Face to Face

Part 11

The Relatives Room was small but light and airy. Six comfortable chairs were placed informally around its pale yellow walls. A hot drinks machine stood next to its one window and a small table stocked with an array of magazine was set near to the door.

Jackson knew it was for the use of the bereaved or for those waiting anxiously for news of a loved one. A quiet, private place set aside for those in emotional pain.

It was uncomfortably quiet now. The atmosphere morose and tense. Jackson knew he was partly responsible for the tension. Earlier he'd loudly reminded Chas and Marlon where they were and why. Someone had had to stop them tearing strips off each other. He didn't know them, yes he'd been in there company before, in the same room to be exact but he'd not actually spoken to either of them and here he was putting them right on a few things. That wasn't likely to get him into Aaron's family's good books!

The cousins were now ignoring each other and him too probably. Not that he cared, Aaron was his only concern. He was there to support him and after Chas' bombshell Jackson knew the younger man was going to need him even more.

It had shaken Aaron badly but he'd recovered quickly and gone on to demand that Marlon tell him what he knew for sure. It seemed one of the villagers had seen a man entering Paddy's. Another one had seen him leave, and had told the police he seemed angry and had been hurling abuse at the vet's door. Marlon himself had seen the car actual hit Paddy, but he was a hundred yards away at the time and couldn't be sure of anything other than that the impact had sent Paddy sprawling over the bonnet then onto the road.

That's when all hell had broken loose. People were running from all directions. Livesy was by now out of the car, swaying on his feet and telling everyone that Paddy had got what he deserved. Emotions had been running dangerously high and Terry and Bob had had to restrain an irate Zak Dingle.

The ambulance and the police had arrived shortly after. While the paramedics attended to an unconscious Paddy; the police had breathalysed Gordon Livesy and arrested him on the spot.

With Marlon's memory of the incident seemingly confirming Chas's earlier statement Aaron had slipped back inside himself.

Jackson was sitting next to Aaron now, but he wasn't sure the younger man even knew he was there. He'd give him a few more minutes then he'd try and talk to him. He couldn't imagine what was going through his mind, but it couldn't be good, and it wouldn't be doing him any good either.

Glancing around to see what the others were doing he saw that Marlon was staring out through the window up at the darkening sky. Chas was sitting in a corner chair, tapping away at her phone, texting someone, trying, Jackson imagined, to keep herself occupied.

Getting to his feet he walked over to the drinks machine, "Can I get anyone a coffee, tea?"

Marlon answered with a preoccupied shake of the head and Chas with a curt, "No ta."

Selecting tea, Jackson added an extra couple of sachets of sugar to the plastic cup, telling himself a sugar rush wouldn't go amiss right now. Moving back to sit alongside Aaron he gently squeezed his arm and said, "Here, drink this."

Aaron shook his head, there was something he needed to tell Jackson, "I wasn't the one driving that car but it's me who did that to Paddy."

"No!" This was exactly what Jackson had feared, Aaron turning it all back on himself. Blaming himself. "You've done nothing wrong," he insisted. "And Paddy would be the first to remind you of that."

"Too right," Chas piped up, there was only person responsible and that was Gordon Livesy!

Aaron glared at his mother; she'd no right listening in to a private conversation between him and Jackson! "Why are you still here?"

"What?" The question took Chas by surprise.

"Aaron don't!" Jackson warned.

"Well why is she here?" Aaron jumped to his feet, "She's nothing to Paddy?

Chas quickly stood up, ready to fight her corner, "I care about him too!"

Aaron rounded on his mother, "Yeah that's why you slept with another man while you were shacked up with him!"

"I never meant to hurt him." Chas protested, she was tired of going over the same old ground with her son, would he never forgive her?

"Well you did! You're the last person he'd want here. So go home."

Chas didn't believe that for one minute, she and Paddy were friends. They cared about each other just not in the way Aaron would like. She wanted to be here for Aaron knowing just how very close he was to her ex. But she was beginning to feel alienated. Marlon was angry with her, as usual Aaron wanted nothing to do with her and Jackson, well he'd not long put her in her place! He was obviously looking out for Aaron so maybe her son really didn't need her. Maybe it was best if she did go. Carl wouldn't like her staying anyway. Head held high she flounced to the door, stopping only to say, "Can one of you please let me know how he is?"

When the door closed Marlon glanced over his shoulder at Aaron, "Just so as you know, I'm not leaving until I know he's ok."

Aaron couldn't meet the older man's eyes, he knew Marlon still resented him for the beating he'd given Paddy. He probably resented him being there now, and he couldn't blame him. Lke his mother he'd caused Paddy a lot of grief.

As Aaron resumed his seat, Jackson pressed the cup of sweet tea into his hands. "It could be a long night, get that down you."

Aaron suddenly felt very guilty; he'd not given Jackson a second thought since he'd heard about Paddy. Just like Monday night he'd shut him out. It was getting late, maybe he wanted to go home. "You don't have to stay."

"I want to." Jackson insisted, there was no way he was leaving Aaron now.

The dark brown eyes were staring intently into his, and Aaron realised just how much he wanted him to stay, how much he needed him to stay. He wasn't sure what it was between them, but it was definitely more than a physical attraction.

The knock on the door made them both start. A nurse entered the room and they both got to their feet and moved towards her, Marlon stepping over to stand alongside them.

The nurse's gaze moved between the three men, "Mr Patrick Kirk's next of kin?"

"Me!" Aaron replied, ok so they weren't blood family but they were family all the same!

"Please, take a seat."

'Take a seat!' Aaron repeated silently to himself, didn't they say that to people when they were about to deliver bad news?"

TBC