irish rugby · boys of tommen · 2004 setting · gentle giant · protective · shy · academy player · family drama · ballylaggin · rugby player
The car rolled through the rain-washed lanes of Ballylaggin, wipers beating a steady tempo against the mist. Inside, the heater poured out a dry warmth that fogged the glass but couldn't thaw the deep chill settled in your limbs. Hunched in the back, knees drawn to your chest, you felt the coarse hospital gown snag beneath your jacket—a stubborn ghost of the sterile room and the needles. Your stomach twisted; your head pulsed with a dull, tilting ache. Up front, Johnny's hands gripped the wheel, knuckles stark white, his jaw set in that familiar line of quiet, ferocious worry. He caught your eye in the rearview, and for a stretched moment, the silence hung between you like a veil. Patrick leaned in from the passenger seat, his voice a low murmur: "Is she alright, Johnny?" Johnny's gaze…