Face to Face

Part 10

Bar West was humming with activity, Friday night always a crowd puller. All the tables were taken so the two young men were standing chatting by the bar.

"I'm telling you. He's up to something!" Paddy had been behaving strangely earlier that evening and Aaron couldn't help but be a little concerned.

"Maybe he's seeing a woman?" Jackson suggested

Aaron thought about the older man's comment for a second or two then said, "She must be a right minger if he's sneaking off to see her!"

"Sneaking off!"

"Well what would you call it?"

"Keeping my private life private! Now stop worrying and get the drinks in."

"I'm not worrying; I'm just...well it's just not like him to be so secretive."

As they waited to be served Aaron's mobile rang, he had barely heard the ringtone above the music and wished he hadn't when he realised it was his mother calling him.

"Aren't you going to answer that? Jackson asked when Aaron pushed the still ringing phone back into his pocket.

"No, she'll only give me earache!"

"She?"

"Me Mam!" Aaron said pulling a face.

Jackson smiled but it troubled him knowing that Aaron's relationship with his mother was so fraught.

The phone stopped ringing only start again just seconds later. Aaron retrieved his phone and shook his head, "Her again!"

"Why don't you just answer it? She's obviously going to keep on ringing until you do!"

"She's just checking up on me."

"So let her know you're ok and she'll leave you alone!"

"Yeah right!" Pressing the answer button, Aaron then held the phone to his ear, "What do you want?"

Jackson cringed at the younger man's irritable tone; he wouldn't dare speak to his mother like that! It was obvious Aaron had little respect for Chastity Dingle. But then, considering how she'd so casually strolled in and out of his life, who could blame him.

"What? Look calm down I can't understand what you're saying!"

Standing just inches away Jackson could actually hear the shrill voice at the other end of the phone, the woman sounded hysterical and from the stricken look on Aaron's face there was good reason for her to be."

"Which hospital?"

Hearing Aaron ask that, Jackson instantly reached into his pocket for his car keys, it looked like he was going to be needing them.

"I'll be right there."

"What's happened?" Jackson asked as soon as it was clear the call was over. But the younger man seemed dazed and when he didn't answer immediately Jackson gripped both his forearms and shook him gently, "Aaron?"

Snapping out of whatever thought he'd been lost in Aaron said, "Paddy's had an accident, me mam says he's in a bad way!"

Quickly shrugging off his own sense of alarm, Jackson wrapped an arm around the younger man. As he ushered him towards the exit door he said, "C'mon I'll have you there in no time."

They had been fortunate to find a parking space very close to the Accident and Emergency departments' door. From there they'd run to the reception area. The woman behind the desk had then directed them though the main waiting room to a smaller room designated Relatives Room.

It had been half an hour since he'd got the call from his mother and Aaron was beyond desperate to know what was happening with Paddy. He crashed through the door, startling both Chastity and Marlon who were waiting there.

"Aaron!" Chas leapt to her feet.

"Where is he? Is he alright? I want to see him!" Aaron demanded.

"He's in theatre; the doctor said he was bleeding inside and...

"He's going to be alright though?"

"They think so, just as long as they can stop the bleeding."

"And if they can't?"

"I...I don't know." Chas said fearfully, she didn't want to have to think about that.

Not liking what he was hearing from his mother Aaron turned to Marlon. "What happened? Were you with him?"

"He was hit by a car and no, no I wasn't. Not when it happened anyway."

"Hit by a car? Well where? Why? Wh... what was he doing" Aaron struggled to take it all in, Paddy was so sensible, he wouldn't walk in front of a car!"

"Outside the house." Marlon paused then looked towards Chas, how was he going to tell the lad that his own father was responsible for what had happened to Paddy.

Aaron didn't miss the exchange of troubled looks, "What aren't you telling me ? Was it hit and run or something?

"No! We don't really know what happened yet. We just know who was driving the car and that he was drunk..."

"Drunk! Well who was it? Someone from the village"

"It was your dad!" Chas spoke up, deciding it wasn't fair to leave the telling of such a grotesque event to Marlon. She was Aaron's mother and she'd once loved his father. Better he hear the truth from her and better it be here and now, "He did it deliberately!"

Aaron shuddered violently, horrified by what he'd just been told. Suddenly his legs felt like jelly and he swayed on his feet. He felt someone take his arm, guide him to a chair and then down into it. Jackson!

And Jackson was talking now, talking above the other two people in the room, telling them that it was neither the time nor the place to be arguing, It seemed Paddy's best mate believed Chas had gone too far by letting him know it was no accident, that they didn't know for sure.

Well he did! He was sure. He knew it had been no accident. If his dad had turned up at Paddy's drunk then he'd gone looking for trouble. Just like the other night. And it was because of what he was!

TBC