CHAPTER 5

Mairsile and A'dhamh had spent the past three months waiting and watching over their son, Rourke. There was no explaination for his illness or the fever that had taken him. The physicians and nurses just continued to administer to him - never finding the cause.

Rourke spent those long days laying in his hospital bed staring out the window; never allowed to leave the bed or his room. When he was alone at night he would cry himself to sleep. Every time a medical person came into his room his heart would race and the shadow of fear would cross over his face. When his parents came to be with him he would beg and plead to go home. The longer he was there his pleas became demands. His mother would just turn away from him to hide her tears and his father would just stand with no comment.

Mairsile and A'dhamh arrived this morning as they had all other mornings, but this time the physician that had been caring for Rourke was waiting for them in the room.

"Mairsile and A'dhamh your son seems to have recovered from what ever it was that ailed him," the physician stated matter of factly. "You can take him home."

Mairsile glanced over at her son to see a huge grin.

"Are you sure?" Mairsile asked. "He has been here so long and he has been so sick. He looks so frail and weak."

"Mairsile, Rourke can go home. He is weak and he will have to learn to walk again."

Rourke frowned. He was so excited about going home and being able to play outside with his brother and sister. This sounded like more confinement to him.

"Well, I guess we'll have to drag him outside every day then." A'Dhamh's voice boomed causing everyone to jump.

"I will have one of the nurses come in to describe some excersises that will help Rourke regain his strength. Being outside will do him a lot of good as well." As the physician left the room Rourke began to plan in his mind all the things that he was going to do as soon as he got home.

The nurse came in a few moments later and showed Mairsile the excercises that Rourke would need help with and she also provided a list of foods that would be good for him to eat. Mairsile gathered the few items that Rourke had in his room and put them in a satchel. A'dhamh picked up his son and carried him out to the carriage that was waiting outside the hospital doors.

The ride home was a couple of hours and while they travelled Rourke fell asleep and dreamed.

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