– AARON & JACKSON: MY WAY –

"THE UNKNOWN"

WRITTEN BY DAYNE DINNING

~This fanfic follow on the immediately after Breaking Point

- I do not own the characters, or Emmerdale – ITV do.

Sirens invaded the quiet village and the ambulance sped quickly down Main Street to Dingle automotives. Jackson was still sat in the pub but he and everyone heard the siren, he frowned and stood up and began following a few of the locals outside, he stood behind several people. "There at the garage" Moira noticed.

Jackson's eyes widened "Sorry excuse me...!" Jackson rushed and pushed his way through the small crowd that was congregating. Once through he ran as fast as his legs would carry him down the village. He didn't know what to think, alarm bells rang through his head however and they just screamed Aaron.

Adam saw Jackson running down the village, he ran towards him to stop him from going any further as soon as Adam was in reach he put his arms around Jackson and pulled him back. "You can't go in there Jackson!" Adam shouted to get it through to him.

Jackson's breathing was fast and heavy and he pushed Adam away and continued running. He stopped at the doorway Adam had previously knocked in. He saw Aaron lying lifeless on the cold hard floor of the garage with two empty bottles of pills by his side; the paramedics were crouched down by him. "We have to move him now..." he heard the paramedic say to the other then he stepped back, his steps were very erratic as if he wasn't putting much effort into his walk, his legs felt like they had lead in them; he was in shock.

"Jackson? Will he be okay?" Adam asked.

Jackson shrugged. "I don't know...it's my fault..." he decided.

Adam shook his head. "No mate it's not..."

"Yes!" Jackson raged. "It is! It's all our faults because I pushed him, you found out and his mum saw us kiss! He couldn't handle it and he's tried to kill himself because of it!" Jackson stopped. "I'm sorry...I was out of order"

"No you're not..." Adam said before he turned seeing Aaron was being brought out on a stretcher. He turned back to Jackson. "He needs someone with him" he motioned his head towards the ambulance. "Go on, I'll tell Paddy and Chas"

Jackson nodded. "Thanks mate" he said and walked quickly to the ambulance. He caught it just before they closed the doors. "I'm sorry...Can I come with you please?"

"Yes of course..."

Jackson jumped in the back and sat down at the side on a pull down seat, the stretcher was fixed into the centre.

"Will he be okay?" Jackson asked.

"He is alive but it's too hard to say, we need to get him back to the hospital so that we can get his stomach pumped...any idea how long he was like this?"

Jackson shook his head; he let out a sharp breath. "No...No I'm sorry" he found himself wiping away tears from his eyes.

"It's alright...he's in safe hands" the paramedic told him with a smile.

...

Jackson sat in the waiting room with a hot plastic cup of coffee in his hands waiting for Aaron's family to arrive, then he decided he'd go, he shouldn't be there he wasn't family or a close friend.

What seemed like hours was in fact only a few minutes before they all charged in the room, Paddy, Chas and Adam. Jackson immediately stood. "I err...I just thought I should stay till you got here..."

"What?" Chas asked.

"I shouldn't be here...it's not my place...I'm not family or..." he sighed.

"You should be here Jackson because you're involved now, with the rest of us" Chas said looking quickly across to Paddy and Adam.

"It doesn't matter how any of us are feeling right now Jackson, whatever you may be in relation to Aaron at the minute doesn't matter, you're a friend..." Paddy nodded. "And he likes you and he'll be happy to see you when he wakes..." Paddy sighed; he never thought he made sense in situations of stress.

Jackson looked over at Paddy and the others and relaxed and he nodded to them and sat back down.

...

Half an hour had passed without any news and Jackson spoke in the silence. "He doesn't know how lucky he actually is..."

Chas turned and looked at Jackson, she smiled slightly, and she could see he cared, he cared a lot and she thought that maybe he didn't realise just how much. "What do you mean love?"

"Well he still has you lot doesn't he? It doesn't matter to you and it's great" Jackson smiled. "It really is...I just look back and wish my dad was like this back when I came out"

They all listened intently. "What happened?" Adam asked.

"He hit me..."

"Oh, I'm sorry mate" Adam sympathised.

Jackson shook his head. "No it's alright...He doesn't live with my mum now, they divorced a while ago, I keep out of his way he keeps out of mine...suits me"

"What about your mum?" Chas asked.

"She was like you" Jackson smiled, which made Chas smile too.

The waiting room door opened and a nurse walked in. "Miss Dingle?" she asked.

Chas stood. "Yes that's me..."

"Your son is out of any danger" she told her with a smile. "But he's still unconscious; it's up to him when he wakes up"

"Can we see him?" she asked.

"Of course" she nodded. "But only two at a time"

Chas nodded and they all followed the nurse out to Aaron's room.

...

Paddy and Chas stood at either side of the bed, Aaron was still pale, his skin clammy too.

"Why didn't you tell me Paddy?" Chas asked quietly.

"Because he didn't want anyone to know...he was scared of people's reactions..."

"B-But I told him it was okay...why did he go off and do this?" she asked as she looked down at her son.

Paddy shrugged. "Because he couldn't face it all anymore...he couldn't face up to the fact he's gay"

"But he is and that's him...it doesn't change a thing if that's the way he is then he's gotta adjust...and we'll help him"

Paddy smiled. "Course we will"

"I should have seen it Paddy" Chas began to cry. "Why didn't I see it? Some mother I 'am" she sobbed.

Paddy quickly walked round to her quickly and he put his arm around her. "How were you meant to know Chas? And yes your relationship with him hasn't been perfect but you're trying to make up for it...and he doesn't make it easy for you but he's been hurt and let down so many times he puts up a wall and that's the Aaron we know...No one saw through it, I thought it was drugs...how far away from drugs is being gay?" he shook his head.

"I know..." Chas composed herself. "I just love him so much, he needs to wake up"

"He will" Paddy soothed. "Come on lets go...give Jackson some time...I'm sure he wants to see him"

Chas nodded as they turned for the door. "He seems like a good lad"

...

Jackson didn't want to see him after Paddy and Chas left his room, he didn't want to see him like that, but they got through to him, and now Jackson headed to his room after being told he was awake. He was nervous as he pushed the door open. Aaron was looking away from the door, lost in his own thoughts.

"So...you have everyone's attention..." Jackson started as he walked up the side of the bed and sat on a chair.

"Yeah well that wasn't my intention trust me...I just wanted to go but seems I couldn't even get that right"

"You make me so mad Aaron!" Jackson raised his voice. "there's three amazing people out there who haven't left this hospital since they got here all because they care about you, you're gay, big deal...it's no one's fault that you're gay...it just happens"

"Oh so I was born with it then?" Aaron jibed.

"What?" Jackson asked in disbelief. "You make it sound like a disease"

"It is."

"No, No it's not...and in my opinion yeah I believe people are born with it as you say"

Aaron frowned and shook his head.

"I'm not gunna lecture you or bombard you with questions as to why you've done it because I know why...but your mums here, Paddy's here, Adam...and I'm here, all for you so don't you dare throw this back in our faces, they care...and s-so do I alright? You'll get better and it'll all be fine..."

"You don't understand"

"I do Aaron"

He shook his head. "No..." he breathed as he began to sob. "This isn't the way I'm meant to be...it's not right...it's not..." he turned away crying.

Jackson looked down at the floor, he felt for him. "Do you want me to go?" he asked as he looked back up at Aaron.

Aaron shook his head. "No" he wept.

"Ok" Jackson smiled slightly. "That's a start at least eh? You'll get through this Aaron...they still love you, nothing's changed...just remember that...I'll stop talking now but I'm not going anywhere so whenever you want too or need to talk I'm right here"

Aaron nodded and calmed himself down.

TBC...