Deirdre felt her ears humming and raised her head abruptly.

‘Die? Who’s dying?’

Her eyes were filled with disbelief, and she got up from her seat shakily. It felt as if the air was made of needles as every breath she took pierced her lungs. She wanted to ask, yet the nurses had only chatted briefly before turning around and parting ways.

Deirdre leaned against the ice-cold wall by herself and replayed the conversation between the nurses repeatedly in her head.

‘Brendan is dying?’

Deirdre