Face to Face

Part 17

"All you need now is insurance...and your licence!" Jackson teased; Aaron wasn't going to get very far without that.

"No problem." Aaron stated confidently as he stared at what was now his most prized possession. He still couldn't believe it was his. He'd offered to pay Paddy back, bit by bit but the older man would have none of it.

Paddy had been quick to point out that it needed some work doing on it, there were a few scratches, and one or two dents put there by the careless previous owner. The engine needed tinkering with too but there was nothing wrong with it that Aaron couldn't fix himself.

Jackson had to smile at the loving look the teen was giving his car; it seemed he now had a rival for his affections.

Hearing the house phone ringing, Aaron made to go inside, "See you later."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Jackson asked as he unlocked the door of his work van.

Aaron shrugged, "Like what?"

"A goodbye kiss!"

Aaron's eyes widened in alarm, was Jackson serious? It was hard to tell sometimes, he loved winding him up. He looked down at village; it was beginning to come to life. Edna Birch was just coming out of the shop. He didn't want to be responsible for her choking to death on a toffee!

"Scared somebody might see?" Jackson grinned wickedly.

"Yes!" Aaron snapped.

Jackson couldn't help but laugh at the younger man's discomfort, "Ok I'll let you off this time!" As Aaron sneered back at him he stepped closer to him saying, "Or maybe not!"

Aaron backed away, "Jackson!"

The older man laughed again, "When you go to the hospital after, ask if they do sense of humour transplants!"

Aaron ignored the comment, it was alright for Jackson. He was so easy going nothing seemed to bother him. He wished he could be more like him but that was never going to happen.

Jackson got into his van and after opening his window said with a playful wink, "See you tonight!"

"Yeah." Aaron grinned back despite himself

As Jackson drove away, Aaron ran inside to answer the still ringing phone.

"Paddy?"

"No I wasn't still in bed!

"That's good news! What times visiting hours there?"

"Why?"

"Well I can still come."

"Alright I'll come tonight, see you then."

Aaron replaced the handset, mulling over what Paddy had just told him. He was being moved out of ICU and because the doctors were happy with his progress, they had given the police permission to take a statement from him. They were calling to see him at two. Then Paddy had said there was no point in him going for afternoon visiting, that the police wouldn't allow him in while they were interviewing him.

Aaron didn't believe that for one minute. He still didn't know what had happened the other night. Paddy hadn't mentioned it at all and he hadn't asked because he'd been scared that any kind of upset would affect the older man's recovery.

He'd done his best to push it to the back of his mind and between worrying about Paddy and spending time with Jackson he'd somehow managed to do just that. But he knew Paddy was protecting him from something. What exactly?

eeeeeeeeeeeeee

Paddy was relieved to be out of ICU, the high-tech medical equipment unnerved him. He still had several lines going into his arm and was being closely monitored but moving to a side room in a surgical ward was a step nearing to going home!

He checked his watch, ten to two. The police would arrive soon and..."Aaron!" Paddy's mouth gaped open as the young man walked into his room. "What you doing here?"

Plonking a bag of grapes down onto the bedside table Aaron said, "Making sure you get your five a day!"

"I told you not to come until tonight!" Paddy protested."

"Yeah I know you did.

"So why are you here?"

"Because you didn't tell me the real reason you don't want me here now."

"What do you mean?"

"You're keeping something from me."

"No!"

"Paddy! It's going to come out at some point, when it goes to court..."

"It won't go to court!"

"Of course it will! One; he was drink driving. Two; he run you over deliberately. Three: you almost died! They'll throw the book at him"

"No, not if I'm economical with the truth."

"Lie?" Aaron spat, shocked at what Paddy was seemingly preapred to do.

"Not lie exactly..." Paddy tried to reason.

"Why would you even want to?" Aaron demanded.

"Because..." Paddy said softly, "He's your father and I don't want to send him to jail!"

"He hates me Paddy and I don't give a toss about him! You can send him to hell for all I care."

"If that were true it wouldn't bother you what he thought about you. But it does, doesn't it?

"No. Not anymore!"

"I don't believe you."

"Believe what you like but don't lie for him! Not to the police!"

Aaron dropped into a chair and shook his head. He couldn't believe Paddy would do anything so stupid.

"Don't get too comfortable, you'll have to leave when they come."

Aaron wasn't going anywhere until he was told the truth, "Tell me what happened the other night."

Paddy shrank back in his chair, aware he had to tell the younger man something but unsure of just how much to tell him. "We had words, I threw him out and then I realised he was driving, I tried to stop him and...and fell in front of the car. It was an accident."

"You're lying!" Aaron snarled, hurt by Paddy's seemingly lack of trust in him.

"I'm not" Paddy insisted although he was appalled at just how easy the lies were now tripping off his tongue,

"Why won't you tell me?" Aaron implored the older man. "What do you think I'm going to do?"

Paddy shook his head, he couldn't bring himself to lie anymore, "I don't know and that's what worries me."

If Paddy was worried about him kicking off then it had to be something mega, in his eyes at least, "What did he want? What did he say?"

"It doesn't matter what he said."

Aaron leapt to his feet, "Alright! I'll go ask him myself!"

"Aaron." Paddy reached out grabbing the younger man tightly by the arm, "No don't. Please, just keep away from him!"

"Then tell me what happened?"

As Paddy pondered on how best to tell Aaron, a nurse knocked on his door and showed two plain clothed police officers into his room. As names were exchanged, one of the officers checked his notebook and looked at Aaron, "You are Gordon Livesy's son?"

"Not anymore!" Aaron replied coldly.

"We'll be needing to talk to you too at some point..."

"Why?" Paddy interrupted, "He wasn't involved." He wasn't even there."

"We'll go into that a bit later. We'd like to take a statement of events from you first Mr Kirk.

"I'm staying." Aaron declared eyeing the policemen defiantly.

"Is that alright with you Mr Kirk?"

It wasn't but Paddy nodded his agreement anyway, he knew Aaron was intent on staying. He could only hope he wouldn't react the way he feared he would.

Aaron sank into a chair alongside Paddy's bed. Listening intently as the older man began to detail the events of Friday night. He could see just how uncomfortable Paddy was and that his discomfort grew steadily worse as he talked. It was soon clear why when Paddy hesitantly told the officers what Livesey had accused him of. Hearing Paddy admit to punching the other man gave Aaron a little satisfaction, but not nearly enough.

His father was one sick bastard! No wonder Paddy hadn't wanted him to know. Aaron's skin crawled, and he suddenly felt dirty, much like Paddy must have felt that night. He looked at the older man; saw the strain on his face, the humiliation. Hadn't Paddy been through enough because of him?

This was all because he was gay. Because his father despised what he was, and for some reason needed someone to blame for him being that way. Like it was some disease he'd been exposed to and had caught.

The man's hateful intolerance was what had made it so hard for him to accept what he was. He'd fought against his feelings for years, had hated himself and kept people at a distance in case they found out his secret.

Then, just when things were starting to fall into place. When he was beginning to feel in control of his life. The bastard shows up and turns it all upside down again. His father had looked at him like he was the lowest form of life; he'd made it clear what he thought about him.

Aaron could live with that but not with what he'd said and done to Paddy. He was going to ram his filthy words back down his throat and make him regret what he'd done.

Cain had heard his father was out on bail, Aaron knew he wouldn't be too hard to find. Lurching to his feet he stalked from the room.

Paddy was already half out of his bed by the time the door closed behind Aaron. Once on his feet he started tearing at the tape securing the drip in his arm.

"I don't think you should be doing that." One of the police officers said as he got up from his chair to ring the nurse's call bell.

TBC