-AARON & JACKSON-
– DESIRE –
"Change"
I'd like to think this was true :)
Thankyou all for continuing to read my fic, the reviews aswell are so much appreciated, and to those who just quietly read, I know you're out there so thankyou x
"Mam! Stop fussing over me!" Aaron said with a sigh as he lay on the couch in Smithy, he'd had a restless night and he didn't feel very well, his arms were wrapped around one of the cushions.
Chas shifted her son's legs and sat beside him, watching him with a concerned look on her face. "I'll always fuss get used to it" she told him and she watched him roll his eyes in response. "Get some toast down ya"
He scowled at her. "Don't want any"
Chas sighed. "Aaron, come on..."
"Mam please, I'm tired, I feel sick..." he turned away and closed his eyes. "Every time I move the room starts spinning at a hundred miles an hour"
Chas frowned. "And just started last night...?"
"On and off" Which earned him a sigh from his mother. "And Jackson do-" Chas was cut off.
"-Doesn't know, keep it that way"
"Alright, but I won't lie if asked, he'll notice anyway"
"Fair do's and he might but I just don't want him fussing like you have been, put people through enough as it is"
Chas looked more worried. "You're sweating aswell" she said as she reached over and placed her hand on his forehead. "Temperature"
"Mam, how long are you going to stay here? You moved in again after what I did, it's been three weeks nearly...Carl..."
"He's not important right now, you are"
Aaron resigned to that fact; he wasn't going to push her on that. "I just don't want Paddy getting the wrong idea"
"Me and Paddy have been getting on great, you know that..."
Aaron half smiled. "Yeah, it's been like a proper family, a mam and dad"
Chas smiled. "Speaking of are you and Gordon getting on okay?"
Aaron nodded and let out a breath. "Yeah, we're fine, haven't seen him in a few days though, don't you dare call him, the way he's been lately he'll be round like a shot, it's only man flu, I'll live"
Chas smirked. "Somehow, I find it difficult to imagine, him coming to see you because you're ill"
Aaron scrunched his face up at the thought aswell. "Nah, me neither" he laughed.
"Right you, just relax" she nodded to him.
"I already am!" he rolled his eyes then smirked, earning him a slap on the leg. He watched as his mother got up and left him alone with whatever he had on the TV.
A while later Aaron got up from the sofa and carefully navigated himself through the spinning room, he'd never felt this dizzy before and the heat he could feel radiating from himself was immense. He didn't like it. He stopped in the doorway to the kitchen and focussed on his mum reading a magazine. "Is Jackson home?"
"Yeah, what are you doing up and about?"
"Restless" he sighed.
"God son you look ill, think I better call a doctor"
"And he or she won't appreciate that when it's just a cold"
"It might not be!" Chas argued.
"Leave it!" Aaron snapped, he frowned his breathing was laboured, he struggled a bit. He hadn't seen Jackson step into the kitchen after showering and getting changed.
Jackson's eyes met Chas' "What's going on?"
"He's not very well love, apparently he didn't sleep much, tired, dizzy, feels sick, temperature you name it" she filled him in. "And he didn't want to tell you because you'd have fussed like I have been all day" she smirked.
Jackson nodded and walked straight up to him. "Come on then...Jesus Chas have you not forced any tablets down his neck, I could install him as a flipping radiator!" and he certainly wasn't joking.
"He's stubborn" Chas explained.
"Too right" he wrapped his arm around Aaron and led him to the sofa and laid him down, his hand was placed against his chest as he helped him, and he could feel the quick thumping of his boyfriend's heart, pounding at an alarming rate.
"Y-You two talk about me like I'm not..." he took a breath. "Not even here" he tried to smile. "I feel worse"
Jackson nodded. "It's alright I'm here" He was worried, should his heart be beating faster than normal? The beads of sweat on his forehead were unmissable and as for his body heat you just had to be a few steps away from him.
"How was work?" Aaron asked.
"Yeah good, catching up" he replied, noting the wheezing in Aaron's voice as he spoke. "Will you have some tablets for me?"
Aaron nodded "I won't argue now, I feel like shit" he chuckled.
"Good, two minutes" Jackson got up and walked into the kitchen and took out a tumbler and filled it with water and took two flu tablets from their foil holders and walked back into the living room again, immediately seeing Aaron was asleep. That was quick he carried on walking over and placed the glass and tablets down. "Aaron" Jackson said a little louder to rouse him from his doze."Aaron!" he shook him gently. He panicked now. "Chas!" he yelled.
...
"Why is it taking so long?" Jackson demanded as he paced the relative's room in the hospital, Gordon, Chas and Paddy sat waiting patiently. After realising Aaron had slipped into unconsciousness and wasn't waking up Jackson hurriedly in a blind panic rushed him to his van and got him inside and drove with Chas to the hospital with him wrapped in her arms, holding him. Chas had rung everyone close to let them know but Gordon and Paddy arrived not long after they got there. That was two hours ago.
"They're just doing their job Jackson" Gordon explained. Jackson had kept away from Gordon and his and Aaron's relationship, it was something Aaron had to do himself, and truth be told he had no time for the man.
"Yeah I know that I just want to know what is happening to my boyfriend" he snapped.
"We're all worried Jackson, just sit down, grab a cup of tea..." Paddy suggested.
As Jackson sat down the door opened and a doctor walked in. "You're all here for Aaron Livesy?"
Chas quickly nodded. "Yes, yes we are, I'm his mum, what's happening?"
"We've made him comfortable and given him medication to lower his temperature; our tests have confirmed to us that Aaron has an infection called septicaemia...you may or may not have heard of it but basically it's an infection of the blood, blood is carried everywhere in the body which leads to it infecting and damaging the major organs of the body, this infection is lethal, fatal, in some cases but we've already started Aaron on the course of antibiotics but we will need to give him a blood transfusion..."
"Has his organs been affected?" Chas hesitantly asked.
"His lungs have yes but we are in the process of dealing with it, as far as we can tell the rest are unaffected"
"It was just like he had a cold or something" Jackson added, confusion across his face.
The doctor nodded. "Not the first time I've heard that" he smiled. "It's very common for it to appear flu like, you got him in early, it's a good thing, like I say this infection can be fatal"
Jackson nodded "You mentioned a transfusion?"
"Yes and I usually prefer it to be a family member"
Chas looked at Gordon and swallowed hard. "We're his parents..." she nodded to Gordon.
"Alright, if you come with me we'll get you tested, usually if not both one is a match" the doctor smiled as Chas and Gordon stood.
"Before you go" Jackson spoke. "How did this happen?"
The doctor let out a breath. "Infections happen every day, this is just a different kind...I noticed scars and healing wounds on Aaron, the infection could have found its way to his blood from there but I couldn't begin to speculate how, all you need to know is that he will be okay" he smiled before motioning Chas and Gordon out of the room.
...
"Jackson!" Adam called as he hurried along a corridor after spotting Jackson standing by a vending machine.
Jackson turned to him as he approached.
"How's he doing?"
Jackson nodded. "I haven't been able to see him yet but they've got him stable, his temperatures down now...his heart rate thank god"
Adam shared Jackson's relief. "I got here as quick as I could...nearly ended up in a fight with Declan before that though"
Jackson smirked and shook his head. "Why this time?"
"The farm, Mia..."
"Ahh...I see, well good luck with that" he smirked.
"I didn't come here to offload to you though; I'm here for you both"
Jackson smiled. "I know...cheers"
"How are you doing?"
Jackson didn't really know and he shrugged. "I-I dunno mate it's all happened so quick, not how I wanted to spend my Friday night if you catch my drift" he smirked but it quickly faded. "But when he wouldn't wake up I've never panicked so much in my life...I think I'll be expecting a speeding fine, or three through the post"
"But that's not what matters" Adam said softly.
"Exactly" Jackson said with a nod.
"What's happening now then?" Adam asked.
Jackson checked his watch. "Chas and Gordon have been in the doctor's office a few minutes now, should know which one of them is a match for the transfusion they need to give him, one of the nurses came in after they'd left for the test and said he has a rare blood type or something" Jackson shrugged. "Family were ideal and that the doctor insists on family either way"
"That's alright then" Adam smiled. "He'll be home in no time"
...
A deathly silence filled the doctor's office."B-But you said either one is usually a match..." Gordon repeated the doctor's words.
Chas had her head lowered; she never imagined this day would come. The situation about to come to the surface had always been in the back of her mind, she simply buried it, now it was about to come out and she felt horrible.
"Yes" the doctor sighed, watching Chas. He'd seen this many times before.
"Well then?!" Gordon demanded.
"That fact is correct, and if I'm being honest and in my experience, either Chas here isn't his mother, or you aren't his father"
"But..." Gordon frowned.
Chas instantly got up from the seat and stormed out of the office, followed quickly by Gordon."Chas!" he yelled and ran after her, seconds later grabbing her arm which stopped her.
Tears ran down her cheeks. "I-I'm so sorry"
"I'm not his dad am I?" he asked as his entire body tensed.
Chas dropped her head in her hands and sobbed, seconds later she shook her head.
Gordon's heart sank and he felt as though his stomach was rising. He was stunned, his mouth partly open in shock. "H-How could you do this to me?"
"I'm sorry I really am...I wanted it to be you...I mean that"
"All these years I've felt horrible for abandoning my son and he isn't mine!" anger evident in his voice.
"Oh and that's suddenly going to stop you getting to know him now is it?" she snapped. "Now you're 'free' you can run again"
Gordon sighed. "Who is it Chas?"
Chas couldn't tell him, she just couldn't, all she said. "He's oblivious...he has no idea..."
"Make sure my son gets better, if he isn't mine tough, we've bonded, we're getting on, I'm not going anywhere...and the only reason why I'm not shouting at you is because we're in the hospital, and Aaron's room is metres away, he might hear. I know I wasn't in his life, but i still have a right to feel the way I do at this sudden news, you've broken my heart, I love that kid!" he admitted through gritted teeth, he then stormed off, towards the exit.
Once she walked back into the relative's room it was obvious she's gotten herself upset. "Cain you err...you need to hear this..."
Jackson frowned. "It's not Aaron is it?"
Chas smiled through teary eyes. "No, no of course not love, he's alright, so they say, I'll ask about seeing him..." she looked back at Cain. "Now! Please..." If I don't do this know I never will she told herself and walked outside and waited for Cain.
TBC...