Far Away Home Read Online Free PDF

hall. Frantic movement commenced within the room. Katherine screamed. They
heard the doctor yelling at Katherine as though she were deaf. “Stay with me,
Mrs. Denehy. The child is dead. I’m going to break the skull. I’m going to use
this instrument, just stay with me now. Relax your muscles. Keep her awake
there, man.”
    The boys were
strewn around the hallway in various levels of distress. Frank Junior took
charge and lifted Aislynn from Sean’s arms. “Come on, Lovey. You come with me.
You boys come home, too.”
    Tim watched his
brothers disappear into the Nolan parlor. The door slowly swung closed with a
soft snap. Numbness set in as Tim listened to the stunning sounds and inhaled
the nauseating smells emerging from the flat. Tim felt weak and feared he would
vomit.
    Bustling up the
stairs and fumbling with his bag, the priest entered the dim hall with Michael
close at his heels. He rushed into the flat and cried, “Blessed Jesus.”
    Tim needed to
see what was happening. He quietly crept into the Denehy flat and hid under
their kitchen table, watching the legs of the people who remained in the bedroom.
From his post, Tim could hear the conversation clearly. Katherine was
hemorrhaging. There was some movement on the part of the doctor. “I could give
her some morphia and ease her pain, and then she can slip away in her sleep.”
    “She’ll not slip
away!” Brendan cried. “Katherine, please stay with me.” Brendan sat on the bed,
amid the mess of birth and death. He put his arms around Katherine, “Stop
bleedin’. Please stop bleedin’. Take me strength. I give you every drop. Please
take it, me love, take all of it.”
    An airy whisper
floated from Katherine’s lips, “I’m so tired, Brendan.”
    “I know love,
rest. I’m right here. Just don’t give up. Stay with me, Katherine. Stay with
me.” His pleading drove Mrs. Nolan from the room. She stumbled, tearblind, into
the parlor. Tim could hear the doctor close his bag and saw him leave the
bedroom. He heard his mother thank the doctor as he fled the scene. His mother
fell to her knees on the parlor rug and doubled over in tears and prayer.
    Tim heard
Katherine speak again. “I’ll always be with you,” was followed by hollow,
breathless silence. He craned his neck trying to get closer to the bedroom
without being discovered, straining to see.
    Katherine’s
breathing was ragged. Between painful gasps, she said, “If you need me, just
close your eyes. I’ll be right here with you.”
    Tim heard
Katherine struggling for air. He saw the bed shaking and heard Brendan’s
frantic voice, “Let me hold you, me love. I’ll hold you and everything will be
fine. You’re not goin’ anywhere…stayin’ with me.” 
    No sound came
from Katherine or Brendan, but the priest began to mumble last rights. The dark
angel had descended, and it was not leaving alone. Mary Nolan wearily rose from
the floor and, on leaden legs, returned to the bedroom. She bent over Katherine’s
body and felt her neck for its life-affirming throb. Touching the pulseless
girl sent Mary into a wail that made Tim snap his head up, cracking it on the
table. His entire body was perspiring. It seemed his grief leaked from all his
pores, flowing down his back and his forehead, dripping down his face. His head
fell into his hands and he cried.
    Looking up, Tim
could barely recognize anything in the dark flat. Night had fallen hard and
moonless. A single candle burned in the bedroom. His eyes searched the void.
Trapped in his hiding place, he needed a chance, just a moment to see
Katherine.
    Neglected and
lonely for her mother, Aislynn boldly strode into the Denehy flat and pushed
her way into the bedroom. She hastily climbed onto the bed and demanded a hug
from her mother. She lifted her mother’s arms, which lay lifelessly over
Brendan’s shoulders, attempting to wiggle under them. When no response came,
she started to pitifully plead for a hug. “Mama, I need hug, Mama