JFT #36/Hereafter
JFT #36
Hereafter
The phone woke me up. I squinted at the clock by the bed and tried to tell
what time it was. Early. Too early.
With a frown, I realized this wasn't where I fell asleep. I was on the
couch in Curt and Brian's living room. Now I was in what had to be their
bed.
Then where were they?
The phone kept ringing like it knew there was someone to answer it.
I dragged myself out of bed and stood up. Not too steady yet. It took a
few seconds to hit me. Jack wasn't here either. I left Jack. Then my heart
jumped. Maybe that was him on the phone.
I picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
"I'm trying to reach Curt Wild. Is he there?"
"Um, no. I don't think so--"
"It's very important that I get in touch with him. Do you know where he
is?"
"Um...not really. Who is this?"
"This is the doctor's office. He's listed as the emergency contact for
Jack Fairy--"
"What?"
I was awake now, not to mention unbelievably angry. *Curt* was Jack's
emergency contact? *Curt*? What about *me*? What was I supposed to be?
Wasn't that *me* sleeping beside him for more than a year? Wasn't that me
he married while we were on the road with Curt and Brian? Didn't that make
me a little bit more than his fucking boyfriend?
Only...I couldn't say that to the impersonal voice on the other end of the
line. I could only be tongue-tied and frustrated. Which seemed to be my
usual condition lately.
"If I f-find C-Curt," I stammered, "what number do you want him to ring?"
I jotted down the number on the pad by the bed and thought hard. There was
no sense in getting mad at Curt *or* Jack right now. I wanted to know why
a doctor wanted to get in touch with Curt at this hour.
Jack was in trouble.
I sat down on the bed and clapped a hand over my mouth. I had to do
something.
*****
It didn't take long for me to figure out what to do. What amazed me was
that I actually did it.
I dialed the number and waited. "Is this the doctor's office? I asked,
managing a fair impression of Curt Wild's growl.
"Is this Curt Wild?"
"Yep." Low and flat. Keep it low and flat. I hadn't spent all this time
listening to Curt for nothing.
The doctor came on the line a minute later. But what he had to say
completely blew me away.
"You'll make sure he comes into hospital right away?"
"You bet," I agreed.
If I had to put him there myself.
*****
I figured I had two options. I could call Curt, pass on what I knew, and
keep on going, Jack permanently out of my life. Or I could go there, in
person, and try to straighten things out between us, before it was too
late.
I wasn't very good at confrontation. Obviously. Or I wouldn't have screwed
up that last argument with Jack. Cripes, I think I was winning. But I
left. I fucking left.
I thought the two of us had grown into a real partnership. Maybe that was
why the idea of him ignoring me hurt so damn much. The problem was, Jack
knew how desperately I loved him, and even though he didn't mean to, he
used that to, to keep me in line.
Only it wasn't like me to ever be *out* of line.
Maybe that surprised us both.
Maybe it was time I showed him how willing I was to fight back. And stay
right where I needed to be. With him.
*****