consultant and the doctor came out of the room. 'He has the all-clear for a few days anyway,' Louise said. 'I'll make out a list of drugs and as soon as pharmacy has them ready he can go.'
'One day we waited here two hours for pharmacy,' Paul said.
'I'll take the prescription up there myself and if you come with me, Paul, and stand there looking at them, then they might do it now,' the consultant said.
• • •
Helen and her mother went into the room, where Declan was sitting on the side of the bed.
'I feel all dizzy when I sit up like this,' he said. 'But I'll be all right in a minute.'
'Declan, I stayed in Granny's house last night,' Helen said. 'The beds are really uncomfortable and the sheets are ancient.'
'I'll get sheets from home,' her mother said.
'How was Granny when you told her?' Declan asked.
'She was worried about you,' Helen said.
They went outside "while Declan dressed.
'Do you know who this Paul is?' her mother asked.
'He's an old friend of Declan's. I think he's been very good.'
'This whole thing is a nightmare,' her mother said.
'Yes, I know. He seems so well. It's hard to believe.'
'You can drive us down,' her mother said. 'You're on holidays, aren't you?'
'Not exactly, but I can drive you down.'
When the drugs came, Paul and Declan began to clear out the room, putting rubbish into a black plastic bag and clothes and CDs into a holdall. Declan began to give Paul detailed instructions on how to get to his grandmother's house in Cush. Helen and her mother looked on, puzzled, as Declan told Paul to give these directions to Larry as well — Helen did not know who Larry was — and ask him to come down to Cush too as soon as he could.
They set out for Wexford. Her mother fussed over Declan's comfort in the car and wondered whether he would be better in the front or the back. As they drove through the city, Declan in the back seat, her mother turned to him and said: 'Helen said on the way up that you were worried about how I'd react. Well, you needn't worry about that at all. You and Helen are the two people I care about most, and nothing would ever change that.'
'I should have told you before,' Declan said, 'but I couldn't bring myself to.'
They stopped at Dunnes Stores in Cornelscourt, where Helen left them in the car park and filled up a trolley in the supermarket with things they would need over the next few days. She did not know how her grandmother would respond to their arrival. She realised that for the first time in years — ten years, maybe — she was back as a member of this family she had so determinedly tried to leave. For the first time in years they would all be under the same roof, as though nothing had happened. She realised, too, that the unspoken emotions between them in the car, and the sense that they were once more a unit, seemed utterly natural now that there was a crisis, a catalyst. She was back home, where she had hoped she
would never be again, and she felt, despite herself, almost relieved.
On the journey to Cush, her mother talked about her staff and her clients; she was trying hard, Helen believed, to be witty and bright. A few times they thought that Declan was asleep, but he turned out only to have his eyes closed. Her mother said that at some stage that evening Helen could drive her into Wexford and she could get her own car and bedclothes from home.
'We'll make you very comfortable, Declan,' her mother said.
'Do you think Granny will mind us barging in on top of her like this?' Declan asked.
'She's always loved you, Declan.'
'Yes, but will she not mind?' he asked.
'If she'd turn her telephone on, we could find out.'
'I think she'll want to help in every way she can, Declan,' Helen said.
• • •
It was still early evening when they arrived in Cush. Their grandmother came out and looked into the car, unable to make out who its occupants were.
'Is it Declan you have in
'One day we waited here two hours for pharmacy,' Paul said.
'I'll take the prescription up there myself and if you come with me, Paul, and stand there looking at them, then they might do it now,' the consultant said.
• • •
Helen and her mother went into the room, where Declan was sitting on the side of the bed.
'I feel all dizzy when I sit up like this,' he said. 'But I'll be all right in a minute.'
'Declan, I stayed in Granny's house last night,' Helen said. 'The beds are really uncomfortable and the sheets are ancient.'
'I'll get sheets from home,' her mother said.
'How was Granny when you told her?' Declan asked.
'She was worried about you,' Helen said.
They went outside "while Declan dressed.
'Do you know who this Paul is?' her mother asked.
'He's an old friend of Declan's. I think he's been very good.'
'This whole thing is a nightmare,' her mother said.
'Yes, I know. He seems so well. It's hard to believe.'
'You can drive us down,' her mother said. 'You're on holidays, aren't you?'
'Not exactly, but I can drive you down.'
When the drugs came, Paul and Declan began to clear out the room, putting rubbish into a black plastic bag and clothes and CDs into a holdall. Declan began to give Paul detailed instructions on how to get to his grandmother's house in Cush. Helen and her mother looked on, puzzled, as Declan told Paul to give these directions to Larry as well — Helen did not know who Larry was — and ask him to come down to Cush too as soon as he could.
They set out for Wexford. Her mother fussed over Declan's comfort in the car and wondered whether he would be better in the front or the back. As they drove through the city, Declan in the back seat, her mother turned to him and said: 'Helen said on the way up that you were worried about how I'd react. Well, you needn't worry about that at all. You and Helen are the two people I care about most, and nothing would ever change that.'
'I should have told you before,' Declan said, 'but I couldn't bring myself to.'
They stopped at Dunnes Stores in Cornelscourt, where Helen left them in the car park and filled up a trolley in the supermarket with things they would need over the next few days. She did not know how her grandmother would respond to their arrival. She realised that for the first time in years — ten years, maybe — she was back as a member of this family she had so determinedly tried to leave. For the first time in years they would all be under the same roof, as though nothing had happened. She realised, too, that the unspoken emotions between them in the car, and the sense that they were once more a unit, seemed utterly natural now that there was a crisis, a catalyst. She was back home, where she had hoped she
would never be again, and she felt, despite herself, almost relieved.
On the journey to Cush, her mother talked about her staff and her clients; she was trying hard, Helen believed, to be witty and bright. A few times they thought that Declan was asleep, but he turned out only to have his eyes closed. Her mother said that at some stage that evening Helen could drive her into Wexford and she could get her own car and bedclothes from home.
'We'll make you very comfortable, Declan,' her mother said.
'Do you think Granny will mind us barging in on top of her like this?' Declan asked.
'She's always loved you, Declan.'
'Yes, but will she not mind?' he asked.
'If she'd turn her telephone on, we could find out.'
'I think she'll want to help in every way she can, Declan,' Helen said.
• • •
It was still early evening when they arrived in Cush. Their grandmother came out and looked into the car, unable to make out who its occupants were.
'Is it Declan you have in
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