– AARON & JACKSON –
– THE LONG ROAD –
"An Understanding"
WRITTEN BY DAYNE DINNING
~This fanfic follows on ONE WEEK from Fix You
# I do not own the characters, or Emmerdale – ITV do.
-SHEPHERD CENTER, ATLANTA, USA-
Aaron had been in America for the past two weeks, he'd undergone scans, blood tests, everything they could possibly do, and it took until the first look at some new scans that they then made a decision to attempt to fix Aaron's arms and to further prevent degeneration in the future.
He waited a few days until his operation after being given confirmation of his surgery. The staff were friendly and very supportive. But sometimes they couldn't quite understand some things he was saying which always made him smile and then he had to repeat in proper English. It was okay though because he even had trouble aswell, and they were only American the way he went on about it was as if they were speaking another language entirely. But he was from Yorkshire, it was the only place he knew so obviously the way he spoke was normal, but not these nurses and doctors.
Aaron's operation had been done and was claimed to be a success from initial tests but Aaron was too tired to be excited over the news that he fell asleep when he was left alone.
Once Jackson arrived in the state of Georgia, a few days later, he paid for a room at the nearest hotel and searched online for hospitals dealing with people who had problems like and worse than Aaron's. Quite a few came up. He sighed when he saw the listing, but he'd travelled for a long time and was tired and crashed out on the bed.
The following day he called all the hospitals on the list, but they were unable to give any information away over the phone, husband or not; but Jackson understood, anyone could have said that. That's when he decided to go to these hospitals, and ask in person and demand if he had too.
The day didn't end with any success or hope for that matter, and he headed back to the hotel feeling flat, sure that Chas had sent him to the wrong state just to punish him. He went to sleep that night and cried, he missed Aaron and he needed to see him to tell him how he felt.
It was now Friday, he'd been there a few days, and the travelling took up most of the week, damned connecting flights. Jackson left the hotel with a fresh confidence; he was going to find him.
Aaron sat up in his bed, he was in quite a bit of pain, but he was told to expect it. He laughed at the TV, 'Good Morning America' was on and he found their shows quite amusing, but they didn't have anything on Jeremy Kyle. The nurse walked in and noted something down on the file at the end of his bed. "How does it feel? The nurse asked with a smile.
Aaron smiled, it was weird, they'd always felt heavy, and this was something new to him, despite it not being. "Good, amazing actually...thankyou"
The nurse smiled. "You're okay to move out of bed now if you want Aaron...no more bed baths this week for you"
Aaron chuckled. "Good, I've had enough of them to last a life-time" he told her.
"I can imagine, anyway I'll leave you too it" she told him and left but stopped when a rather fit looking young man in his late twenties stood in the doorway. "I'm sorry this is a private hospital unless you are a relative you can't be here." She explained bluntly.
Aaron turned his head and his heart sank *He's come all this way* that thought repeated in his mind several times, he couldn't believe it.
"I'm his husband" Jackson told her.
The nurse moved aside. "Apologies"
"It's fine" he replied as she left.
Jackson closed the door behind her and walked over to the bed."Before you say anything, I haven't come all this way for you to tell me to do one! I've looked in loads of hospitals, I'm tired, I've cried, I've hated myself...and I-I just love you Aaron"
"So..." Aaron swallowed hard. "Jack eh? Bet you loved that"
Jackson sighed and turned away.
"I hate you for what you've done"
"Good, let it out Aaron, I deserve it because I know for a fact your reason for giving me back your ring was a lie, and it was because of what I did"
"No, it wasn't I didn't want you stuck with me as a cripple again, but yeah I didn't get angry at you and by god I wish I had...and I made myself clear so I don't know why the hell your here..."
Jackson pulled a chair over to the bed quickly and sat down. "Because I'm your husband! I have to try and make things right between us"
"You should have thought about that before you stuck your..." he sighed. "In someone else"
"Aaron please, I was a mess, and Jack h-he reminded me of you...the way you used to be...I didn't sleep with him, in a way I was sleeping with a version of you that I fell in love with...because that's all I wanted you to be like...yourself. But you haven't been and it's all because of me, the accident...then none of this would have happened and you wouldn't be in here in this hospital getting your arms fixed"
Aaron scowled. "That's your explanation?" he spat. "He reminded you of me so oh what the hell I'll fuck him anyway, get my end away and feel a bit better about everything, put up with Aaron back at home but jump back in his bed whenever you wanted!"
Jackson shook his head frantically. "No! No...Aaron it was once, and we've kissed but I don't feel anything for him, in fact he knew about our situation and used it to get to me...he knew I wasn't myself and he played on it, I just realised it too late..." he sighed and wiped away his hidden tear that Aaron couldn't see.
"He did it on purpose?" Aaron simply asked.
Jackson nodded. "And when I realised I told him where to go, that I loved you and that I'd do anything...anything to get my husband back"
"He won't have liked that..." Aaron stupidly was coming around, he could feel it inside, but yet he maintained a stern, focussed on the wall expression.
"I don't care about him Aaron, he can think what he likes, all I care about is you, I know what I did was wrong and my explanations of it are no excuse but I just wanted to say how it was for me so then..." he shrugged. "Maybe you'd understand...but I don't mean understand" he sighed. "Just...I dunno..."
"Know?" Aaron asked.
Jackson nodded. "Yeah..."
"Well I do now so..." Aaron looked at him. "Can I have my ring?"
Jackson nodded and took it out of his pocket and handed it to him.
Aaron reached behind his neck and unpinned his St. Christopher's cross and put it in his hand then put the chain through the ring, then put his hands behind his head again, pinning it back around him.
Jackson was confused, at the moment he couldn't read Aaron, he deserved that though, and he'd asked for the ring back but not put it on his finger. Strange he thought but at least he knew he wasn't forgiven, in fact he was glad he wasn't because now he'd be able to prove to Aaron and show how much he loved him.
There was silence for a few minutes; Jackson was staring down at the floor with his arms on the bed. Aaron just watched him and reached out his hand and put it on his arms. "I can feel ya"
Jackson looked up at him lovingly. "I should hope so after how much this will have cost you"
Aaron couldn't help but chuckle as he nodded. "Yeah...worth it though" he took a breath. "Listen...Jackson...we're both to blame for where we are at the moment...I got in your van five years ago and clashed with a train...angry because you said some horrible things, you found comfort in someone else's arms because I wouldn't let you in and pushed you away, so we're both to blame...we can't go back to how we were before not...not straight away...we have to both find what we fell in love with, with each other again...and if we can then I will promise you, things will be different, well.." he frowned. "Not different just back to the old days...and then I'll put my ring back on my finger..."
Jackson smiled and nodded as tears slid down his cheeks.
"I still can't believe you're here" Aaron told him.
"Why?" he smiled. "I love you...I had too...although your mum rightfully didn't make it easy, she only told me what state you came too...this one obviously but it was a nightmare finding you"
"I'm glad you came...I miss you" Aaron told him.
"I miss you too" Jackson told him, his big brown eyes shiny from his tears.
TBC...
