AARON & JACKSON

-1912: The Aftermath-

"Nowhere To Hide"

Aaron's eyes had grown accustomed to the low lit chamber they were in and he stared up at the ceiling. He'd been there hours and he was beginning to feel tired and even he knew that wasn't a good sign, especially after previous experience. "You still with me?" Aaron asked quietly.

Mark was sat on the other side. He looked over at Aaron when he heard his voice. "Yeah…I was going to ask the same to you, l-listen I-I'm sorry that I couldn't move it…I'm sure they've got the fire brigade out there to help…we'll be out soon"

"It's not your fault"

"Hmm…still"

Aaron sighed and swiped his tongue along his teeth. "You were right"

"About what?"

"Wh-" Aaron sighed, he hated admitting this, it was a betrayal. "When you said I was fighting my feelings for you" he swallowed hard. "I' am. And last night when you said about the way I looked at you…Y-you were right there too…and I'm confused…You're attractive…b-but I do love Jackson"

"But he's just one man"

"So are you" Aaron countered.

"What I mean is…you can't help how you feel about someone"

"You're right I can't. But when I feel like I'm betraying him, the first man I've actually loved by the way, it hurts and it's wrong, I shouldn't feel like this towards anyone else"

….

Jackson ran onto the grounds and stopped in the same place he had earlier when he spoke with Aaron. A lot of people were around, workers refused to go home to their families they needed the assurance that their friends were safe and however long that took they would remain. They milled around in groups, in pairs or alone waiting. Tears filled his eyes and they fell instantly as Jackson began to cry and he fell to his knees and held his head in his hands. They couldn't let it end like that, if that was what was to be then it was damned cruel and Jackson was by no means religious but in those moments he looked up at the starry sky and cursed the apparent almighty, why let bad things happen to good people – again! Jackson got to his feet and walked over to a slight embankment and sat down, he could see over all of the people. He didn't see the point in going over all guns blazing, they wouldn't tell him anything, he knew for a fact they wouldn't.

…

Aaron turned his head slowly and looked over at Mark. "You're just a test. That's all you are"

"And I'm one test you're failing, tempting aren't I?"

Aaron scoffed. "Ah please!"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with it, or me…I'm in fine form…we have a laugh…we like each other"

"Jackson is in amazing form and I have a laugh with him"

"Oh you do, do you? From what you said I sense things aren't as happy as they used to be"

"You're just finding things to use to benefit you now"

"And you're skirting around it so you don't have to answer"

Aaron let out a loud sigh. "No, not lately we don't laugh, n-not really" he frowned as a sadness hit him.

…

The entrance to the mine looked unscathed from the explosion from what Jackson could see at his distance, he couldn't so much see but he thought it was a group of the miners arguing with their boss and the fire and rescue personnel. One of them shouted and the words stuck out to him. "WE DON'T LEAVE OUR PEOPLE BEHIND! FIND THEM!" The loyalty and closeness, the bond that Jackson picked up from all the workers was amazing. They were all like a family of sorts, if one got lost or a few and they needed help then they would do anything to make sure they were helped and these guys certainly were, he wouldn't be surprised if the miners took it upon themselves to rescue them themselves if the firemen couldn't soon.

Jackson sighed. Aaron was young; he didn't deserve all these bad things happening to him…he cried again at the thought of Aaron already being dead. Even just the thought hurt like hell, an enormous pain in his chest was felt. What may or may not have happened during his visit to the pub was of no importance now, it would be sorted out once Aaron was safe and well, he would be. Jackson had to now think like that he couldn't afford doubt creeping into his mind and all the what ifs…Aaron was alive. He found comfort in that thought, it was better than the alternative.

….

Aaron hit out, slamming his fists into the uneven surface of the mine. "Why does this always happen to me!" he screamed angrily.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Nothing!" Aaron snapped as his breathing was harsh. If he couldn't talk about the events of Titanic to his mother how they hell would he be able to talk about it to him. A minute or so later Aaron had calmed down but he began to chuckle. "Why the hell do we do this job? We know the dangers yet we still come down here every day"

Mark smiled in the dimmed light; he understood where Aaron was coming from. "It's a necessity…the country, people need power…coal provides that…"

"Yeah well, if I manage to get out of this I'd happily go without having electricity"

Mark snorted. "You don't mean that"

"I do, I've done it before I can live like that again"

"You're just riled up"

"Damn right I'm riled up! I'm trapped under god knows how much debris, I can't feel my legs…and I've got a banging headache! And to top that I'm starting to feel claustrophobic" his realisation of the claustrophobia beginning reminded him being jammed up against bodies in the lower decks of Titanic as they waited for the gates to be opened. This situation was different though, he did have some room, but the air quality was awful and the light inside wasn't too great so that did not help one bit.

Unknown to Aaron, during his panicked rage, Mark had crawled over and he saw in after he finished speaking, his face looming over him. "You need to relax alright, I know this is horrible, and claustrophobia…well I don't suffer that but I can only begin to imagine…you need to take deep breaths and relax"

"You relax!" Aaron shouted.

Mark placed his hand on Aaron's chest.

"I said don't-"

Mark sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to help you…I'm not advancing on you…lift my hand slowly with your breathing, close your eyes and just breathe, you're not here, you're in an open space, a beach o-or something"

Despite his hand on his chest Aaron allowed his eyes to close and he began to slow his breathing and his body relax. Mark smiled when he did relax and he watched his hand slowly rising up and down with Aaron's chest. He nodded to himself and slowly lifted his hand up off Aaron's chest. "Good man" he told him quietly.

…

Adam stopped a few metres away from Jackson; he was already distraught over the news but seeing Jackson's pain made it worse. "He'll be alright you know" his voice cracked with the emotions within.

Jackson looked to Adam, surprised at him being there. He stood up and walked over. "What the…" he breathed as he wrapped his arms around him tightly. "It's two in the morning Adam…w-what…how did you…"

"Your mum, the farm has a phone" Adam replied. "I came here as quick as I could"

"I'm so pleased you're here"

Adam placed his arm around Jackson's shoulders and walked him back to the spot he was sat at and they both sat down. "They look busy"

"They better be, they erm, they brought three people out an hour or so ago…two were dead, i-it wasn't Aaron"

"Oh thank god, do they know what happened?"

Jackson shrugged. "I doubt it yet, just the obvious really, an explosion, caused the tunnel to collapse"

Adam nodded as he listened.

"The survivor from those three didn't seem too badly injured; I hope it's the case with Aaron too"

Adam smiled. "It will be…how are you and him now anyway?"

"I don't think now is the time…" Jackson replied while staring over at the mine entrance.

"Tell me…" Adam encouraged.

"Since he got this job we haven't been the same…he has mates now, all these men here…he drinks a lot, we've hardly seen each other in months, we've had sex a couple of times since he started here…that's not important but when it goes down to a couple in months from every night…yeah you see the problem…and I think he might be having an affair…"

"Woah! Stop…affair?"

Jackson nodded. "One of his mates is gay…last night he told Aaron he liked him, I came here today and overheard things"

"Like?"

Jackson went on to tell Adam the events of earlier that day. "Wow…okay…so you don't know if he is having an affair or not?"

"No, I'm not clear on any details right now…I will be but right now he has to be rescued, it's all I care about right now"

"Course it is"

…

Aaron coughed harshly as the air got to him. "Right!" he croaked. "I'm not lying like this any longer…" he told Mark as he pushed himself up into a sitting position and attempted to pull his legs out from under the debris. He growled as he pushed himself too far, they weren't moving.

"Aaron! Stop!"

"No!"

He pulled again but stopped when he heard more debris falling, small stones, some even just the size of bricks clinking as they hit the ground.

"Stop now! Unless you want this entire chamber to cave in and I'd rather that didn't happen! Be patient!"

"I can't!" Aaron raged. "If Jackson knows he's going to be up there worried sick wondering if I'm dead or alive and after what I've already put him through I can't keep hurting him anymore. I'm getting out of this chamber and walking right over to him"

Mark sighed, he was worried about the walking part, the fact that Aaron couldn't feel them; he couldn't determine where there was pain. If he couldn't walk out, he'd certainly be carried out. "You'll get out of this bloody chamber when rescue comes! Not a second before, you aren't going to endanger both our lives because you're impatient! I won't let you and I mean it, move once more and I'll sodding hold you down Aaron, don't push me!"

Aaron's chest rose up and down frantically as he glared at Mark, his breathing shuddered as he began to sob. He stopped and looked ahead.

Mark closed his eyes, there was nothing he could do and to hear Aaron crying made him feel like crap, for failure of removing any debris and for shouting at him.

Aaron couldn't stop it, the tears came and he sobbed his heart out.

"I-I know you're scared Aaron"

Aaron brought his sobbing to a halt. "What?"

"I know you're scared"

"Yeah cause I'm so confident in the fact that I'm going to get out of here" he cried.

"Sarcasm eh? Doesn't surprise me"

"Despite the sarcasm…yeah I'm scared" he told him quietly as he wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"…Me too" Mark replied ever so quietly.

TBC…