Chapter 36 – Back & Forth

Tommy: "Not at this moment. May I ask what this is about?" he questioned inquisitively

Dr. Smith: "I'm sorry but I am not allowed to give out information like that. May I leave a message?"

Tommy: "Yeah sure." He said grabbing a pen and paper.

Dr. Smith: "Will you please tell Mrs. Harrison that I called regarding the test results yesterday and that I need to know if she is, in fact, going forward with the surgery?" he asked graciously. Tommy just closed the phone. The pen fell out of his hand. What surgery? What test results? He started to pace back and forth. Something told him this was the good news Lance had mentioned. He began to connect the dots. Jude entered the studio carrying a cup of coffee and a smile on her face. It soon faded when she noticed something was wrong with Tommy who was staring her down and holding her phone in his hand. She put the coffee on the table and looked at him.

Jude: "What's wrong?" she asked; very brave of her.

Tommy: "Dr. Smith just called. He wanted me to tell you that he needed to know if you were going ahead with your surgery." he said calmly.

Jude: "Tommy, I can explain." she said but Tommy waved her off.

Tommy: "Unless you're thinking of getting a boob job, I don't wanna hear it." he said and handed her the phone. More like shoved it at her.

Jude: "I'm a match, Tommy. And what's wrong with my boobs?" she asked looking down at her chest.

Tommy: "Nothing, they're fine. I mean they look good. I'm trying to say that you don't need any help." he tried explaining but only tangled him self up even more. The pacing began again. Jude exhaled deeply. This was going no where.

Jude: "I'm glad you think my breasts look fine. Quincy, this could save his life."

Tommy: "And kill you. I don't wanna hear about this again, Jude. You hear me?"

Jude: "This is not your decision. Nothing's going to happen to me."

Tommy: "Jude, listen and listen close! I am making this decision for you. You are, under no circumstance undergoing this surgery. I will NOT risk your life over his. Never, you hear me?" he asked shaking her by the shoulders violently. Jude nodded her head. She had never seen him this angry. Once she agreed he stormed out of the studio, leaving his cup of coffee and her behind.

Georgia: "Where's Tommy going?" she asked walking inside the studio. Jude shrugged.

Jude: "I don't know. It has something to do with his father." she said now really wanting to explain everything to Georgia.

Georgia: "Well he better be back soon, I don't pay him to make family visits." she said.

Jude: "He has a lot going on." she tried to explain.

Georgia: "I don't care about his personal life. In here we make music. That's it. Leave the baggage at home. I want a hit, Jude. You got it?"

Jude: "Got it, G." she said and held up two thumbs accompanied by her cheesiest smile. She gave Jude her fake grin and a pat on the back before she walked to her office and closed the door. What had gotten into her? Jude knew G Major was having problems but Georgia shouldn't be lashing out on her. Jude just stood there, with her phone in her hand, Tommy's coffee on the table, the sound board set, her guitar and journal on the floor. She looked around the tiny studio and grabbed her pen and paper. There was nothing else to do but to give Georgia what she wanted, a hit.

Jude threw her feet on the table, started chewing on the pen cap and bobbed her head as though she heard melodies loud and clear. Closing her eyes she started to imagine the song working itself out in front of her. She thought about Jamie; his relationship with Patsy; dysfunctional in every way but working, none the less. Her mind drifted to Kat and how she only concentrated on her designs. Boys, after Jamie, were far from her mind. Jude found herself admiring her friend. She wished she could be like Kat. Just concentrate on her music, no boys equaled no distraction but that was impossible in Jude Harrison's world. Too many boys to concentrate on: Speed, Jamie, Shay, Kwest, Lance, Tommy. The list went on and on. And once again her mind wandered to Tommy. No big surprise there. It always wandered to Tommy. He was mad at her. AGAIN. Now she was worried. AGAIN. Where could he have stormed off to?

Jude opened her eyes. She looked around the tiny studio walls and she could almost see Tommy sitting in front of the sound board like he did so many times before. She could feel his presence. She sat her journal on the table and picked her guitar up. Closing her eyes again she started to hum a melody. Along with the humming came the light stroking of her cords.

Jude: "Mmmm, two of us alone again." she started to sing softly. "Mmmmmmmmm, yeah. Everyone knows our falls." she sang. She quickly grabbed the pen and started scribbling away. Once again, Jude went back to her best friend and played with her stings. Her melody picked up a little but soon slowed down again.

Jude: "You lean over me, our eyes met, I've lost myself all over again, feeling regret." she sang in a low voice.

Jude: "Something's off. It doesn't fit." she said as she scribbled some more, scratched things out and then wrote the words again.

Kwest: "You lean over me, our eyes instantly meet, I've lost myself all over again, is this the feeling of defeat?" he said standing at the door. Jude's head shot up.

Jude: "What?"

Kwest: "Try that. It sounds better." he said walking in and closing the door behind him. Jude waved him off.

Jude: "No, I know. Repeat it." she ordered, pen in hand. He repeated the words smiling. Jude's fingers danced over the paper.

Jude: "You're like the Yoda of my lyrics. This sounds way better." she said as she played the melody again and sang the words with it.

Kwest: "Sounds good so far. You working on a new song?"

Jude: "Georgia wants a hit and what Darius wants, she gets." she said rolling her eyes.

Kwest: "Don't I know it? Where's Tommy? Shouldn't he be here helping you?"

Jude shrugged: "He stormed off on me. Family problems." she said. Kwest nodded.

Kwest: "He told me about his Dad. How about I help you?" he said sitting down next to her.

Jude: "Really?"

Kwest: "Why not? I seem to remember helping you on one of your other songs. I'm not half as bad." he smiled.

Jude: "Ok, what rhymes with hide?" she asked eagerly.

Kwest: "Hide? How about ride, side, lied, cried, subside, stride?" he named a few. Jude took her pen again and wrote frivolously.

Jude: "You're a genius. I love you. You're almost as good as Tommy." she said.

Kwest: "Don't I know it? I'm even better. What have I been trying to tell you all this time?" he joked. "What you got?" he asked looking over her paper when she put her pen down.

Jude: "I pity myself just to run and hide, then act like nothings wrong, I let it subside." she sang.

Kwest: "Let me see that." he said and took the journal from her. A minute later he handed it back to her. "Try this." he said. Jude took the book from him and sang the new lyrics.

Jude: "Pushed myself up in pity just to run and hide, then acted like nothings wrong, I let it all subside." she finished nodding her head. "I'd complement you again but I'm afraid you're head might get too big." she joked. Kwest laughed.

EJ: "I like it. It's got raw emotion to it but what do I know? You keep it up Kwest and Georgia just might make you Jude's right-hand man if Tommy continues on his missing-in-action gig." she said standing in the door way. Jude and Kwest both shot their heads up. EJ smiled her corporate smile and walked away. Kwest gave Jude a don't-worry look for reassurance.

Back To Tommy

He had to stop driving from Toronto to Montreal and back five times a day. It wasn't good for his Viper. One of these days his engine is just going to fall out. But there he was again. At the same wooden door he had been at just yesterday. The same one he had banged so hard on, his knuckles still hurt. And there he was banging on it again, same strength, and same anger. And the door swung open again. Only this time it wasn't David who had opened it. It was Lance. Tommy felt like punching him.

Tommy: "How dare you take Jude to get tested?" he yelled grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and pushing him against the wall. Lance put his hands up as a peace offering.

Lance: "Calm down, she offered. I don't want her going through with it." he tried to explain. Tommy's eyes were fierce. Lance knew he was really angry but Tommy let go of him. Tommy looked at him as though his look would kill him.

Tommy: "Did you tell him she's a match?" he asked through his teeth. Lance nodded. Tommy dropped his head in frustration. He rubbed his temples contemplating the situation at hand. He didn't want his own father to die but he, sure as hell, would NEVER let Jude risk her life for him or for anybody else, for that matter. Just than David walked outside.

David: "What's going on here?" he asked using his cane to walk. Tommy looked at him in pity. "Let me guess, you're here about Jude being the donor." he said looking at Tommy.

Tommy: "Were you seriously going to let her go through with it?" he asked dismayed.

David shrugged: "I was thinking about it. She's my only option." he said. Tommy felt his resentment rise up again. How could his father be so selfish?

Tommy: "She doesn't know anything about this. Leave her out. She's too young to understand any of it."

David: "Oh I think she understands quiet fine." he said.

Tommy: "I can't believe this."

David: "Just get to the point Tommy. I'm tired." he demanded.

Tommy: "If you let her go through with this, we're done. Through. I couldn't care less what happened to you. You ask her to risk her life for you and you might as well be dead to me." he said gritting his teeth, his hands clenched into fists. David couldn't believe the vile words coming out of his son's mouth. Tommy continued: "I'll do whatever it takes to find you a match, I'll even get tested myself but Jude. No. No way." he said waving his arms in the air.

David nodded: "I don't need your help. I don't need you. Leave. GO." he yelled, shaking all over. Lance tried to give him a helping hand but he refused it. Tommy looked at Lance then at his father one more time before he nodded his head, turned around and walked away; walked away for the last time.

First off, over 400 posts Wohoooooooooooooo that's an accomplishment on here. THANK YOU GUYS

on.the.edge.x – thanks for not calling me a bitch. I appreciate it lol. I guess it took me a while to figure out what was good for me cuz here I am now posting.

dancingintherain-tommys21 – thanks for the definetly evil bitch, but good writer... comment. Lol I was laughing

MuSiKaL JeAnIoUs – I loved the comment although I'm not sure how to explain your insanity to your parents. What's the cause? Due to ff updating failure lol.

thatgirlyoucantrust – lol I would have said the same thing to the guys punching the wall. Hilarious

MaDDieave1 – wow, I've never heard that one before. I'm so happy you like my story that much lol. I bet your friends looked at you like you had horns or something growing. Lol

Minela