04-04-2014, 09:40 AM
Connor sat there, looking at Jensen. He felt naked, exposed. Everything hinged on this- everything. His life, his sanity, his future. If I made a mistake…If I could’ve save Hayden… It was all out, all on the line. Vaguely, he was aware of Aria coming back in the room and sitting down. Connor shifted his gaze to her, then to Giovanni. The quiet filled the loft and his head felt stuffed with cotton. His thoughts seemed distant.
Aria opened her mouth- there was pain in her eyes, deep pain- Connor felt like he was seeing his reflection in her eyes- then softly said, “You were probably right to keep him home. There was nothing you could do once he reached that stage of the sickness. At least he passed in loving arms.
” The words were simple. But somehow….somehow, he knew that she was telling the truth. She knew something about it, about the alternative. Part of him felt some measure of relief. She was trying to comfort him, to tell him that they had done the right thing, that their son had been loved- that they had filled his last moments with their love. It was something. But part of him felt a twinge of anger. What did she know? What would they have done to my boy? It made him feel protective of his son all over again.
Before he could ask, Giovanni spoke. The man had been quiet for most of the night. It surprised him. "She is right, you know. There is very little that could have been done about it. He left knowing that you loved him dearly and that brought comfort to him that no hospital could give.
" That Giovanni would agree with her dampened the feelings of anger there. From what Connor had guessed, Giovanni would have reason to dislike Aria, or at least the organization she worked for. Connor let the words wash over him. He played them over and over in his mind, trying to believe it- wanting to. He heard Giovanni and Aria briefly talking but the words were meaningless to him.
And then Jensen spoke and Connor forgot everything. Jensen had had the sickness! And he had survived! Connor’s eyes were glued to the man’s. There was pain there. Connor imagined Jensen going through what Hayden had. “How….how did you survive?
”
Before Jensen could answer, Aria sat forward and Connor looked at her. She genuinely looked concerned and Connor felt…thankful for it. "Did anything weird happen a few days before he became ill?
" The question was strange, but she seemed to be trying to confirm something.
“Weird?
”, he said slowly. “Yeah….it was why Jamie and I were with Hayden when he came down with it. He had been rock climbing and fell. He should have been hurt, but when the doctors examined him, there was not a scratch on him.
” He remembered the fear that had lanced through him when Connor’s friend Kirsty called to tell him of the accident. He had dropped everything to make the 3 hour drive to be there. And then the relief- the beautiful relief at knowing Hayden hadn’t been hurt. It was a miracle. Connor had shut a lot of those weeks away, as best he could. In hindsight it had made him feel bitter at the elation and relief he felt then when only a few weeks later Hayden would die in pain. But Aria and Giovanni’s words provided him with an anchor of sorts. Hayden had died in the midst of those who loved him most. He looked at Aria. And the danger had been real. Again, that spike of anger, though this time, not at her directly. This was not a woman who would hurt his son. He could see that in her eyes. No question. But those she worked for…. He was torn. He wanted to ask her directly what dangers they had been avoiding. But he more than that, he wanted to ask Jensen about the sickness.
“Please. How did you survive? What did you do? What should we have done to save him?
”
Edited by Connor Kent, Apr 4 2014, 09:40 AM.
Aria opened her mouth- there was pain in her eyes, deep pain- Connor felt like he was seeing his reflection in her eyes- then softly said, “You were probably right to keep him home. There was nothing you could do once he reached that stage of the sickness. At least he passed in loving arms.
” The words were simple. But somehow….somehow, he knew that she was telling the truth. She knew something about it, about the alternative. Part of him felt some measure of relief. She was trying to comfort him, to tell him that they had done the right thing, that their son had been loved- that they had filled his last moments with their love. It was something. But part of him felt a twinge of anger. What did she know? What would they have done to my boy? It made him feel protective of his son all over again.
Before he could ask, Giovanni spoke. The man had been quiet for most of the night. It surprised him. "She is right, you know. There is very little that could have been done about it. He left knowing that you loved him dearly and that brought comfort to him that no hospital could give.
" That Giovanni would agree with her dampened the feelings of anger there. From what Connor had guessed, Giovanni would have reason to dislike Aria, or at least the organization she worked for. Connor let the words wash over him. He played them over and over in his mind, trying to believe it- wanting to. He heard Giovanni and Aria briefly talking but the words were meaningless to him.
And then Jensen spoke and Connor forgot everything. Jensen had had the sickness! And he had survived! Connor’s eyes were glued to the man’s. There was pain there. Connor imagined Jensen going through what Hayden had. “How….how did you survive?
”
Before Jensen could answer, Aria sat forward and Connor looked at her. She genuinely looked concerned and Connor felt…thankful for it. "Did anything weird happen a few days before he became ill?
" The question was strange, but she seemed to be trying to confirm something.
“Weird?
”, he said slowly. “Yeah….it was why Jamie and I were with Hayden when he came down with it. He had been rock climbing and fell. He should have been hurt, but when the doctors examined him, there was not a scratch on him.
” He remembered the fear that had lanced through him when Connor’s friend Kirsty called to tell him of the accident. He had dropped everything to make the 3 hour drive to be there. And then the relief- the beautiful relief at knowing Hayden hadn’t been hurt. It was a miracle. Connor had shut a lot of those weeks away, as best he could. In hindsight it had made him feel bitter at the elation and relief he felt then when only a few weeks later Hayden would die in pain. But Aria and Giovanni’s words provided him with an anchor of sorts. Hayden had died in the midst of those who loved him most. He looked at Aria. And the danger had been real. Again, that spike of anger, though this time, not at her directly. This was not a woman who would hurt his son. He could see that in her eyes. No question. But those she worked for…. He was torn. He wanted to ask her directly what dangers they had been avoiding. But he more than that, he wanted to ask Jensen about the sickness.
“Please. How did you survive? What did you do? What should we have done to save him?
”
Edited by Connor Kent, Apr 4 2014, 09:40 AM.