"Everybody Hurts"

WRITTEN BY DAYNE DINNING

~This fanfic follows on directly on from A Life So Changed

# Disclaimer – I do not own Emmerdale or any of the characters used.

Jackson sat in Aaron's bedroom at Paddy's; he slept there, or at least tried too. His eyes were red and bloodshot from the tears he'd shed over the past forty eight hours. The sun was rising and lighting up the bedroom brightly, causing him to squint. He heard Paddy moving around downstairs, he'd heard him moving around all night too. Everyone was unsettled and this would be the routine for a while he guessed. Jackson had his phone gripped in his hand and was staring down at the picture he'd taken of him and Aaron in bar west, the night of the accident. A tear dropped onto the screen and he breathed in slowly as he sobbed but he tried to calm himself. He wiped his eyes and got up off Aaron's bed and left the bedroom.

Chas was sat on the sofa in Carl's with a blanket over her. She was motionless just staring into space.

Carl was rummaging around in the kitchen making coffee, he hadn't slept much either, he'd sat up with her all night, he didn't know what to say to her, all he could do was hold her and he did. He picked up the mug of coffee and walked into the living room and sat down next to her and placed her coffee on the coffee table.

Chas looked at him and smiled slightly. Then let out a breath. "What am I gunna do now Carl?" she asked as she reached for the coffee and held it in both hands as she sat back again.

Carl shook his head. "Be his mum..." he placed his arm around her and pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead.

She nodded her head positively.

"Its gunna be hard, you know that, but don't let it defeat you...I might not have liked the kid but I wouldn't wish this on anyone, you've got me, Paddy, everyone will help probably if you asked"

Chas smiled and nodded. "I know...I better get freshened up" she started to move to the edge of the sofa.

"Will you need a lift to the hospital?" Carl asked.

"Err...yeah please...Paddy said he'd go early..."

Carl nodded and both of them looked at each other apprehensively.

Paddy sighed and rested his forehead against the door to Aaron's room as he placed his hand around the door handle ready to enter. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Chas and Paddy had spoken for a good few hours when they left to go home and get some rest. Things had been decided and this was one of them, Paddy was not looking forward to doing this. He took a breath and opened the door...

Aaron was sitting up in bed slightly, his head brace had been removed and he had two small marks on either side of his forehead from it. He was half asleep when he heard the door click open. His eyes opened quickly and he saw Paddy. "Alright?" he asked.

Paddy walked slowly over to him and smiled slightly. "Hmmm..." he mumbled. "Yeah not bad" he said as he sat beside him. "Did you get much sleep?"

Aaron shook his head. "Nah...Well a few hours made up of ten minutes here and there" he smirked.

"I know the feeling"

Aaron sighed. "How long do you think I'll be in here for Paddy?" he asked.

Paddy shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure mate, you've had a really bad accident...you've scared us all to death" he watched him.

Aaron nodded. "I'm sorry"

"No, no I didn't say it for-"

Aaron chuckled slightly. "Paddy shhh, I know...I just wish I could stop hurting everyone around me, why do I Paddy?"

"You're young Aaron, you make mistakes, but this, this was an accident, it's no one's fault" Paddy told him, his words were only a form of comfort, Aaron and Jackson were both to blame if it came down to it, but it wasn't his place, he thought to even say that.

Aaron gave him a deep look, tempted to say what was on his mind but refrained. "You're here early aren't ya?" he asked, changing the subject.

Paddy nodded. "Yeah, thought I'd spend some time with you before the others get here, your mum will be here soon"

Aaron sighed.

"Hey, don't be like that Aaron, she's your mum whether you like it or not, she goes through hell with you and you know it, stop being so mardy"

Aaron nodded. "Sorry"

Paddy sighed and nodded.

Aaron rested his head back on the pillow. "I can't wait until I can get up and walk around, this room is depressing"

"Ahh...yeah about that" Paddy told him as he lowered his head.

Aaron turned his head and looked at him with a frown. "What?"

Paddy sighed and looked up at him. "I have to tell you something Aaron..."

His expression blank, and not even a single tear fell from his eyes. He was stunned to complete silence; the walls around him seemed to close in on him. Aaron's remote look when he was told the news didn't surprise Paddy, he knew Aaron. But he had to make sure Aaron understood the severity of what had happened to him.

Paddy stayed with him a while after he'd told him, the atmosphere as Paddy expected thickened. But he was there for him, like always, like they all would be.

"Paddy..." Aaron broke the intense silence.

"Yeah mate?"

"Get Jackson for me"

Paddy smiled, he'd waited for him to mention Jackson in some way and he got up. "I'll go give him a call"

Aaron nodded. "Cheers"

Jackson was sat on the steps at the cricket pavilion, he'd again been staring at the picture of him and Aaron from bar west, they were so happy, he hadn't saw Chas approaching until he could see a pair of feet before him. He looked up and Chas sighed. "What you doing Jackson?" Chas asked softly.

Jackson shrugged.

"I gathered..." she sighed as she sat beside him. She looked and saw the picture he was looking at. "That's a really good photo" she said as she moved her curly black hair out the way of her eyes.

"Yeah, we were happy" Jackson replied. "Look Chas, no offense but I need to be alone right now"

"Tough" Chas cleared her throat. "You need to man up and realise that this is not about you"

"Excuse me?" Jackson shot a look at her. "You've been waiting for this so just get it over with, I know this is my fault, and I'm paying for that right now!" he raised his voice.

"No...Jackson you're not paying for it" her eyes glazed. "Aaron is" She wiped away the tears before they could fall.

Jackson frowned. "What do you mean?"

Chas stayed silent.

"Chas! What do you mean?" he asked again.

Chas shook her head and her voice was shaky. "I don't know if I can say it" she took a breath and tried again, Jackson did need to know. "He suffered a lot of damage from the impact...uhh...he's p-p" Chas frowned and her expression on her face showed how painful this was.

Jackson's heart felt like it had stopped, he knew this was going to be bad and he waited silently.

"Paralysed...something called Tetraplegia...he's lost all feeling and movement from the neck down..."

His body caved and shivers overwhelmed his entire body and an immense heat washed over him, Jackson covered his mouth with his hands and shook his head. "No...no" he refused to believe it.

Chas nodded as she cried.

"No, it can't be..." Jackson began to cry. "No..." he became frustrated and he got up and walked down the steps quickly.

Chas sniffed and wiped her eyes and quickly got up and ran after him, she grabbed a hold of his arm seconds later and pulled him towards her and Jackson spun around and Chas wrapped her arms around him and they cried together. "It's true Jackson" she told him again. Jackson let out a loud shrieking cry a lot like the one he'd let out when he'd found Aaron in the van.

"He's asked for you, what happened has happened, there's nothing we can do about it now" she pushed him away from her but held onto his shoulders. "It doesn't matter about blame, or how, what or why, this is just the way it is and we all need to pull together now..." she took a breath. "Do you love him?" she asked.

"Yes" Jackson nodded as he calmed himself.

"Go and see him Jackson" she nodded.

Jackson nodded and turned away slowly and began walking but he stopped after a few steps and turned to her again with tear filled eyes. "Chas..."

"Yes love" Chas breathed as she wiped her eyes.

"I' am so so sorry" his lower lip quivered as he spoke.

Chas nodded. "Go on love"

Jackson turned and walked along the grass, leaving Chas alone at the pavilion. He knew he loved Aaron so much, but where they'd go from here was unknown.

To Be Continued...