--- Disclaimer: This really gets annoying after awhile, ya know? Specially since I still don't and never will own anything. ---
--- Thanks to everyone who's still reading this, it really means a lot to me. Nothing is going to be put up over the weekend but here's chapter 12 for now so, enjoy! ---
Tell Me How Much You Love Me
The phone call came around noon the next day and the secretary sitting at the desk answered the phone quickly.
"Doctors office, how c'n I help you?"
"Mornin' ma'am, this is Jack Twist. I'm callin' bout my… Partner here up at my ranch. He started gettin' sick las' night an' now he won' wake up an' I'm worried bout'im. Is the doc available ta come up ta see'im?"
"Well he's off on a call righ' now but I c'n take down your address an' send'im on his way soon as he gets back."
"Tha'd be great ma'am… The address here is…"
He told the lady his address slowly, giving her time to take it down then gave directions on how to get up the mountain so the poor doctor wouldn't get lost.
"Alrigh' sir, I'll tell'im soon as he gets in."
She said once she was done taking down all the information and Jack nodded on the other end.
"Thank ya very much ma'am. Have'a nice day now."
"You too. An' tell your partner I hope he feels better."
"I will ma'am, thank you."
"You're welcome. Bye now."
"Bye."
Jack hung up the phone after the other side clicked and sighed softly, leaning back against the wall. He'd fallen asleep for about an hour around 5 that morning after staying up all night watching Ennis and when he'd awoken, Ennis was tossing and turning and sweating like he was wearing a fur coat in July. Jack had quickly given him some more medicine but when the other hadn't shown any improvement at all by 11, he decided the doctor needed to be called. Ennis, of course, had protested like he was telling him he was going to see a shrink or something.
--- Flashback ---
"I don' need a… a…" He trailed off to sneeze. "I don' need a damn doctor Jack…"
"Yes ya do boy, yer sick as a dog. Now jus' lie back down an' rest while I go an' call'im, a'right?"
"I still don' need one… I'll be fine in a day or so…"
"Ya been sweatin' an' tossin' all night Ennis an' I'm…"
He trailed off and Ennis looked up at him.
"Yer wha' rodeo?"
"I'm… I'm worried bout ya… I don' like you bein' all defenseless like this…"
Ennis sighed softly and reached out for Jack's hand.
"I don' like it neither love… Specially since i's supposed ta be me takin' care o' you, not the other way 'round."
Jack sat by him for a few minutes then felt his forehead and stood back up.
"I'm goin' ta call the doctor now. Stay here an' rest, a'right?"
Ennis nodded and curled down into the blankets, coughing a little. Jack caressed the side of his face gently then went out of the room and straight down to the phone to call.
--- End Flashback ---
"Ennis?" Jack called softly as he went back into the room then stopped when he noticed the other wasn't in the bed where he'd left him.
"Ennis? Ennis where the hell are ya?" He called out again as he walked into the room and stopped again when he heard coughing coming from the bedroom and saw a stain on the carpet near the bed. A red stain… Blood…
"Ennis?" He ran into the bathroom and kneeled quickly by his mate who was sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, shaking and covered in blood.
"Jack…" The other managed to get out before another coughing fit took him and he spit more blood into the toilet before slumping back against the wall with a shudder. "Is tha' doctor comin' rodeo…?"
Jack nodded and caressed Ennis' arm gently.
"Yeah cowboy… He'll be comin'…" He said softly and Ennis nodded as well.
"Sorry bout the blood on the carpet… I didn' make it…"
"Don' worry bout it… Adds color…" Jack responded and Ennis laughed a little, his cough coming back slightly and making him spit more blood.
"Tha' toilet's gonna be colored too…"
"So we'll have a colorful house, no biggie." Jack said and Ennis smiled slightly.
"I think I'm done enough ta make it back ta bed now…"
"You sure?"
"Yeah… I don' wanna sit here on the cold tile covered in my own blood…"
"Lemme get ya some clean clothes then I'll help ya to bed."
Ennis nodded and took a deep breath as Jack went out to the bedroom and returned quickly with a comfy pair of pants and shirt.
"Here cowboy, le's getcha inta these."
He undressed him slowly, with a little of Ennis' help then got him into the more comfy clothes before helping him up and leading him to the bed.
"Jus' lay down an' I'll stay here with ya, a'right?"
"I don' want you gettin' sick too rodeo…" Ennis said as he complied to Jack's suggestion and the other sat next to him with one arm around him.
"Bullshit, ya think I'm leavin' ya here ta suffer on your own?"
"But wha' if you get sick too?"
"Then I guess you'll have'ta take care o' me then, huh?"
Ennis smiled softly and kissed the hand near his face gently.
"Go back ta sleep Ennis, doctor'll be here soon ta take care o' ya, I promise."
"Yeah…"
Jack watched as the other closed his eyes slowly, coughing a couple times before taking a long, shuddering breath and falling back to sleep, leaving Jack alone once again as he prayed and waited for the doctor to arrive.
--- So are you all as anxious as I am to find out what happens to him? Good… Cause I'm not sure yet lol. I promise as soon as I figure it out though that I'll write it and put it up. Please, as always, review and tell me what you think! Thank you! ---
