DISCLAIMER: I do not own Emmerdale or it's characters, they belong to ITV
CHAPTER 26
A/N: Thank you for ALL the reviews...as always your reviews mean so much to me...
Jeff watched Aaron and Hazel head up the corridor moaning about a lost purse...THIS was his chance...he went into Jack's room and saw the boy propped up in bed with his comic's, "HELLO Jack...how are we feeling..." he asked quietly with a smile.
Jack looked at him...he clung to his comic for comfort...daddy will be back soon...he thought...Jeff came over to the bed, " HOW many times have I told you about playing with matches...YOU ARE A NAUGHTY BOY FOR TELLING YAH DAD YOU DIDN'T...HE'S VERY ANGRY AT YOU..." he hissed with malice, Jack forced himself down into his covers, as Jeff leaned forward, " NOW...YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENS TO NAUGHTY BOYS..." he then snatched the comic out from his little hands, " YOU want me to tear this thing up do yah...", Jack shoke his head...his eye's like a scared deer, " Then YOU better keep THIS buttoned...DO YOU HERE ME!" he pressed his finger to Jack's lips to make his point...THERE WAS NO WAY HE WAS GOING TO GET FOUND OUT...
But the swing of the door closing got his attention...he swung around and saw NOBODY standing there...BUT someone had...someone had been standing there...but who...he was sweating now...
WHO HAD HEARD WHAT HE HAD SAID TO JACK...
Although he was now in a cold sweat, Jeff took the chance and hared out into the corridor,and looking both ways he saw nobody...he was still none the wiser whom the evesdropper was, he through his fingers through his hair, and rubbed his cheek...he had to play this one carefully...if he was gonna get out of this one...then he'd have to start thinking up excuses now...
At the canteen, Sarah sat and waited for Jackson...she had liked her chat with him...it was nice to let off some of the pressure...Jeff had been hard work since they had returned from Spain...and she just felt she and Jack were in the wrong all the time...she knew deep down that this was all SO wrong...wrong for Jack...the lad had been petrified of Jeff...especially if he had had a hard day at the company...the director's had been furious with Jeff when he had abandoned the Spain project...all because little Jack had gone home...AND she had wanted to go home to be with him.
Jeff had NO choice but to give up the project...and had handed it over to a colleague with less experience...and the project nosed dived and cost the company thousands...the director's had come down hard on Jeff...and now she and Jack jad paid the price.
Jackson returned to the table, and she clutched up her handbag, " time to go see if they are ready for Jack's scan..." told Jackson, Sarah stood up, " has Aaron phoned you...", Jackson downed the dregs of his coffee and took her hand, " No...sorry I took so long, there was a que at the cashpoint...I'm thinking of booking into a B&B nearby...you know...local for Jack...we still don't know how long they are stopping him in for...", Sarah nodded her head smiling, "That's a good idea...let me know which one you get...I'll come and join yah...", Jackson raised his eyebrowes as they now walked up the corridor, " hey you, PEOPLE will start to talk about me and you...", Jackson had his hand's in his pockets, so Sarah linked her arm into his, "let them...THEY are not to know you're gay..." she laughed.
Meanwhile Hazel gazed up at the vending machine...she had been waiting what seemed an age before Aaron came back up the corridor, "did you get some change then..." asked Hazel, "my mouth's drying up like an old cactus here..." she cried, waving her hand at him...Aaron threw the coins at her, " ALLRIGHT HAZEL!...keep yah wig on...", Hazel fed the machine, and it fed her her coffee...lifting out the steaming cup...she took a sip and smiled, " ahhhhh..that's better..." she turned toward him, " YOU not having anything...", Aaron leant up against the wall like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, he frowned, " Nah...I don't feel like it...", Hazel gave him a sympathetic glance, " hey...it's all right...Jack's gonna be just fine...I know he hasn't HAD his scan yet...but HE'S a fighter...he's gonna be fine...after all he takes after his father...MY BOY...", Aaron nodded at her...but something was clearly playing on Aaron's mind, before Hazel could tackle it...Jeff came running up the corridor, " hey you guy's where's Sarah and Jackson...the doctor's are ready for Jack's scan..." he cried, Hazel was in a dither, " oh errrr...they WENT to the canteen...Aaron be a love and go and get them...", Aaron who was glaring at Jeff shook his head, " No need...", they all looked around to see the pair approach them from the corridor, " WHAT'S with the face on YOU..." laughed Jackson toward Aaron...Aaron became all defensive, " NOTHING!...they are ready for Jack's scan that's all..." he said rather coldly, Jackson and Sarah glanced at eachother, and hurried off toward Jack's room in the respiratory unit, Hazel binned her coffee and followed on after them, Aaron stood up toward Jeff...his eye's cold...before he himself went haring up the corridor...Jeff swallowed...so...it MUST be Aaron who had heard him...THAT was good...he was pleased with that...Aaron wasn't the brightest spark...he could be easily be seen off...Jeff strolled off up the corridor toward the unit...HE was feeling MUCH better about things...
In the unit, Jack was being wheeled out into the corridor...the little lad was feeling a little bit frightened and he started to grizzle...Jackson took his hand and smiled lovingly had him, "hey...what's ALL them tears for...YOU are my big brave boy...I said I'm coming with you...and I AM SEE...", Jack smiled at his dad...feeling safer now...Aaron watched from afar with Hazel and Jeff, Sarah was at Jackson's side, she turned to him, " he'll be fine with YOU with him...I'll see you two when you get back...", Jackson nodded at her, then smiled at his mum and Aaron before accompanying Jack and the medical staff up the corridor to the scan facility.
Sarah came toward them...Jeff came foward and put his arms around her lovingly, "hey...as Jackson said...Jack's a big boy...HE will be fine...", Sarah tried to smile...hoping her husband spoke the truth...Hazel plonked her bottom down on the nearest seat, " well...just as well take the weight off...and believe me...AND BEFORE YOU SAY IT...there's a lot of it..." she told Aaron...usually Aaron would see the funny side...because he did have a cheeky side...but there was NOTHING cheeky about him today...he just stared coldly at Jeff...watching the guys everymove...and of course Jeff was very much aware of it...
It seemed like they had been waiting around for hours in that corridor...Sarah paced up and down with worry...Hazel still had her bum cheeks firmly clamped to her seat, and Aaron still coldly stared at Jeff...waiting for a window of opportunity to arise...they were all then disturbed by Jackson racing up the corridor...his face beaming with joy, " Jack's ALRIGHT...his lungs are fine...he's still congested...but in time...", Sarah was over whelmed and fell into an embrace with him...Aaron smiled...it WAS good news...Jeff came forward, "hey...put her down SHE'S my wife remember..." Jackson glared at him...he still hadn't got to the bottom of why he lied yet...but now wasn't the time...Jackson turned, " come on Sarah...lets go and tell him the good news a...", Jackson took hold of Sarah, making sure he was provoking Jeff...Hazel stood up, " awwwww...I alway used to think THEY made a lovely couple..." she then noticed Aaron's little face, she put her arm around him, " I'M ONLY JOKING...YOU are still me favourite...and you know Jackson LOVES you...they are just worried about little Jack...you don't need to be jealous...", Aaron pulled her a face, " AS IF..."he told waving up his hand at them...Hazel headed off toward the ladies, " knew I shouldn't of had that coffee..." Aaron watched Hazel disappear into the ladies before, he then jumped forward and had Jeff up against the wall, " I KNOW!" he barked at him coldly...
Jeff stared into Aaron's blue eyes, " know what...", Aaron had his elbow up against Jeff's neck, " DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW...YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...YOU...STANDING THERE TELLING US IT'S ALL GONNA BE ALRIGHT...", Jeff protested, "GET OFF ME...YOU KNOW NOWT ABOUT MY LIFE...", Aaron continued to stare at him icily, "I KNOW ALL ABOUT JACK'S LIFE...HOW IT IS FOR HIM...I WAS SUSPICIOUS AT FIRST...BUT HEARING YOU...YOU THREATENING HIM...DO YOU KNOW WHAT JACKSON'S GONNA DO TO YOU...",
"DO WHAT..." asked Jackson...he was standing there watching them from the doorway, Aaron turned to his partner, " I think Jeff's got a confession for yah...", Jackson waved his arm, "Oh I know...Sarah's told me...how you have been taking out all your stress on MY SON..." he said coldly...Aaron nodded at him, then faced Jeff...he was still in in the vice like grip against the wall, " AND the rest...did she tell you about HIM threatening Jack...him being mean to him...scaring him...BECAUSE I'VE SEEN IT FIRST HAND...PRACTICALLY BLAMING HIM FOR THE FIRE..."
Jackson came forward...trying to take in what Aaron was saying to him, " you WHAT...HE threatened MY son...", Aaron nodded at him, glancing to and fro from Jackson to Jeff, "Yeah that's right...HE didn't KNOW i was there...I forgot ME wallet when I went to get yah Mum a coffee...I could hear Jeff in there, so I snuck in...AND I HEARD HIM...I HEARD HIM TELLING HIM TO KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT...AND THAT YOU WERE ANGRY WITH HIM..."
Jackson saw red and shoved Aaron out the way..
...and with an almight smack...Jackson's fist had made contact with Jeff's jaw...and he went skidding across the floor...
TBC...ALL REVIEWS WELCOME AS ALWAYS...