Fall from Grace [Part Six: Need]
Title: Fall from Grace: Six
Summary: Slightly AU since S4. Takes place after TTLG where Jack is found on the bridge by Sawyer who isn't too thrilled about having to save one "Doc Kamikaze" from himself. He reluctantly brings Kate into the mix, but matters are only complicated when she gets into a car accident while picking up Aaron from school. With everything Jack truly cares about on the line will he be able to man up enough to save Kate and be a constant in Aaron's life? Or will his alcohol and drug problem send him deeper into depression? Sawyer is not prepared to be friendly.
Pairing: Jawyer, Jate
Rating: PG-13 for some language and violence.
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything that has to do with LOST.
Part 6: Need
Kate’s expression was bleak as she folded her cell phone into her pocket and turned to face Sawyer. He was watching her with raised eyebrows and a curious smile.
“I have to go,” she murmured breathlessly. “You’ll have to take care of Jack.”
The southerner’s lips pursed slightly. “Now, hold it just a second there Freckles. You’re not just going to run off and leave me with the Doc are ya?”
“Sawyer, I have to go,” she said, frowning at his bitter expression. “My son needs me.”
He met her at eye level, his grip tightening on the mug of coffee that he nursed in his right hand. Uncertain of what to say, he nodded.
“Veronica’s father had a heart attack and she needs to get to the hospital, she’s willing to stay with Aaron until I get home. He has to be to school in an hour.” Kate offered by way of explanation.
The man nodded again, mutely glancing toward the tent.
“He still in there?”
“Yeah, I think getting him to sleep outside helped a little. At least he’s speaking now.”
“Oh goodie.” Sawyer drawled as he escorted her down the beach and toward the house. The sky was still pink in the early half light unfolding into an expanse of teal and brilliant blue.
“Go easy on him.” She teased, cuffing him on the neck with her hand. He groaned in protest and swatted her away.
“Don’t know what ya mean Sweet Cheeks. If I went ‘easy on him’ he wouldn’t still be here,” the sandy haired man grunted.
“Right, cause you’re usually Mr. Sweet and Sensitive.” Kate scowled when he held the porch door open for her, issuing a heavily exaggerated bow. He flashed a toothy grin.
“After you, Freckles.”
“I’ll be back when I can.” She retrieved her purse from the kitchen table and rifled through it to find her keys.
Sawyer opened his mouth to say something, finding himself at a loss for words he tucked his hands inside his jeans pockets and sighed.
“Say hello to the kid for me.” He offered after a long moment. The words sounded awkward as they rolled away from his tongue.
“Yeah,” she agreed and turned toward the front door.
The buzz the sleeping pills held over Jack’s mind had gradually started to deteriorate. Hey lay on the edge of the blankets with his eyes gently closed. Slowly, he ran his fingers over the frown lines on his sweaty forehead. The wind blowing in from the ocean outside ruffled his hair, making his entire body tremble under the salt sea breeze.
When the sensation stopped his body continued to shake. He noticed this and stared at his quivering hand with an air of indifference. Some tiny part of his brain scolded him for being so damn weak but the larger, more assertive part concerned itself only with the high he acquired with every hit of Oxycodone, every slurp of alcohol. It kept him pleasantly on edge.
“Well golly gee, ain’t it amazing what a razor can do. Why don’t ya come inside the house Doc? We got electricity and everything!”
Jack’s eyes snapped open and he grimaced at Sawyer.
“Where’s Kate?”
“Ain’t that the question of the hour,” he chuckled darkly.
“She had something she needed to take care of. Guess it’s just you and me, Doc.” The southerner's tone was cool as he took his time to crawl into the tent and sit on his haunches beside the doctor.
Jack watched him suspiciously. Sawyer held up his hands. “Got nothing this time so you can relax.”
He gave the dark haired man a scrutinizing look-he was trembling.
“But maybe that isn’t what you wanted to hear.”
“Please, just take me home Sawyer...I won’t do anything,” he pleaded glumly.
“Oh really, well hell Doc if that’s what you want to do, come on then.” The sandy haired man shrugged and shouldered his way out of the tent. He waited expectantly for Jack to follow.
It was a slow process. Jack only half believed that Sawyer would do what he asked and when he did finally crawl out the other man was already half way down the beach.
The con-man waited near the large willow that clearly defined his backyard. The neighbour’s Pomeranian barked at him through a wedged opening in the fence and he growled back at it.
“Stupid mutt.” Jack heard him snort through clenched teeth. He kicked the fence and motioned for Jack to follow him through the garden and into the front yard.
“Better not go getting nauseous this time Dr. Feel Good or yer walking the rest of the way.” Sawyer warned as he held the passenger door to his Escalade wide open. He wasn’t surprised when his companion ignored him and clambered into the vehicle without word.
“So where are we headed?”
“Apartment complex on the corner of Fair Oaks,” Jack grunted the address and rubbed his head. He was sweating heavily now and shifted slightly so Sawyer would not notice how pathetic he looked. It was a long stretch for the con-man not to pick up on the tell-tale signs of withdrawal starting to kick in. It was even harder to hide when he couldn’t manoeuvre his body enough to buckle in the seatbelt clip-his hands were shaking too much.
Jack was thankful when the other man reached to help him without comment. Instead Sawyer focused himself on edging through the midmorning traffic that made the drive painfully slow. When they finally did manage their way across town, the sky was a placid shade of gray and a light drizzle drenched the already chaotic streets.
“Thank-you,” He kept his gaze to the floor as Sawyer pulled up beside the curb. He couldn’t quite bring himself to say anymore and winced at the ‘just returning the favour Doc,’ he received in response. The two men kept their exchange curt and Sawyer watched him stagger toward the lobby. He was confused, on the island it was always Jack who needed people around, needed someone to help. Now he couldn’t even help himself.
He was the very definition of alone.
Jack did his best not to look back. Not to see that look of pity that seemed to follow him wherever he went. He did not want to be pitied, not now not ever. Even the receptionist looked at him as if he had just lost his entire world, which in essence had. Or at least he felt like he had.
Scowling, he took the elevator to the fifth floor and fished for his spear key under the mat. The place was just as he’d left it...a mess.
He almost tripped over the many books and bits of rubbish that littered the floor. Jack’s knees were watery but he mustered the strength to make his way to the kitchen where rows upon rows of empty liquor bottles covered the entirety of his countertop. He scanned the room until his eyes fell on one half full bottle of Jack Daniels in the corner by the microwave stand. Making a mental note that he would have to get more later he let himself drop to uncap the liquid longingly.
The minute the fiery substance burned his throat he felt at ease again. Every care that he had bothered to burden himself with dissolved from his mind in a sort of slow motion that kept him momentarily subdued.
Sighing, Jack rested his head against the cupboard and let his eyes adjust to the dull light pouring in from the hall. He must have left the lamp on at one point but he didn’t do anything about it, instead reaching for another swig from the bottle.
“Son of a bitch, open up Doc!” Sawyer gave up banging on the outside door and turned the knob to find that it was unlocked. Rolling his eyes he pushed his way in and held his breath.
The place was a state at best.
He released the bags he was carrying on the coffee table and paused when he got to the kitchen, looking down at its single occupant. There was a devilish glint his blue eyes as he leaned against the steel doorframe, staring.
“You sure know how to throw one hell of a party. When do the strippers get here?”
“Go away Sawyer,” Jack groaned. He didn’t have the energy to care anymore.
“Yeah, tell that to the army of spiders waging war under yer couch. Now stand up.” The southerner requested forcefully and took the bottle from Jack’s trembling hands. He dumped the contents down the sink and tossed it with the rest.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I said I would take you home I didn’t say I would leave ya there. Come on Doc, look at yourself.”
“I just needed something to take the edge off.” Jack admitted. His head was reeling and he felt numb and detached enough to get to his feet without much effort.
Sawyer shrugged, “Don’t we all.”
“Hell, that’s probably why you went to the booze in the first place, figured you’d be closer to your old man that way.”
“You know nothing about me.” Jack didn’t have the energy to take a swing at him or maybe he didn’t have the will to try. If he thought about it, it was probably a mixture of both.
“Yer right,” the sandy haired man stepped back a few paces into the living room. Jack followed him with his eyes.
“But I do know that yer falling into it just like he did and yer afraid of what you’ll have to do to get yourself out.”
Jack swallowed, suddenly realizing how dry his throat felt. “He always said that I was coward, that I would never amount to anything.”
“And he didn’t mean it. Told me himself.” Sawyer’s tone was careful.
“Yeah,” the doctor snorted. “Did he tell you that he was always too drunk to give a damn about his family?”
“Yup, and that he didn’t have the guts to make things right himself. You’re a lucky man, Doc.”
“Lucky?” Jack was laughing now, his head tossed back in a guttural, throaty laugh that resonated from his stomach and pushed its way up. His arms were at his sides meeting the curve of his body in a half slump.
“Lucky?” He whispered.
“Yes lucky. Your daddy cared enough to tell someone that he regretted what he did. Even if it was to a total stranger in a bar while he was piss-ass drunk.”
“Wow, give the man a medal.”
Sawyer paused and gave Jack a look somewhere between pity and irritation. “My daddy shot my momma and turned the gun on himself in my own bedroom,” he said coolly. Something untraceable flickered in his eyes but he blinked and flushed it away as quickly as it came.
Jack looked at him unbelieving at first until his face faltered. “I’m...sorry.” He sighed and leaned back against the counter.
The southerner threw up his hands, “Yeah well, I guess we all got daddy issues don’t we.”
He waded back to the living room and swept the papers off the couch with his arms. Sitting down hard, he dug the remote out from under a cushion and turned the TV on.
“You got sat Doc?” He called to Jack who was still standing dumbfounded in the kitchen.
“No, why?” Jack stepped through the threshold, somewhat relieved that the alcohol had been enough to numb the shakes to a dull tremor.
At least for now.
“I was hope’n to get my General Hospital fix.” He winked and tore into one of the bags he had set on the table, patting the vacant spot on the couch.
“So would you prefer Ocean’s Eleven or Castaway?”
The other man coughed slightly.
Aaron Austen was pretty self sufficient for being four and a half years old. He knew how to get himself up in the morning when his Ninja Turtle alarm clock went off, what the best breakfast foods were (Frosted Flakes and bananas.) and even how to brush his teeth.
He loved kindergarten almost as much as he loved his teacher Mrs. McCarthy. She had a soft voice and was very patient with her students, even when his best friend Ryan Spencer accidentally let Speedy, the class hamster, loose on Mr. Park’s grade four class; only to be eaten by Rex, their pet snake. She hardly ever yelled.
On this particular day, Aaron’s class was learning about the different types of occupations people could have. Holly Doyle’s father came in to talk about his job as a firefighter while Jake Golding’s mom spoke about being a dentist. Of all the different careers that were covered, being a doctor was by far Aaron’s favourite. He leaned over to tell Wilson, who was sucking on a fruit rollup, how cool it would be to save people’s lives which prompted Mrs. McCarthy to give them their first real assignment of their school careers.
“Pick your favourite job and then talk to someone who does that job so that you can tell the class about it. Be sure to find out why that person chose the occupation that he or she did.” Mrs. McCarthy beamed sweetly.
“I want to be a ballerina,” said Kayla dreamily as she practiced forming the letter S on a large sheet of lined paper.
Jake scoffed, “That’s a girly job! I want to be a secret agent so that I can shoot the bad guys.” He made his hand into a gun and shot Ryan in the chest who smiled and pretended to die.
“Well I want to be a pilot so that I can travel the globe and visit Disney World whenever I want to. What about you Aaron?”
The blonde haired boy grinned. “A doctor,” he said simply.
“Ewww,” Grumbled Peter. “Those are the guys who give you needles and make you take yucky medicine! They even had to cut my big brother Tommy open when he broke his arm.”
“But I bet ya he feels all better now,” interjected Wilson. “Doctors do all that stuff to keep us from getting sicker and the medicine they give us helps us to feel better. It’s a wicked cool job!”
“Yeah, that is kinda neat,” Holly agreed.
Aaron smiled as he finished up his rows of S’s and handed the sheet to Mrs. McCarthy who put a glow in the dark sticker on it for him.
Kate was waiting outside when the bell rang and waited as the children rushed to greet their parents.
“He’s doing very well, they’re learning about different types of jobs and have to find out about one to share with the class.” Mrs. Sarah McCarthy gestured her inside where Aaron was putting on his coat and changing into his outdoor shoes.
“Well doesn’t that sound fun.” Kate said warmly.
Aaron nodded enthusiastically.
“So how are you doing Sarah?” She motioned to the tell-tale bulge protruding from the teacher’s stomach.
“I’m six months pregnant.” Mrs. McCarthy grinned.
“Do you know what it’s going to be yet?”
The teacher shook her head. “Mark doesn’t want to know so he’s painting the nursery yellow just to be on the safe side.”
“Yeah,” Kate agreed. “That’s a good way to go. Speaking of which, we had better be heading out kiddo.” She looked at Aaron who was adjusting his Spiderman backpack.
Sarah waved goodbye and retreated to the far side of the room to close the window. The sky was darker now as a heavy rain pattered of the yellow tin roofs of the school buses, threatening to engulf the city below in a torrent of water.
Fall from Grace
Part 6: Need
Kate’s expression was bleak as she folded her cell phone into her pocket and turned to face Sawyer. He was watching her with raised eyebrows and a curious smile.
“I have to go,” she murmured breathlessly. “You’ll have to take care of Jack.”
The southerner’s lips pursed slightly. “Now, hold it just a second there Freckles. You’re not just going to run off and leave me with the Doc are ya?”
“Sawyer, I have to go,” she said, frowning at his bitter expression. “My son needs me.”
He met her at eye level, his grip tightening on the mug of coffee that he nursed in his right hand. Uncertain of what to say, he nodded.
“Veronica’s father had a heart attack and she needs to get to the hospital, she’s willing to stay with Aaron until I get home. He has to be to school in an hour.” Kate offered by way of explanation.
The man nodded again, mutely glancing toward the tent.
“He still in there?”
“Yeah, I think getting him to sleep outside helped a little. At least he’s speaking now.”
“Oh goodie.” Sawyer drawled as he escorted her down the beach and toward the house. The sky was still pink in the early half light unfolding into an expanse of teal and brilliant blue.
“Go easy on him.” She teased, cuffing him on the neck with her hand. He groaned in protest and swatted her away.
“Don’t know what ya mean Sweet Cheeks. If I went ‘easy on him’ he wouldn’t still be here,” the sandy haired man grunted.
“Right, cause you’re usually Mr. Sweet and Sensitive.” Kate scowled when he held the porch door open for her, issuing a heavily exaggerated bow. He flashed a toothy grin.
“After you, Freckles.”
“I’ll be back when I can.” She retrieved her purse from the kitchen table and rifled through it to find her keys.
Sawyer opened his mouth to say something, finding himself at a loss for words he tucked his hands inside his jeans pockets and sighed.
“Say hello to the kid for me.” He offered after a long moment. The words sounded awkward as they rolled away from his tongue.
“Yeah,” she agreed and turned toward the front door.
The buzz the sleeping pills held over Jack’s mind had gradually started to deteriorate. Hey lay on the edge of the blankets with his eyes gently closed. Slowly, he ran his fingers over the frown lines on his sweaty forehead. The wind blowing in from the ocean outside ruffled his hair, making his entire body tremble under the salt sea breeze.
When the sensation stopped his body continued to shake. He noticed this and stared at his quivering hand with an air of indifference. Some tiny part of his brain scolded him for being so damn weak but the larger, more assertive part concerned itself only with the high he acquired with every hit of Oxycodone, every slurp of alcohol. It kept him pleasantly on edge.
“Well golly gee, ain’t it amazing what a razor can do. Why don’t ya come inside the house Doc? We got electricity and everything!”
Jack’s eyes snapped open and he grimaced at Sawyer.
“Where’s Kate?”
“Ain’t that the question of the hour,” he chuckled darkly.
“She had something she needed to take care of. Guess it’s just you and me, Doc.” The southerner's tone was cool as he took his time to crawl into the tent and sit on his haunches beside the doctor.
Jack watched him suspiciously. Sawyer held up his hands. “Got nothing this time so you can relax.”
He gave the dark haired man a scrutinizing look-he was trembling.
“But maybe that isn’t what you wanted to hear.”
“Please, just take me home Sawyer...I won’t do anything,” he pleaded glumly.
“Oh really, well hell Doc if that’s what you want to do, come on then.” The sandy haired man shrugged and shouldered his way out of the tent. He waited expectantly for Jack to follow.
It was a slow process. Jack only half believed that Sawyer would do what he asked and when he did finally crawl out the other man was already half way down the beach.
The con-man waited near the large willow that clearly defined his backyard. The neighbour’s Pomeranian barked at him through a wedged opening in the fence and he growled back at it.
“Stupid mutt.” Jack heard him snort through clenched teeth. He kicked the fence and motioned for Jack to follow him through the garden and into the front yard.
“Better not go getting nauseous this time Dr. Feel Good or yer walking the rest of the way.” Sawyer warned as he held the passenger door to his Escalade wide open. He wasn’t surprised when his companion ignored him and clambered into the vehicle without word.
“So where are we headed?”
“Apartment complex on the corner of Fair Oaks,” Jack grunted the address and rubbed his head. He was sweating heavily now and shifted slightly so Sawyer would not notice how pathetic he looked. It was a long stretch for the con-man not to pick up on the tell-tale signs of withdrawal starting to kick in. It was even harder to hide when he couldn’t manoeuvre his body enough to buckle in the seatbelt clip-his hands were shaking too much.
Jack was thankful when the other man reached to help him without comment. Instead Sawyer focused himself on edging through the midmorning traffic that made the drive painfully slow. When they finally did manage their way across town, the sky was a placid shade of gray and a light drizzle drenched the already chaotic streets.
“Thank-you,” He kept his gaze to the floor as Sawyer pulled up beside the curb. He couldn’t quite bring himself to say anymore and winced at the ‘just returning the favour Doc,’ he received in response. The two men kept their exchange curt and Sawyer watched him stagger toward the lobby. He was confused, on the island it was always Jack who needed people around, needed someone to help. Now he couldn’t even help himself.
He was the very definition of alone.
Jack did his best not to look back. Not to see that look of pity that seemed to follow him wherever he went. He did not want to be pitied, not now not ever. Even the receptionist looked at him as if he had just lost his entire world, which in essence had. Or at least he felt like he had.
Scowling, he took the elevator to the fifth floor and fished for his spear key under the mat. The place was just as he’d left it...a mess.
He almost tripped over the many books and bits of rubbish that littered the floor. Jack’s knees were watery but he mustered the strength to make his way to the kitchen where rows upon rows of empty liquor bottles covered the entirety of his countertop. He scanned the room until his eyes fell on one half full bottle of Jack Daniels in the corner by the microwave stand. Making a mental note that he would have to get more later he let himself drop to uncap the liquid longingly.
The minute the fiery substance burned his throat he felt at ease again. Every care that he had bothered to burden himself with dissolved from his mind in a sort of slow motion that kept him momentarily subdued.
Sighing, Jack rested his head against the cupboard and let his eyes adjust to the dull light pouring in from the hall. He must have left the lamp on at one point but he didn’t do anything about it, instead reaching for another swig from the bottle.
“Son of a bitch, open up Doc!” Sawyer gave up banging on the outside door and turned the knob to find that it was unlocked. Rolling his eyes he pushed his way in and held his breath.
The place was a state at best.
He released the bags he was carrying on the coffee table and paused when he got to the kitchen, looking down at its single occupant. There was a devilish glint his blue eyes as he leaned against the steel doorframe, staring.
“You sure know how to throw one hell of a party. When do the strippers get here?”
“Go away Sawyer,” Jack groaned. He didn’t have the energy to care anymore.
“Yeah, tell that to the army of spiders waging war under yer couch. Now stand up.” The southerner requested forcefully and took the bottle from Jack’s trembling hands. He dumped the contents down the sink and tossed it with the rest.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I said I would take you home I didn’t say I would leave ya there. Come on Doc, look at yourself.”
“I just needed something to take the edge off.” Jack admitted. His head was reeling and he felt numb and detached enough to get to his feet without much effort.
Sawyer shrugged, “Don’t we all.”
“Hell, that’s probably why you went to the booze in the first place, figured you’d be closer to your old man that way.”
“You know nothing about me.” Jack didn’t have the energy to take a swing at him or maybe he didn’t have the will to try. If he thought about it, it was probably a mixture of both.
“Yer right,” the sandy haired man stepped back a few paces into the living room. Jack followed him with his eyes.
“But I do know that yer falling into it just like he did and yer afraid of what you’ll have to do to get yourself out.”
Jack swallowed, suddenly realizing how dry his throat felt. “He always said that I was coward, that I would never amount to anything.”
“And he didn’t mean it. Told me himself.” Sawyer’s tone was careful.
“Yeah,” the doctor snorted. “Did he tell you that he was always too drunk to give a damn about his family?”
“Yup, and that he didn’t have the guts to make things right himself. You’re a lucky man, Doc.”
“Lucky?” Jack was laughing now, his head tossed back in a guttural, throaty laugh that resonated from his stomach and pushed its way up. His arms were at his sides meeting the curve of his body in a half slump.
“Lucky?” He whispered.
“Yes lucky. Your daddy cared enough to tell someone that he regretted what he did. Even if it was to a total stranger in a bar while he was piss-ass drunk.”
“Wow, give the man a medal.”
Sawyer paused and gave Jack a look somewhere between pity and irritation. “My daddy shot my momma and turned the gun on himself in my own bedroom,” he said coolly. Something untraceable flickered in his eyes but he blinked and flushed it away as quickly as it came.
Jack looked at him unbelieving at first until his face faltered. “I’m...sorry.” He sighed and leaned back against the counter.
The southerner threw up his hands, “Yeah well, I guess we all got daddy issues don’t we.”
He waded back to the living room and swept the papers off the couch with his arms. Sitting down hard, he dug the remote out from under a cushion and turned the TV on.
“You got sat Doc?” He called to Jack who was still standing dumbfounded in the kitchen.
“No, why?” Jack stepped through the threshold, somewhat relieved that the alcohol had been enough to numb the shakes to a dull tremor.
At least for now.
“I was hope’n to get my General Hospital fix.” He winked and tore into one of the bags he had set on the table, patting the vacant spot on the couch.
“So would you prefer Ocean’s Eleven or Castaway?”
The other man coughed slightly.
Aaron Austen was pretty self sufficient for being four and a half years old. He knew how to get himself up in the morning when his Ninja Turtle alarm clock went off, what the best breakfast foods were (Frosted Flakes and bananas.) and even how to brush his teeth.
He loved kindergarten almost as much as he loved his teacher Mrs. McCarthy. She had a soft voice and was very patient with her students, even when his best friend Ryan Spencer accidentally let Speedy, the class hamster, loose on Mr. Park’s grade four class; only to be eaten by Rex, their pet snake. She hardly ever yelled.
On this particular day, Aaron’s class was learning about the different types of occupations people could have. Holly Doyle’s father came in to talk about his job as a firefighter while Jake Golding’s mom spoke about being a dentist. Of all the different careers that were covered, being a doctor was by far Aaron’s favourite. He leaned over to tell Wilson, who was sucking on a fruit rollup, how cool it would be to save people’s lives which prompted Mrs. McCarthy to give them their first real assignment of their school careers.
“Pick your favourite job and then talk to someone who does that job so that you can tell the class about it. Be sure to find out why that person chose the occupation that he or she did.” Mrs. McCarthy beamed sweetly.
“I want to be a ballerina,” said Kayla dreamily as she practiced forming the letter S on a large sheet of lined paper.
Jake scoffed, “That’s a girly job! I want to be a secret agent so that I can shoot the bad guys.” He made his hand into a gun and shot Ryan in the chest who smiled and pretended to die.
“Well I want to be a pilot so that I can travel the globe and visit Disney World whenever I want to. What about you Aaron?”
The blonde haired boy grinned. “A doctor,” he said simply.
“Ewww,” Grumbled Peter. “Those are the guys who give you needles and make you take yucky medicine! They even had to cut my big brother Tommy open when he broke his arm.”
“But I bet ya he feels all better now,” interjected Wilson. “Doctors do all that stuff to keep us from getting sicker and the medicine they give us helps us to feel better. It’s a wicked cool job!”
“Yeah, that is kinda neat,” Holly agreed.
Aaron smiled as he finished up his rows of S’s and handed the sheet to Mrs. McCarthy who put a glow in the dark sticker on it for him.
Kate was waiting outside when the bell rang and waited as the children rushed to greet their parents.
“He’s doing very well, they’re learning about different types of jobs and have to find out about one to share with the class.” Mrs. Sarah McCarthy gestured her inside where Aaron was putting on his coat and changing into his outdoor shoes.
“Well doesn’t that sound fun.” Kate said warmly.
Aaron nodded enthusiastically.
“So how are you doing Sarah?” She motioned to the tell-tale bulge protruding from the teacher’s stomach.
“I’m six months pregnant.” Mrs. McCarthy grinned.
“Do you know what it’s going to be yet?”
The teacher shook her head. “Mark doesn’t want to know so he’s painting the nursery yellow just to be on the safe side.”
“Yeah,” Kate agreed. “That’s a good way to go. Speaking of which, we had better be heading out kiddo.” She looked at Aaron who was adjusting his Spiderman backpack.
Sarah waved goodbye and retreated to the far side of the room to close the window. The sky was darker now as a heavy rain pattered of the yellow tin roofs of the school buses, threatening to engulf the city below in a torrent of water.
Summary: Slightly AU since S4. Takes place after TTLG where Jack is found on the bridge by Sawyer who isn't too thrilled about having to save one "Doc Kamikaze" from himself. He reluctantly brings Kate into the mix, but matters are only complicated when she gets into a car accident while picking up Aaron from school. With everything Jack truly cares about on the line will he be able to man up enough to save Kate and be a constant in Aaron's life? Or will his alcohol and drug problem send him deeper into depression? Sawyer is not prepared to be friendly.
Pairing: Jawyer, Jate
Rating: PG-13 for some language and violence.
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything that has to do with LOST.
Part 6: Need
Kate’s expression was bleak as she folded her cell phone into her pocket and turned to face Sawyer. He was watching her with raised eyebrows and a curious smile.
“I have to go,” she murmured breathlessly. “You’ll have to take care of Jack.”
The southerner’s lips pursed slightly. “Now, hold it just a second there Freckles. You’re not just going to run off and leave me with the Doc are ya?”
“Sawyer, I have to go,” she said, frowning at his bitter expression. “My son needs me.”
He met her at eye level, his grip tightening on the mug of coffee that he nursed in his right hand. Uncertain of what to say, he nodded.
“Veronica’s father had a heart attack and she needs to get to the hospital, she’s willing to stay with Aaron until I get home. He has to be to school in an hour.” Kate offered by way of explanation.
The man nodded again, mutely glancing toward the tent.
“He still in there?”
“Yeah, I think getting him to sleep outside helped a little. At least he’s speaking now.”
“Oh goodie.” Sawyer drawled as he escorted her down the beach and toward the house. The sky was still pink in the early half light unfolding into an expanse of teal and brilliant blue.
“Go easy on him.” She teased, cuffing him on the neck with her hand. He groaned in protest and swatted her away.
“Don’t know what ya mean Sweet Cheeks. If I went ‘easy on him’ he wouldn’t still be here,” the sandy haired man grunted.
“Right, cause you’re usually Mr. Sweet and Sensitive.” Kate scowled when he held the porch door open for her, issuing a heavily exaggerated bow. He flashed a toothy grin.
“After you, Freckles.”
“I’ll be back when I can.” She retrieved her purse from the kitchen table and rifled through it to find her keys.
Sawyer opened his mouth to say something, finding himself at a loss for words he tucked his hands inside his jeans pockets and sighed.
“Say hello to the kid for me.” He offered after a long moment. The words sounded awkward as they rolled away from his tongue.
“Yeah,” she agreed and turned toward the front door.
The buzz the sleeping pills held over Jack’s mind had gradually started to deteriorate. Hey lay on the edge of the blankets with his eyes gently closed. Slowly, he ran his fingers over the frown lines on his sweaty forehead. The wind blowing in from the ocean outside ruffled his hair, making his entire body tremble under the salt sea breeze.
When the sensation stopped his body continued to shake. He noticed this and stared at his quivering hand with an air of indifference. Some tiny part of his brain scolded him for being so damn weak but the larger, more assertive part concerned itself only with the high he acquired with every hit of Oxycodone, every slurp of alcohol. It kept him pleasantly on edge.
“Well golly gee, ain’t it amazing what a razor can do. Why don’t ya come inside the house Doc? We got electricity and everything!”
Jack’s eyes snapped open and he grimaced at Sawyer.
“Where’s Kate?”
“Ain’t that the question of the hour,” he chuckled darkly.
“She had something she needed to take care of. Guess it’s just you and me, Doc.” The southerner's tone was cool as he took his time to crawl into the tent and sit on his haunches beside the doctor.
Jack watched him suspiciously. Sawyer held up his hands. “Got nothing this time so you can relax.”
He gave the dark haired man a scrutinizing look-he was trembling.
“But maybe that isn’t what you wanted to hear.”
“Please, just take me home Sawyer...I won’t do anything,” he pleaded glumly.
“Oh really, well hell Doc if that’s what you want to do, come on then.” The sandy haired man shrugged and shouldered his way out of the tent. He waited expectantly for Jack to follow.
It was a slow process. Jack only half believed that Sawyer would do what he asked and when he did finally crawl out the other man was already half way down the beach.
The con-man waited near the large willow that clearly defined his backyard. The neighbour’s Pomeranian barked at him through a wedged opening in the fence and he growled back at it.
“Stupid mutt.” Jack heard him snort through clenched teeth. He kicked the fence and motioned for Jack to follow him through the garden and into the front yard.
“Better not go getting nauseous this time Dr. Feel Good or yer walking the rest of the way.” Sawyer warned as he held the passenger door to his Escalade wide open. He wasn’t surprised when his companion ignored him and clambered into the vehicle without word.
“So where are we headed?”
“Apartment complex on the corner of Fair Oaks,” Jack grunted the address and rubbed his head. He was sweating heavily now and shifted slightly so Sawyer would not notice how pathetic he looked. It was a long stretch for the con-man not to pick up on the tell-tale signs of withdrawal starting to kick in. It was even harder to hide when he couldn’t manoeuvre his body enough to buckle in the seatbelt clip-his hands were shaking too much.
Jack was thankful when the other man reached to help him without comment. Instead Sawyer focused himself on edging through the midmorning traffic that made the drive painfully slow. When they finally did manage their way across town, the sky was a placid shade of gray and a light drizzle drenched the already chaotic streets.
“Thank-you,” He kept his gaze to the floor as Sawyer pulled up beside the curb. He couldn’t quite bring himself to say anymore and winced at the ‘just returning the favour Doc,’ he received in response. The two men kept their exchange curt and Sawyer watched him stagger toward the lobby. He was confused, on the island it was always Jack who needed people around, needed someone to help. Now he couldn’t even help himself.
He was the very definition of alone.
Jack did his best not to look back. Not to see that look of pity that seemed to follow him wherever he went. He did not want to be pitied, not now not ever. Even the receptionist looked at him as if he had just lost his entire world, which in essence had. Or at least he felt like he had.
Scowling, he took the elevator to the fifth floor and fished for his spear key under the mat. The place was just as he’d left it...a mess.
He almost tripped over the many books and bits of rubbish that littered the floor. Jack’s knees were watery but he mustered the strength to make his way to the kitchen where rows upon rows of empty liquor bottles covered the entirety of his countertop. He scanned the room until his eyes fell on one half full bottle of Jack Daniels in the corner by the microwave stand. Making a mental note that he would have to get more later he let himself drop to uncap the liquid longingly.
The minute the fiery substance burned his throat he felt at ease again. Every care that he had bothered to burden himself with dissolved from his mind in a sort of slow motion that kept him momentarily subdued.
Sighing, Jack rested his head against the cupboard and let his eyes adjust to the dull light pouring in from the hall. He must have left the lamp on at one point but he didn’t do anything about it, instead reaching for another swig from the bottle.
“Son of a bitch, open up Doc!” Sawyer gave up banging on the outside door and turned the knob to find that it was unlocked. Rolling his eyes he pushed his way in and held his breath.
The place was a state at best.
He released the bags he was carrying on the coffee table and paused when he got to the kitchen, looking down at its single occupant. There was a devilish glint his blue eyes as he leaned against the steel doorframe, staring.
“You sure know how to throw one hell of a party. When do the strippers get here?”
“Go away Sawyer,” Jack groaned. He didn’t have the energy to care anymore.
“Yeah, tell that to the army of spiders waging war under yer couch. Now stand up.” The southerner requested forcefully and took the bottle from Jack’s trembling hands. He dumped the contents down the sink and tossed it with the rest.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I said I would take you home I didn’t say I would leave ya there. Come on Doc, look at yourself.”
“I just needed something to take the edge off.” Jack admitted. His head was reeling and he felt numb and detached enough to get to his feet without much effort.
Sawyer shrugged, “Don’t we all.”
“Hell, that’s probably why you went to the booze in the first place, figured you’d be closer to your old man that way.”
“You know nothing about me.” Jack didn’t have the energy to take a swing at him or maybe he didn’t have the will to try. If he thought about it, it was probably a mixture of both.
“Yer right,” the sandy haired man stepped back a few paces into the living room. Jack followed him with his eyes.
“But I do know that yer falling into it just like he did and yer afraid of what you’ll have to do to get yourself out.”
Jack swallowed, suddenly realizing how dry his throat felt. “He always said that I was coward, that I would never amount to anything.”
“And he didn’t mean it. Told me himself.” Sawyer’s tone was careful.
“Yeah,” the doctor snorted. “Did he tell you that he was always too drunk to give a damn about his family?”
“Yup, and that he didn’t have the guts to make things right himself. You’re a lucky man, Doc.”
“Lucky?” Jack was laughing now, his head tossed back in a guttural, throaty laugh that resonated from his stomach and pushed its way up. His arms were at his sides meeting the curve of his body in a half slump.
“Lucky?” He whispered.
“Yes lucky. Your daddy cared enough to tell someone that he regretted what he did. Even if it was to a total stranger in a bar while he was piss-ass drunk.”
“Wow, give the man a medal.”
Sawyer paused and gave Jack a look somewhere between pity and irritation. “My daddy shot my momma and turned the gun on himself in my own bedroom,” he said coolly. Something untraceable flickered in his eyes but he blinked and flushed it away as quickly as it came.
Jack looked at him unbelieving at first until his face faltered. “I’m...sorry.” He sighed and leaned back against the counter.
The southerner threw up his hands, “Yeah well, I guess we all got daddy issues don’t we.”
He waded back to the living room and swept the papers off the couch with his arms. Sitting down hard, he dug the remote out from under a cushion and turned the TV on.
“You got sat Doc?” He called to Jack who was still standing dumbfounded in the kitchen.
“No, why?” Jack stepped through the threshold, somewhat relieved that the alcohol had been enough to numb the shakes to a dull tremor.
At least for now.
“I was hope’n to get my General Hospital fix.” He winked and tore into one of the bags he had set on the table, patting the vacant spot on the couch.
“So would you prefer Ocean’s Eleven or Castaway?”
The other man coughed slightly.
Aaron Austen was pretty self sufficient for being four and a half years old. He knew how to get himself up in the morning when his Ninja Turtle alarm clock went off, what the best breakfast foods were (Frosted Flakes and bananas.) and even how to brush his teeth.
He loved kindergarten almost as much as he loved his teacher Mrs. McCarthy. She had a soft voice and was very patient with her students, even when his best friend Ryan Spencer accidentally let Speedy, the class hamster, loose on Mr. Park’s grade four class; only to be eaten by Rex, their pet snake. She hardly ever yelled.
On this particular day, Aaron’s class was learning about the different types of occupations people could have. Holly Doyle’s father came in to talk about his job as a firefighter while Jake Golding’s mom spoke about being a dentist. Of all the different careers that were covered, being a doctor was by far Aaron’s favourite. He leaned over to tell Wilson, who was sucking on a fruit rollup, how cool it would be to save people’s lives which prompted Mrs. McCarthy to give them their first real assignment of their school careers.
“Pick your favourite job and then talk to someone who does that job so that you can tell the class about it. Be sure to find out why that person chose the occupation that he or she did.” Mrs. McCarthy beamed sweetly.
“I want to be a ballerina,” said Kayla dreamily as she practiced forming the letter S on a large sheet of lined paper.
Jake scoffed, “That’s a girly job! I want to be a secret agent so that I can shoot the bad guys.” He made his hand into a gun and shot Ryan in the chest who smiled and pretended to die.
“Well I want to be a pilot so that I can travel the globe and visit Disney World whenever I want to. What about you Aaron?”
The blonde haired boy grinned. “A doctor,” he said simply.
“Ewww,” Grumbled Peter. “Those are the guys who give you needles and make you take yucky medicine! They even had to cut my big brother Tommy open when he broke his arm.”
“But I bet ya he feels all better now,” interjected Wilson. “Doctors do all that stuff to keep us from getting sicker and the medicine they give us helps us to feel better. It’s a wicked cool job!”
“Yeah, that is kinda neat,” Holly agreed.
Aaron smiled as he finished up his rows of S’s and handed the sheet to Mrs. McCarthy who put a glow in the dark sticker on it for him.
Kate was waiting outside when the bell rang and waited as the children rushed to greet their parents.
“He’s doing very well, they’re learning about different types of jobs and have to find out about one to share with the class.” Mrs. Sarah McCarthy gestured her inside where Aaron was putting on his coat and changing into his outdoor shoes.
“Well doesn’t that sound fun.” Kate said warmly.
Aaron nodded enthusiastically.
“So how are you doing Sarah?” She motioned to the tell-tale bulge protruding from the teacher’s stomach.
“I’m six months pregnant.” Mrs. McCarthy grinned.
“Do you know what it’s going to be yet?”
The teacher shook her head. “Mark doesn’t want to know so he’s painting the nursery yellow just to be on the safe side.”
“Yeah,” Kate agreed. “That’s a good way to go. Speaking of which, we had better be heading out kiddo.” She looked at Aaron who was adjusting his Spiderman backpack.
Sarah waved goodbye and retreated to the far side of the room to close the window. The sky was darker now as a heavy rain pattered of the yellow tin roofs of the school buses, threatening to engulf the city below in a torrent of water.
Fall from Grace
Part 6: Need
Kate’s expression was bleak as she folded her cell phone into her pocket and turned to face Sawyer. He was watching her with raised eyebrows and a curious smile.
“I have to go,” she murmured breathlessly. “You’ll have to take care of Jack.”
The southerner’s lips pursed slightly. “Now, hold it just a second there Freckles. You’re not just going to run off and leave me with the Doc are ya?”
“Sawyer, I have to go,” she said, frowning at his bitter expression. “My son needs me.”
He met her at eye level, his grip tightening on the mug of coffee that he nursed in his right hand. Uncertain of what to say, he nodded.
“Veronica’s father had a heart attack and she needs to get to the hospital, she’s willing to stay with Aaron until I get home. He has to be to school in an hour.” Kate offered by way of explanation.
The man nodded again, mutely glancing toward the tent.
“He still in there?”
“Yeah, I think getting him to sleep outside helped a little. At least he’s speaking now.”
“Oh goodie.” Sawyer drawled as he escorted her down the beach and toward the house. The sky was still pink in the early half light unfolding into an expanse of teal and brilliant blue.
“Go easy on him.” She teased, cuffing him on the neck with her hand. He groaned in protest and swatted her away.
“Don’t know what ya mean Sweet Cheeks. If I went ‘easy on him’ he wouldn’t still be here,” the sandy haired man grunted.
“Right, cause you’re usually Mr. Sweet and Sensitive.” Kate scowled when he held the porch door open for her, issuing a heavily exaggerated bow. He flashed a toothy grin.
“After you, Freckles.”
“I’ll be back when I can.” She retrieved her purse from the kitchen table and rifled through it to find her keys.
Sawyer opened his mouth to say something, finding himself at a loss for words he tucked his hands inside his jeans pockets and sighed.
“Say hello to the kid for me.” He offered after a long moment. The words sounded awkward as they rolled away from his tongue.
“Yeah,” she agreed and turned toward the front door.
The buzz the sleeping pills held over Jack’s mind had gradually started to deteriorate. Hey lay on the edge of the blankets with his eyes gently closed. Slowly, he ran his fingers over the frown lines on his sweaty forehead. The wind blowing in from the ocean outside ruffled his hair, making his entire body tremble under the salt sea breeze.
When the sensation stopped his body continued to shake. He noticed this and stared at his quivering hand with an air of indifference. Some tiny part of his brain scolded him for being so damn weak but the larger, more assertive part concerned itself only with the high he acquired with every hit of Oxycodone, every slurp of alcohol. It kept him pleasantly on edge.
“Well golly gee, ain’t it amazing what a razor can do. Why don’t ya come inside the house Doc? We got electricity and everything!”
Jack’s eyes snapped open and he grimaced at Sawyer.
“Where’s Kate?”
“Ain’t that the question of the hour,” he chuckled darkly.
“She had something she needed to take care of. Guess it’s just you and me, Doc.” The southerner's tone was cool as he took his time to crawl into the tent and sit on his haunches beside the doctor.
Jack watched him suspiciously. Sawyer held up his hands. “Got nothing this time so you can relax.”
He gave the dark haired man a scrutinizing look-he was trembling.
“But maybe that isn’t what you wanted to hear.”
“Please, just take me home Sawyer...I won’t do anything,” he pleaded glumly.
“Oh really, well hell Doc if that’s what you want to do, come on then.” The sandy haired man shrugged and shouldered his way out of the tent. He waited expectantly for Jack to follow.
It was a slow process. Jack only half believed that Sawyer would do what he asked and when he did finally crawl out the other man was already half way down the beach.
The con-man waited near the large willow that clearly defined his backyard. The neighbour’s Pomeranian barked at him through a wedged opening in the fence and he growled back at it.
“Stupid mutt.” Jack heard him snort through clenched teeth. He kicked the fence and motioned for Jack to follow him through the garden and into the front yard.
“Better not go getting nauseous this time Dr. Feel Good or yer walking the rest of the way.” Sawyer warned as he held the passenger door to his Escalade wide open. He wasn’t surprised when his companion ignored him and clambered into the vehicle without word.
“So where are we headed?”
“Apartment complex on the corner of Fair Oaks,” Jack grunted the address and rubbed his head. He was sweating heavily now and shifted slightly so Sawyer would not notice how pathetic he looked. It was a long stretch for the con-man not to pick up on the tell-tale signs of withdrawal starting to kick in. It was even harder to hide when he couldn’t manoeuvre his body enough to buckle in the seatbelt clip-his hands were shaking too much.
Jack was thankful when the other man reached to help him without comment. Instead Sawyer focused himself on edging through the midmorning traffic that made the drive painfully slow. When they finally did manage their way across town, the sky was a placid shade of gray and a light drizzle drenched the already chaotic streets.
“Thank-you,” He kept his gaze to the floor as Sawyer pulled up beside the curb. He couldn’t quite bring himself to say anymore and winced at the ‘just returning the favour Doc,’ he received in response. The two men kept their exchange curt and Sawyer watched him stagger toward the lobby. He was confused, on the island it was always Jack who needed people around, needed someone to help. Now he couldn’t even help himself.
He was the very definition of alone.
Jack did his best not to look back. Not to see that look of pity that seemed to follow him wherever he went. He did not want to be pitied, not now not ever. Even the receptionist looked at him as if he had just lost his entire world, which in essence had. Or at least he felt like he had.
Scowling, he took the elevator to the fifth floor and fished for his spear key under the mat. The place was just as he’d left it...a mess.
He almost tripped over the many books and bits of rubbish that littered the floor. Jack’s knees were watery but he mustered the strength to make his way to the kitchen where rows upon rows of empty liquor bottles covered the entirety of his countertop. He scanned the room until his eyes fell on one half full bottle of Jack Daniels in the corner by the microwave stand. Making a mental note that he would have to get more later he let himself drop to uncap the liquid longingly.
The minute the fiery substance burned his throat he felt at ease again. Every care that he had bothered to burden himself with dissolved from his mind in a sort of slow motion that kept him momentarily subdued.
Sighing, Jack rested his head against the cupboard and let his eyes adjust to the dull light pouring in from the hall. He must have left the lamp on at one point but he didn’t do anything about it, instead reaching for another swig from the bottle.
“Son of a bitch, open up Doc!” Sawyer gave up banging on the outside door and turned the knob to find that it was unlocked. Rolling his eyes he pushed his way in and held his breath.
The place was a state at best.
He released the bags he was carrying on the coffee table and paused when he got to the kitchen, looking down at its single occupant. There was a devilish glint his blue eyes as he leaned against the steel doorframe, staring.
“You sure know how to throw one hell of a party. When do the strippers get here?”
“Go away Sawyer,” Jack groaned. He didn’t have the energy to care anymore.
“Yeah, tell that to the army of spiders waging war under yer couch. Now stand up.” The southerner requested forcefully and took the bottle from Jack’s trembling hands. He dumped the contents down the sink and tossed it with the rest.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I said I would take you home I didn’t say I would leave ya there. Come on Doc, look at yourself.”
“I just needed something to take the edge off.” Jack admitted. His head was reeling and he felt numb and detached enough to get to his feet without much effort.
Sawyer shrugged, “Don’t we all.”
“Hell, that’s probably why you went to the booze in the first place, figured you’d be closer to your old man that way.”
“You know nothing about me.” Jack didn’t have the energy to take a swing at him or maybe he didn’t have the will to try. If he thought about it, it was probably a mixture of both.
“Yer right,” the sandy haired man stepped back a few paces into the living room. Jack followed him with his eyes.
“But I do know that yer falling into it just like he did and yer afraid of what you’ll have to do to get yourself out.”
Jack swallowed, suddenly realizing how dry his throat felt. “He always said that I was coward, that I would never amount to anything.”
“And he didn’t mean it. Told me himself.” Sawyer’s tone was careful.
“Yeah,” the doctor snorted. “Did he tell you that he was always too drunk to give a damn about his family?”
“Yup, and that he didn’t have the guts to make things right himself. You’re a lucky man, Doc.”
“Lucky?” Jack was laughing now, his head tossed back in a guttural, throaty laugh that resonated from his stomach and pushed its way up. His arms were at his sides meeting the curve of his body in a half slump.
“Lucky?” He whispered.
“Yes lucky. Your daddy cared enough to tell someone that he regretted what he did. Even if it was to a total stranger in a bar while he was piss-ass drunk.”
“Wow, give the man a medal.”
Sawyer paused and gave Jack a look somewhere between pity and irritation. “My daddy shot my momma and turned the gun on himself in my own bedroom,” he said coolly. Something untraceable flickered in his eyes but he blinked and flushed it away as quickly as it came.
Jack looked at him unbelieving at first until his face faltered. “I’m...sorry.” He sighed and leaned back against the counter.
The southerner threw up his hands, “Yeah well, I guess we all got daddy issues don’t we.”
He waded back to the living room and swept the papers off the couch with his arms. Sitting down hard, he dug the remote out from under a cushion and turned the TV on.
“You got sat Doc?” He called to Jack who was still standing dumbfounded in the kitchen.
“No, why?” Jack stepped through the threshold, somewhat relieved that the alcohol had been enough to numb the shakes to a dull tremor.
At least for now.
“I was hope’n to get my General Hospital fix.” He winked and tore into one of the bags he had set on the table, patting the vacant spot on the couch.
“So would you prefer Ocean’s Eleven or Castaway?”
The other man coughed slightly.
Aaron Austen was pretty self sufficient for being four and a half years old. He knew how to get himself up in the morning when his Ninja Turtle alarm clock went off, what the best breakfast foods were (Frosted Flakes and bananas.) and even how to brush his teeth.
He loved kindergarten almost as much as he loved his teacher Mrs. McCarthy. She had a soft voice and was very patient with her students, even when his best friend Ryan Spencer accidentally let Speedy, the class hamster, loose on Mr. Park’s grade four class; only to be eaten by Rex, their pet snake. She hardly ever yelled.
On this particular day, Aaron’s class was learning about the different types of occupations people could have. Holly Doyle’s father came in to talk about his job as a firefighter while Jake Golding’s mom spoke about being a dentist. Of all the different careers that were covered, being a doctor was by far Aaron’s favourite. He leaned over to tell Wilson, who was sucking on a fruit rollup, how cool it would be to save people’s lives which prompted Mrs. McCarthy to give them their first real assignment of their school careers.
“Pick your favourite job and then talk to someone who does that job so that you can tell the class about it. Be sure to find out why that person chose the occupation that he or she did.” Mrs. McCarthy beamed sweetly.
“I want to be a ballerina,” said Kayla dreamily as she practiced forming the letter S on a large sheet of lined paper.
Jake scoffed, “That’s a girly job! I want to be a secret agent so that I can shoot the bad guys.” He made his hand into a gun and shot Ryan in the chest who smiled and pretended to die.
“Well I want to be a pilot so that I can travel the globe and visit Disney World whenever I want to. What about you Aaron?”
The blonde haired boy grinned. “A doctor,” he said simply.
“Ewww,” Grumbled Peter. “Those are the guys who give you needles and make you take yucky medicine! They even had to cut my big brother Tommy open when he broke his arm.”
“But I bet ya he feels all better now,” interjected Wilson. “Doctors do all that stuff to keep us from getting sicker and the medicine they give us helps us to feel better. It’s a wicked cool job!”
“Yeah, that is kinda neat,” Holly agreed.
Aaron smiled as he finished up his rows of S’s and handed the sheet to Mrs. McCarthy who put a glow in the dark sticker on it for him.
Kate was waiting outside when the bell rang and waited as the children rushed to greet their parents.
“He’s doing very well, they’re learning about different types of jobs and have to find out about one to share with the class.” Mrs. Sarah McCarthy gestured her inside where Aaron was putting on his coat and changing into his outdoor shoes.
“Well doesn’t that sound fun.” Kate said warmly.
Aaron nodded enthusiastically.
“So how are you doing Sarah?” She motioned to the tell-tale bulge protruding from the teacher’s stomach.
“I’m six months pregnant.” Mrs. McCarthy grinned.
“Do you know what it’s going to be yet?”
The teacher shook her head. “Mark doesn’t want to know so he’s painting the nursery yellow just to be on the safe side.”
“Yeah,” Kate agreed. “That’s a good way to go. Speaking of which, we had better be heading out kiddo.” She looked at Aaron who was adjusting his Spiderman backpack.
Sarah waved goodbye and retreated to the far side of the room to close the window. The sky was darker now as a heavy rain pattered of the yellow tin roofs of the school buses, threatening to engulf the city below in a torrent of water.