Fic: Long Distance Call Rated PG-13 Pt 1 of 2
Title: Long Distance Call
Genre: AU
Pairing: McShep
Rated: PG-13 for language and violence
Word count: 11,023 (pre-header)
Warnings: Death fic, angst, dark
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Neither Stargate Atlantis nor her characters are mine.
Summary: Is it possible to reconnect with a lost love?
A/N: This fic was written for the enter_tzone challenge. The title of the Twilight Zone episode I chose was Long Distance Call.
I’d like to thank my wonderful beta caersmane! She did a fantastic job and deserves all the thanks in the world! {{{HUGS}}} Any mistakes in the story are completely mine and I’ll take the blame :)
The beautiful cover art was created by danceswithgary from a design I gave her but I’m not good enough to do art, so she graciously took it under her wing and whipped this beautiful picture out in no time flat!
I’d also like to thank danceswithgary for creating the enter_tzone challenge. I had such a great time writing this story!
I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
~April 5, 2009~
Ten years. It had been ten years since he had died and the pain in John’s heart was just as sharp as it had been on the day he had heard the news.
John tipped his head back and drained the rest of his beer. There had been a time, not too far in the past, when this wouldn’t be his second beer of the day, but his twenty second. He’d managed to pull himself out of that particular rut, but there was still a lot of work to be done in his life. He decided to allow himself another beer and maybe one after that; this was the anniversary of his death after all.
~*~
~April 1, 1993~
“I don’t think so guys,” John said as his friends tried to coax him out of his apartment.
“Come on, John,” his best friend Kevin urged, “we’ve already set it up.”
“Then you’ll have to call and cancel. I’m not going on any blind date, especially one you freaks set up for me.”
“John-” Mark spoke up, for once stepping out of Kevin’s shadow, only to be cut off by John.
“No, I just got out of a long relationship and I’m not looking to start a new one.” John stood his ground, although he did step behind the couch in case they tried to force him.
“No one’s asking you to get married, John. Just get out of this damn apartment and have a little fun. No strings attached, no calls expected. The stipulations are the same on both sides. Just two people who need to get out.” Kevin spoke evenly as he rounded the couch and blocked John’s only exit, save jumping over the back.
“So who is it?” John asked simply to get them the hell off his back.
Okay, so maybe he had been sulking in his apartment for the last two weeks, but he wasn’t ready to go out and certainly not on a ‘date’. It was going to take time for him to get over the fact that his girlfriend of almost two years had left him for his brother after he took her home to meet his dad. He supposed it was better than her leaving him for his dad, but either way, he wasn’t up to social contact just yet.
“No one you know, that would take the fun out of it.” Jimmy spoke a little too quickly for John’s liking.
“I know a guy,” Kevin said, “one of his girlfriends friends is in a similar situation as you, hasn’t left the apartment in over a week. We decided that since you’re both in the same boat, why not kill two birds with one stone and set up a blind date.”
John sighed in annoyance. He supposed they had his best interests in mind, but John sometimes hated that he had such stubborn friends.
“Come on, John, you’ll have fun, they’ll have fun. Then maybe tomorrow you can get on with your life and forget about… her… whatever her name was. See, I’ve already forgotten.” Kevin flashed a wide grin in an obvious attempt to put John at ease. It didn’t work.
John scowled and resigned himself to the futility of the argument. “Alright, where and what time am I supposed to be meeting this mystery date?”
Two hours later, John was sitting in the back corner of Alberto’s, the fanciest Italian restaurant in town, wondering if there was a way to escape before his date showed up. Of course, Kevin had said she was in the same situation as he was, and if that was true the chances of her showing up at all were slim. Unless her friends were just as stubborn as his, that was. Then again, if she did just get out of a relationship, showing up to a blind date and being stood up probably wouldn’t do much for her self-confidence and John didn’t want to be the one to hurt someone’s self image.
“Excuse me pal.”
John’s thoughts were interrupted and he looked up at the man who had spoken. He had thick light brown hair that could have actually been a dark blonde in the right light, blue eyes and a thin, slightly crooked mouth.
“This table is reserved.” The guy rested one hand on the back of the chair across from John and leaned on it. He looked impatiently at John, as if expecting him to just get up and move.
“Yeah,” John replied abruptly, “my friends reserved it.”
“Your friends may have reserved the table in that corner,” the man said and pointed across the room, “but this table is mine. I’m here for a-”
“A blind date?” John interrupted, suddenly realizing what was going on.
“Yeah, how’d you… oh, I see.” His mouth thinned even further and pulled down at one corner, annoyance flashing in his eyes. “It’s April first, this is my April fool’s joke, figures. Are you in on it?”
“What? No I… no I… why would I play a joke on someone I’ve never even met? Especially when I’m not even playing jokes on my friends.”
“Right, whatever.” He turned to leave.
“Wait,” John said, “don’t leave.”
The guy turned back. “Why not?”
“What’s almost as bad as an April fool’s joke being sprung before it’s supposed to be?”
“A flat tire in a storm? I have no idea.” Irritation edged his voice now, so John leaned forward and flashed him the smile he knew could charm anyone.
“One that doesn’t go as planned.” John leaned back and crossed his arms loosely over his chest, his smile turning mischievous. “Now I have no idea about your friends, but mine are probably out there expecting me to storm out of here cursing and spitting and throwing a fit.”
“Yeah, that’s probably what mine expect,” the man agreed after a brief pause.
“Then don’t do it.” It was a simple enough solution, just dinner with a guy, get back at his friends, get back at both groups of friends. He was already there anyway, and had ordered a drink; he may as well get a meal out of the situation.
“Wait, you want to actually go through with this date?” The man’s eyes widened and his mouth drew together in what looked like horror mixed with uncertainty, but the look only lasted a moment before he seemed to consider the idea.
“We don’t have to call it date.” John said quickly. “We’ll call it… two people who have never met, having dinner.”
The guy crossed his arms and sighed. “Alright,” he agreed and sat down. “But I refuse to pay for an April fool’s dinner.”
“Well I came expecting to pay, so I guess that doesn’t matter. What’s your name anyway?”
“McKay, Rodney McKay.”
“Hi, Rodney, I’m John Sheppard,” he introduced himself and extended his hand over the table.
“Nice to meet you, John,” Rodney replied and shook the outstretched hand. “Well, under the circumstances anyway.”
John picked up his menu and started scanning the appetizers, a moment later Rodney opened his menu as well.
They shared casual conversation over the dinner, making sure to give their friends ample time to get bored and leave. The conversation consisted mostly of ‘Oh, you’re in college?’ and ‘what are you majoring in?’ and ‘where did you go to high school?’ and ‘do you have any siblings?’
John learned that Rodney had a sister named Jeanie, who happened to be the girlfriend of the friend Kevin had mentioned; that he and his parents weren’t on the best of terms, that he had an allergy to citrus and loved cats. Rodney learned that John had a brother named Dave that he didn’t really get along with, although John was pretty tight lipped as to why and had changed the subject pretty quickly; and that his mother had died of breast cancer two years earlier, that John loved horseback riding and didn’t mind cats but was more of a dog person.
Dinner and dessert lasted almost two hours, and it was nearing ten pm when they finally left Alberto’s, in favor of a coffee shop Rodney frequented, and rounded off the night with a couple of cups of coffee each.
“You know, this wasn’t really all that bad for a blind-”
“Two people who don’t know each other having dinner?” Rodney asked, cutting him off.
John laughed. “Exactly. I’ve never had a nicer dinner with someone I don’t know.”
~*~
~April 5, 2009~
John rubbed at his eyes and got off the couch, leaving a distinct butt shaped dip on the center cushion. He went into the kitchen and grabbed another beer, surveying the living room from the kitchen entrance; several empty bottles sat on the coffee table but he didn’t care. He detoured and went out onto the balcony and leaned on the banister. He’d gotten the apartment on the top level of the high-rise simply because he loved the sky and wanted to make sure he’d have plenty of time to pick up speed if he ever got the courage to jump. Considering how the memories were bombarding his mind and heart; tonight just might be that night.
~*~
~June 24, 1994~
“I can’t believe this shit,” Kevin said as he and John sat on the bleachers at the park. Some little league ball team was playing on the field, but John and Kevin didn’t know anyone on either team, but they weren’t there to watch the game anyway. This had been their place since high school, where they drank and, back in the old days, where they had smoked pot; and although John had given up the pot a few years ago, the two of them still hung out here.
“It’s your fault,” John pointed out.
“It was supposed to be a joke, John. I never expected you to go and-”
“Fall in love?” John asked.
Kevin shuddered.
“You’re disgusted?” John stared out over the field, he’d known Kevin would probably react that way; he wasn’t the most open minded person. But John had hoped that their years of friendship would have made a difference, and it hurt that his friend would so easily judge him.
“Well yeah, you’re my friend.” Kevin glanced at John and quickly averted his eyes as he scooted away.
“I can still be your friend.” John knew that anything he said to Kevin from here out would fall on deaf ears, but Kevin had been a good friend to him, he’d been there when John needed someone to talk to, and part of him wanted that to continue.
“No, no not if you’re… God, John that’s… it’s not right.” Kevin rolled his shoulders as if he’d just been touched by something slimy. He wouldn’t look at John and had been slowly moving away since the conversation began.
“What’s not right? Loving someone?” John’s voice hardened. Kevin had seen him through every failed relationship over the past several years, and now that he was finally in one that felt like it would last, his best friend was pushing him away all because it didn’t fit his idea of what relationships should be. John braced himself for the rejection he knew was coming.
“No! Loving a man! I thought you guys were just friends, and now you’re telling me you’re moving in together? John, are you fucking him?” Kevin glared at John, his eyes were filled with more than disgust, they were filled with hate.
John was taken aback. “Kev, that’s not really any of your business.”
“Oh shit you are.” His face contorted and he stammered through disgusted noises. “John I can’t… you can’t. Dude, just stay the hell away from me.” Kevin jumped off the bleachers and left.
John sat there and watched his friend of eight years walk away, and he couldn’t say he was sorry to see him go.
John hated leaving Rodney three days into their new apartment, but he had an important meeting in Oregon and it was something his father couldn’t do. John usually didn’t have anything to do with the family business, but he was on the books as an employee, and his dad had practically begged him to attend so he wouldn’t have to send the less competent Dave. Unfortunately with Rodney still in school, going for another doctorate, he couldn’t go with him.
John drove all day to get back to Rodney and at eight thirty that night he pulled into the second of their reserved spots, pleased to see Rodney’s car in the other.
He stepped away from the car and craned his neck, looking up at their bedroom window. The light was on and John smiled as he climbed the stairs.
The door was unlocked, even after John had told Rodney about the argument he’d had with Kevin, and that he’d feel safer if Rodney promised to keep the door locked all the time. He opened the door, stomach lurching when he found that the living room was a mess, the chairs were turned over, and the books had been thrown off the shelves.
John turned toward the bedroom, praying that Rodney had decided to stay with Jeanie while he was away.
“Don’t-” he heard Rodney’s voice, followed by another voice, this one so twisted with anger and hate that he barely recognized it.
“Shut up, bitch! It’s gotta be something special that turns a guy like Sheppard gay, so I’m gonna see what’s so damn good about boy ass.”
John flew to the bedroom and flung the door open. Rodney was completely naked and on his stomach, his clothes lying in shreds on the floor; his face was purple and swollen, blood was running from his nose and the corner of his mouth. Kevin was straddling Rodney’s hips and had his arms pulled behind him, he was holding Rodney’s wrists tightly with one hand as he tried to tie them together with the other hand. His pants were unbuttoned and pushed down just enough to reveal a curved erection.
“John…” Rodney whimpered.
John’s vision went red.
“Johnny-” Kevin bellowed condescendingly but was unable to finish any sentence that would have followed.
John bound across the room and shoved Kevin and knocked him off of Rodney, then went after him. They landed on the floor in a tangle of punching arms and kicking legs; John pushed Kevin onto his back throwing punch after punch at Kevin’s face until he felt Rodney’s hands clutching at his shoulders crying for him to stop. He lifted Kevin to his feet, twisted one arm behind him and threw him out of the apartment.
“Some friend you are!” he heard Kevin’s drunken shouting as he walked down the hall, “Queer!”
John went back to the bedroom and found Rodney balled up on the bed. He gently lay beside him and took him into his arms.
“Shhh,” he soothed as he ran a hand over the back of Rodney’s head. “It’s okay buddy. I’m here, it’s okay.”
~*~
~April 5, 2009~
John put the empty bottle on the floor and hopped up onto the banister; he turned and let his feet dangle over the edge. He curled his fingers around the ledge behind him and leaned out. Strings of white lights were passing his building below, the street lights were on and the traffic lights were changing: green-yellow- red. He took a deep breath, pushed down his fear and prepared to say goodbye to the world.
~*~
~April 1, 1999~
After John’s dad died, John and Rodney had moved to New York so John could manage the New York branch of the company until someone had been appointed. That had been two years ago and John was still there. He sighed as he walked into the dark house. It was almost eleven pm so he assumed Rodney had gone to bed. He was later than he had promised to be, but there had been a problem at the office and, as usual, it seemed as though John Sheppard was the only person in the entire world who could get things ironed out. He’d called Rodney and told him he’d be late, but that had been at four in the afternoon. John thought Rodney had probably gone to bed angry at him for not calling again when it became clear that he’d be late for dinner.
He went into the kitchen to grab some food and found a note stuck to the refrigerator with a magnet that looked like a bunch of grapes.
John,
Had to run to the school for a few minutes, forgot the papers I’m supposed to grade over the weekend. I’ll grab some takeout on the way home so don’t fix anything. See you when I get there. R.
John pulled the note off the door and looked at it, it wasn’t like Rodney to forget things, but then he could have been just as distracted as John was all day. It was the 6th anniversary of their, ‘two people who don’t know each other, having dinner’, first date.
Rodney had a habit of writing the date and time on everything he wrote, this note was no exception. April 1, 1999 - 6:00 pm.
John furrowed his brow and pulled his cell out of his pocket.
“Damn,” he said when he realized the battery was dead. He went to the machine on the land line and pressed play, thinking that maybe Rodney had tried to call him and when he couldn’t get through had called the house.
He skipped the first three messages, two from Rodney’s mom that morning and one from Dave. The fourth message stopped his heart,
“John,” he heard Jeanie’s voice, and it was clear that she was crying, “It’s Jeanie. I just got a call from Franklin Memorial Hospital. It’s Mer; he’s been in a really bad accident. He’s in surgery right now and I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
John grabbed the keys off the hook beside the door and was out of the house before the message had even finished playing.
John ran to the front desk. “I need to see Rodney McKay,” he demanded frantically.
The older woman behind the desk pecked at the keyboard much too slowly for John’s anxiety level and he bounced nervously on the balls of his feet. “Come on! Where is he?” he shouted.
“He’s in ICU sir,” she said dryly after a long moment.
“Where is that?” he urged.
“Fifth floor, but you-”
John rushed toward the elevators before she could finish. He pressed the up button but when the doors hadn’t opened five seconds later he stormed through the door marked ‘stairs’ and took the steps two at a time.
“Sir, can I help you?” the young woman at the information center asked loudly as John ran past the desk.
He pushed on the heavy double doors and pounded his fist against them when they wouldn’t budge.
“Sir!” the young woman called sternly.
John ran over to the desk. “Rodney McKay,” he said breathlessly.
“And you are?” the girl asked as she sat back down in her chair and turned toward her computer screen.
“John Sheppard,” he spat, as if that was information she either should have known or shouldn’t have needed.
She pecked at the keyboard at a pace that was just slightly faster than the woman in emergency. “Are you family?”
“No but-”
“They’re only allowing family in at this time.” The girl’s voice was unfeeling.
“Open the door,” John growled through clenched teeth.
“I can’t do that sir.”
“I may as well be family!” he shouted, “Let me the fuck in there!”
“I’m sorry sir, family only.”
John couldn’t believe that the world was so fucked up that they’d keep a seriously injured man alone when someone was there for him, just because they failed to see a six year relationship as close to family as it was. The fact that he knew that if either he or Rodney had been of the opposite sex would have made all the difference in the world pissed him off beyond belief and he slammed his fist against the desk and the woman blanched.
“Sir!” she spoke firmly as she stood up and backed away toward a telephone.
John went over to the doors again and began pushing his weight against the push handles. “Open these god damned doors!” he shouted.
“I’m calling security sir,” the woman stated but it didn’t deter John from his attempts to gain access to the unit.
John stood his ground as the two burley security officers approached him.
“You need to come with us sir,” one of the officers spoke calmly. Both men had their hands curled around the tazers that hung at their sides.
“I need to get in there,” John said and continued pushing against the doors with his back.
He flung his arm out and pushed the hand away that was trying to grab his arm.
The two officers lurched forward and pulled John to the ground. John bucked his body and flailed his arms, throwing punches wildly as they tried to restrain him. He heard a mechanical whirr as he was flipped onto his stomach and out of his peripheral vision he saw the doors open and he fought to free himself from the grasping hands.
“Hey! Hey!”
The men stopped struggling to restrain John and he flung himself violently back against them and scrambled to his feet to find Jeanie standing in front of the doors that were now closed again.
“Leave him alone.” Jeanie demanded.
“He’s being violent and trying to destroy hospital property,” the woman behind the desk spoke up.
“They wouldn’t let me in,” John told her, his eyes were boring holes into the two officers as they struggled to their feet.
“If you’d just opened the door none of this would have happened.”
“Family only, ma’am.”
“He is family. Open the door.”
John wasn’t sure how Jeanie had gotten there so fast, but then he realized that it was close to midnight now and six hours had passed since Rodney had written the note.
“Open it!” John shouted when the doors still hadn’t opened thirty seconds later.
The woman flinched again but pressed a button and the doors buzzed and Jeanie pushed through them. John followed.
Rodney had a ventilator in this throat and tubes were coming from everywhere, his face was badly swollen, the skin under his eyes was black and his head was wrapped in gauze that was slowly turning pink. The doctor said he had some brain swelling and they had to relieve it, but weren’t sure if it would be enough.
“What happened?” He asked Jeanie, sitting beside Rodney, gently holding his hand.
“There was, there was a truck that hit him, a semi. They both went off the road. The doctor told me that the EMT had to lift him out of the ravine, that he shouldn’t have survived…”
Her mouth twisted and she covered it with her fingers and turned away. Her shoulders began shaking as she cried. John got up and walked to her, she began sobbing as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. “He’s going to be alright,” he stated, willing it to be true because he can’t think about anything else, can’t imagine it, won’t accept it. He looked at Rodney over Jeanie’s shoulder. “You’re going to be alright, aren’t you, buddy?”
“John…” Jeanie whispered.
“I’m here now, he’ll be fine. You’ll be fine Rodney.” He wasn’t even attempting to hide the tears that were streaming out of his eyes. “Wake up Rodney. Rodney wake up now, I’m here, it’s… Rodney… Rodney we have to have our ‘two people who love each other having dinner’ dinner. I can’t do it without you Rodney. That would be a ‘having dinner without the man I love’ dinner. Wake up Rodney.” He was babbling, he knew it, but he couldn’t stop pleading, couldn’t shut up, even when Jeanie pressed her face into his shoulder and cried.
~April 5, 2009~
John sighed and leaned back as the moment passed and he lost his impetus to let go. He turned around and hopped off the banister, scrubbing at his tear soaked face as he walked into the kitchen for another beer. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten all day. He picked up the stack of delivery menus off the counter and tried to decide what to order. He hadn’t cooked in ten years.
~April 7, 1999~
Cold rain pummeled John as he stood unsheltered by the graveside; he had pushed away every umbrella that had been offered to him. He put his hand to his chest and consciously fingered the two gold bands he’d put on a thin gold chain as his shattered heart ached hollowly. They’d found the box in Rodney’s car after the accident and had given it to Jeanie. Jeanie gave it to John with her apologies.
He stood at the grave for a long time after the funeral. Everyone else was gone but John couldn’t bring himself to leave Rodney’s side.
“He hates confined spaces.” John told the caretaker when he had come over to fill the grave. “I wanted to have him cremated, that’s what he wanted. But Jeanie was his next of kin and although I’d spent the last six years of my life with him, what I said meant nothing. Jeanie said she couldn’t think of burning her brother’s body. Now he’s lying in a box in the ground, he’d hate that.”
John felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and he looked at the caretaker, he had kind eyes and when he spoke he had a Scottish accent. “He’s in a better place, lad.”
“Is he? I’m pretty sure atheists don’t go to heaven. Or anywhere for that matter.”
The man shrugged, “I don’t know son, but he’s not in that box. His body may be, but if he led a good life, he’s somewhere safe and happy.”
“He led a good life,” John snapped. “Not that it even matters now.”
“Then he’ll be alright. Now you have to be strong so that you’ll be with him again someday.”
John glared at the man. “He won’t be anything, because he’s dead, and for him, that was the end. I won’t see him again, and I won’t be with him again. You don’t get it. This is it. This is the end of it.”
John turned away and looked back down at the glossy brown box. He remained quiet and the caretaker eventually walked away. “I love you, Rodney, I always will. I’ve never had a nicer time with someone I didn’t know.” He bit his bottom lip and stared at the coffin for a moment longer before he turned and walked away.
~*~
~April 5, 2009~
John held the Chinese menu in his hand and threw the others on the coffee table. He took a swig of his beer, picked up the phone and dialed.
“McKay residence,”
John almost dropped the phone at the jarring shock of hearing that voice again. “Um… what did you say?” he asked.
“McKay residence,” the voice repeated in an aggravated tone.
John swallowed and looked at the phone then at the Chinese menu. The last four numbers of the restaurant were 4589; the last four numbers of the house Rodney had lived in before he and John moved in together had been 4598.
“Rodney?” John asked uncertainly.
“Yeah, who is this?” There was such casual disregard in his voice, as if he didn’t know who he was speaking to, as if…
John’s heart almost stopped as his tears began again. “Rodney, it’s J…”
How was this possible? John thought hysterically, wondering if the stress had finally broken him. Rodney had died in 1999, this was 2009, the voice on the phone sounded young, sounded like young Rodney.
“Who is this?” Rodney barked into the phone.
What year was it where he was? Had he and John met yet? Were they together?
“You’ve got three seconds before I hang up this phone, which is something I should have done a long time ago. One… two…”
“It’s Jack,” John said deciding it would be safest not to give his real name. “Jack Winston,” he gave his mother’s maiden name and then tried to remember if he’d ever told Rodney his mom’s maiden name.
“Jack Winston Harris.” He grabbed a name out of the sky.
“What? Are you doing an impersonation of William Shatner?”
“No,” John’s heart was beating so fast he was afraid he might have a heart attack.
“Do I know you, Jack Winston Harris?” Rodney asked.
“Yes, no… well yeah, kind of.”
“Which is it, yes or no?”
John had to take a chance; he had no idea why he was being allowed to talk to his long lost lover but he wasn’t about to throw it away, even if it was one last hallucination as he plummeted his way to the street below.
“Yes, we met at,” John tried to remember the name, “Jackson Creek.”
“Really? Haven’t been there in over two years. And I don’t remember meeting anyone named Jack Winston Harris.”
“Well, I probably went by John. A lot of people called me John back then.”
“Oh, well I do remember a John, gangly guy with pop bottle glasses?”
John smiled, he couldn’t have asked for a better cover. “Yeah, that’s me.”
“Well what do you want?”
“Nothing, I just…” John panicked for a heartbeat, “uh- just found your number and I thought I’d call and see what’s been going on.”
“Nothing. Just school.”
John could tell that Rodney was on the verge of hanging up the phone and he didn’t want to lose him again, not yet.
“I uh- I wanted to thank you, for uh- you know- sticking up for me. Those jocks were real assholes.”
“They were, but I never stuck up for you, John.”
John bit his lip and squeezed his eyes closed at hearing his name out of Rodney’s mouth after so long.
“Yeah…” John’s voice broke and he cleared his throat and forced himself to speak smoothly. “I know, but… you wanted to. I uh- I saw it in your face. Your eyes; they gave all your secrets away.”
“Yeah well, wanting to and doing are two different things.”
“Not to me…”
“Look,” Rodney said, “You wanna give me your number, John? It’s late and I have school in the morning so I need to sleep, but it was good talking to you. I could maybe give you a call sometime.”
“Um, no, uh- that’s alright, I’ll just… I’ll just call you again.”
“Okay, whatever. See you later, John.”
“Yeah, see you, Rodney.” He waited for the phone to click before he added a quiet, “I love you.”
John clutched the phone to his chest, the Chinese menu and his hunger forgotten. He’d just talked to Rodney, a young Rodney, who probably hadn’t even met John yet, but it was Rodney. He had to know what year it was, how long he had until he and Rodney met. If he could call Rodney in the past, if it was more than just a freak thing or a dream, and if John didn’t hit hard pavement in a few seconds, he could change his life. He could change Rodney’s fate; he could somehow keep him from going to get those papers in ‘99.
John fought the urge to call Rodney’s old number again right away. He put the phone on its base, left the beer on the coffee table and went to bed.
pt. 2