DISCLAIMER: I do not own Emmerdale or it's characters, they belong to ITV
CHAPTER 21
A/N: Thanks for the reviews.. xx...PS I HATE THIS CHAPTER AS WELL...no doubt you will be all BLEEPING through this chapter too...DO YOU THINK IT'S FEASIBLE TO HAVE JACKSON SMASH JEFF'S FACE IN...it's tricky, Jackson's not a violent man...but...considering this is is son...he might..but then there are gonna be reprecussions for him...and considering how Jeff's mind works...opinions would be great please...xx
Meanwhile, Jeff strolled up the street towards his house...he was amazed to see a group of neighbours standing in the road looking in the direction of his place...a place that was ablaze...the fire tearing through the first floor...and the black smoke pouring out from the upstairs windows...HIS HOUSE WAS ON FIRE!...he had only nipped out to the shop to get another bottle of whiskey...he hurried over...then stopped...Jack was alone in that house...alone...Sarah would know he had left the boy on his own...SHE WOULD LEAVE HIM...he remembered the cigarette...SHE REALLY WOULD LEAVE HIM...he backed away...then as he heard the first sirens weil in the distance he had made his way to the back of the house...letting himself in..he dived through the raging fire in the hallway to the front door...the new oxygen feeding the flames even more...he then came running out the front door screaming, " HELP me...HELP me...my little boys upstairs...he's trapped..."...but he knew NO one would brave the flames...he felt bad, COURSE he did...but it was Sarah and the baby that was more important... would it really matter if Jack died...Sarah would be distraught...COURSE she would be...but in time...
many months in time...when the new baby came...she would soon forget...wouldn't she...the sirens were now ringing in his ears as the Fire vehicles came trumbling up the street the neigbours in the roadway moving away to let it come toward the blazing gouse...and quick as a flash the lead Fire commander came hurrying up to him, " this YOUR property..." he quickly asked...Jeff was in a daze looking up to Jack's bedroom window, " SIR!...IS THIS YOUR HOUSE...IS THERE ANYBODY INSIDE...", Jeff shook his head, " yeah...yeah my son...he's upstairs...I tried to get him...but the flames...", the fire commander started oragnising his men while Jeff stood gorping at the house, a neighnour came up to him, an elderly woman, she rubbed his shoulder in comfort...as he finally reached for his mobile...
At the village in Dale Head, Tom had relayed 3 times how he and Matt had met that night at Bar West, Jackson clutching his beer stared in disinterest as Tom was now sitting pn Matt's lap, Aaron pulled a face, he would NEVER even entertain sitting on Jackson's lap...not in company anyhow...and HE certainly wouldn't sit in his..., Jackson shook his head in disbelief as Matt over did the laughter...all for Aaron's benefit...and he couldn't help be pleases to see Aaron not showing any interest at all, Jackson stood and went into the kitchen, Matt shoved Tom aside, "get me another while you'll out there Jacko...", Jackson glared at him...he hated that...he tolarated his mate Joe calling him that...but Joe was his BEST mate...and he'd know him years...but this creep..., "GET IT YAHSELF..." he called back, trying to sound playfull, but failing, Matt sensed it...and came toward him, "Okay...no probs...", Jackson turned as he opened his own bottle of beer with the opener on the fridge, "plenty in the fridge..." told Jackson, "just hope it chokes yah, " he then hissed at him.
Matt smiled, he really loved to wind Jackson up...and Jackson was just letting him, even though he could feel the anger and tension that sparked off between them. Aaron WAS aware of the tension...and it had been building up all evening, he turned to Tom, " so this is just a bit of fun...you and Matt I mean...", Tom shrugged at him, " I hope not...Matt's a real cool guy...I couldn't believe MY luck...and you know what that's like...", Aaron stood up, "yeah yeah please don't tell us again when you met...it's boring me now mate...", he glanced at Jackson and Matts sly looks at eachother, Matt's was like a smirk...Jackson's was contempt...he sighed and made for the stairs and went up...as Jackson went into the lounge...Matt followed Aaron up. Tom watched Jackson sit, " where's Matt...", Jackson glanced toward the kitchen and saw the back door on ajar, "gone for a smoke...", he leaned forward, "YOU do realise he's after Aaron..." he told, Tom nearly choked on his beer, "what...what you going on about...", Jackson sat back and necked his beer, "you're learn...just watch him...I AM!"
Sarah hurried into the A&E of St. James hospital in Leeds, her mind was in a whirl...images kep flashing through her head...her house on fire and little Jack trapped inside...when Jeff had called her, she had been coming back from her mothers in Harrogate, the journey to the hospital seemed to take forever...Jeff had said that the fire crew had managed to get Jack out the buring house...but the little lad was no longer conscious...he had been rushed to by ambulance suffering from severe smoke inhalation.
Sarah's mind went over it again, as she stood in the busy A&E...she looked in a daze...tears falling down her cheeks...WHAT THE HELL HAD GONE ON!...Jeff was then hurrying toward her, "SARAH...DARLING...", Sarah let herself be dragged up the corridor, "where is HE...WHERE IS MY SON!", she shouted at him angrily, Jeff sat her down on a seat nearby, " he's in with the Respiratory team now...they are DOING ALL THEY CAN..." her husband told. Sarah stood up and began to head up the corridor, but Jeff grabbed her, " Sarah NO...let then do what they need to do...the doctor's will be out soon...", Sarah sobbed into his arms, " Everything will be okay...I PROMISE...IT WILL ALL WORK OUT JUST FINE..."
Aaron came out the bathroom at Dale Head,and went into his bedroom, he had the shock of his life...Matt was in there...IN HIS AND JACKSON'S BED, Matt cockerily winked at Aaron, "Come ON..you know you want to...", Aaron froze...he just stared at Matt's cloths strewn across the room...the NERVE OF IT...instantly he began to pick up Matt's clobber and chucked it at him, "GET OUT of me bed, and get dressed before Jackson sees yah!", Matt frowned, "Ohhhh...come on...could be fun...YOU don't get much of that do yah...not with old builder down stairs...well, unless he's having FUN with someone else that is...", Aaron was getting angry, " GET OUT...Jackson's right, YOU'RE a creep!", Matt pulled back the dovet, Aaron didn't know where to look, " just...GET OUT..." he hissed, and then left the bedroom...on hurrying down the stairs, Tom looked up from the armchair, " Aaron...hurry Matt up will yah...he's outside having a cig..." Aaron smiled at him and went out the back door...thinking HOW he was gonna get Matt down the stairs...AND to warn Tom what a CREEP this guy really was...
At the hospital Jeff and Sarah sat in the corridor in silence...the old medic or nursing staff walked by them...then when one such medic came from the direction of the resp unit, Sarah quickly stood, " Please...is there any word on Jack Kelly...", the nurse sadly smiled, " I don't know much, just the team are clearing out his lungs...it's a horrible precedure...especially with a young child...i'm sure there will be more news soon...", she then hurried off, Sarah slowly turned to Jeff, "I still can't believe this is happening...it's like some bad dream...a NIGHTMARE...I mean...HOW...HOW did this happen...how did the fire start...", Jeff knew Sarah would ask or wonder sooner or later...he shrugged, "maybe...and I DON'T want to believe this either...but I caught Jack with my box of matches last week...", Sarah glared at him, "WHAT...JACK WOULDN'T PLAY WITH MATCHES...he just wouldn't...he's a good boy...", Jeff sat her down again, " I was gonna tell yah...but...I just didn't want you to be disappointed in him...I gave him a GOOD telling off...and that's when I bruised his arm...", Sarah stared at him...then to the floor, "I just hope...pray he will pull through...", she started to sob again, Jeff soothed her by rubbing her upper back with his hand, " hey...it's gonna be okay as I said...please don't upset yahself...think of the baby a..."
Sarah knew Jeff was right...any stress was bad for the baby...she looked at him, her eyes red raw now, " but...he's in there...alone...frightened...", Jeff smiled at her, " no...the doctors are with him...and WE are...his Mum and Dad...", Sarah then sat up reaching for her handbag, "GOD!...I've gotta call Jackson...WHY haven''t you reminded me...my minds all over the shot...", Jeff stopped her, " No...lets wait...wait until we get news...don't want to bother him unnecessarily do we...", Sarah bit her lip unsurely, "just seems wrong not to...he's Jack's father..."
"And I AM TOO..." reminded Jeff, " let's just see what happens a...", Sarah sat back...as did Jeff...both awaiting news whether little Jack would pull through or not...it was now a waiting game...
Aaron went back into Dale head, just as Matt had come down the stairs winking at him...he grabbed his beer from the side and joined Tom and Jackson in the lounge...Aaron shook his head...and glanced at Tom...Tom had been a right mardy arse lately with him...but could he really let him get taken for a ride by this nutter...Matt was having a laugh again with Tom...and now they were shoving eachothers tongues down eachothers throats...Jackson was put right off and pulled his eyebrowes together nodding toward them...Aaron HAD to say something...
At the hospital Sarah sat waiting for news...it seemed like hours...but it could be no longer than one...Jeff came up to her with two coffees, "there you go...I've put MORE sugar in yours to sttle your nerves...and I've spoken to Jean nextdoor...the fire brigade have gone...but...we can sort that out later...", Sarah sipped her coffee...it was disgusting...then she looked up to see the two medics approach them from the resp unit, " Mr and Mrs Kelly..." Sarah nooded as she stood, " How's...how's Jack...", the lead doctor turned, " I'm Dr. Edwards...I've been treating your Son...he's stable but still has,'t regained consciousness...BUT...he is breathing on his own accord...", Sarah breathed out a sigh of relief...Jeff didn't know what to think.."Ohhh..Thank god..."she gasped, Dr Edwards smiled, but carried on, "I AM NOT going to hide it from you...but we are VERY concerned for him...he has breathed in a SHED lot of smoke...and the extent of damage to his lungs is not yet know...all we can do now is monitor his progress carefully...", Sarah was desparate to see her son, " Can I see him...", the doctor smiled, "of course...please don't be alarmed by all the equipment...they are ONLY there in case Jack needs it...", Sarah tried to smile, then sniffing she turned to her husband,
"Go ring Jackson..."
"B..But..." stammered Jeff.
"Just do it!" cried Sarah..." Jack's still unconscious...JACKSON HAS TO BE TOLD...he'll wanna be here for him...", and with that she followed the nurse through to the resp unit, with a hint of 'DO I HAVE TO' he pulled out his mobile and scrolled to Jackson's number...
he paused a little while...before switching his phone OFF...
THEY DIDN'T NEED THAT PRATT...he'd ASK TOO MANY questions...
so the longer he could keep him away...the better...
TBC...ALL REVIEWS WELCOME AS ALWAYS...XX