Generations: The Long Game

Time to Say Goodbye: Part One

TW: potentially fatal illness, death

He waited until morning to make the calls. Bearing this day was beyond his comprehension. How they got here he didn't fully understand. Maybe he never would. A year ago, they weren't even married yet, and he was still unaware of Rory's existence. She knew though. The way she loved their children. Her pride in them. In him. He didn't know how he would ever make up for that loss. Everyone would be making their way to the hospital today. Their devastated responses now weighed him down in a way he couldn't describe, and now he was worried about Siobhan and the baby.

Lynn

The young girl approached the door to the room with caution. She had overheard the phone call from Uncle Reece and couldn't bear to wait. As she pushed the door open, Mia swung round in her chair. "Sweetheart what are you doing here?" The young brunette had been crying and Mia immediately pulled her into a hug. "Is she really...Mum is she gonna..." The young girl started to sob. Mia hated this. She moved her daughter into the chair and pulled another up while keeping the girl's hand in her own.

"They say she can hear us, so you can talk to her if you want." She smoothed her girl's hair away from her face and sat back in her chair. They sat in silence for what seemed like a long time before Lynn spoke. "Aunt Marjorie, I really wish you would fight your way back. I lost some friends a few weeks back and it has been a horrible few weeks. I've not handled it well and have worried mummy and mum." The girl looked back at the redhead. "You've known me nearly my entire life, and I could always talk to you. I really need to talk to you now."

Mia pulled the young girl in and held her tightly as she sobbed. As the sobs began to subside, they heard a soft tap at the door. Mia stood and opened the door barely a crack thinking it was a nurse she could shoo away quickly while her daughter grieved. The green eyes and the long red pigtails were the first thing she saw. "Sorscha, can you give me just a few moments and we will give you the room?"

As Mia moved the young girl to leave with her, Lynn stopped and grabbed her aunt's hand. "I love you and I will miss you. If you can fight this, come back to us..." She began to sob again before uttering a final pleading "please."

Sorscha and Clodagh

Sorscha's eyes looked even more green with her eyes puffy and red. Clodagh could do little to console her after Reece's phone call this morning. Knowing extraordinarily little about the protocol, Clodagh sent out the email to the parents telling them the nursery would be closed today. The job would have fallen on Sorscha ordinarily, but today Clodagh knew she wouldn't be able to handle it.

As they entered the room the redhead began to sob again. She had only just seen her a few weeks before. "Clo, she was on the mend. She was sleepy but looked good. I just don't understand." Clodagh pulled her into her arms and rubbed her back in a circular motion. "Babe, she got sick. We will probably never know how." The redhead's eyes went wide. "Clo, oh god, Clodagh! Quinn. She had that cough around Aidan's birthday. Clodagh what if it was us? What if we got Marjorie sick? And now... now ..." She flopped in the chair sending it skidding across the floor. "Clo I have killed our friend. She is dying because I brought our sick daughter to see a cancer patient." The brunette shook her head as she pulled Sorscha's hand into her own. "We don't know that babe. Quinn had been over that cough for days, and from what Charlotte has said Marjorie never had a cough. They don't know how she got pneumonia. She wasn't sick or didn't appear to be."

They sat in silence before the redhead removed her hand from Clodagh's and place it over Marjorie's. "Marjorie, you know I am not the praying type, but I know your soul will find it's way to the right place. Give him hell like you've always said." She choked up and began to sob. "If you can still fight this thing, give it hell instead."

She stood up so abruptly she knocked the chair to the floor and startled Clodagh. She was out the door and down the hallway before Clodagh caught up to her. "Babe where are you going?" She pulled her shoulder away from Clodagh's grasp. "I need to go see me mam. I'll get a taxi and meet you back home." She never stopped moving down the corridor as she spoke leaving Clodagh stood there stunned.