Children of Toil ✔

Chapter Nineteen

Lucan worked happily, anxious to get home to Meggy. He, Ted Dores, John Jefferies and Shaun Johnston were engaged with hand steel that night drilling into the rock when there was a sudden explosion. The blast threw Lucan back slamming him against the wall. Rock and timber rained down on them. He felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Lucan cried out in agony. "Ah... fuck me! What the fuck...!"

He heard the others yelling and Ted Dores screaming. "I can't see! I've lost me fucking sight! I can't see... it's me fucking eye."

Harry Scott who looked after the cage ran towards them. "Are you alright? What'd ya hit? You'll be alright we'll get up. Hold on now!" He ran back to the cage. They heard more voices, the hurrying of feet. Lucan grasped his side. A spear like shaft of timber protruded from his chest. His lamp had gone out. He was lying in darkness and was further away from the cage than the others. He tried to move towards them. Pain seared through him, he cried out in agony, and then blackness shrouded him.

Help had been sent for. A loud urgent knock woke both Thaiter and Meggy. Margaret's eldest son Mathew was standing at the door panting heavily. "You gotta come, Thaiter. It's Lucan. There's been an explosion. They was drilling and hit a charge... unexploded charge."

Meggy staggered backwards. Thaiter helped her into the kitchen and made her sit down. "It'll be alright, Meg. Are ya right, lass? I have to go."

She cradled her stomach as she rocked backwards and forwards to try and control her breathing.

"I have ta go, lass." Thaiter looked at her with concern. The urgency in his voice caused Meggy to respond by nodding her understanding. He touched her hair. "I'll bring him back. He'll be alright."

*

When Thaiter got to the poppet head they had already brought John Jefferies up. One of his legs was badly damaged.

"He's gonna need to be taken to the hospital," Doctor Jack yelled, "Someone organize it." Men scurried away as Doctor Jack dressed the leg as well as he could and administered some laudanum for the pain. Ted Dores was brought up next. The Doctor bandaged his eyes and gave him the same pain killer.

"I want ta go down to help," Thaiter said. "I need to find Lucan."

"Sorry, Thaiter you'll have to wait. There are others down there."

"But Lucan? They say he was beside 'em."

Harry patted Thaiter on the back. "We'll find him, Thaiter. You need ta be patient and we can't risk you getting caught in a fall."

Thaiter watched as the wagon with the two seriously injured men rolled away. "What about, Lucan? What the fuck? What if he needs to go ta hospital?"

"We'll get him there, Thaiter. We'll get another wagon. Those men can't wait."

An hour went by. Rocks, dirt and timber were being hauled to the top to clear the way. Then Harry let out a yell, he started the wheel and called down to the crowd from the poppet head. "They found them! All of them! They're alive!"

Doctor Jack examined Lucan. He didn't appear to be in immediate danger. "Let's get him back to his house. I'll need good light and I'm out of Laudanum. Have you got rum or whiskey at home, Thaiter? Something to dull the pain."

"I can get some."

"I'll need to look at these others before I can come. His wounds got to be cleaned before I can see what's to be done." He touched Lucan's head. "I'm sorry, Lucan, I've run out of pain killer. It'll hurt too much if I move you too far. I'll send someone to Montalbion for more but we need to look at you so I'm sending you home. Do you understand?"

Lucan nodded as they got him onto a make shift stretcher.

The events in this chapter really happened, though Lucan is fictional. This chapter has been cut into multiple chapters as it is way to big for what I like to put on Wattpad.

A Poppet Head is  the metal structure that stands above a mine opening. Men and tools stand on a platform or in a cage and are lowered into the mine shaft.  These photos are of the real Vulcan Mine Poppet Head, which still stands to this day. Photos are mine.