The Call of the Sea

Chapter 4

Cold. Sterile. Dark.

Bronagh fought to open her eyes but they were glued shut; she tried to move her arms but they were so heavy that she gave up the struggle promptly. There were strange sounds all around her – some were voices, shrill and angry, and others were just beeps and whirs and ticks. She couldn't understand anything, she couldn't figure out what was happening or where she was.

"She has always been a bit unstable."

She knew that voice, though she hadn't heard it in years.

"You know that's a lie, Aiofe! She has never done anything remotely like this!" Another voice that was familiar. What were they talking about? Were they talking about her? She tried to open her mouth to speak, but there was something stuck there, something hard and plastic.

"Why else would she dive off of the ferryboat? Why else would she allow herself to drown when she has always been such a strong swimmer?"

"You seem to have all of the answers, don't you? You think you know her so well when you haven't spoken to her in years." The voices continued to argue but the words began to run together into incomprehensible grunts and shrieks. Bronagh struggled to stay conscious, but there was something in the back of her mind that was tugging her back down into the water.

Bronagh...

Such a lovely voice, so clear and melodic. She would much rather listen to the voice from the water than the shrill voices around her.

Light. She opened her eyes and saw light. She was able to move her arms, but only barely – she opened her mouth and found that the hard plastic thing that had been there was no longer obstructing her.

"Bronagh?"

She moaned and tried to move her head to the side.

"Doctor, she is awake!"

The sounds of movement, frantic and concerned, erupted around her. "Stay with us, Bronagh." Fingers pried her eyelids open and she was blinded by a bright light. "Pupils look good. Vitals are stable. Bronagh," the voice took on a soft tone, "can you blink your eyes?"

She blinked, slowly, in response. Her vision was still blurry, she could not make out the details of the figures standing around her, but she knew that there were four people watching over her.

"Good. Now, can you try to speak? If you can't, that is fine."

"No," she croaked. Her voice was hoarse and low, as if she were whispering – but she was convinced that she was speaking at a normal volume.

"It's a start. Do you know where you are?" Bronagh moved her head to the left and then the right. "You are in the Idir na Farraigí Clinic. Do you remember anything that happened?" She moved her head to the left and then the right again. "It may come back in waves. You were on the ferryboat from Bayside to Idir na Farraigí and you fell overboard. Your legs were caught in the kelp forest and you drowned. Your friend here was able to untangle you and bring you up. You are incredibly lucky that everything was in your favour this evening, young lady. You were on the brink of death."

Drowned? On the brink of death? No, that was not possible. She remembered standing at the railing of the ferryboat, listening to the waves breaking against the sides – she remembered hearing the melodies that she had heard every day of her childhood. But no, she could not remember falling overboard, nor could she remember the kelp forest.

"It is a lot to take in, I know. Rest for now, and I will be in to check on your in a few hours." Two of the figures left her side, leaving way for the others to step forward. Bronagh blinked again and saw Sorcha's familiar face to her left. She moved her head to the right and found herself staring at her mother, the woman's blue-green eyes boring into her. She choked, the taste of salt water filling her mouth – she moved away but there was nowhere to go.