I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE OR IT 'S CHARACTERS...THEY BELONG TO ITV1
AUTHORS NOTE: Thanks for all the reviews...Enjoy, I feel rough..*sniff*...
Xxx
JANUARY 2013
Jackson Walsh was freezing his balls off, but it didn't stop him from pushing himself even harder, as he ran a few circuits around the snow covered park.
Normally it was Craig who was faster than Jackson, but over the last few weeks or so, it was Craig who was the one who was lagging behind...it seemed that Jackson was pushing himself TOO hard.
Jackson was winded as he leaned up against the tree, plumes of cold air woftening around him with every firey breath, because that was what it was like...it felt like his lungs were on fire.
Craig eventually was upon him, " blimey slow down will yah! I can't keep up..." he gasped, Jackson laughed at him, " NO staminar, that's YOUR problem mate...", he took a swig of his icy water, and watched as Craig regained his breath.
"you've gotta slow down Jackson, you are burning yourself out" Craig told.
Jackson started jogging on the spot, " WHAT ME! Nah, this is me mate, fit as a butchers dog me!"
Craig raised his eyebrowes, " unlike Aaron..."
At the mention of Aaron, Jackson turned away from him, and screwed up his face" I don't wanna talk about Aaron...NOT with you, anyway"
Craig could see Jackson was readying himself for another lap around the icy park, " Have you NOT gone and seem him yet..." he pushed.
Jackson was shaking his head, " Just SHUT YAH TRAP about Aaron...you know NOWT about it, mate!...tell me... When is it again, that you are moving away..."
He then was starting to pull away from the tree for another lap around, Craig was hot on his heels, " NO it's not anything to do with me...but, it could have been if things had turned out different...IF it were me you were with and not him!" he cried through his long breaths.
Jackson suddenly stopped and narrowed his eyes at him, " and WHAT'S THAT suppose to mean!"
Craig was gasping for breath, WHERE did Jackson find all this energy, " I was in love with you once...way back when...if ...if we had made a go at it...got together..."
Jackson placed his hands on his hips listening to him, " yeah...what of it...and WHAT'S it gotta do with Aaron"
"because it could have been ME lying in that hospital...and the thought of YOU doing this to Aaron...ignoring him...blanking it out, or whatever...it makes me sick...because I've had such a lucky escape, haven't I..."
Craig then backtracked and headed off, leaving Jackson alone in the park, but for a dog walker in the distance, Jackson looked toward the snow covered grass then took another mouthful of water from his bottle, and in doing so, the bright sun caught the curve of his wedding ring...he stared at it and swallowed, and then forced himself a few more laps around the park.
Xxx
Chas stepped into the woolpack, Moira was behind the bar bottling up, she turned and faced the ladylady, " you're back early" she commented.
Chas nodded, and placed the wad of paperwork onto the bar top, " They've taken Aaron to the rehab again...so I said I'd come back later...pour us a brandy or something...I freezing me bits off here!"
Moira did so, and Chas knocked it back down in one hit, " ta for that! warmed me up a treat love, that!"
"so'a...what's new on the Aaron front then...you said something about rehab..." pressed Moira.
Chas smiled at her, as she leafed through the paperwork, " yeah...he's got allsorts of rehab...any rehab list going at that hospital, Aaron's on it..."
Moira finished stocking up, and turned, " but it's doing the trick though, i mean...he's heading in the right direction"
Chas sat on the bar stool, and sighed heavily, " ooohhhh Moira...it is yeah...it's just SO tiring...they've introduced Aaron to the physio last week, you know nothing too strenuous...just to get his limbs moving again...because he has to learn all that again see..."
Moira could see Chas was thinking back, she smiled at her, " it must be hard...on all of yah...I don't know how you ALL cope..."
Chas blew out a laugh, " ME too! this is a first for me, I can tell yah! they wanna get him to start the walking frames in a few weeks...and then there's his speech therapy..."
It was TOO MUCH for Chas...but she was managing it...well, for the moment anyway.
Moira watched, as Chas rounded the bar to get to the back, " what about his memory...does he..."
Chas shook her head, and smiled sadly, " no love...I MEAN he DOES know me...he recognises me when I go visit him...but I think that's more to do with seeing me AFTER the accident, then before...but HEY...I still his Mum...and I'm not letting him down, NOT me!"
She was about to go through to the back, but turned, " it's funny...I dreamt about MY accident last night...you know the one where Carl died...I were in a coma for a week...had an op like him...but it all turned out all right for me, didn't it...it's just so UNFAIR...because if I could go and switch the outcomes of them accidents...I wouldn't hesitate..."
Moira just nodded at her, as she watched Chas finally disappear through to the back.
Xxx
"Jack I won't tell you again...come here!" snapped Jackson.
Jack was being so naughty, he just wouldn't do anything he was told...and he knew why...he missed Aaron.
Jackson had told his son that Aaron had gone away for a while...but WILL be back...but Jack wasn't having it...he couldn't wait till Aaron was back.
"I WANT UNCLE AARON!" Jack whined, screwing up his face at the bedroom door, Jackson was packing up Jack's ruck sack, " YOUR Mum will be here in a bit...so you better be getting them pumps on, do you hear me!"
"DO ONE!"
Jackson snapped up, and became cross, " Jack COME HERE NOW! you DO as you are told!"
Jack, knowing he had pushed his luck, sheepishly went and got his stuff he wanted to bring to Sarah's, from the bedroom.
The door was then knocking, and as Jackson went and opened it, Sarah stepped in, " hiya...is he all ready then..."
Jackson handed her the ruck sack, " HE'S been a right little beggar...HE keeps asking for Aaron..."
Sarah knew ALL about Jackson's excuses, and really couldn't be bothered with it, " Then you SHOULD have thought up a better excuse, if you were gonna lie to him..."
Jackson's phone then buzzed to life, he quickly answered it, " Ray!...cheers for getting back to me so quick..." he glanced up at Sarah then turned around, and lowered his voice, " did you look into those contracts in Spain for me...great...thanks for that...say hi to Sue for me, I owe you one mate...", he ended the call, and as he turned, he could feel Sarah's eyes boring into him.
"WHAT!"
"what's THIS about...contracts in spain..." queried Sarah, she didn't like the sound of this.
Jackson shrugged, " just something I'm looking into..."
"So...where does Jack fit into that then..."
Jackson shook his head at her, " it's JUST a few enquires...I NOT about to do a runner you know...", he sat on the sofa, and looked at the wedding ring on his finger, "...I DO KNOW I have responsibilities here you know..."
Sarah snatched little Jacks's hand, " well...it's about time you remembered them isn't it...I'll bring Jack back on Sunday...me and Mike are taking him to centerparks for the weekend..."
Jackson smiled at his son, "you're be in your element on THEM waterslides...have yourself a nice time mate..."
Sarah gave him a farewell nod, and she and Jack were gone...leaving Jackson to his thoughts...and another beer...
Xxx
Adam walked into the Woolpack and headed straight to the bar, his mother Moira turned to serve him, " alright love, usual is it...where's your dad..."
Adam raised his eyebrowes, " he's still up on the farm...hey, is Chas in...", Moira nodded at her son, as she pulled him his pint " yeah, she's out in the back, do you want me to get her for yah..."
Adam nodded, as he rounded the bar, " nah that's okay...I'll go out back and see her...i'll be back in a bit"
Moira watched Adam go through...she thought about Adam going through what Aaron was going through...she wouldn't want to swap places with Chas for all the money in the world...
Xxx
Chas was having 'some me time' as Adam knocked, and stuck his head around the door.
"hiya love..." smiled Chas.
Adam stepped in, " I'm sorry to disturb you like, but...I were wondering if I could go visit Aaron..."
Chas stood up and shook her head, " he'd like that...it must be boring for him to hear the same old voices banging on at him...yeah, that'll be good kid!"
Chas was genuinely pleased that Aaron's best mate had shown an interest...MORE so then other men in his life.
Adam nodded his head and turned to go, "Adam...YOU do realise that Aaron is not like how he was..."
Adam leaned on the edge of the door, " I know...I saw him when he were in the coma remember..."
"yes love...but, it's not that...he's...don't expect any kind of reaction, that's all I'm saying to yah..."
Adam swallowed, blimey! how bad WAS Aaron...he had visited his best mate when he was in the coma after the accident...but since waking up, he thought it best to hold back awhile...but he was desperate to see him now.
"I'll be okay...He were me best mate before...he will be again...nothings changed as far as i'm concerned..."
Xxx
Jackson slowly rounded the hospital corridor, he came to Aaron's ward room and peered inside...Aaron was there lying on the bed...he looked like he was asleep, he had been hanging around for a while outside in the cold, it took him a while to muster up the courage to come in... his stomach was doing flipflops, and his heart was racing like mad.
Even though, without ANYONE knowing he would come here regularily...and just watch his Aaron sleep...usually from the corridor...but tonight...he decided it was finally time.
He took in a deep breath, and finally strolled in, forcing his hands deep into his jeans pockets, and for a few moments he stood there just staring down at Aaron.
Watching him sleep soundly in the darkened room, the light shining in from the corrdior...he wondered when he'd be kicked out...because visiting time had finished 10 minutes ago.
"hiya mate...it's me again...bet you've been wondering where i've GOT to, haven't yah..." he said, forcing on a grin.
Aaron lay there...his head was still very much shaven, but the bandage was gone.
Jackson could see the area where Aaron had his major op after the accident...his hair hadn't grown back proberly over the scarring.
Jackson gently removed a hand from his pocket, and took Aaron's hand into his own, "I've been a right idiot me...but YOU know that anyway...you know me more than anyone...sorry I've stayed away...it's just that...I've been scared at seeing yah like this...even though it's a crap excuse, it's the best I can come up with...you know me and my excuses..."
His brown eyes were glanced up and down Aaron's body, " it's seeing you so helpless, I couldn't bare it...folk think that I don't care...that I've just gone and given up on you, but I haven't mate...I'LL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU!"
Jackson looked down to Aarons' hand he held hold of, " Folk always think that I'm the confident one, the brave one...and every one can rely on me...but it's all just a front...you KNOW me...you know how weak I can be...the way I run away and drink meself silly, and bury me head..."
He looked up to Aaron's face, " Jack misses you...YOU were always the good cop in the relationship..." he smiled, " he could get away with almost anything with you...it were ME who would always be ending up having a go at him..."
Jackson gently started to stroke Aaron's forehead, a tear was fallen down his cheek " I've got BIG plans for us...I'm gonna get us OUTTA that flat...and I'm gonna build us that house...I PROMISE YAH!...that's why I'm going away for a while...to build a house, you need a load of money like...and I'm skint...so I took a contract in spain...even though I'm not good at me maths, I've did me sums...and when I get back, I can should have earned enough cash to start the basis of the project..."
He stopped, because he was talking through the sobs...and it seemed daft talking to Aaron while he was asleep...but he was scared to wake him...
"I've GOT me priorties right, even though some say I've haven't...YOU and Jack come first"
He heard movement in the corridor, some nurse was lurking by, " looks as if I'm about to get kicked out mate...I'll stop by tomorrow...EVEN though I am scared witless of how you're be...what if you don't know me...will we ever have what we had before..."
He felt choked up again...the thought of it
He leaned down and gently planted a light kiss onto Aaron's forehead, and as he pulled away he smiled through the tears, " oh yeah...I bet your Mum's gonna give me a right tongue lashing in all, when she sees me here...that'll give you a laugh, won't it"
He smiled again, and headed back out into the corridor, after turning back once he headed off, just as Aaron's eyes opened...
With no hint of recognition of who that stranger was...
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