There's more to it than meets the eye ... 8/?
Title: There's more to it than meets the eye ... 8/?
Beta: disneymagics
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 4.182 in this part
Characters: Jensen, Jared + just about the whole SPN gang - RPF, gen
Warnings: none - although the story takes place while filming 6.16 ... there are no actual spoilers for the episodes as such
Disclaimer: I don't own Jensen,Jared or any other people from the SPN set, I'm just borrowing their names/characters, no harm or infringement intended
Summary: “Alright? Misha, did you even hear what the set medic said? It looks like Jensen had a freakin’ heart attack! A heart attack, man! The guy‘s not even 33 yet!” Jared furiously yelled at the man in front of him ...
A/N: What can I say? I have to apologize to all of you out there, still showing their interest in my WIP, that it took me nearly a year (!) to finally come up with the next chapter. Heck one year?
So here's my one and only New Year's resolution: Never ever start posting a fic again as long as you are not in the middle of writing the final chapter of it!
Alright guys, enough of the ramblings - thank you all for your patience, your lovely comments and gentle nudges. I really hope the new chapter was worth the long wait ...
Just one more thing - a million thanks to my lovely beta once again. Sweetie, without your constant awesome help I would have given up a long time ago already!
If you wanna start reading it from the beginning again, just go here: http://lausbub0402.livejournal.com/14642.html
If not, here's chapter 8:
Four days later and Jensen was going stir crazy.
His temperature was back to normal and his condition steadily improving, but Dr. Spencer refused to let him go home.
The first couple of days the young actor had obediently laid low, mostly for the sake of Jared, who was still pretty shaken and hardly left Jensen’s side for more than an hour or two.
Bob had given Jared a couple of days off, knowing that the man wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything but the wellbeing of his friend anyhow.
Of course, Jensen’s extended stay in the hospital had also aroused the suspicion of his family. Especially his mother, since her maternal intuition told her there was more to his sickness than what he’d been telling them. Therefore, it was no surprise to Jensen when his mom showed up in the hospital the very next day. After she’d had a long conversation with Dr. Spencer, Donna had been kinda furious, at first, that Jensen had downplayed the true nature of his illness and then totally overprotective afterwards. As a result Jensen was now stuck with Jared and his mom fussing over him and not letting him out of their sight.
With the weekend coming up and the knowledge that Danneel, his father and his siblings would all be showing up, Jensen felt like he was going stir crazy. No matter how desperately he begged his doctor to release him, the man just wouldn’t budge.
At least he was able to convince Jared to go home over the weekend to get some very much needed rest. With the whole Ackles clan and Danneel around to keep an eye on Jensen, Jared reluctantly agreed and took the last flight to L.A. on Friday evening, not forgetting to check in with Donna, as Jensen was already sleeping, right after his arrival.
nbsp; ***************************************
The next time Jared called his friend to hear how he was doing, Jensen’s sister Megan answered the phone.
Jared’s blood pressure instantly went up at the thought that Jensen couldn’t answer his own phone because something was wrong with him again, but Megan’s voice sounded pretty normal so he tried to remain calm.
“Hey Meg … where’s Jensen? Is everything alright?” He held his breath and released it with a sigh when Jensen’s sister chuckled.
“Yeah, he’s on a bathroom trip with Dad after he refused to take the wheelchair and Mom told him he couldn’t go in there alone!” She laughed out loud and continued, “But you know my stubborn brother … he didn’t want either me or Mom to come along and Jeff’s on a coffee run, so he ended up with Dad instead.”
Jared smiled. He could practically hear Jensen’s cursing through the phone.
“Ah, they are coming back!” Megan exclaimed and this time Jared could really make out Jensen’s voice in the background.
“Dad … get off of me … I can walk on my own … no I’m not, I’m …”
“Hey Jensen, Jared’s on the phone,” Megan interrupted the stream of bickering.
“Let him get back in bed first, honey.” Jared heard Donna interfere and he let out a small chuckle as Jensen snapped, “Gimme the phone! I’m stuck in that damned bed all day long and I’m sick of it! Jay? How are you doing, buddy?”
Before Jared was able to answer he heard Donna’s voice again.
“Jensen, darling, you’re not well enough to be up on your feet for that long. So let’s go back to bed, sweetie.”
Jared pictured Jensen helplessly rolling his eyes.
“I’m not on my feet anymore, Mom and I’m staying right here in the armchair and talking to Jared. I’m perfectly fine!” Jensen huffed and then whispered into the phone, “Save me, Jay, they’re driving me crazy!”
“Sorry man, no can do. You’re the one who sent me to L.A. for the weekend, remember?” Jared laughed.
“Yeah, yeah and I’m glad you went, but it’s easier to deal with only you fussing over me instead of my whole family.”
“Jensen Ross Ackles!” Alan’s voice came loud and clear through the speaker, but Jensen ignored him and continued to talk to Jared.
“How’s L.A.? I bet it’s really warm.”
“It’s pretty mild, yep, but let’s not talk about the weather, I wanna know how you’re doing.”
“I’m good, fever’s gone and if the blood tests come back okay tomorrow, I’m outta here by Tuesday … Wednesday at the latest.” Jensen seemed excited by the possibility of finally getting out of the much-hated hospital.
“But only if Dr. Spencer agrees,” Donna chimed in.
“Yes Mom, of course!” Jensen agreed eagerly and continued in a lower voice, “I’ll make sure he does!”
Jared couldn’t help but smile at Jensen’s words. He knew how desperately Jensen wanted to get out of the hospital and back to his normal life, but he couldn’t stop worrying about what would happen afterwards.
“That sounds great man, but promise me you’ll listen to the doc and to do whatever he thinks is best for you, okay?”
Jensen could clearly make out the distress in Jared’s words and the last thing he wanted was to cause his friend any more worry and sleepless nights.
“I promise, Jay. I’ve learned my lesson. Whatever the doc says, I’ll be a good boy and listen.”
“Can you write that down and officially sign it for me?” Jared asked teasingly and was taken aback by Jensen’s immediate and honest answer.
“If that’s what it takes to make you happy, then yes,” Jensen said in a serious tone that left no doubt he really meant what he’d just said.
“Thanks man … I …” Jared was at a loss for words, but a cheerful, “Who’s up for some coffee?” on the other end of the line saved him.
“Ah finally, I’m dying for a cup of coffee!” Jensen shouted out to his brother, Jeff, who had just entered the scene with a tray full of steaming coffee cups. He stood up to grab the first cup within his reach.
“Whoa, slow down tiger, there’s a special cup for my little bro.” Jeff stopped him and handed Jensen a different cup from the tray.
“What’s so special about this one?” Jensen suspiciously eyed the brown liquid.
“It’s decaf!”
“Decaf?” Jared could feel Jensen’s disappointment through the phone.
“Oh, come on Jeff, this is a joke, right? I’ve never had decaf in my whole life.” Jensen looked at his brother with pleading eyes, but Jeff only shook his head, trying hard to suppress a grin.
“Nope, doctor’s orders, only decaf for you at the moment.”
“Jay, did you hear that? Do something, please, you know I can’t function on decaf!” Jensen desperately begged and everybody started laughing.
“Sorry man, it’s for your own good. Enjoy your decaf, I think I’m gonna head over to Starbucks now.” Jared teased his friend.
“I hate you! Wait till you get back …” Jensen hissed and hung up.
For a moment Jared stared at the phone in his hand. A content smile crossed his face as he was happy to hear Jensen up and feeling well enough to gripe about coffee.
Maybe this time everything would be okay after all …
nbsp; ****************************************************
Two days later and the day Jensen had so longed for finally came. Dr. Spencer was satisfied enough with the test results and the overall condition of his patient, that he agreed to sign the release papers first thing on Tuesday morning.
Jared had visited his friend right after being picked-up from the airport by Clif on Monday morning, but hadn’t had the chance to speak to him as Jensen had been taken away for another round of tests and Jared had been expected on set.
When he sneaked into Jensen’s room way after midnight and a long day of shooting, Jensen was fast asleep and Jared didn’t have the heart to wake him. He settled himself in the by now familiar chair next to Jensen’s bed and simply watched his friend’s peaceful face and the steady rise and fall of his chest.
Within minutes he was asleep as well.
nbsp; **************************************************
The first rays of sunshine were falling through the curtains when Jensen slowly opened his eyes.
“Today I’m going home!” was the first thought that came to his mind and he had to restrain himself from leaping out of his bed immediately.
Finally! Today he would be leaving that so-much-hated hospital room to take the next step towards regaining his normal life.
With a contented sigh, Jensen turned around and his gaze fell on the tall figure sleeping once again in the armchair next to his bed. Jensen couldn’t help but smile. Somehow he’d known that his friend would be here when he woke up.
Careful not to make any sound to wake Jared up, Jensen eased himself off the bed and slowly made his way over to the small bathroom, not daring to turn on the light. On his way, back he accidentally bumped into the wheelchair parked in front of the bed, causing it to roll with a squeaking noise. Jensen silently cursed and held his breath, but as expected the noise was loud enough to startle Jared instantly awake. His eyes fell on the empty bed and he started scanning the room for any signs of his friend.
Stepping forward and heading towards his abandoned bed, Jensen mumbled, “Sorry man, I didn’t mean to wake you. Dunno who put that stupid wheelchair in the middle of the room.” Silently he added.”What happened to that heavy sleeper not even a horde of elephants could wake up?”
Jared jumped out of the chair with a worried, “What the heck are you doing up and walking around?” he was at Jensen’s side and gently guiding him back to the bed.
Jensen sat down and huffed, “I had to take a leak and I’m perfectly capable of using my own two legs to get me to the bathroom, you know?”
Jared tried to come up with an appropriate reply, but his friend cut him off. “By the way, what are you doing here, sleeping in that chair again? Don’t you have a bed at home?”
This time Jared answered right away. “Sure do, but I thought, as I had to come pick your sorry ass up today anyway, I might as well just sleep here and save us all some time and your annoying phone calls to check on when I’d finally be here,” he said with a serious tone, but with a huge grin on his face.
“Boy, you know me just too well!” Jensen chuckled. “Could you open the curtains, please?”
“How about lying back down?” Jared asked while he walked over to the window to let the bright sunshine in. Looks like even the sun is happy for Jensen, he thought.
“Nah, I wanna get outta here as soon as possible. What time is it anyhow?” Jensen was impatiently rocking back and forth on the bed, like a little child on Christmas morning.
Jared checked his watch and laughed: “They’ll bring breakfast in about half an hour and Dr. Spencer won’t make his rounds before 8, so you’ve still got some time to wait, buddy!”
“Who needs breakfast when he’s finally getting released from his prison and the Doc could have signed those stupid papers yesterday,” Jensen complained, but finally pulled his legs up, sinking back into the pillows and letting Jared pull the covers back over him.
“Well first of all, I need a proper breakfast to be able to cope with your constant bickering and secondly, I’m sure Dr. Spencer won’t miss the chance to give a proper sendoff to his favorite patient of all times.”
“Bite me!” Jensen stuck his tongue out when the door suddenly opened and the day nurse, Monica, stepped into the room with a tray full of breakfast in each hand.
“Ah I see you gentlemen are awake already? I thought I’d bring breakfast a little earlier today, as you probably can’t wait to get outta here, right?” She smiled at the two young men and put the trays down on the table.
Jensen flashed his brightest smile at her. “No offense Monica, but there’s just no better place than home.”
“Or my place,” Jared added with an equally bright smile.
“Right, just about anywhere is better than this hospital room,” Jensen stated dryly and the three of them started laughing.
nbsp; *************************************************************
Jensen absentmindedly picked at his food while Jared finished his breakfast in record time. “Hm, for hospital food this isn’t bad,” Jared mumbled with a satisfied sigh, swallowing the last bite. He suspiciously eyed the remains on Jensen’s plate.
“You need to eat to get your strength back, Jen!”
But his friend only shook his head. “I’m not hungry right now. I wonder when Dr. Spencer’s gonna show up?”
“Tell you what, why don’t you get dressed so that you’re all ready and we can hit the road as soon as he’s been here?” Jared suggested and smiled a genuine smile when he saw Jensen’s eyes light up.
“That’s a good idea, Jay!” With that Jensen threw back the covers, jumped out of bed and was on his way over to the wardrobe when a sudden dizzy spell hit him.
Jared saw Jensen sway dangerously and instantly was at his friend’s side, but Jensen waved him off.
“What the hell was that?” Jared looked at Jensen reproachfully, but his voice was laced with concern.
Jensen's face had lost all of its color and he was squeezing his eyes shut to will the dizziness away. He took a couple of deep breaths and opened his eyes only to look at Jared's fearful expression.
“Just gimme a minute. Guess I got up too fast … it's nothing.” Jensen slowly made his way back to the bed and sat down with a frustrated look on his face.
Jared was torn between calling the nurse and giving his friend the time he’d asked for, but after he saw the color slowly returning to Jensen's face he breathed a little easier.
“Please don’t tell Dr. Spencer,” Jensen whispered, scarcely audible, from the bed.
“What?”
“About this … I mean … I just got up too fast, that’s all. I don’t wanna give the Doc a reason to keep me here any longer. Please Jay, it was nothing, really.” Jensen looked at Jared with pleading eyes.
“I dunno, Jensen, what if it’s still too early, what if …?”
“Jay, I promise, it was nothing. I got up too fast and got dizzy, that’s all. I promise I’ll be more careful and take it slow the next time. Please!”
Jared was still not convinced, the fear of his friend having a setback was just too great, but how was he supposed to resist those puppy-dog eyes? With a sigh he gave in.
“Alright, Jensen, but I’ll get you your clothes and you just stay put. Got that?”
“Yes Sir!”
nbsp; ********************************************
By the time Jared had Jensen settled in the car and the hospital in the rearview mirror, he was fuming. Keeping Jensen from overdoing things was not going to be an easy task. He prepared himself mentally for the fights to come.
Jared knew that it was only Jensen’s eagerness to leave the hospital that convinced him to take the wheelchair on the way out to the parking lot. Of course, the observant eyes of Doctor Spencer and all the nurses who stopped by to bid Jensen farewell didn’t hurt either. But the second they had been out of sight, his stubborn friend had gotten out of the wheelchair and insisted he could walk the short distance to the car by himself.
Jared's proposal of bringing the wheelchair along so they could use it at home only resulted in a deadly glare from Jensen and a dry “No way!”
The helpful hand Jared offered his friend as he climbed into the car was declined with a grumpy “You don't have to baby me!”
Yep, this was going to be a hell of a lot of fun.
Jensen rested his head on the cool glass of the side window. He was angry with himself for snapping at Jared. He knew his friend was only trying to help. The time in the hospital had driven him crazy. He knew it had been a close call, his doctor had told him that more than once and that he should listen to his body more carefully, but Jensen wasn’t used to taking it slow, not when he was expected to do his job. Time was money, especially with the tight budget they had for filming Supernatural and a lot of people's jobs depended on it. The feeling of being weak and not able to work weighed heavily on Jensen's shoulders and as much as he wanted to jump right back in, he was aware that his body had other plans and that this time he was going to have to listen.
At least Jensen's parents had finally agreed on Jared's plan to have their son stay at Jared's house instead of dragging him back to Texas where his mother would have been constantly fussing over him. He should be grateful for a friend like Jared instead of giving him a hard time.
Jensen sighed an absently rubbed his chest.
“You okay?” Jared's worried question brought him back to the here and now.
“Yeah I'm fine, I'm sorry for snapping at you Jay. I dunno … it's just … I hate feeling weak, not being able to do the simplest things on my own … not being able to work. I ...” he broke off and stared out of the window again.
“I know Jen, but it's okay, really.” Jared gently nudged Jensen's thigh.
“You're allowed to feel weak. Heck you almost died ...” Jared swallowed hard.
You actually did that night, he thought to himself and immediately felt the cold fingers of dread grip his heart again. Jared cleared his throat and continued: “No one bounces back from something like this as if nothing had happened. Not even Dean Winchester.”
He saw a small smile tugging at Jensen's lips as his friend slowly turned his head to look him in the eyes.
“Guess you’re right man. That whole Myocarditis thing scared the shit outta me too. Made me think what my life would be like, if I wasn’t be able to do my job anymore. Not being able to work with you and the others from the family. I'm not willing to give that up!”
“And you don't have to, Jensen. You've made it this far already and if you listen to the Doc and get the rest your body needs to recuperate, I'm sure everything will be just fine and you'll be your old self before you know it. But it takes time Jen and you have to give yourself that time. I don't wanna go through something like that ever again. Comprende?”
Jared gave him a big smile but Jensen knew that he was very serious about what he'd just said and that the whole situation had affected his friend in a way he wished it hadn’t.
“Si!” Jensen answered from the bottom of his heart. He would lay low and sit this out, no matter how long it took. For Jared's sake and for his own.
Ten minutes and a silent drive later, Jared parked the car in front of his house. He was pleasantly surprised as Jensen took his offered hand and let Jared help him out of the car.
They slowly made their way up to the front porch and by the time they'd reached the door, Jensen was a little out of breath, but other than that he seemed fine.
Jared visibly relaxed. He got Jensen situated on the sofa while he went back out to the car to get his friend’s bag. When he returned, he found Jensen fumbling with the lid of a pillbox. He checked his watch. Dr. Spencer had given them clear instructions on when and how Jensen should take his medicine and Jared was glad that it looked like Jensen was taking the doctor’s orders seriously.
“Time for your meds?” Jensen nodded and Jared took off towards the kitchen to fetch his friend a glass of water. “Here!”
“Thanks man.” Jensen took the glass from Jared and the younger man couldn't help but notice the trembling of his friend’s hand.
“Guess it's a good time for a little nap. I prepared the downstairs guestroom for you.”
Jensen gave him a halfhearted smile. “Yeah, those pills will knock me out for quite some time, so ...” He slowly stood and shuffled towards the guestroom, with Jared only one step behind, just in case.
Opening the door to his temporary residence, Jensen was completely taken aback to find a lot of his favorite things from his own bedroom at his apartment displayed all over the place. He turned around and looked at Jared with questioning eyes.
Jared only shrugged. “Thought you might feel a little more comfortable having some things from home in your room here.”
“Thanks! You are ...” Jensen was at loss for words and decided to pull Jared into a hug instead.
nbsp; *****************************************
“Holler whenever you need something, okay?”
Jared turned around to have a last look at Jensen's outstretched form on the bed. By the time Jensen had changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt the effects of the meds had already made him sluggish and he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.
“Hmmm,” was the only response Jared received as he silently closed the door.
Jared couldn't explain it but he'd suddenly felt the urge to check on Jensen again and a couple of minutes later he stood at the foot of his friends bed, watching him closely.
Jensen's face looked peaceful and there was no sign of discomfort in his features, he seemed to be sound asleep.
Everything appeared to be just fine and still, Jared had this nagging feeling in the back of his head whenever his eyes left Jensen's body. He shook his head and left the room, only to find himself standing in the same spot again a couple of minutes later.
Jared just couldn't help it. As soon as he left Jensen's room he felt himself panic and thoughts like 'what if he stops breathing all of a sudden?' or 'what if the fever returns and goes unnoticed?' kept swirling in his head. He knew it was stupid and that Jensen was doing fine, considering what had happened a couple of days ago.
A couple of days ago - when his friend had been fighting for his life and had barely made it after he’d flatlined. The images of that night kept invading Jared's mind and he knew only one way to stop himself from panicking.
He needed to be close to Jensen. He needed to see with his own eyes that his friend was alive. But how was he supposed to make sure of it while Jensen was sleeping in his room and Jared couldn’t see him?
Before Jared even realized what he was doing he found himself in Jensen's room, squeezed in a way-too-small chair next to his friend's bed.
But this time there were no machines monitoring Jensen's heartbeat, there was no computer to give a warning the instant something out of the ordinary happened. Jared felt the familiar panic rise again.
He knew it was irrational, but he didn't care. He needed the reassurance that Jensen's heart was doing what it was supposed to do and there was only one way to make sure of it here and now.
Jared smiled. Jensen would never let him live this down if he found out, but he was too out of it to notice and by the time the meds wore off Jared would have gotten his act together, he was sure.
Without thinking twice Jared climbed into the bed next to Jensen. He tried not to jostle his friend while finding a comfortable spot close enough to put his palm on Jensen's chest right over his heart, but far enough to not make his presence too obvious.
Jared closed his eyes and concentrated on the steady beat of Jensen's heart underneath his fingertips, a welcome proof that indeed everything was fine with his best friend.
The comforting warmth and the consistent rhythm lulled him to sleep in no time.
tbc
Beta: disneymagics
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 4.182 in this part
Characters: Jensen, Jared + just about the whole SPN gang - RPF, gen
Warnings: none - although the story takes place while filming 6.16 ... there are no actual spoilers for the episodes as such
Disclaimer: I don't own Jensen,Jared or any other people from the SPN set, I'm just borrowing their names/characters, no harm or infringement intended
Summary: “Alright? Misha, did you even hear what the set medic said? It looks like Jensen had a freakin’ heart attack! A heart attack, man! The guy‘s not even 33 yet!” Jared furiously yelled at the man in front of him ...
A/N: What can I say? I have to apologize to all of you out there, still showing their interest in my WIP, that it took me nearly a year (!) to finally come up with the next chapter. Heck one year?
So here's my one and only New Year's resolution: Never ever start posting a fic again as long as you are not in the middle of writing the final chapter of it!
Alright guys, enough of the ramblings - thank you all for your patience, your lovely comments and gentle nudges. I really hope the new chapter was worth the long wait ...
Just one more thing - a million thanks to my lovely beta once again. Sweetie, without your constant awesome help I would have given up a long time ago already!
If you wanna start reading it from the beginning again, just go here: http://lausbub0402.livejournal.com/14642.html
If not, here's chapter 8:
Four days later and Jensen was going stir crazy.
His temperature was back to normal and his condition steadily improving, but Dr. Spencer refused to let him go home.
The first couple of days the young actor had obediently laid low, mostly for the sake of Jared, who was still pretty shaken and hardly left Jensen’s side for more than an hour or two.
Bob had given Jared a couple of days off, knowing that the man wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything but the wellbeing of his friend anyhow.
Of course, Jensen’s extended stay in the hospital had also aroused the suspicion of his family. Especially his mother, since her maternal intuition told her there was more to his sickness than what he’d been telling them. Therefore, it was no surprise to Jensen when his mom showed up in the hospital the very next day. After she’d had a long conversation with Dr. Spencer, Donna had been kinda furious, at first, that Jensen had downplayed the true nature of his illness and then totally overprotective afterwards. As a result Jensen was now stuck with Jared and his mom fussing over him and not letting him out of their sight.
With the weekend coming up and the knowledge that Danneel, his father and his siblings would all be showing up, Jensen felt like he was going stir crazy. No matter how desperately he begged his doctor to release him, the man just wouldn’t budge.
At least he was able to convince Jared to go home over the weekend to get some very much needed rest. With the whole Ackles clan and Danneel around to keep an eye on Jensen, Jared reluctantly agreed and took the last flight to L.A. on Friday evening, not forgetting to check in with Donna, as Jensen was already sleeping, right after his arrival.
nbsp; ***************************************
The next time Jared called his friend to hear how he was doing, Jensen’s sister Megan answered the phone.
Jared’s blood pressure instantly went up at the thought that Jensen couldn’t answer his own phone because something was wrong with him again, but Megan’s voice sounded pretty normal so he tried to remain calm.
“Hey Meg … where’s Jensen? Is everything alright?” He held his breath and released it with a sigh when Jensen’s sister chuckled.
“Yeah, he’s on a bathroom trip with Dad after he refused to take the wheelchair and Mom told him he couldn’t go in there alone!” She laughed out loud and continued, “But you know my stubborn brother … he didn’t want either me or Mom to come along and Jeff’s on a coffee run, so he ended up with Dad instead.”
Jared smiled. He could practically hear Jensen’s cursing through the phone.
“Ah, they are coming back!” Megan exclaimed and this time Jared could really make out Jensen’s voice in the background.
“Dad … get off of me … I can walk on my own … no I’m not, I’m …”
“Hey Jensen, Jared’s on the phone,” Megan interrupted the stream of bickering.
“Let him get back in bed first, honey.” Jared heard Donna interfere and he let out a small chuckle as Jensen snapped, “Gimme the phone! I’m stuck in that damned bed all day long and I’m sick of it! Jay? How are you doing, buddy?”
Before Jared was able to answer he heard Donna’s voice again.
“Jensen, darling, you’re not well enough to be up on your feet for that long. So let’s go back to bed, sweetie.”
Jared pictured Jensen helplessly rolling his eyes.
“I’m not on my feet anymore, Mom and I’m staying right here in the armchair and talking to Jared. I’m perfectly fine!” Jensen huffed and then whispered into the phone, “Save me, Jay, they’re driving me crazy!”
“Sorry man, no can do. You’re the one who sent me to L.A. for the weekend, remember?” Jared laughed.
“Yeah, yeah and I’m glad you went, but it’s easier to deal with only you fussing over me instead of my whole family.”
“Jensen Ross Ackles!” Alan’s voice came loud and clear through the speaker, but Jensen ignored him and continued to talk to Jared.
“How’s L.A.? I bet it’s really warm.”
“It’s pretty mild, yep, but let’s not talk about the weather, I wanna know how you’re doing.”
“I’m good, fever’s gone and if the blood tests come back okay tomorrow, I’m outta here by Tuesday … Wednesday at the latest.” Jensen seemed excited by the possibility of finally getting out of the much-hated hospital.
“But only if Dr. Spencer agrees,” Donna chimed in.
“Yes Mom, of course!” Jensen agreed eagerly and continued in a lower voice, “I’ll make sure he does!”
Jared couldn’t help but smile at Jensen’s words. He knew how desperately Jensen wanted to get out of the hospital and back to his normal life, but he couldn’t stop worrying about what would happen afterwards.
“That sounds great man, but promise me you’ll listen to the doc and to do whatever he thinks is best for you, okay?”
Jensen could clearly make out the distress in Jared’s words and the last thing he wanted was to cause his friend any more worry and sleepless nights.
“I promise, Jay. I’ve learned my lesson. Whatever the doc says, I’ll be a good boy and listen.”
“Can you write that down and officially sign it for me?” Jared asked teasingly and was taken aback by Jensen’s immediate and honest answer.
“If that’s what it takes to make you happy, then yes,” Jensen said in a serious tone that left no doubt he really meant what he’d just said.
“Thanks man … I …” Jared was at a loss for words, but a cheerful, “Who’s up for some coffee?” on the other end of the line saved him.
“Ah finally, I’m dying for a cup of coffee!” Jensen shouted out to his brother, Jeff, who had just entered the scene with a tray full of steaming coffee cups. He stood up to grab the first cup within his reach.
“Whoa, slow down tiger, there’s a special cup for my little bro.” Jeff stopped him and handed Jensen a different cup from the tray.
“What’s so special about this one?” Jensen suspiciously eyed the brown liquid.
“It’s decaf!”
“Decaf?” Jared could feel Jensen’s disappointment through the phone.
“Oh, come on Jeff, this is a joke, right? I’ve never had decaf in my whole life.” Jensen looked at his brother with pleading eyes, but Jeff only shook his head, trying hard to suppress a grin.
“Nope, doctor’s orders, only decaf for you at the moment.”
“Jay, did you hear that? Do something, please, you know I can’t function on decaf!” Jensen desperately begged and everybody started laughing.
“Sorry man, it’s for your own good. Enjoy your decaf, I think I’m gonna head over to Starbucks now.” Jared teased his friend.
“I hate you! Wait till you get back …” Jensen hissed and hung up.
For a moment Jared stared at the phone in his hand. A content smile crossed his face as he was happy to hear Jensen up and feeling well enough to gripe about coffee.
Maybe this time everything would be okay after all …
nbsp; ****************************************************
Two days later and the day Jensen had so longed for finally came. Dr. Spencer was satisfied enough with the test results and the overall condition of his patient, that he agreed to sign the release papers first thing on Tuesday morning.
Jared had visited his friend right after being picked-up from the airport by Clif on Monday morning, but hadn’t had the chance to speak to him as Jensen had been taken away for another round of tests and Jared had been expected on set.
When he sneaked into Jensen’s room way after midnight and a long day of shooting, Jensen was fast asleep and Jared didn’t have the heart to wake him. He settled himself in the by now familiar chair next to Jensen’s bed and simply watched his friend’s peaceful face and the steady rise and fall of his chest.
Within minutes he was asleep as well.
nbsp; **************************************************
The first rays of sunshine were falling through the curtains when Jensen slowly opened his eyes.
“Today I’m going home!” was the first thought that came to his mind and he had to restrain himself from leaping out of his bed immediately.
Finally! Today he would be leaving that so-much-hated hospital room to take the next step towards regaining his normal life.
With a contented sigh, Jensen turned around and his gaze fell on the tall figure sleeping once again in the armchair next to his bed. Jensen couldn’t help but smile. Somehow he’d known that his friend would be here when he woke up.
Careful not to make any sound to wake Jared up, Jensen eased himself off the bed and slowly made his way over to the small bathroom, not daring to turn on the light. On his way, back he accidentally bumped into the wheelchair parked in front of the bed, causing it to roll with a squeaking noise. Jensen silently cursed and held his breath, but as expected the noise was loud enough to startle Jared instantly awake. His eyes fell on the empty bed and he started scanning the room for any signs of his friend.
Stepping forward and heading towards his abandoned bed, Jensen mumbled, “Sorry man, I didn’t mean to wake you. Dunno who put that stupid wheelchair in the middle of the room.” Silently he added.”What happened to that heavy sleeper not even a horde of elephants could wake up?”
Jared jumped out of the chair with a worried, “What the heck are you doing up and walking around?” he was at Jensen’s side and gently guiding him back to the bed.
Jensen sat down and huffed, “I had to take a leak and I’m perfectly capable of using my own two legs to get me to the bathroom, you know?”
Jared tried to come up with an appropriate reply, but his friend cut him off. “By the way, what are you doing here, sleeping in that chair again? Don’t you have a bed at home?”
This time Jared answered right away. “Sure do, but I thought, as I had to come pick your sorry ass up today anyway, I might as well just sleep here and save us all some time and your annoying phone calls to check on when I’d finally be here,” he said with a serious tone, but with a huge grin on his face.
“Boy, you know me just too well!” Jensen chuckled. “Could you open the curtains, please?”
“How about lying back down?” Jared asked while he walked over to the window to let the bright sunshine in. Looks like even the sun is happy for Jensen, he thought.
“Nah, I wanna get outta here as soon as possible. What time is it anyhow?” Jensen was impatiently rocking back and forth on the bed, like a little child on Christmas morning.
Jared checked his watch and laughed: “They’ll bring breakfast in about half an hour and Dr. Spencer won’t make his rounds before 8, so you’ve still got some time to wait, buddy!”
“Who needs breakfast when he’s finally getting released from his prison and the Doc could have signed those stupid papers yesterday,” Jensen complained, but finally pulled his legs up, sinking back into the pillows and letting Jared pull the covers back over him.
“Well first of all, I need a proper breakfast to be able to cope with your constant bickering and secondly, I’m sure Dr. Spencer won’t miss the chance to give a proper sendoff to his favorite patient of all times.”
“Bite me!” Jensen stuck his tongue out when the door suddenly opened and the day nurse, Monica, stepped into the room with a tray full of breakfast in each hand.
“Ah I see you gentlemen are awake already? I thought I’d bring breakfast a little earlier today, as you probably can’t wait to get outta here, right?” She smiled at the two young men and put the trays down on the table.
Jensen flashed his brightest smile at her. “No offense Monica, but there’s just no better place than home.”
“Or my place,” Jared added with an equally bright smile.
“Right, just about anywhere is better than this hospital room,” Jensen stated dryly and the three of them started laughing.
nbsp; *************************************************************
Jensen absentmindedly picked at his food while Jared finished his breakfast in record time. “Hm, for hospital food this isn’t bad,” Jared mumbled with a satisfied sigh, swallowing the last bite. He suspiciously eyed the remains on Jensen’s plate.
“You need to eat to get your strength back, Jen!”
But his friend only shook his head. “I’m not hungry right now. I wonder when Dr. Spencer’s gonna show up?”
“Tell you what, why don’t you get dressed so that you’re all ready and we can hit the road as soon as he’s been here?” Jared suggested and smiled a genuine smile when he saw Jensen’s eyes light up.
“That’s a good idea, Jay!” With that Jensen threw back the covers, jumped out of bed and was on his way over to the wardrobe when a sudden dizzy spell hit him.
Jared saw Jensen sway dangerously and instantly was at his friend’s side, but Jensen waved him off.
“What the hell was that?” Jared looked at Jensen reproachfully, but his voice was laced with concern.
Jensen's face had lost all of its color and he was squeezing his eyes shut to will the dizziness away. He took a couple of deep breaths and opened his eyes only to look at Jared's fearful expression.
“Just gimme a minute. Guess I got up too fast … it's nothing.” Jensen slowly made his way back to the bed and sat down with a frustrated look on his face.
Jared was torn between calling the nurse and giving his friend the time he’d asked for, but after he saw the color slowly returning to Jensen's face he breathed a little easier.
“Please don’t tell Dr. Spencer,” Jensen whispered, scarcely audible, from the bed.
“What?”
“About this … I mean … I just got up too fast, that’s all. I don’t wanna give the Doc a reason to keep me here any longer. Please Jay, it was nothing, really.” Jensen looked at Jared with pleading eyes.
“I dunno, Jensen, what if it’s still too early, what if …?”
“Jay, I promise, it was nothing. I got up too fast and got dizzy, that’s all. I promise I’ll be more careful and take it slow the next time. Please!”
Jared was still not convinced, the fear of his friend having a setback was just too great, but how was he supposed to resist those puppy-dog eyes? With a sigh he gave in.
“Alright, Jensen, but I’ll get you your clothes and you just stay put. Got that?”
“Yes Sir!”
nbsp; ********************************************
By the time Jared had Jensen settled in the car and the hospital in the rearview mirror, he was fuming. Keeping Jensen from overdoing things was not going to be an easy task. He prepared himself mentally for the fights to come.
Jared knew that it was only Jensen’s eagerness to leave the hospital that convinced him to take the wheelchair on the way out to the parking lot. Of course, the observant eyes of Doctor Spencer and all the nurses who stopped by to bid Jensen farewell didn’t hurt either. But the second they had been out of sight, his stubborn friend had gotten out of the wheelchair and insisted he could walk the short distance to the car by himself.
Jared's proposal of bringing the wheelchair along so they could use it at home only resulted in a deadly glare from Jensen and a dry “No way!”
The helpful hand Jared offered his friend as he climbed into the car was declined with a grumpy “You don't have to baby me!”
Yep, this was going to be a hell of a lot of fun.
Jensen rested his head on the cool glass of the side window. He was angry with himself for snapping at Jared. He knew his friend was only trying to help. The time in the hospital had driven him crazy. He knew it had been a close call, his doctor had told him that more than once and that he should listen to his body more carefully, but Jensen wasn’t used to taking it slow, not when he was expected to do his job. Time was money, especially with the tight budget they had for filming Supernatural and a lot of people's jobs depended on it. The feeling of being weak and not able to work weighed heavily on Jensen's shoulders and as much as he wanted to jump right back in, he was aware that his body had other plans and that this time he was going to have to listen.
At least Jensen's parents had finally agreed on Jared's plan to have their son stay at Jared's house instead of dragging him back to Texas where his mother would have been constantly fussing over him. He should be grateful for a friend like Jared instead of giving him a hard time.
Jensen sighed an absently rubbed his chest.
“You okay?” Jared's worried question brought him back to the here and now.
“Yeah I'm fine, I'm sorry for snapping at you Jay. I dunno … it's just … I hate feeling weak, not being able to do the simplest things on my own … not being able to work. I ...” he broke off and stared out of the window again.
“I know Jen, but it's okay, really.” Jared gently nudged Jensen's thigh.
“You're allowed to feel weak. Heck you almost died ...” Jared swallowed hard.
You actually did that night, he thought to himself and immediately felt the cold fingers of dread grip his heart again. Jared cleared his throat and continued: “No one bounces back from something like this as if nothing had happened. Not even Dean Winchester.”
He saw a small smile tugging at Jensen's lips as his friend slowly turned his head to look him in the eyes.
“Guess you’re right man. That whole Myocarditis thing scared the shit outta me too. Made me think what my life would be like, if I wasn’t be able to do my job anymore. Not being able to work with you and the others from the family. I'm not willing to give that up!”
“And you don't have to, Jensen. You've made it this far already and if you listen to the Doc and get the rest your body needs to recuperate, I'm sure everything will be just fine and you'll be your old self before you know it. But it takes time Jen and you have to give yourself that time. I don't wanna go through something like that ever again. Comprende?”
Jared gave him a big smile but Jensen knew that he was very serious about what he'd just said and that the whole situation had affected his friend in a way he wished it hadn’t.
“Si!” Jensen answered from the bottom of his heart. He would lay low and sit this out, no matter how long it took. For Jared's sake and for his own.
Ten minutes and a silent drive later, Jared parked the car in front of his house. He was pleasantly surprised as Jensen took his offered hand and let Jared help him out of the car.
They slowly made their way up to the front porch and by the time they'd reached the door, Jensen was a little out of breath, but other than that he seemed fine.
Jared visibly relaxed. He got Jensen situated on the sofa while he went back out to the car to get his friend’s bag. When he returned, he found Jensen fumbling with the lid of a pillbox. He checked his watch. Dr. Spencer had given them clear instructions on when and how Jensen should take his medicine and Jared was glad that it looked like Jensen was taking the doctor’s orders seriously.
“Time for your meds?” Jensen nodded and Jared took off towards the kitchen to fetch his friend a glass of water. “Here!”
“Thanks man.” Jensen took the glass from Jared and the younger man couldn't help but notice the trembling of his friend’s hand.
“Guess it's a good time for a little nap. I prepared the downstairs guestroom for you.”
Jensen gave him a halfhearted smile. “Yeah, those pills will knock me out for quite some time, so ...” He slowly stood and shuffled towards the guestroom, with Jared only one step behind, just in case.
Opening the door to his temporary residence, Jensen was completely taken aback to find a lot of his favorite things from his own bedroom at his apartment displayed all over the place. He turned around and looked at Jared with questioning eyes.
Jared only shrugged. “Thought you might feel a little more comfortable having some things from home in your room here.”
“Thanks! You are ...” Jensen was at loss for words and decided to pull Jared into a hug instead.
nbsp; *****************************************
“Holler whenever you need something, okay?”
Jared turned around to have a last look at Jensen's outstretched form on the bed. By the time Jensen had changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt the effects of the meds had already made him sluggish and he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.
“Hmmm,” was the only response Jared received as he silently closed the door.
Jared couldn't explain it but he'd suddenly felt the urge to check on Jensen again and a couple of minutes later he stood at the foot of his friends bed, watching him closely.
Jensen's face looked peaceful and there was no sign of discomfort in his features, he seemed to be sound asleep.
Everything appeared to be just fine and still, Jared had this nagging feeling in the back of his head whenever his eyes left Jensen's body. He shook his head and left the room, only to find himself standing in the same spot again a couple of minutes later.
Jared just couldn't help it. As soon as he left Jensen's room he felt himself panic and thoughts like 'what if he stops breathing all of a sudden?' or 'what if the fever returns and goes unnoticed?' kept swirling in his head. He knew it was stupid and that Jensen was doing fine, considering what had happened a couple of days ago.
A couple of days ago - when his friend had been fighting for his life and had barely made it after he’d flatlined. The images of that night kept invading Jared's mind and he knew only one way to stop himself from panicking.
He needed to be close to Jensen. He needed to see with his own eyes that his friend was alive. But how was he supposed to make sure of it while Jensen was sleeping in his room and Jared couldn’t see him?
Before Jared even realized what he was doing he found himself in Jensen's room, squeezed in a way-too-small chair next to his friend's bed.
But this time there were no machines monitoring Jensen's heartbeat, there was no computer to give a warning the instant something out of the ordinary happened. Jared felt the familiar panic rise again.
He knew it was irrational, but he didn't care. He needed the reassurance that Jensen's heart was doing what it was supposed to do and there was only one way to make sure of it here and now.
Jared smiled. Jensen would never let him live this down if he found out, but he was too out of it to notice and by the time the meds wore off Jared would have gotten his act together, he was sure.
Without thinking twice Jared climbed into the bed next to Jensen. He tried not to jostle his friend while finding a comfortable spot close enough to put his palm on Jensen's chest right over his heart, but far enough to not make his presence too obvious.
Jared closed his eyes and concentrated on the steady beat of Jensen's heart underneath his fingertips, a welcome proof that indeed everything was fine with his best friend.
The comforting warmth and the consistent rhythm lulled him to sleep in no time.
tbc