Black Sheep Part 1 - 14. Chapter 14

“Adam, babe, I'm leaving for the market, Vic is going with me. I think he needs to talk.” Tom's large hand is covering the small of my back as he slides next to me on the bed.

The concern in his voice wakes me out of my drowsiness immediately. “How bad is he?”

“Worse than Anne thought. The cutting is back big time. I think we might need to get him back into therapy. He is holding on for now, but I'm not sure for how long. I do think he is better then when Jo saw him though. So maybe Jack can help him pull through...” He trails off, leaving the end hang in the air, but we both know what he wanted to say. '...before it is too late.'

He softly kisses my neck and sighs.

“Yeah stuff can change a lot in just a week. I hope you can talk some sense into him. Go find dinner for us, big guy.” I turn around and kiss him hard.

Tom grins and pats my butt before heading out.

I wait for Vic to say goodbye too, but as I hear the door close behind them I realize Vic won't and my stomach drops. Tears slowly drip on my pillow, Vic only shuts me out when there is real trouble going on and to me this counts as shutting out.

For the past month all my info on him comes from those around him and he doesn't dare to be in the same room with me alone. He's in deep shit and knows it. I close my eyes and sigh deeply, trying to catch a couple of hours sleep before facing the world again. Deep inside I'm not even sure I want to face it any more.

I sit on the couch, my plate with breakfast on my lap and I'm switching through the channels. Cartoons, talk show, more cartoons, commercials, cartoons again. As I hear Jack walk into the room I shut the television off and turn towards him. “Good morning, hon, breakfast is in the kitchen.” I smile as I see how his hair is propped up on the back from sleeping on it. “Vic and Tom are at the farmers market, they didn't want to wake you up.” I turn back to my food as I hear him walk towards the kitchen and then back to me.

“Ehm, Adam? Can I ask you a question?” He asks nervously as he uncomfortably sits on the couch next to me, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

“Yeah sure, what's wrong?” I look up at him and put the food on the table next to me.

Jack looks down at his feet, his face showing all sorts of emotions and he seems lost for words.

Remembering my classes on how to handle scared patients, I put my hand on his shoulder and softly ask. “What's wrong?”

“Ehm, we were... drank too much... tumbled towards him... he ran off.” His voice is scared and quiet but I have the feeling I know what he is referring to, Vic had been mumbling the same thing when I phoned him last Thursday.

“What happened last Thursday?” I calmly ask. “I tried to talk to Vic, but he won't tell me what happened.”

“We drank too much, way too much.” He looks at me with guilt written all over his face.

“And then?” I ask as I quietly curse Vic for his idiocy.

“I leaned towards him and started to... touch him... I wanted to go further.” He flutters his hands in his inability to express what he wants to say.

“And?”

“He ran off, screaming at me. I don't know what I did wrong.”

I nod, encouraging him to go on, guessing what happened but still wanting to know the truth. “What did you do? Where did you touch him?”

“I... I put my hand under his shirt...” He touches his stomach, his face distorted in fear. “I'm so scared, I don't know what I did wrong. I think he hates me now, he won't even hug me.”

I smile softly, glad that it wasn't as bad as I first thought, this was managable. “Don't worry too much. You just caught him by surprise.” I want to tell him it's okay but I know it isn't and I'm not sure how much I'll be able to tell him without saying too much, so I keep it minimal.

“He loves you but he's scared that, after Thursday evening, you might no longer love him. If you want to know more you'll have to ask him himself.” I smile apologetically. “If you take baby steps with him you'll be okay, just talk to him. Okay?”

Jacks eyes light up. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I'm sure, who do you think you're talking to?” I playfully punch his shoulder, hiding my insecurity.

We look up from the movie as Tom walks in the door.

“How was it? Did you bring anything fun?” I stand up to get the bags he is holding but Tom keeps them out of reach, a worried look on his face.

“I think Vic is not feeling well, he's in his room. He said he wanted to sleep it off but I don't think that's enough, I think you should go see him.”

I walk to the door as I hear Tom say “No not you. Just Adam for now, you can help me out in the kitchen.”

I open the door and as soon as I see Vic I call out. “Tom, get your ass out here!”

I catch Vic's flailing arms and try to keep them close to his body and murmur. “Sleep it off, my ass. This is not something you sleep off.”

Tom comes into the room and I see his eyes go wide.

“He wasn't even twitching his fingers when we came back, I swear!” He quickly grabs Vic's legs and holds him to the bed.

“Get his medication, this is going too fast.” I curse under my breath, this is going way too fast, I can feel more muscles twitch with every second I hold him. Tom lets go of him and after a few seconds he hands me a syringe and takes my place. I give Vic the shot and hold him close as the twitching slowly fades.

I look up and see Jack staring at us, well not at us precisely, but at Vic's stomach. His shirt has ridden up during the attack and his scars are now in full view. Oh, shit!