and sleep forever. Mam says, Grandma is making a nice breakfast, and the mention of food makes me so sick I run to the edge of the pave- ment to throw up and the whole world is looking at me and I don’t care. Mam says she’d better take me home and put me to bed and my pals look surprised that anyone can go to bed when there’s a collection to be made. She helps me take off my Confirmation suit and puts me to bed. She wets a rag and places it under my neck and after awhile the bleed- ing stops. She brings tea but the look of it makes me sick and I have to throw up in the bucket. Mrs. Hannon comes in from next door and I can hear her say that’s a very sick child and he should have a doctor. Mam says it’s Saturday, the Dispensary is closed and where would you get a doctor? Dad comes home from his job at Rank’s Flour Mills and tells Mam I’m going through a stage, growing pains. Grandma comes up and says the  same  thing.  She  says  when  boys  go  from  the  one  number  year, which is nine, to the two number year, which is ten, they’re changing and prone to the nosebleed. She says I might have too much blood in me anyway and a good cleaning out wouldn’t do me one bit of harm. The day passes and I’m in and out of sleep. Malachy and Michael come into the bed at night and I can hear Malachy say, Frankie is very hot. Michael says, He’s bleeding on my leg. Mam puts the wet rag on my nose and a key on my neck but it won’t stop the bleeding. On Sun- day morning there’s blood on my chest and all around me. Mam tells Dad I’m bleeding through my bottom and he says I might have a case of the runs, which is common with the growing pains. Dr.Troy is our doctor but he’s away on holiday and the man that comes to see me on Monday has a smell of whiskey on him. He exam- ines me and tells my mother I have a bad cold and keep me in bed. Days pass and I sleep and bleed. Mam makes tea and beef tea and I don’t want it. She even brings ice cream and the look of it makes me sick. Mrs. Hannon comes in again and says that doctor doesn’t know what he’s talking about, see if Dr.Troy is back. Mam comes with Dr.Troy. He feels my forehead, rolls up my eye- lids, turns me over to see my back, picks me up and runs to his motor car. Mam runs after him and he tells her I have typhoid fever. Mam cries,Oh,God,oh,God,am I to lose the whole family? Will it ever end? She gets into the car, holds me in her lap and moans all the way to the Fever Hospital at the City Home. 191