InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You expect too much."

pups_dt (pups_dt) wrote in morningstar_mnr,
@ 2010-03-27 19:21:00

Entry tags:

avery, jazz, lucas, npc

Hospital, Post-Roof Disaster, Jazz, Tom, Lucas, NPCs
The cut on her ear had been checked and found to be more dramatic looking than it actually was. It had clotted on the ride over from Morningstar and the nurse here had done nothing more than cleaned it and dabbed some antiseptic on before sending Jazz away to the waiting room where, she'd been told, someone would be along to talk to her about Tom.

Tom.... Her chest constricted, the heavy weight that had taken up on her intensifying. He'd still been unconscious, lying so pale and still, when the ambulance had arrived at the hospital and they'd whisked him out of sight without a word to her. And she still had yet to hear anything now.

She glanced lightly over at the clock above the stiff, starchy couch, then down at the cell phone in her hand. The doctor's silence wasn't the only one worrying her. After the first anxious band of waiting, it had occurred to her that Lucas probably didn't know. She'd called him, but had only reached his voice mail. She didn't remember seeing him at the party, but as more and more time passed she began to wonder if he'd been there after all and he wasn't calling because he couldn't.

Like Cleo. She hung her head, a soft sob bubbling up as her fingers tightened on the useless phone. After Lucas, her broken train of thought had led her to Cleo and she'd realized that with her worry over Tom she'd completely forgotten her little sister - who had been at the party. She'd called immediately...but Cleo too wasn't answering and there was no way of knowing if she was alright. If she's even alive....

She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes as more tears threatened, telling herself to stay strong until she at least heard something. But behind her eyelids she saw herself back in the mailroom, just a few days ago, showing Tom the poster for the party and heard him saying he didn't want to go.

If only she'd listened! If only she'd left it be....

Guilt touched her soul and she knew she'd never able to forgive herself.

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ilmatar_b
2010-03-29 11:22 am UTC (link)

Time went by and no one came to enlighten Thomas's situation to Jazz. Eventually about an hour after Jazz had left the message to Lucas, the boy appeared in the reception of the hospital. He had been drinking a little but he could walk straight and talk properly, so he was guided to the same waiting room where Jazz was sitting.

"Hey," Lucas said when he walked in, and came to Jazz. "What's going on?"

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pups_dt
2010-03-29 02:03 pm UTC (link)

Jazz looked up at the sound of the voice and managed a twinge of relief before it was lost again in the sea of anxious uncertainty and guilt.

She swiped at her tear-tracked face with one hand. "There was...at the party - the roof came down. Tom is -" She broke off there, mouth working, but no sound coming out as she struggled with what to say. "He's hurt." Her eyes clouded again and the hand wiping her cheeks closed over her eyes.

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ilmatar_b
2010-03-29 02:18 pm UTC (link)

"Oh shit," Lucas breathed out and ran his hand through his hair. Then he sat down on the sofa beside Jazz, and a little awkwardly touched her back with his hand. It was his uncle in question, and he was very anxious to know more, but he couldn't just ignore the fact that Jazz was obviously devastated and crying.

"Can I, um, get you something? If I go and ask around about Tommy, I could see if I can get you tea or, or, something?"

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pups_dt
2010-03-29 03:07 pm UTC (link)

She started to shake her head, the thought of food made her stomach clench and roll, but then looked at him, the tiniest flicker of hope in her eyes. "Do - do you think they'd tell you? I've been here and, they haven't said...but you're family?"

She'd give anything - everything - to know what was going on, to know if Tom was...if Tom was....

She struggled to finish the thought, unable to face the possibility even in her mind.

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ilmatar
2010-03-29 03:16 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah, time for you to get married when he's up on his feet again, right?" Lucas joked lightly to get some optimism into her.

"I'll go see what I can find out," he then said, gently patted her back with his hand, and then left her. He walked away with a worried frown on his brow - really, this had to be one of the best sobering cures ever, but it was one that he didn't want to use for a second time.

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pups_dt
2010-03-29 03:40 pm UTC (link)

Normally she'd have laughed and told a joke back, but this time she just looked at him, feeling she didn't deserve to laugh knowing as she did that this whole horrible situation might have been avoided if she hadn't been so selfish.

If she'd just accepted - if only she'd been happy to go alone....

Something hard and painful lodged in her throat and she had to look away as Lucas stood and walked away.

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ilmatar
2010-03-29 03:52 pm UTC (link)

It took a while, but eventually Lucas sauntered back into the waiting room carrying two take away cups of steaming hot tea, and a couple of little bags of sugar and two plastic spoons.

"Here, I don't know how you like your tea," he said and handed the other cup to her along with the sugar and the spoon. Then he sat down beside her and started explaining. "Okay, so he'll live. He broke a lot of bones, the doc listed them all to me but I forgot them already, and he hit his head. That's the bad part. He hasn't woken up, and they won't be able to do that funky brain scan thing until in the morning to see how bad it really is. In any case, he's stable and physically all patched up, but we have to wait until the morning to hear how bad he hit his head. Which really fucking sucks."

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	pups_dt 2010-03-29 04:07 pm UTC (link)
	She didn't drink, just held the cup, the warmth of it doing nothing to relieve the chill in her fingers. "So...they don't know - if - if," she struggled, but forced herself to continue. "If he will...wake up?" She got it out in a small, weak voice and searched Lucas' face as she said it, apparently hoping she'd misunderstood and he'd correct her. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ilmatar_b
2010-03-29 04:16 pm UTC (link)

Lucas's eyes were glassy and fixed on the floor between his Vans sneakers.

"We'll know in the morning," he said without looking up, not wanting to say it out loud.

After a long pause, he started babbling his thoughts out on a quiet voice. "You know, he's always been a real cunt. But despite that, he's really helped me. Really. He's been kicking me to start doing something else than just fannying around, to get a direction for my life. I'm gonna go back to school in the autumn now, did you know that? I'd be fucked if I was still in England." Lucas fell silent, and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and fingertips.

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pups_dt
2010-03-29 04:26 pm UTC (link)

A breath shuddered quietly out of her, a defeated sound, and rubbed her cheek against her shoulder slowly as fresh tears ran from the corners of her eyes.

"He doesn't like anyone to know it," she murmured, whispering because she didn't think her voice would work if she tried anything stronger, "But there really is a good man in there, deep down. You just have to -" the words just stuck in her throat and her eyes squeezed shut. "To earn it."

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	ilmatar_b 2010-03-29 04:30 pm UTC (link)
	"Yeah. That's what I've gathered too," Lucas said and his voice had become thick. He leaned forward, supporting his elbows on his knees, and turned a little so Jazz wouldn't see his face. "Aww shit," he mumbled, and wiped tears from his cheeks. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	pups_dt 2010-03-29 04:41 pm UTC (link)
	For a moment she didn't do anything, then she hesitantly wrapped an arm around his back, holding him gently. He probably wouldn't like it, boys didn't right? But she didn't know what else to do. She coudln't make this better. No one could. (Reply to this) (Parent)