As far as being historically accurate goes, I don't really care, not when it's just fanfiction I'm writing. So if the historical accuracy is crap, I apologize, but I'm really just worried about getting this fic out.
- Come Back For Me -
Jack Twist glanced over at the rearview mirror, and saw Ennis, walking slowly, purposefully, down the road. His image blurred with the rattling of Jack's truck, becoming little more than a colored splotch. Jack was suddenly, irrationally, afraid that this image of Ennis, and the real Ennis himself, would disappear like mist, drifting away on the breeze. He shoved the fear down, swallowed hard, turned to stare back out at the road ahead of him. But his eyes were drawn back to the mirror…and though he desperately searched its surface, the image of Ennis was nowhere to be seen. Feeling the fear rise within him again, Jack twisted around and leaned out the window, looking back the way he had just come, looking at right where Ennis should have been…but wasn't.
Shaking, Jack sat back in his seat, gripping the steering wheel as hard as he could. I'll go back…drive back, find out where he went… And though he wanted with all his being to do so, Jack was paralyzed, immobile, his mind numb save for the fear…the fear that Ennis had disappeared, or that maybe he was hurt…the fear that Jack would never see him again…
Jack stared sightlessly ahead, not seeing the road, visions of Ennis floating before his eyes and blocking out all other thoughts. Ennis…Ennis…please, Ennis, come back for me…I need you…Ennis…I can't turn around…I need your help…Ennis, please…Ennis…Ennis…Ennis…Ennis… It was no surprise that he didn't see the semi-truck until it had already collided with the front of his pick-up, unable to slow or swerve to avoid him, and then all went black for Jack Twist.
Ennis Del Mar crouched in the narrow, putrid alley between two buildings, retching dryly, his stomach in knots. Half gasping, half crying, he curled in upon himself, tears streaking down his cheeks, feeling as if his guts were being slowly pulled out of him. "Come on, Ennis," he gasped. "Get a hold a yourself…" But he couldn't, and through the pain, a single image came to mind: Jack…his smiling face, his bright blue eyes, the willing smile that made deep lines around his mouth and made his whole face glow…
The pain in Ennis's stomach lessened a little—enough, at least, that he could stand. He wiped furiously at his eyes, shoved his hat back onto his head, and retrieved his bag from the ground; he took a deep, calming breath, ordered his stomach to cooperate, and started back down the street—only to jump away as an ambulance sped by, sirens blaring, with other sirened cars following close on its tail. He could see people flocking after the ambulance; he ran up and grabbed one man's arm, demanding to know what had happened. "Semi ran straight into a pick-up," the man said, pulling his arm from Ennis's grip and continuing on his way to the scene. Ennis felt himself go cold, and the bag slipped from his fingers; and then he was running, shoving people out of his way, his mind filled with a loud, angry buzzing that blocked out all else. Please, God…please don't let it be Jack…please…
When he reached the accident, the emergency crews had managed to pry a body out of the wreck that had once been a pick-up…the same pick up that, only minutes ago, Ennis had leaned against. He stared in horrified shock at the body laying on the ground, paramedics working furiously to revive him. Even under all the blood, Ennis could easily recognize Jack's parka.
Ennis stumbled forward, but a policeman stopped him, ordering him to stay back. "I know him," Ennis said urgently, not caring that he was probably crying. "His name's Jack Twist…I know him, he's my friend…" They were loading him into the ambulance now, and Ennis was desperate to get through; the officer called to one of the paramedics, saying that Ennis knew "the victim." The paramedic called for Ennis to hurry and he did, was practically dragged into the ambulance and told to keep out of the way. He huddled in a corner, staring in grief-stricken horror and the bloody face that was no longer smiling, the shuttered blue orbs…
"Oh, God…Jack…" No one heard the whisper. Ennis dropped his face into his hands, trying to hide that he was crying, but none of the occupants of the ambulance took any notice of him as they sped to the nearest hospital.
Ennis sat in the waiting room, slouched in one of the chairs. A doctor had come to tell him that Jack was alive, though the doctors had had to perform many surgeries whose names and purposes Ennis didn't understand or care about. Jack was alive. That was all that mattered.
The doctor had said that Jack was still recovering, and that Ennis should go home and get some sleep; Ennis just shook his head in reply. He would wait here as long as he had to. "A nurse will come an' get you when he wakes up, then," the doctor had said, and left Ennis alone.
Ennis had been awake for well over twenty-four hours, too worried about Jack to sleep; but now, knowing that Jack was going to be fine, Ennis unwillingly drifted off. He woke to a gentle touch on his shoulder, and a thick-set nurse informed him, "He's woke up now, if ya want t' see him."
Ennis nodded, and got up slowly from the chair. He was shaking, though he couldn't have said why. The nurse led him into a small room: two beds, though only one was occupied. This bed was near the large window that looked out over the land, and the bed's occupant had his head turned, staring fixedly at the glass. The nurse left, closing the door behind her; Ennis stood frozen to the floor, unable to move. Jack did not seem to have heard the door open or close.
Jack…
Both his arms lay in casts atop the bedcover—the one on the right arm starting midway up the forearm and ending near the shoulder, the left from elbow to fingers—and linen was wrapped tightly around the top of his head, crimson leaking through in a few places. Ennis felt dizzy suddenly, and swayed where he stood; he reached out and grabbed onto the countertop with one hand, putting his other hand over his eyes while he waited for the dizziness to pass. It took its time leaving.
And then Ennis stumbled to the bedside, where a crude wooden chair had been placed; he sat down heavily, and managed to choke out, "Jack."
Slowly, painfully slowly, Jack turned his head to look at Ennis. His face was covered in little cuts, and the bandage around his head extended to cover his left eye. "Ennis?" he whispered, clearly not believing what his eye was telling him he saw.
"Yeah, bud. It's me." Ennis licked suddenly dry lips. "Didn't…didn't they tell ya I was here?"
Jack shook his head, confusion written clearly in the one uncovered eye. "What happened? Why'm I here?"
Ennis shifted a little uncomfortably. "I don't rightly know what happened Jack, at least not how it happened…but if the doctors ain't told ya, I don't know that it's my place—"
"Ennis…please…what happened to me?"
His throat tightened enough that Ennis could barely draw in a breath. He gripped his knees with shaking, white-knuckled hands. "Truck hit ya, Jack," he finally got out, and had to rub at whatever was in his eyes that was making them water so. "Damn near killed ya…"
Jack looked stricken—like he was about to be hit by another truck, Ennis thought, stifling a sob and hiding his face behind his hand. "I'm sorry, Jack," Ennis said softly, trying to pull himself together. "Shouldn't be actin' like this…"
"You came back," Jack whispered. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye, and disappeared in his hair, and more soon followed. Jack started shaking hard, and Ennis panicked until he realized his friend was crying and not having a seizure or something like that. But he was even more confused as to what he should do now, and started thinking it might be easier if Jack was having a seizure—at least then he'd know what to do.
"Jack," he said softly, uncomfortably. "Come on, bud…it's alright…" Not knowing what else to do, he moved to sit on the edge of Jack's bed; still hesitant, and trying to be as careful as possible, Ennis gathered the wounded and sobbing man into his arms. Jack clung to him with his one good hand, his face pressed against Ennis's shoulder. "Hey, come on now, rodeo," Ennis murmured, though he held on to Jack as tightly as he dared, "you're fine, ain't nothin' more gonna happen…"
"Don't you never leave me again," Jack whispered, his fingers tightening further around Ennis's jacket. He lifted his head and looked Ennis full in the face. "Promise me you won't leave me again, Ennis. I—" His voice broke, and tears started streaming from his eyes again, but he forced himself on: "I need you, Ennis. All I could think about when I was drivin' away was you… Please, Ennis…"
Ennis's throat tightened up on him again, and he would even admit to crying a little. He reached up to gently hold Jack's face in both his hands, and spoke the words before he could even think about what it would mean: "I won't leave ya, Jack. I won't." And he brought Jack's face to his in a kiss that was as desperate as it was passionate, and tasted the tears that were still gathering in the corners of Jack's mouth. Jack collapsed against him when Ennis finally pulled his mouth away, and Ennis wrapped his arms around his friend, his lover, and his love, his promise echoing in his head: I won't leave ya…I won't leave ya…I won't leave ya…
Jack's muffled voice drifted up to Ennis's ears, but all the man heard was, "…came back…"
:>
