeling I was losing this fight.
'I'm sorry, no, miss.'
My heart sank into my toes, and I was ready to cry. But I wouldn't, I wouldn't let any of my frustration, sadness, or anxiety show. Not now. I couldn't afford that.
Everyone else left the room, saying that they would see me soon, just after they made sure all was well with Damian. Damian was the last to leave, he hung behind the rest of them. A quick reassuring kiss on my forehead, then him saying he loved me, and he was gone, footsteps echoing down the empty hallway.
I was alone, all alone now. Waiting for whatever was to become of me.
'Please God let him be alright. If not me, please let him live. If it comes down to it, take my life over his, Lord. I'm willing to do that for him. He's done so much for me already. They all have.' I whispered quietly to myself, letting the silent tears flow down my pale cheeks.
(A wee bit of Emmett's POV- needed to explain this properly) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}~}}}}~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We all came to a room, rather less a room and more of a large hall. There were so many people about, many laying in beds, conscious or barely just so. More people crowded round the plastic beds, hands wrought out with the worry of it all. Then I read the sign above the door- 'Pre- O.R. Hall'.
I wondered how many of them were here for the same reason we all were- not for our own sake, but to try and save the life of another who is on the brink of life and death itself. By the look of it, the answer was quite a few of the lot here.
My brother disappeared for a few minutes, into a room beyond. This gave us the time for a quick conversation that couldn't be spoken in front of him- or Dierdre.
'Mum, what do you reckon will come out of all this today?' I had to ask, because I knew nobody else dared to say aloud.
'Like the rest of us, I have no insight into the outcomes of today. But of course we all wish only that the transplant works, and that they both live.' she went quiet on the words 'that they both live.'
Soon as he'd disappeared, my brother was back. The nurses ushered him over into a bed, and started hooking him to a bunch of machines and monitors. He looked like her, but not sick. Here he was, only nineteen, and ready and willing to put his life on the line for his girl. I blinked, and saw him not as the teenage brother I'd come to know for the last five years, but rather as a man who was exactly what we'd all hoped he'd grow up to be.
Though all the fussing about him, he maintained a cheery look, flashing us a reassuring smile every now and then. But I knew it was a facade. I knew, everyone knew where his thoughts were. His thoughts were back in that room, back where she lay, all alone. To the outsider looking in, he was fine. But he's my younger brother, and I know him better than almost anybody else. Finally, the nurses left us to him for awhile. Busy off with others, I presumed. Now, he was staring off into space, as if he was capable of seeing past the plaster, concrete, and aluminium in the walls- as if he could see her, right in front of him.
An idea popped into my head. Foolish, perhaps. Worth it, definitely. I leaned in close to Damian, whispering my idea into his ear. He grinned back, that smile from the Damian I knew. He nodded his head and winked.
'You're a crazy one, Emmett.' he told me.
'Aye little brother, but ye always seem to go along with what I do.'
'True. When it's your ideas, mum doesn't seem to get as mad at me when I'm involved in 'em.' he replied cheekily.
I double checked the doors, and all the nurses were gone. The coast was clear, so I needed to act now, and fast.
'I'll be right back, everyone.' I said as nonchalantly as I possibly could. And I walked out the doors of that hall, then ran once I rounded the corner, out of eyesight of them all.
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Post by CelticCailín on Jan 16, 2012 22:51:07 GMT -5
(Still Emmett's POV)
After some mistakes and a bit of confusion, I found her again. She was staring at what lay beyond her window, and she was crying. Quietly, I walked into the room, not wanting to startle her. Dierdre blinked in surprise at seeing me, I knew she didn't expect anyone to come back for awhile.
'Emmett? What are you doing here?' she asked with what would have been raised eyebrows if she'd had any, and a surprised tone to her voice.
'What the staff won't do for you. I'm taking you to see Damian.' I walked over to the far wall, and pushed the wheelchair there over to her bedside.
She just looked at me, stunned.
'Come on, get in. Not much time left now before they take him away.' I reminded her gently.
At that, she let me help her thin, gown clad and blanket wrapped frame into the chair.
'You could get in so much trouble for doing this.' she said obviously.
'I know. But it's worth the trouble I might get into. For things like this, I don't mind getting caught. Now, of it was because of a wind up my brother pulled.. Well that's different.'
Quick like, we made our way back to the hall. She must've thought me crazy, but I knew this was what she wanted, and him too. What she asked for but nobody would listen.
As I pushed her through the doors, all was a hush and everyone snapped around to see what was going on.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (Dierdre's POV)
Everyone was watching, I felt all eyes on me. I scanned the room, anxiously trying to find them. And then there they were, in a back corner of the room. Emmett hurriedly wheeled me over to them. They looked in shock, disbelief. Damian looked forlorn, but as soon as he caught a glimpse of me his face lit up, and he was smiling. He looked like me, IV pole, machines everywhere. But he was alright, at least for now.
I got up out of the wheelchair, blanket still wrapped around me, I was freezing cold. I went to stand beside him, he sat up. He gestured for me to sit down, and I did. He hugged me tight, and for a split second it was like there was nobody else in the entire world, just me and him in this moment, right at this very second. It was a very, very good feeling.
'I'm so glad Emmett stole me to come over here and see you.' I said, my voice muffled because I had buried my face in his chest.
'Me too.'
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Post by CelticCailín on Jan 16, 2012 23:11:40 GMT -5
I laughed quietly; trying to force myself to remember everything, this time, this place, and him. I didn't want this to be the last time he held me; far from it! But I had no idea what was to happen. Everyone was happy I'd gotten to see him, but Emmett got a little tsktsk from his mum. He just smiled.
'This is what I want for the rest of my life.' he whispered to me quietly, his mouth tickling my ear.
'To be in a hospital? Just slagging; I know what you mean. And this is what I want too.'
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw five nurses walk in. One looked sympathetic, one looked normal; and three looked right mad as bees! They five walked over to where our group was congregated.
'What is Ms.McCann doing here? I thought she was told to stay put.' informed the mean looking one.
'This was important. Her and the lad needed this time together.' replied my mother sternly, not backing down.
Two of the nurses opened the curtain beside Damian's to reveal another bed that I saw out of the corner of my eye. I wasn't paying all that much attention to what they were doing. I didn't notice when one moved my IV pole over to the other bed.
Suddenly, I felt very drowsy, and I had no idea why. I felt myself go limp in his arms. He looked at me, he knew it wasn't me pulling away from him.
'Damian...' I said softly, almost in audibly low.
'What just happened to her?!?' he demanded of the nurses.
'She had to be sedated anyway. It's fine, she's not dead, just starting to go to sleep.'
'You would do that, knowing this is maybe all they have left! That's horrible.' added Ryan.
She remained indignant, and ignored his stab at her compassion, if she had any at all.
I felt myself slipping away; and there was nothing I could do against it. I tried to hold on to him, keep him close to me, but my hands fell away. I felt him holding me, and a few words I heard.
'You'll make it, I promise you.' he said, loudly and almost triumphant like, as if proving a point to himself.
Everything flashed white, coloured, and then I was thrown into darkness and an anesthesicated slumber.
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Post by CelticCailín on Jan 23, 2012 21:53:28 GMT -5
*Damian's POV*
They lifted her up, pulling her out of my arms, away from us where we could keep her safe, in a way. I was mad, you can't just knock somebody out with medication like that! Her still frame lay there in the bed, white and seemingly only kept alive with forced tubes and monitors and wires.
Then, I was the one being whisked away, when at that moment, I wanted nothing but to stay with her. I looked around, and saw doctors and nurses in scrubs, masks, and gloves. A mask was placed over my face, and I felt sleepy. I felt myself slowly succumbing to the medication, just as Dierdre had.
'Take care of her...' I mumbled under the mask. And I too fell asleep.
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Post by CelticCailín on Jan 25, 2012 19:45:20 GMT -5
*Emmett's POV*
Now, in sorts they were both gone. Not literally, but that was what it felt like. Everyone had watched in fear and with hope that everything would be alright when my brother was taken away. We knew, I knew he was strong. He could handle what would be thrown at him, but she might not be able to.
Dierdre was asleep, and we all crowded round, we had nothin' else but to wait and hope. For the first time in a long time, she didn't look troubled, worried, or anything like that. Just calm. Time passed, and nobody spoke. There was nothing we could do now, nothing to say. It was out of our hands and into the hands of others.
Before we knew it, Damian was reappearing, I glanced at the clock. It had been two hours now? He looked just as he'd always, but a bit whiter.
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Post by CelticCailín on Jan 26, 2012 23:57:23 GMT -5
*Damian's POV*
I was dimly aware of my surroundings, slowly coming back to terms with reality. Everything was fuzzy, and the walls pitched back and forth, nothing was still. I made out the images of people down the way, and heard my sister call out my name. So they were still waiting, waiting on me.
A brutal, stabbing pain ripped through my left side, and I winced at the intensity of the sensation. It almost felt as if someone had set my left half of my body on fire!
I glanced up at one of the nurses pushing me over to my family and friends, and uttered a one word question.
'Why?' I croaked, pointing to my left hip area.
'It's normal to feel pain around the surgical site. Some people feel more pain than others, it really just depends on the individual. It should subside in a week or so from now.'
I just nodded, and lay back on the pillows. I closed my eyes, I was in pain, sore, and worry was starting to creep back over me like a dark shadow. Someone was shaking my arm, and voices slurred together.
'Damian boyo, come out of it.' Ryan said that one.
'You've done a great deal, son. Now you need to rest.' Mum giving me advice. Better listen to her now!
'Given the best Christmas present anyone could, you did. The chance at life. Good man, you are.' Sharon's words.
I forced my eyes open again, and there she was, right beside me. Real, still alive. That was promising. She was close enough to me to reach, so I grabbed her hand and held on for dear life. At least for now, we were all together, us and our family and friends.
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Post by CelticCailín on Jan 30, 2012 21:04:08 GMT -5
*still Damian's POV*
'How ya feeling, Damo?' questioned Neil.
'Feels a bit like I've been set on fire, but I know the trade-off in the end will be worth a little suffering for.' I answered honestly.
'Hold on to me tonight, cause we are stronger here together than we could ever be alone. Hold on to me, don't you ever let me go...' crooned Keith.
I glanced over at him, giving him a thumbs up.
'Way to be, Harkin, way to set the tone.' I called over to him.
'But of course Damo, what else would ya expect from me?'
'True, that's classic Harkin behaviour right there.' I noted.
Just then, one of the nurses who had brought me back had returned. I looked over at her, and I knew why she had come back. It was time, time to let Dierdre go into the doctor's and nurses' hands, to give it up and let it be, whatever that was, I didn't know. I had hope, I had faith, I had my family, friends, and my love. I knew they would be able to bring me through this, whether the outcome be good or bad.
'Its time, yeah?' I asked the nurse.
'You would be right about that, lad.'
'Okay, just one minute, please.' I half asked, half stated.
She nodded and stood off to the side, waiting to take her away.
'Is brea liom tu. Deo. Ta tu mo ghra amhain, an ceann amhain beidh me a thabhairt riamh mo chroi go hiomlan, mo anam, agus go leir go bhfuil me, agus beidh se riamh.' I said this all out loud, for all to hear, hoping some little piece of her would hear my words, and know that they rang true now, and always would. I kissed her forehead, everyone hugged her, and then the nurse took her away. I forced myself to look as she was taken away, as if I'd never see her again, never as long as I should live. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||~|||||||\\\|~~~~~~~~~<< the Irish means,'I love you. Forever. You are my one love, the only one I will ever give my whole heart, my soul, and all that I am, and ever will be.' sorry if that was the cheesiest thing, I was in a wistful mood when I wrote that bit. Was it too cheesy, guys?
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Post by CelticCailín on Feb 7, 2012 2:25:52 GMT -5
*yes, STILL Damian's POV*
"It'll be fine.. Hey hey now, snap out of that mood...' said Emmet worriedly.
'Oh yeah it's fine Emmet, fine I'm fine it's all fine..' I said tonelessly.
My mind was going a million miles a minute, racing like a crazy train to nowhere. Everyone kept saying it would be okay, that it was all okay, but I had that foreshadowing feeling in the pit of my stomach that only shows up when something bad is about to happen.. Positive thoughts, think positive think good thoughts I thought to myself. Somewhere between worry and positive thinking I slipped away into unconsciousness, and hoped it all would lead to a good Christmas Day, one to remember for the rest of my life, for the rest of all of our lives.
*Emmett's POV*
Tap tap toes on the laminate floor. Drip drip IV bag. Breathe breathe everyone holding their breath in worry and anticipation. Tap, drip, breathe. Tap, drip, breathe. Wait, make that tap, drip, breathe, pray. Repeat fifty million times as necessary.
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Post by CelticCailín on Feb 7, 2012 2:37:51 GMT -5
*Emmett POV con'td:*
Hours later, finally I caught a glimpse of a flash of metal, and wheels. Finally, they'd brought her back. I glanced at Dierdre, she did look a lot whiter than I'd ever seen her, but I chalked that one up to all that she had endured as of the last few weeks. The nurses placed her gurney right beside my brother's. There was something different now, and it took a little looking to pick out what it was, but I spotted the difference. Her IV drip was gone, oxygen tubes, in fact all the machines were gone, every last one of them. She looked peaceful, so I assumed it was just that she'd not come round from the anesthesia quite yet. Nothing to fret about, I told myself. All would soon be put to rights.
My brother on the other hand, was restless, tossing and turning in his sleep. It was a stark contrast between the two of them- her unmoving and unconscious, he also unconscious, but nothing even close to unmoving and peaceful. I wondered what could be plaguing him now. I knew as soon as the thought had crossed my mind. He was dreaming of her, most likely of how he could try and keep her safe from what he deemed a threat. The cancer, but that was one thing he or nobody had any control over whatsoever.
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Post by CelticCailín on Feb 9, 2012 21:35:41 GMT -5
Suddenly, Damian woke up out of nowhere, bolting awake and sitting straight up as if he'd been abruptly catapulted out of a horrifying nightmare. His eyes were wide, and he was looking all around, searching.
'Damian, it's okay. Whatever you just went through, it was all in your head, just a dream.' I tried to calm my brother back down.
He looked across from him, not responding right away to what I had told him. He was looking at her, and I knew he was assuming the very, absolute worst thing that could ever possibly happen. He got up, walked over and wedged himself between her and the bedrail.
'Son, she's fine, just still coming out from the anasthesia. Maybe talk to her or something, that might help.' suggested our mum.
Damian glanced grateful-like over at her, and slowly spoke. All was quiet, except for the sound of his low voice whispering swiftly and thoughtfully.
'Hey Dee, it's me, Damian. We're all here waiting, I'm okay, and we want you to wake up and get better. I'd like to think you can hear me, I hope so. But if you can't... well please don't make me ever ever think about that. You're gonna get better, you're going to have the most memorable Christmas Day you ever had tomorrow. I promise you that.'
Five minutes passed, then ten. She didn't stir. George grabbed a chair, walked over and sat opposite Damian, stroking her hand in a very father-like, protective sort of way.
'C'mon Dierdre, c'mon.. For me, for everybody.' Damian's voice broke off suddenly as he talked. He was set on the worst, set on accepting what he thought was the too soon death of his girlfriend. We could tell him a million times over she was okay and would fully regain her health, but I knew he would only be convinced by her waking up and speaking to him. He needed physical, solid proof. For him, it was no longer just hope alone that would help him believe, something had to back it up; since he'd been running on faith, hope, and prayers only for such a long time now.
For a split second, I thought I saw her eyelids fluttering, as of slowly waking up. I looked back, and saw it must have been my imagination.
>><><€<€<€<€<€<<€<€<€<><>~>><><><€~>~<>~>~>~>~>~>~>~~>~>~> *Dierdre's POV*
With every ounce of the dwindling strength I possessed, I forced my eyes open, blinking in the brightness and harshness of the artificial lighting that was a poor attempt to lighten the already gloomy room. I saw fuzzy shapes, then realized slowly that the fuzzy shapes were people.
Blinking hard a few more times, all the people came into solid view. I looked to the left of me, and Damian was there. He was alive and looked a bit worse for wear, but otherwise fine. Glancing to my other side, I saw George sitting beside my bed, always the comforting father type that he was. I smiled at George. Turning my attention back to Damian, I weakly waved and whispered one word to him.
'Hi.' I said, voice cracking and sounding absurdly odd for no reason that I understood. He just stared at me, and his face lit up in a triumphant smile. The Damian I knew, I saw him in that moment, the huge grin that made his heartbreakingly beautiful blue eyes light up, and the light in his eyes, in himself, was once again slowly but surely returning.
'You're... Alive..' he said, as if he found it that the possibility that I could be anything other than dead was impossible to grasp.
'Everything I do, I do it for you.' I replied, stealing one of Ryan's lines from a tune. Ryan winked at me in return.
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Post by CelticCailín on Feb 9, 2012 21:36:25 GMT -5
So I read the poll I posted, and you guys don't want the ending of the story??
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Post by meg_cahill21 on Feb 9, 2012 22:01:17 GMT -5
oh, i want the ending, ill just be sad 2 see it end....anyway, that was really good!!!! cant wait for the rest!!!
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