Independent by Means of Magic

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The man in the cell was barely recognizable as human, much less as McDuff’s little brother. One eye barely open, the other a bruised, lumpy mass. His lips were nearly as swollen, his nose twisted to the side.

McDuff had no idea whether the blood caked on his chin and throat came from his nose, his mouth, or any number of cuts and scrapes on his face. Michael looked like he had more blood on the outside than the inside.

That along with his rattling breath made it clear he needed to go to hospital sooner rather than later.

He managed to follow McDuff’s progress as he walked into the cell and squatted in front of the bunk. Michael’s head swayed on his shoulders, though. He struggled to focus with his one open eye.

“Come to take me home then, Robbie?” he said, his voice raspy and harsh. McDuff never would have understood the words if he hadn’t heard them many times before.

“Not just yet. What have you got into this time?”

“Nothing I haven’t got into before.” Michael tried to move back against the wall, but he groaned again when he tried to push against the bunk. “Out with me mates, got out of hand.”

McDuff stood. “Yeah, nothing new there at all. Those loyal lads told you to sneak into one of the bloody Irish gangs, and they beat the shite out of you. What did your scum of the Earth mates offer you this time? Whiskey? Money? Women?”

“Let’s just say all three and be done with it,” Michael said, shaking his head slowly. “I’m not stupid, Rob. All worth it if it worked.”

“No, you’re not stupid. You trust the wrong people and you trust too much. Then you expect me to clean it all up for you.”

Michael tried to grunt, but a fresh gout of blood flowed from his nose.

“You here to take me home or not?”

“No,” McDuff said. The promises he’d made their mother, over and over again the day she drew her last breath, ripped through his mind. “I’m not taking you anywhere. You’re off to hospital from the looks of you, but after that you’re here until you’re in front of the judge.”

“Leaving me after all.” Michael tried to get up, but he fell back, banging his head against the stone wall. “What you wanted all along.”

“Yes, Michael. That’s what I’ve wanted all along. That’s why I took you in, took you on. That’s why I’ve done everything I could to keep you out of places like this, to get you job after bloody job that you managed to lose. That’s why I’ve risked my own job more times than I can count. Because I wanted you in jail all along.”

“Just in time for you to run off to London. Knew that was coming.” Michael slumped down onto the bunk again, shifting until he was in the same face-down position with his head over the edge. “I was trying to build up enough to get you set up down there, so you won’t live like a rotten beggar fresh off the street.”

“Right. Don’t do me any favors. If you wanted to help me, you would have kept any of the jobs I got you so you could take care of yourself for a change. I’ll see you for the trial. If I can get the time off work. That’s what men have to do. Work.”

McDuff walked out of the cell, and Edwards swung the door closed. Before they could walk away, Michael cried out.

“Robbie! Don’t leave me in here.”

He was propped up on his arms, but they were shaking so badly McDuff was afraid he would tumble off onto the floor.

“I don’t mean to cause trouble for you,” he said, tears squeezing out of his swollen eyes. “Can’t seem to find the right thing anymore.”

Edwards walked down the hall and waited with his back turned. McDuff stepped up to the bars.

“Listen, Mike, listen to me. I’m telling the truth. I can’t take you out of here. You’ve been picked up too many times. They’re not letting you loose like before, not even with me. I need you to let Edwards take you to hospital, okay? You’ll stay there while you heal up.”

Michael shook his head again and drooped forward.

“Not gonna make it without you,” he said, his words running together. “No reason to try if you go.”

“Just hold yourself together for now.” McDuff stepped back until he felt the cold stone digging into his flesh, then he tried to step back more. “You have to get better before we can do anything. Let them help you get better.”

McDuff turned and walked away, but he didn’t move fast enough. The ragged, pathetic, and somehow infuriating sound of his grown baby brother crying followed him down the hall and back up the steps.

Michael choking, struggling to draw air into his lungs, then wailing again.

McDuff nearly crashed into Edwards waiting at the top of the stairway.

“I’ll get him looked over,” Edwards said. “Probably send him to hospital in the next hour or so. I know you don’t want to hear it, but you’ve done all you can. Go to London, Rob. Now. Start your own life.”