Caught in the monkey jar: Blackbeard Interludes

MIA

It was the first time the driver hadn't picked him up; he was allowed to drive his own vehicle at last. Jack drove off, although he did sit for a long time at the junction at the bottom of the road, Sara noticed. As if deciding which way to go…Sara shut the door and got her purse before meeting some friends. She didn't need to be at home. Jack returned soon after she got back. He seemed fine so she didn't think anything of it. The phone rang, it was for Jack.

"No sir. I'm sorry I didn't phone in…yes I realise now I should have done that. It won't happen again." Squawking came from the phone; Jack's hand tightened "I give you my word sir." Jack listened. "You were worried, that's nice. I was fine." He let out a pent up breath "Yes sir, I will come in tomorrow." pause. "No, you don't need to send the driver! Hello? Hello! Shit!" he banged the phone down and turned around startled to see Sara there.

"Jack, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Don't play games Jack…"

"Alright. I didn't turn up for my appointments today. They're a little steamed about it. I'll just go tomorrow instead. It'll be fine."

"Where were you?"

Jack squirmed at the tone and the question.

"Just out. It's no big deal." he said dismissivly.

"It is. You weren't at the hospital where you were supposed to be! Did you think they'd not notice? Jesus Jack, they could have had the MP's out looking for you!"

"Oh come on."

"Going AWOL isn't funny!"

"Am I laughing? No."

Charlie came back from school then and the conversation ended.

Later in bed Sara thought about why she hadn't pushed him further. She realised it was one of the few opportunities he'd had for getting out of the house under his own steam apart from walking. And he'd been too unfit and then depressed, reclusive - stuck in the house for ages until now. They'd changed some of his meds and the car restriction was lifted. He came back, that was good wasn't it? Should she worry over where or what he'd been doing? Yes and no. He needed his freedom and space and lots of time. As usual Jack's back was to her. He wasn't asleep, she could tell. But she was tired and quickly fell deeply asleep. Sara didn't know that in the deep of night when she turned over and instinctively curled towards his body heat that he moved away.

Jack lay thinking about how he'd set off in the car, practically paralysed by indecision at the end of the road. Which way? Which way? His mind had gone utterly blank. Where was he going? A car tooted its horn behind him and he went straight over the junction instead and got stuck in a traffic jam and then a detour through a newly developed part of town. He was lost until he spotted the park. He was late anyway and then he dismissed the PT and the psych docs from his mind.

Green grass and open air…he headed for the trees. He parked and walked, automatically bringing his bottle of water with him. There was an apple in his pocket too. Just in case…

Sitting under a tree he watched people walking their dogs, reading books, kids playing. Normal things. He dozed off for a while. He returned to the car and from this side of town he traced the route to the hospital, figured out where he went wrong and drove home. The docs would have had other patients after him. It would sort itself out. He drove home. No big deal. Really it wasn't. I can give you everything that you want apart from what you want….