The next day, while Jackson was at work, Aaron received a text from the older man in the afternoon, reminding him to call his solicitors if he hadn't already done so. Even while he was at work, he was still able to nag the teen without actually being beside him. He didn't even know where the number was to start with and there was no way he was going downstairs to hunt for it. Like the day before, Jackson had left Aaron upstairs before he left for work. The teen had no intention of going downstairs. He was quite comfortable upstairs and had pretty much nearly everything he needed.
Aaron quickly sent a text back to Jackson. I don't knw where the # is x
In a matter of minutes a reply was sent. Don't make excuses A, u better call them 2day x
I will. Where is it then? Aaron harshly replied back.
Downstairs, lounge desk x was sent before another instantly followed. Mke sure u do x A subtle warning from the older man.
Aaron didn't both texting him anymore he pushed his phone back into his trouser pocket and carefully swung his legs off of the bed. Once he was standing at the top of the stairs, both crutches supporting his weight as he stared down at the bottom he called out for Paddy, hoping he could hear him in the surgery. "Paddy! Paddy!"
A few seconds passed before he called out for him again. "Paddy! Could you give us a hand Patrick?" Aaron shouted a little louder. Eight minutes passed before a very patient Aaron realized that the vet couldn't hear him in the surgery. He was going to have to go downstairs himself and get the number. He hadn't a clue how to though. He didn't want to fall again and screw his leg up even more and if did then he was sure to be on the receiving end of some very angry tirades. After another of few minutes had passed, trying to work out how he was going to get down the stairs without falling an idea came to his head. There was no way he was going to hobble down on his crutches, he'd nearly fallen a couple of times when Jackson or Paddy walked in front of him as a sort of safety net and as neither one of them was there, there was no real certainty that he was going to be safe. So the only idea that came to his head was to shuffle down the stairs on his bum. It was going to kill the muscles in his right thigh, keeping his leg elevated while he shuffled to the bottom but there was no other way.
Aaron ditched his crutches at the top of the stairs and lowered himself down onto the floor, careful not to slip and fall as he held onto the railing on one side of the stairs and used his other hand to guide himself to the floor. Once seated, it was easy enough to do, he'd gone up and down the stairs on his bum while he had his temporary cast on. That was before he slipped in the shower. He just hoped that once his leg was in the cast he would have no trouble getting on as usual. It wouldn't matter as much if he knocked it about a bit. He had to be careful he didn't upset the screws and plates and basically overall healing process of his surgery whilst he had the robotic type splint on. He was looking forward to getting rid of it.
"Great, well done muppet." Aaron mumbled to himself as he realized he didn't have his crutches with him. There wasn't a slight chance he could hop from the foot of the stairs into the lounge. He looked up towards the top of the stairs where he could see the metal aids taunting him. If he could shuffle back up, throw them down then shuffle back down again. But there was a much chance of that happening as there was hopping into the lounge. It was too much effort getting down, he doubted once at the top he wouldn't want to come back down again. Jackson really was going to have a go at him if he didn't call the solicitors today. Letting a frustrated breath at his uselessness, Aaron tugged his phone out from his pocket and dialed the Paddy's mobile number. There was no point shouting for Paddy again, he obviously couldn't hear him.
He listened to Paddy's phone ring out on the other end of his before dialing it again and waiting once more for the older man to answer. No such luck. Why wasn't he answering his phone. "Paddy!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping that time he would hear him.
There was nobody else around that he would call to help him. Jackson was at work, his mum was working and it seemed Paddy was as well. Yes, there was Rhona and Pearl in the surgery but there was no way he was going to let them see he needed help. As far as everyone else was concerned he could still do things for himself, with two working legs or not.
He would have to wait. Sooner or later one of the three would walk through.
Jackson finished off at work at five, parking his van outside of Smithy Cottage half an hour later. He hadn't expected to work as late as he had done, but he was closer to finishing the job then he had anticipated. He was a little startled to find Aaron sitting at the bottom of the stairs like a garden gnome when he opened the front door.
"Alright? What you doing sitting there?" Jackson asked a little amused.
"Having a tea party!" Aaron sneered, instantly telling Jackson he wasn't in a happy mood. "What does it look like!"
"I don't know, that's why I asked." Jackson laughed, not letting the teen's obvious bad mood grate on him.
"I've been waiting for you to come home." Aaron told him, still sitting at the bottom of the stairs as Jackson walked through to put the kettle on.
"Yeah sorry, I had to work a little extra longer, so close to finishing." Jackson explained as he walked back to the stairs."How long have you been sitting there then?"
"Since you text me!" Aaron snapped. He hadn't planned on waiting that long.
Jackson's smile dropped. That was hours. "You're not stuck are you?"
Aaron glared at him. Was he stuck?
"Where's your crutches?" The older man asked only just noticing they weren't within reach of the teen.
"Upstairs."
"Upstairs? Then how'd you get down here?"
Again another glare.
Jackson shook his head and squeezed past Aaron on the steps as he climbed upstairs to retrieve the crutches and give them back to Aaron.
"Why didn't you call anyone?" Jackson asked, after all everyone was only on the other end of the phone. He would have dropped everything and came to help him, even if it were just a silly little problem like leaving the crutches upstairs that could be fixed in minutes. He was sure Chas, Paddy, Rhona and Hazel, Pearl even, wouldn't have minded.
Aaron shrugged. "I did, Paddy."
"What about me? Your mum? My mum? Rhona, Pear-." Jackson started to real off.
"Alright, I get it." Aaron snapped.
"Why didn't you?"
Aaron shrugged his shoulders again. "I don't know."
"Come on then, you're gonna start gathering dust sitting there." Jackson sighed heading back into the kitchen. "I'll make you a cup of tea. I bet you're thirsty!"
Aaron eventually pulled himself up off the stairs and followed Jackson through into the kitchen, taking a seat at the kitchen table and gulping down the cup of tea that Jackson set out in front of him. The older man took his cup of tea through the lounge.
"What you doing?" Aaron asked, confused as to why his boyfriend wouldn't sit with him to drink his tea.
"Looking for. . . . . . this!" Jackson answered, returning with a piece of paper in his hand with a series of numbers scrawled across it. "I take it you haven't called."
"No. How could I?" Aaron grumbled, he'd spent all afternoon sitting on the bottom of the stairs like a naughty child.
"Well then, best we do it now." Jackson said. "Do you want to call them, or shall?" he offered holding out the piece of paper towards him.
When Aaron didn't take it, he took it he was expecting him to. With a huge sigh, Jackson tugged his phone out of his jacket pocket and copied them number from the paper to his phone screen.
"Hello? Is this Morgan Solicitor's?" Jackson greeted to the phone.
Aaron continued to drink his tea as he listened to Jackson side of the conversation.
". . . Yeah, hi it's Jackson Walsh I'm calling on behalf of an Aaron Livesy?" Jackson said. ". . . We were told to get in touch with you for the upcoming court case. . . Date? 27th October. . . Yeah that's it." Jackson tugged out a pencil from another pocket in his jacket, poised to take notes. "Uh-huh. . . Yeah, okay. . . Sounds great. . . thank you." He said scribbling down a time and date on the back of the piece of paper and ending the call. "Nine a clock, Friday morning." Jackson told Aaron who just looked at him. "Morgan Solicitor's."
"This week?" Aaron asked. It was too soon.
Jackson nodded his head. "This week. If I work a little later tomorrow I might be able to go with you in the morning."
"You don't have to." Aaron said. He didn't want Jackson to feel as though he needed him for everything. He felt bad enough that he'd been stuck on the stairs all afternoon and had to rely on Jackson to help him out.
"Don't be daft. I want to." Jackson told him.
A/N – Another update as promised, again not a lot happening. So sorry, but my typing has been cut short. I'll try and make up for it tomorrow, I promise.