Bright Lights

This is just something I wanted to do. I hope it doesn't upset anyone too much. I've used a bit of poetic licence with the characters histories. I'm no medical expert either, I'm just going by bits and pieces that I can remember myself.

I promise there's a happy smutty pointless fic on the way to make up for all this misery

ITV own most of the characters below

Chapter One

June 2013

Smithy Cottage was a happy place. It wasn't always that way but right now it's residents were very content indeed. Paddy and Rhona had been married for just over a year now and Leo was a healthy 2 year old. There were obviously challenges that came with his condition but he was thriving. They'd gone through a rough patch just after he was born. Paddy wasn't coping with being half a dad, Marlon being the other half, and Rhona struggled to come to terms with being a mum to a special needs baby. They seperated briefly but were back together within a month.

Paddy, Marlon and Rhona discussed how they were going to deal with their unique situation and decided that rather than acting like kids, which they all had a tendancy to do, they were going to put Leo and his needs first. They worked things out so that they didn't have to farm him out to a long list of babysitters. Paddy and Rhona were their own bosses and could arrange their own rota and Marlon used the fact that his cousin was his boss to his advantage whenever there was a babysitting emergency. Now that he was a little bit older Leo slept over at Marlon's place a couple of times a week. He was terrified about being his sole carer at first but now he relished every second that he had Leo to himself. Well not exactly to himself. After feeling for a long time that he'd be single for the rest of his life, he'd eventually met someone. Jessica had begun working for Val and Eric Pollard a year earlier and was instantly smitten by the gangly chef. Marlon of course was immune to her advances, he couldn't quite believe that someone as stunning as her would be remotely interested in him. After many misunderstandings they had eventually sorted themselves out and had been seeing each other for eight months. Things had moved on quickly and Marlon was keen for her to get to know his son. It was important to him that any potential girlfriend knew that him and Leo came as a package. Jessica was nervous about meeting him but couldn't help falling in love with him instantly. She made a point of not staying over with Marlon when Leo was there though. They were incredibly serious about each other but they had both been around the block a few times and knew that things didn't always work out for couples and it wouldn't be fair on Leo if he got too attached to her too soon.

When Leo was with his biological dad and when work commitments allowed them Paddy and Rhona would try to make some time for each other. They didn't really do anything special, Rhona wasn't the type of woman who demanded constant wining and dining. They mostly ended up at the Woolpack or went into town to see a film. Adjusting to having a tiny baby in the house had been tough for them. They were both independent people who took their careers seriously so having this little person's life in their hands took a lot of getting used to. They got there in the end though and a little over a year earlier they had a got married on the same day that Leo was christened. Marlon had acted as best man, Aaron had the roles of groomsman and godfather and Laurel was godmother and bridesmaid.

Life at Smithy could be hectic at times. Jackson had been released from hospital soon after Rhona had discovered she was pregnant. Him and Aaron had a furious row a couple of months earlier and Jackson had driven off in his van, upset and distracted. He'd reached across the van to answer his phone and veered off the road when he tried to avoid hitting a truck. The van careered thirty feet down an embankment and it was nothing short of a miracle that it came to a standstill just short of a railway line. What could have happened if it had continued to roll for another ten feet was unimaginable.

Aaron heard the sound of the crash and was on the scene in a couple of minutes. He stayed with Jackson until the ambulance and fire brigade arrived, almost getting himself arrested when he wouldn't keep out of the way as the fire men used cutting equipment to try to free the builder. He blamed himself for the accident. He'd been trying to phone Jackson when the accident occurred and was convinced that his actions had been to blame.

The prognosis wasn't good when Jackson was brought to hospital. He was immediately put on a ventilator as the doctors tried to stabilise his condition. There were tears and recriminations as they waited for news. Hazel didn't apportion blame, she just wanted her boy to be ok. Jerry however was a different story. He'd been absent from Jackson's life since he'd found out he was gay and if it wasn't for the accident he wouldn't have made an effort to get in contact. He disliked Aaron instantly and when he confessed to his part in the accident Jerry banished him from the hospital. Aaron didn't put up a fight, he never felt like he was good enough for anybody, let alone someone as amazing as Jackson. He walked away but couldn't stay away when Hazel told him that Jackson had woken up and was asking for him.

Jackson had bleeding on his brain but once the swelling had gone down and after a series of scans the doctors concluded that he had no damage to his neck or spine. He'd suffered 2 broken legs, 1 broken arm, a broken collar bone, ribs, pelvis, the list seemed endless. He would be completely incapacitated for a number of months and would have to have endless physio sessions for an indefinite period of time. Getting his life back would prove to be the biggest struggle he'd ever faced.

He hated being stuck in hospital, but more than that he hated being unable to do anything for himself. He was tubed, he had to have bed baths, he needed people to feed him, he couldn't even scratch his nose. He was frustrated and took this out on Hazel and Aaron. Jerry had headed for the hills as fast as he could once he knew that Jackson was going to be ok so his mum and Aaron bore the full brunt of his anger. Aaron took this particularly badly. He was already blaming himself for what had happened and in his head Jackson's rage was all the proof he needed that he felt the same way about it. He went to the hospital day after day only to be called every name under the sun. He just stood there and took it because he believed this was what he deserved. It was however a mixture of frustration and embarrasment that was making Jackson act the way he was. After a particularly bad day when Jackson could be heard at the other end of the corridor shouting at Aaron who had committed the mortal sin of spilling some soup on him, Hazel stepped in. She barged into his room and told him in no uncertain terms that he could be six feet under and should be thanking his lucky starts that he had every chance of making a full recovery. Hazel's outburst was what Jackson and Aaron both needed. For the first time since before the accident they were honest with each other. Aaron confessed that the fear of losing Jackson made him realise just how much he loved him. Jackson apologised for acting like a spoilt child and explained how degrading he found his hospital routine. They also spoke about the accident. Jackson assured Aaron that he did not and would never blame him for what happened and they both agreed that they should draw a line under it, although secretly Aaron would always feel guilty about it.

It was December before Jackson was fit to go home. Well he wasn't fit to go home really, but the doctors said he could get any further treatment he needed at home or as an out patient. Christmas was a mad house at Smithy that year. Although he was on the mend, Jackson was still very immobile. He could take baby steps with the aid of crutches but the injuries to his upper body meant that he was unable to do this for long periods of time. Aaron moved their bed downstairs into the living room. It was an inconvenience for everyone but there was no way Jackson would have been capable of walking up and down the stairs. When he needed the bathroom he had use the one in Paddy's surgery. Hazel and Aaron were never too far from his side and this did sometimes lead to tension but they had all started to see the light at the end of the tunnel which made things a bit easier to bear. It was also difficult for Paddy and Rhona to deal with this new situation. She had only moved in after Jackson had his accident. She didn't like herself for jumping straight from Marlon's bed to Paddy's but the accident made her realise that you only have one life and if you had a chance at happiness you should grab it with both hands.

It was certainly a Christmas to remember. Paddy, Rhona, Hazel, Aaron and Jackson were all squashed into the house together. They had no living room. Marlon and Pearl were constant visitors, calling at all hours to fuss over Rhona and Jackson. Joe, Jackson's carer was also calling up to 5 days a week at the start so there was never a dull moment there. On Christmas morning Hazel insisted that they all go to church. Jackson was opposed to this idea. He knew the only way he could go would be in a wheelchair. He had to use it any time they went to the hospital as well. He wouldn't manage walking long distances yet and he hated having to sit in the chair and be pushed around like a baby. Hazel wasn't one to take no for an answer though so the extended Kirk-Goskirk-Livesy-Walsh-Rhodes family made their way to the Christmas Day service, 4 out of 5 of them wishing they were anywhere else. She did have an ulterior motive though. It was obvious that Smithy wasn't big enough for all of them, and with a baby on the way there would be even less room in a few months time. She had decided to continue with her travels. Coming back to the UK had been a temporary thing and she had only extended her stay after Jackson had his accident. Although he wasn't exactly fighting fit yet, she knew that if she didn't go soon she wouldn't go at all. She'd become very comfortable in Emmerdale and could easily see herself settling down there in a few years time, but she needed to do this for herself. That's why having a traditional family Christmas was important to her. She nearly lost Jackson and she wanted to make this Christmas special for both of them, she wasn't sure when she'd be back home again.

Six weeks later Hazel left. It was a sad day for all of them. Rhona's raging hormones got the better of her and she was in floods of tears. She'd been enjoying having another woman in the house, particularly when she was pregnant. Now she was going to be the only woman in a house full of men. Paddy tried to be brave and comfort her but he was on the verge of tears himself. He'd grown to like Hazel a lot and would miss her good humoured nature, as well as her cooking. Aaron was fine. He said goodbye, she forced him to hug her, and he was fine. He was more concerned about what Jackson was about to do. When Hazel's taxi arrived he struggled up off the sofa and walked to the door. She didn't know if he wanted to go out with her in his chair or if they'd say their goodbyes at the door. Instead he turned back to Aaron

"Aaron, crutches"

Aaron stepped forward biting his lip, trying to stop the tears of joy that were threatening to fall. He handed the crutches to Jackson, planting a kiss on his lips. Hazel was confused.

"Come on mum. Did you really think I was going to let you walk away without seeing how well I'm doing?"

Hazel grabbed her boy around the neck, almost causing him to lose his balance. When she eventually loosened her grip they walked slowly out to the taxi. It took a long time but he made it. And after a tearful farewell Hazel was gone.

To be continued

A/N This chapter was just a bit of a scene setter