Helping 11

Joey

I'm still sitting at the table. Something wrong but I don't know what. Maybe it's something with Nora. The look on both of their faces tell me something happened, and the fact that they show up at 3am.

My phone ringing pulls me out of my thoughts. I quickly rush over to answer the call, hoping that it didn't wake aj up. Staring at the screen it says unkown number.

Picking it up, I answer. "Hello this is joey Lynch speaking.'

"Hello this is the cork police. Do you currently have Nora O'brien in your care?" Shit the police. What has they done now?!

"Yes."

"We regret to inform you that's there has been a car crash. It killed her older brother and younger sister and has left her mum in critical care."

What?! Her brother and sister is dead. Her mum is in critical care. They died in a car crash just like their dad. I saw the look on Noras face when they came in. Something wasn't right. I should have asked more, done something then just letting them go.

"Sir." The police officer repeats himself.

"Hmm?"

"Can we come over later this morning and talk to her?"

"Yeah sure that's fine. I'll tell her."

"Perfect we'll see you tommow." He hungs up and nothing about this is perfect. Most of Noras family is dead. She was already starting to break, this is going to split her down the middle.

I lean back in the chair. Rubbing my hand over my face, I try to think of something to do. Should I tell her before the police come, should I tell her. Tadgh? I can't think. It's all to much. I should tell tadgh so he can tell her. It's better coming from someone you know but not right now. He needs to sleep.

This all remind me of losing my parents. The pain. It felt like I was never going to survive it but I need Nora to know that she does. That it gets better. That no matter how much the darkness takes, there will be light. It will stop.

Standing up, I make my way to my bed. I think about the girl laying next to me and the kid sleeping in the other room. It does get better, it really does.

...

I couldn't sleep last night. Every time I would drift off I would think of our dying parents. Mine dying in the fire and hers dying in a car. They still curse me even after they've been dead for years.

I have to tell tadgh. I don't want to have to burden him with it but it will help Nora to hear it from him. Walking up to his door, I knock carefully incase anyone is awake. A minute later tadgh pulls it open. Over his shoulder I can see a fast asleep Nora. She looks peaceful and I know that when she finds out, she'll never sleep quite so peacefully.

"What are you doing up." His gruff voice tells me he also has been up half the night.

"Couldn't sleep. I need to talk to you." I replay.

"Okay." He stands there waiting.

"Not here." He sighs, looking around trying to find a reason. I leave, walking down the stairs. I can hear his footsteps follow me. Walking into the kitchen, I pull out two chairs. One for me and another for him. I sit down in one and he sits in the other.

"Right" He throws his hands out. "What did you need to say."

"Last night I got a call." I take a deep breath before continuing. Not wanting to speak it out loud. "It's was about Nora's family. They got into a car crash. Her brother and sister died and her mum in critical care."

I see the look on his face when it fully registers. He run his hands up and down his face. "Shit, shit, shit. I should have done something last night Joe, I knew something wasn't right."

"Hey." I try to get him to look at me." Tadgh look at me. This is not your fault okay. You are just a little kid, the only person whose fault it is the guy that made them crash."

Tears are falling down his face but I can see that he is listening.

"If you feel like this is your fault, image how Nora will feel. I told you this because Nora needs someone. Do you remember how it felt when you first lost them, it felt like the world was ending. That you had no one but I need you to be that someone for her. You need to be strong for her."

"I need to be strong for her." He repeats the words to himself, almost as there something to keep him going.

The sound of footsteps make both of our head turn up. Noras standing there with a look of dread on her face, like she knows the next words will break her.

She shaking her head. "What wrong?"

note:

Sorry that these last chapters have been short I just need to add these. I'll try make the next ones longer. Word count: 869