Fic - Jensen/Jared - The Past Never Stays There - chapter 5/14
Title : The Past Never Stays There - Chapter 5/14
Author : angels3 aka Angela
Beta : munimula - who is the best beta ever and any mistakes left are so mine, and there will probably be a plenty as I had to rework some things after she sent it back to me. I hope I got all the mistakes as I had to do this twice. Don't ask you don't want to know
Word Count : 7428
Pairing : Jensen/Jared
Supporting Characters : Eric, Kim, Sera, Mike, Tom, Chris, Steve, Chad, Kylan (who is a figmant of my imagination
Disclaimers : They don't belong to me because if they did.............................
Warnings : RPS M/M sex . This chapter is VERY NC17
Summary : This is the sequel to When Things Come Crashing Down. It starts immediately where that story left off.
You know that person that Chris never had the name for? Well he may soon get it. Jensen and Jared have to deal with someone from Jensen's past.
Chapters - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12a 12b 13a 13b 14
Kylan
PDF for The Past Never Stays There
Jensen hadn't given a second thought to sending Jared ahead. It had been almost a month since Kylan left the message on his machine and nothing had happened. He kept expecting more calls, flat tires or to be ambushed by a visit. It had been so quiet Jensen had almost convinced himself Kylan forgot about him. All that was swept away at the first syllable floating through the air. As he rounded the corner the sight and sound of the man standing there had him freezing in his tracks.
"Hello Jenny,"
" Kylan, what are you doing here?" Jensen asked, willing his heart not to beat out of his chest.
"Now Jenny, is that any way to treat me when we've been separated for so long?" Kylan purred, taking a step closer.
"Since I was hoping to never see you again... I think it's a pretty fair question. Especially considering all the shit you put me through. And stop calling me Jenny!"
Jensen stood his ground, refusing to be cowed. He shoved his hand in the pocket that held his cell phone, trying to decide if he should make the attempt to call someone. He almost jumped out of his skin when he felt it vibrated against his fingers and leg.
"It's rude to not answer someone's call baby," Kylan said as he advanced another couple of steps.
Jensen let loose a silent fuck, leave it to the bastard to see everything. Jensen pulled his cell out and looked at the display. Jared's number flashed back at him. He shoved it back in his pocket without answering. There was no way he was talking to Jared with Kylan fifteen feet away from him.
"Don't call me baby either," Jensen growled. "You gave up that right with you lying to me, not to mention cheating, stalking and assault."
Jensen could see the annoyance tighten Kylan's face and anger darken his eyes. Jensen prepared for either a verbal or physical attack, he was confused when Kylan's stance relaxed and a grin spread across his face.
"Come on Jenny, you know that was just a misunderstanding. You were leaving and we hadn't finished our talk. You know how much I dislike it when you don't listen," Kylan scolded quietly.
"I'm well aware of what you did and didn't like since you made it a point to tell me often. The point is, it doesn't matter what you don't like any more. We've been finished for more than five years now. Don't you have some other poor sap's life to make a living hell?" Jensen asked, his stress fueling his anger, sending it burning through his veins.
Kylan's face hardened with anger once again, and he closed the distance between them so quickly it caught Jensen by surprise. He'd be damned if he was backing down though. He wasn't going to live the way he had the last few months he'd been in Wilmington. He was a few years older and a whole lot wiser than he had been back then.
"Back the fuck off or you're going to get more than your jaw broke this time," Jensen growled.
"Oh, you broke more than my jaw last time didn't you, baby? Did you forget about my knee? Then there's the matter of my heart. You know, bones heal so much faster than heartache," Kylan responded, only a foot separating them now.
"Heart!" Jensen scoffed. "What heart? The only thing you were interested in was getting me in your bed. If anything was damaged, it was your ego not your fucking heart," Jensen snarled, refusing to give an inch.
He wasn't going to take the first swing, and have his damn face and name plastered across tabloids for assault or, even better, domestic disturbance. However, he was more than willing to throw the last one. He didn't think Kylan was packing more than hot air at the moment, but he'd been caught with his pants down last time, and he had no intentions of having a repeat performance.
"Not true, Jenny. You were different, but I didn't take the time to make sure you knew your place. I'll have to make sure I do that properly this time," Kylan stated matter of factly.
"My place? What the hell are you talking about, my place?" Jensen asked, astonished. He knew Kylan lived in his own warped world, but this was more than even he had expected.
"Which part of we do not have a relationship do you not understand? I don't want to hear from you. I don't want to see you. I'd be happy to never even think about you again." Jensen finished breathing heavy with frustration.
Kylan closed the remaining distance, leaning forward so he was close to Jensen's ear without touching him.
"It doesn't matter what you want. It never has," Kylan whispered.
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Jared left the apartment without it crossing his mind that it was a bad idea, but the further away he got from Jensen, the deeper the dread pooled in the pit of his stomach. There hadn't been any concrete sightings of Kylan, no more phone messages, but something just didn't feel right. He argued with himself for another five minutes before he took his phone out and dialed Jensen. He told himself it was to ask if Jensen wanted something to eat, but he knew it wasn't true. He couldn't relax until he heard Jensen's voice.
When the phone continued to ring with no answer, the more anxious Jared became. He left a message on Jensen's voicemail asking him to call, and hung up. Swinging the truck in a U-turn at the first spot he could find, he tried calling again, praying this time Jensen would answer and Jared could laugh at his paranoia. His stomach clenched when the call was forwarded to voice mail again. He was at only fifteen minutes away but it felt like hours.
Jared picked his phone back up, hoping Tom was home because lived less than ten minutes from Jensen. It wasn't much difference but he had a feeling every minute counted.
"Where are you?" Jared asked before anyone could say hello.
"Well, hello to you too Jared?" Mike's voice came back in answer.
Jared didn't even ask why he was answering Tom's phone. He just growled out another question. "Michael where the hell are ya'll?"
"We're at the studio, they called us in to do some promo shit. What's wrong?" Mike asked, confused.
"Jensen's not answering his phone."
"Okay, and you’re worried why?"
"Because I left him at his old place alone, damn it, and now he's not answering," Jared explained, running a red light, ignoring the angry blare of horns.
"How far away are you right now?" Michael asked.
"About eight minutes out," Jared said although he wasn't sure his answer was heard over Mike yelling at Tom to get his attention.
"Okay, calm down. It's not going to do Jensen one bit of good if you get flattened before you get there. Me and Tom are on our way over now, you're still closer though. It's probably nothing, but we'll be there just in case," Mike reassured.
Jared could hear Tom asking what the hell was going on in the background, to which Mike told him to get his ass of steel in the car, and he'd explain on the way, before the call was disconnected. He really hoped that he was being paranoid, that there was nothing wrong other than Jensen not having his phone on him, but the acid churning in his stomach and the fear ratcheting his heart rate into overdrive didn't seem to share the opinion. Neither did the helpful little voice parroting that Jensen always had his phone on him, and it was always charged, another little quirk Jared had learned about Jensen the first few nights Jensen had spent at his house.
He tried to call one more time, listening to it ring until he wanted to just throw the phone out the window. Jared hung up when it went to voicemail, slinging it onto the seat instead. His grip on the steering wheel was so tight, his knuckles turned white and the plastic creaked, but none of it pierced Jared's single minded focus of getting back to Jensen. Images of every bruise, scrape, and broken bone Jensen described, plus a few he was sure had been left out, flashed past his eyes, sending his foot to the floor and the truck rocketing faster down the road.
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Jensen reared back, trying to put some distance between him and the man who had haunted his nightmares for way too long, his heart beating triple time.
"That's where you're wrong. It is about what I want, and I don't want anything to do with you." Jensen said through gritted teeth.
"Jenny, you know that's not true. You know I'm the only one who can give you what you need," Kylan purred running a finger down Jensen's arm.
Jensen shuddered with revolution, his stomach rebelling, threatening to bring up his lunch. He clinched his jaw, taking a deep breath before speaking.
"Kylan you have absolutely no clue what I need, because if you did, you wouldn't still be here."
Kylan straightened up slowly, hands fisting in anger.
"You're starting to make me very angry Jensen. I don't want our very first day to start out with me having to punish you, but you keep pushing, baby, and I'm going to do what's necessary." Kylan's voice, deceptively calm and quiet, washed over Jensen, fraying his nerves even further.
Jensen was tired of talking, it wasn't going to do any good. He stepped around Kylan making for the door, but Kylan reached out and grabbed his wrist in a bruising grip. Jensen tried to yank his arm back but Kylan just tightened his hold.
"Let me go Kylan," Jensen growled.
"Or what? You going to break my jaw again, maybe try for the other knee?" Kylan taunted.
"I'm sure that's exactly what he'd do," Jared said appearing in the doorway. "But I wouldn't mind helping him if he felt like sharing," Jared finished moving further into the room.
Jensen stood gaping at Jared, the man was supposed to be clear across town picking up the dogs not towering behind Kylan. Jensen hadn't even heard the truck pull up outside.
Kylan gave one last brutal squeeze before releasing Jensen's wrist. He turned slowly to the side, not quite putting his back to Jensen but enough that Jensen was aware he had been dismissed as a threat, which just pissed him the fuck off.
"I really don't think this is any of your business. It's between my boyfriend and myself," Kylan said.
Jared's eyebrows shot up so far, Jensen was wondering if they wouldn't get stuck up there.
"Really?" Jared asked in a sarcastic tone. "Because I was under the impression Jensen got rid of your sorry ass five years ago, and since he's living with me, I would have noticed you hanging around," Jared crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for the explosion he could see working it's way over Kylan's face. He flicked his gaze over to Jensen who was shaking his head furiously. Jared ignored the thundercloud that was his boyfriend and looked back at Kylan.
"I see you haven't trained him very well," Kylan goaded.
"That would be because he's not a pet," Jared growled.
"Oh, but that's exactly what he is, a pretty, pretty pet." Kylan smiled a slow sadistic smile as he turned his attention back to Jensen.
"See, he doesn't know what you need does he baby? That's why you have me," Kylan said, reaching out to touch Jensen's face.
Jensen moved his head back far enough that Kylan's gesture fell short. He caught Jared's advance from the corner of his eye. The rage pouring off Jared was unmistakable. Jared stopped just short of Kylan's personal space but close enough to make Kylan think twice about trying to touch Jensen again. The silence that proceeded was so tense Jensen could feel the weight pressing down on him, making it hard to breath.
"Hey guys! Heard you needed a hand moving," Mike said loudly, coming through the door with Tom close behind.
Everyone jerked around at the interruption. Jared smiled while Jensen stood gaping at the unexpected calvary, and Kylan's face and body language morphed into a stance of casual nonchalance.
"Well, Jenny, I'll let you get back to moving," Kylan said, turning back to look at Jensen. "I'll be seeing you around," he promised, his tone making it clear he would make it as unpleasant as possible.
With one last glare, he turned and walked past Jared, making sure he was close enough that their sleeves brushed, before wishing Tom and Mike a pleasant day.
Jensen's shoulders slumped. It was as if he had worked twenty four hours straight and his body was telling him it was time to stop. His legs were like jelly, his arms and neck throbbed in harmony with the pain lancing through his head, his eyes felt like they were weighed down, and he was breathing through a wet wash cloth. Jensen felt the earth tilt and the walls sway. He reached out to steady himself but all he caught was air, as darkness closed in and everything fell away.
Jared watched Kylan swagger out the door with his teeth clenched and his fists itching to hit something. Tom followed Kylan out to make sure he actually left and didn't do any damage on his way, or no more than he had already managed before they got there. So when Mike's face turned white, and he shouted Jensen's name, it took Jared a few seconds to process before he was whipping back around. He had just enough time to get his arms wrapped around Jensen's chest to keep him from slamming his head on the end table as he went down.
Jared slowly lowered Jensen the rest of the way to the floor while Mike grabbed a pillow off the couch.
"Son of a bitch! Jensen wake up man, don't do this shit to me again," Jared rasped, lightly tapping Jensen's check trying to rouse him.
Jared could feel the heat rolling off Jensen's body, and it scared the shit out of him. He pushed Jensen's hair off his forehead, leaving his hand to test how hot the fever was just like his mama used to do to him. Jensen was burning up, and now that Jared was closer he could see the fine sheen of sweat beaded across his skin.
"Mike, get Tom back in here. I'm going to need his help getting Jensen in the car. Can you drive?"
"Yeah, no problem. I'l go get him," Mike said, rushing out the door.
Jared wasn't sure what emotion was stronger, fear or anger. He was pissed at Jensen, because there was no way he hadn't been feeling like shit for a while now, and he never said anything. He was pissed at himself for not noticing, and furious with Kylan for showing up and harassing Jensen, obviously using up what little reserve of strength Jensen had been functioning under. Jared knew Jensen hadn't been able to kick the cold that had been dragging him over the last several weeks, and he was terrified Jensen had pushed himself too far this time.
They had filmed four times in the rain over the last couple of weeks and Jensen had been coughing more and more lately, especially at night. Jared had woken up several nights alone, finding Jensen on the couch, huddled under blankets, trying to stifle the coughing. When he suggested going to the doctor, Jensen said it was getting better, he just didn't want to keep Jared up when he couldn't sleep. Jared hadn't really believed him. Jensen was a grown adult, and he couldn't force him to go to the doctor, but damned if he wouldn't use the guilt card after this. He sat in the back seat with Jensen's head against his chest, running his hand through Jensen's hair. The strands were soaked with sweat, but it soothed Jared to be able to stroke through them.
"How's he doing?" Tom asked, turning to look at them as much as the seat belt would allow.
"Still not awake and I swear he's putting off heat like the sun. How much further Mike?" Jared asked.
"Another ten miles, I'll have us there in five though," Mike answered.
Usually Jared refused to ride with Mike for just that reason, but with Jensen unconscious in his lap, he would have been happy with quicker.
Tom called ahead and there were attendants waiting at the door with a stretcher when Mike screeched to a halt. Jared helped them gently place Jensen on the bed, and walked beside it until they reached the doors that would separate them. The orderlies disappeared with Jensen, and the doors snicked shut, locking him on the outside, leaving him blinking blankly ahead.
Mike pulled him into the waiting room while Tom took the paperwork from the nurse at the desk. Tom handed it to Jared who promptly dropped it, his hands were shaking so badly he finally sat on them just to try and still them. Tom filled in as much information as he knew, asking Jared for the one's, he didn't. When he finished, he took the paperwork, Jared's insurance card, and the power of attorney card to the desk. He smiled at the lady’s startled expression. Not sure the guys wanted their relationship to get out, he explained that Jensen's family lived in the states and his job could sometimes be dangerous so it was a precaution that was normally used.
"Has he been sick?" Mike asked Jared quietly as Tom took a seat beside him.
"Yeah, just a cold. He's been coughing a good bit at night though." Jared sighed, running his hands through his hair.
"He's going to be okay. You know that right?" Tom reassured.
"He better be," Jared said quietly, standing up to pace.
He spent thirty minutes chewing his fingernails before he even thought about calling Eric. When he hung up a few minutes later, he had instructions to call as soon as he knew something. Eric wasn't happy that they were again at a stand still but he was certain that would happen any day now with the writers strike hovering over everyone's head. He was more upset with Jensen for not telling anyone he was sick and putting himself at risk, and that was something which Jared could agree with him 100%
.
A nurse appeared a few minutes later and escorted them to a private waiting area. Their presence, while not disruptive, was getting a fair amount of attention from the others in the waiting room. No one had approached them, but the hospital suits felt it was better for everyone to keep things as low profile as possible, something Jared knew Jensen would appreciate. Two hours later the door opened and a doctor walked in asking for Jared. Mike and Tom excused themselves, promising to return with coffee, to give them some privacy.
"Mr. Padalecki, my name is Dr. Patterson. I'm Mr. Ackles’ attending physician," the man said, holding out his hand.
Jared shook it and waited as patiently as he could for the doctor to get on with it.
"Can you tell me what happened and how long Mr. Ackles has been sick?" the doctor asked, sitting down in one of the chairs.
Jared followed his lead, falling back into one like his strings had been cut. He sighed again, feeling the weight of guilt pressing down on him.
"He's been sick for several weeks, but it seemed to be just a cold. Jensen said he was getting better, but he couldn't seem to shake it. The cough was the worst part, it kept him up at night, but he wouldn't go see a doctor. We had that accident, so we've just gotten back into filming full time, and on top of that he's moving so we were loading boxes all day. He was just standing there one minute and the next he was collapsing."
"By accident you mean the plane crash correct?" Dr. Patterson asked, making notes on his chart.
"Yeah, Jensen hurt his ankle, and we had to walk several miles in the snow to find somewhere to wait out the storm," Jared explained.
"Yes, that's probably why he couldn't fight the cold off, his immune system was already compromised. Did he hit anything when he fell? His head or his arm?"
Jared thought about it for a minute, replayed the sequence of events leading up to, during and after Jensen passed out.
"No, I caught him as he was going down. I was afraid he'd hit his head on the end table, but I got there before he could. Why? What's wrong?" Jared asked, his voice rising with his concern.
"Let me ask you one more thing, and then I'll tell you what's going on," the doctor said instead of answering.
Dr. Patterson waited for the other man's assent, paying close attention to his body language. "Can you tell me about the bruising around Mr. Ackles’ wrist?"
The doctor watched the young man tense and anger darken his face, as large as he was, the doctor didn't feel threatened. He could tell the anger wasn't about the question but about the injury itself.
"This is between us right? You can't say anything to anyone without Jensen's permission?" Jared asked, pinning the doctor with an intense look.
"Of course, as long as it's not something I feel I need to report. My patient’s health is my first priority though," Dr. Patterson responded.
Jared relaxed, he could understand that, anyone taking care of Jensen was someone Jared could appreciate. He realized the doctor had been making sure he wasn't the one that had hurt Jensen. Instead of being offended, it actually made him feel better to know other people were keeping Jensen safe.
"Oh, I can tell you how he got it, that's why I wanted to make sure this wasn't going to go any further. The guy that did that was one of Jensen's exes, a total psychotic freak," Jared spat out.
"I think this should be reported, there's some serious bruising to that wrist. I can see individual fingers all the way around. That requires a good bit of pressure and intent to injure."
"I think it should be too, but it's not my call to make. The last run in Jensen had with him put him in the hospital, that was five years ago. Jensen had a restraining order, but it didn't do any good, so I'm not sure how much it would do now." Jared said. His restraint had finally run out and in typical hyperactive verbal fashion, he hit the doctor full force.
"What's wrong with him? Is he okay? Can I see him? Can I take him home tonight?"
Jared knew he was on a roll but couldn't seem to shut up once he started.
The doctor smiled at the rapid fire questions that had suddenly started pouring from Jared's mouth.
"He'll be fine, it's going to take a little while, but he'll make a full recovery. He's managed to run himself into the ground which has resulted in walking pneumonia and bronchitis. We have him hooked up to antibiotics for the bronchitis, steroids to try help clear up his lungs and fluids for the dehydration, which was a large part of why he passed out. The body can deal with a vast amount of things, but dehydration will put you on your ass in a heartbeat."
Jared just stared at the doctor, flabbergasted by the extent of Jensen's illness. He couldn't fathom how Jensen had kept just how badly he'd been feeling to himself, but then again the man was an actor, and an amazing one at that. Jared tried not to feel guilty as hell, but between Jensen being sick and leaving him for Kylan to get to, he knew it was a lost cause.
"I still want to report that bruising as an assault but we'll see what we can do when Mr. Ackles is in better shape. I'd like to take some pictures to document it while we wait, if you'll sign the paperwork."
"Oh God, stop calling him that. I think you're talking about his dad. If he hears you he'll freak out, he just had a birthday, and I've been fielding the, I'm old comments," Jared complained. "Oh yeah, I'll sign the paperwork, between the two of us maybe one of us can get through to him. I have the guilt card I can play now too."
"Excuse me?" The doctor asked confused.
"He scared the shit out of me, if I have to guilt him into doing something to keep him safe, then I will. I'm going to use every trick I know to keep him that way," Jared stated. "So when can I see him?"
"Give the nurses another fifteen minutes to get him settled in, and I'll get you in there. I'd prefer you to be there when we take the pictures of that wrist anyway, since he's not woken up yet."
"Is that normal? The not waking up part?" Jared asked, fear hitting him in the gut again.
"Well, we always want our patients conscious, but in his case with the high fever it's his body’s way of trying to fix itself. It shuts down non essential functions in order to reroute power to the problem areas. With the medicine and some rest, he should be waking up in the next few hours. I'm not going to tell you to not worry, because I know that would be wasting my breath, but once the medicine has time to start doing it's job you should see a big improvement."
"When can he go home? I'm not asking for me, I think he needs to stay as long as it takes but he's not going to see it that way. He'll ask within the first ten minutes, if it takes him that long." Jared explained.
"I want him here for the next 48 hours at least. I want to make sure he's fully hydrated and the antibiotics are working. That way if they aren't, I can change the dosage or the type all together. Would you like me to have security set a guard outside?" Dr. Patterson asked.
"Jensen would freak out if we did that. If it's okay, I'd like me or one of our friends here while he is. He won't be happy about it, but he'll accept it a damn sight faster than having a guard."
"That shouldn't be a problem. I'll just let the staff know," the doctor looked down at his watch. "Well it's been about twenty minutes I think it'd be safe to take you up to his room."
Jared breathed a sigh of relief, coming out of the chair so fast it banged against the wall. He didn't think twice about it, the lure of seeing Jensen too great for even his mama's lessons in manners. Jared felt sure the doctor was going to ask him to back off since he was practically attached to the man like a leech, but he never said a thing just led him down the twisting corridors to the room Jensen was in. Jared made a mental note not to go anywhere without some form of string, there was no way in hell, he'd ever find his way back.
When they arrived at the third floor, the doctor stopped at the nurses station, he asked if his patient was settled and then explained that either Jared or one of their friends would be with Mr. Ackles at all times. The nurses seemed a little confused but just made notations on their charts and told the doctor that Mr. Ackles still had not regained consciousness. He was, however, resting comfortably. The fever was holding 104.7 but it hadn't gone any higher so they were taking that as a good sign.
Dr. Patterson stopped at the door and warned him that Jensen was hooked up to several lines, all of which were necessary in Jensen's treatment, but not to let them worry him. The doctor told him not to be afraid to touch Jensen, that he couldn't hurt him, and said that he felt patients could not only hear what was going on at times, but would know a touch from those they loved. He, of course, said this was in no way scientific but neither were miracles. He pushed the door open for Jared to walk through and closed it softly behind him, leaving Jared alone with Jensen for the first time since arriving at the hospital.
Jared couldn't believe just how much difference a few hours could make. Jensen had lines running to the tops of his hands, a blood pressure cuff wrapped around his arm, the little tube thingy that went in your nose for oxygen that he could never remember the name to, but the lines running to the little pads attached to his chest was what brought Jared to a screeching halt. He was sure if it was something major the doctor would have told him, but it still worried the hell out of him.
Jared pulled the chair as close to the bed as he could get it and lowered the rail, so he could reach Jensen. He ran his hand lightly up Jensen's arm and then back down again, reacquainting himself with the feel of Jensen's body, even if it was a small portion of it. Jared gently wrapped Jensen's hand in his, careful not to put pressure on the IV, and he brought it up to his lips, kissing gently across knuckles and over the bruised skin of Jensen's wrist. Jared let the feel of Jensen under his lips and hands ground him. He took a deep breath to steady his voice and his nerves.
"I swear man, you're going to be the death of me. You can't do anything half ass can you?" Jared said quietly.
He leaned forward in his chair, so he could push the hair off Jensen's forehead, and ran his hand over Jensen's cheek, letting the stubble scrape against his palm.
"The doctor says you're going to be okay, you just need to rest, but it'd be nice if you woke up for just a minute, so I could tell you how much I love you," Jared confessed.
Twenty minutes later the door opened and Mike stuck his head in.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah, where did you go?" Jared asked quietly.
"I took Tom home, so he could walk the dogs and get his own car. I ran back by Jensen's and locked everything up," Mike explained.
"Thanks," Jared said, turning back to watch Jensen. "He hasn't woken up yet."
"He will," Mike said with complete conviction.
"How can you be so sure things will be okay?" Jared asked.
He needed someone to remind him sometimes, and that was usually Jensen's job. Whenever he’d had a rough day on the set, or something was just not working the way it should, when he felt insecure about his ability to do anything right, Jensen was always there to hold and support him. With Jensen out of commission, it just drove home how much he depended on the man. Their relationship had developed just as quickly as their friendship had, and the bond they shared was an extraordinary melding of love, support and fierce loyalty.
"Has Jensen ever let you down?" Mike asked.
"No, you know he hasn't," Jared answered, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Well, he's not about to do it now. Besides, you know just how stubborn he is. He'll be bitching about leaving before the night’s over."
"God, I hope so. I just hate seeing him like this. I can't do anything for him."
"It's never easy to see someone you love hurting. He's strong Jared, an idiot sometimes, but he's strong. He'll be all right," Mike reassured.
"The doctor asked me about the bruises," Jared blurted out, staring at the bruises littering Jensen's skin.
Mike looked down where Jared was lightly stroking over the black smudges ringing Jensen's wrist with his thumb.
"Where in the hell did that come from?" Mike asked, moving closer so he could get a better look.
"When I got there Kylan had Jensen by the wrist, I saw Jensen yank his arm back a couple times but Kylan didn't let go. I knew it wasn't a light grip, but I didn't know it was hard enough to do this."
"Why the hell didn't Jensen just deck him?" Mike growled, sitting back again.
"I wish he had, but my guess is he didn't want to give Kylan ammunition against him. If Jensen hits him first all bets are off. He could say he did it in self defense, even though it would be a damn lie. Not to mention the restraining order would help support Jensen's side, but you know he's not going to take a chance on the press blowing it all out of proportion and not getting the facts straight."
"Yeah, you're probably right. Doesn't make me any happier about it. So what did the doctor say?"
"He asked me how Jensen got them. I think he thought I did it, but I told him what happened, (and) he apparently believed me, but he wanted to report it. I told him so did I, but it wasn't my call," Jared explained.
Mike snorted, "He thought you did it. Man definitely doesn't know you Mr. Ican'tsmashthebug because he didn't do anything to anybody."
"Shut up! I can to leave bruises."
"I do not need to know about Jensen and your kinks," Mike groaned, covering his ears.
"Oh really? I always thought you were freaky that way."
"He is," Tom affirmed, walking into the room.
"Secrets Tom! What have I said about secrets?" Mike asked, rolling his eyes.
"It's not a secret when there's video footage Mike."
"Shut up!" Mike whined.
Jared couldn't help it, the grin quickly grew to cover his whole face, followed by a series of undignified giggles before he could stifle them. God he loved his friends.
They talked quietly for the next hour, Jared repeated the doctor's questions and his diagnosis. He answered Tom's questions about the bruises and the past history Jensen had with Kylan. Jared asked if they would stay with Jensen if he had to leave for any reason, explaining that the doctor had asked about placing a security guard outside the room. They both were happy to help and Jared told them it had already been cleared and the doctor let the nursing staff know. None of them wanted a repeat performance of Kylan's unexpected visit.
Tom and Mike left a couple hours later promising to bring food and Jared's truck to the hospital, so when Jensen was released, they would have transportation. The nurses came in every hour, checking Jensen's fever and changing out the bags of fluids. They told Jared if Jensen didn't wake up soon they were going to do the usual procedures for unconscious patients. Jared cringed at the indignity of it and prayed Jensen would wake up on that basis alone. The antibiotics and fluids seemed to be doing their jobs, Jensen's fever had dropped to 104 and looked to continue the pattern of descent.
Jared propped his arms on the bed, never once losing his grip on Jensen's hand. He couldn't seem to let go, because of an illogical fear of something happening if he wasn't touching Jensen. Jared put his head down on his arms, exhaustion from lack of sleep and adrenalin rush wearing off. He only meant to close his eyes for a second, but when he opened them again the room was dark, there were boxes of food on the table along with his keys. However, every other sight paled in comparison to the picture of Jensen quietly watching him wake up, his eyes alert and focused solely on Jared’s.
"Hey," Jensen said quietly, a small smile gracing his face.
"Hey," Jared mimicked. "How are you feeling?"
"Like a pin cushion."
"Well, if you weren't so hard headed you wouldn't be doing an impression of a live voodoo doll," Jared responded, lightly squeezing Jensen's hand.
"How long have I been out?"
"Almost ten hours," Jared answered after looking at his watch.
"When can I go home?"
"When the doctor says you can and not before. You might as well get that look right off your face. I mean it, you scared the shit out of me!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I honestly haven't felt that bad."
"Jensen you have pneumonia and bronchitis. How can you not feel that bad?" Jared asked, dumfounded.
"Um, I had some left over antibiotic and some cough medicine with codeine in it." Jensen admitted sheepishly.
"So you were covering the symptoms and not treating the problem," Jared clarified.
"I didn't know it was going to get this bad, Jay. I swear I just thought it was a cold I couldn't kick."
"Okay, but from now on you don't get to tell me no when I say it's time to see the doctor. Damn near gave me a heart attack, passing out like that." Jared said, bringing Jensen's hand up to his lips.
"Hey Jared."
"Yeah."
"I really need to pee."
The nurse was happy to see Jensen awake. She let Jared help Jensen to the bathroom, giving them as much privacy as possible in the situation. She told them she would let the doctor know Jensen was awake and she would be back shortly. Jared was just helping Jensen settle back into the bed when the doctor knocked on the door and then walked in.
"I'm happy to see you have decided to join us," Doctor Patterson said, smiling as he picked up Jensen's chart.
"Yeah, figured Jared would be bouncing off the walls by now, didn't want him setting off any alarms out of boredom," Jensen quipped, the effect ruined when he started coughing.
"I think if anyone's going to be setting off alarms it's going to be you. So why don't you tell me how your feeling,"
"Like shit," Jensen said before he could stop himself.
"Don't hold back there Mr. Ackles," Dr. Patterson chuckled.
"Oh God, I'm sorry. What's in these things?" Jensen asked nodding at the many tubes in his arms.
Jared started laughing the minute the word shit left Jensen's mouth and the look of horror on his face when he realized what he had said just made him laugh even harder. Jensen was very polite when talking to people in authority. He became all yes sir and no sir, so for him to cut right to the chase and cuss at the same time was hysterical.
Jensen glared at him as he continued to laugh but the doctor just patted his hand and told him it was fine.
"They're giving you the good shit Mr. Ackles," the doctor mimicked Jensen's slip, looking over at Jared who was trying valiantly not to giggle.
"Please just call me Jensen, I keep looking for my dad when you call me that."
"Told you so," Jared muttered under his breath.
"That you did, you also told me you couldn't make the decision about reporting those bruises, so I think it's time to talk about them now."
Jensen looked at Jared confused, when Jared looked down, he followed suit and saw the bruising around his wrist for the first time. It wasn't even a conscious action when he tried to hide it under the covers
.
"The doctor thought I might have something to do with it, but since I'm in the room with you, I'm guessing he believed me. He wants to report it and I agree but I told him it was your decision." Jared explained.
"They can't do anything, I reported it last time, and he found ways around it. He doesn't stop until he feels good and damn ready to, and obviously five years hasn't slowed him down any," Jensen rasped.
"Maybe not, but if you have the order on file it covers all your bases. If, God forbid, something happens the first question is going to be why didn't you report it." The doctor held up his hand to stall the rebuttals. "I do know someone in law enforcement that would probably come here and take your statement out of uniform, so he wouldn't draw attention. Look just think about it, in the meantime how about you tell me how a cold turned in to this grab bag of infections."
"Aren't you the one supposed to be telling me?" Jensen whined.
"Yes, if you wanted words that are fifteen letters long and don't mean a damn thing to you. I want to know how you've managed to go for weeks without everyone around you knowing you're about to keel over."
"Jeesh. Are you sure you're a doctor?" Jensen asked peering up at the him. He looked over at Jared who was staring in a mixture of awe and amusement, and then back to the doctor in disbelief.
"Did you check his credentials? " Jensen looked over at Jared again, who had obviously decided on amusement since you could see nothing but teeth and dimples.
"Jensen, I was a little more worried about you dying on me than looking at his badge, plus I'm sure that they would have noticed someone masquerading as a doctor by now." Jared snarked.
"Don't bet on it," Jensen grumbled.
Jared looked back over at the doctor, "I asked him that myself, he thought leftover antibiotics and cough medicine would work just fine."
"Traitor," Jensen growled, disgruntled.
"Hey, my job is to take care of you and if that's from yourself then so be it. I can go a few days with you pissed at me."
"Well, in the future how about you leave the medical practice to those of us who toiled for years to get the snazzy white coat and cool accessories." Doctor Patterson suggested.
"Yeah, alright. So how long do I have to stay here?" Jensen asked quietly.
"Well, it depends on how you respond to the treatment, but your temperature has dropped, your color is better, and you're awake so everything seems to be going the way it's supposed to. If it continues to progress favorably then I'd say day after tomorrow, but there will be no going back to work for at least a week."
"Eric's going to kill me," Jensen moaned, dropping his head back onto the pillow.
"I've already told him where we are, so he's expecting it," Jared confessed.
"Damn, this is going to set us back even further."
"Which is why next time you're going to tell me when you're not feeling well instead of waiting for this to happen," Jared stated.
Jensen's phone rang before either he or the doctor could say anything to Jared's statement. Jared searched through Jensen's jeans and excuse himself, so he could find a waiting room where he could see who it was and if the call needed to be returned. He finally found an unoccupied room and looked at the display.
" Shit," he muttered to himself, it was Chris. Jared didn't even have time to turn the phone off before it rang again. Jared swore again and then hit the talk button.
"Hey man! What's going on?"
"Jared?"
"Yeah,"
"Jared did you and Jenny get your phones mixed up again?" Chris asked.
"That happened one time, and it's not my fault you decided to serenade him the one day it happened," Jared sighed.
"Yes, but it was a damn good song, and I wasted it on you," Chris complained. "So why are you answering Jenny's phone if you didn't get them mixed up again?"
"Jensen can't get to it right now," Jared stalled.
"Well, since you're not home, I'm assuming you're not doing the dirty," Chris said.
"No, we're not home. Wait! How do you know we're not home?"
"Well, sweetheart that might be because me and Steve are standing on your doorstep," Chris dropped his bombshell in obvious glee.
"Oh shit!" Jared moaned.