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 Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:16 pm
It took Jonah so long to process August’s questions and his offer to stay the night that the showerhead was turned off and August already had the needle and thread ready by the time Jonah was prepared to answer. He cringed and looked away as directed, squeezing his eyes shut for good measure.
“I… Sorry, I…”
He hadn’t drank as much as usual and wasn’t aware that what he had consumed could be detected on him, though it didn’t surprise him in the least. Jonah felt a little ashamed for it, even if he wasn’t very tipsy. He could still think clearly, and walk without stumbling.
Biting his lip, Jonah peeked at August out of the corner of his eye, but turned away again when he saw that August was focused on the stitches.
“I went out on my own,” Jonah said. He hated that he rambled so much, but maybe it would help distract August from any pain he might be experiencing. “I’m always on my own. I… I didn’t want to go home, so… There’s this piano bar. I like to go there and drink and… listen to the music. I sit in the corner and… no one bothers me…”
Not that having someone approach him would be a bother. He liked people and enjoyed being around them, they either just didn’t notice him or didn’t care about the mousy guy in the corner.
“I… Are you—… I can… I can stay… If you want…” Jonah flushed again. It wasn’t as if August wanted him to stay. He was probably just being nice; it was late and the city was a dangerous place. “That way… if you need help… I can help you.”
It seemed less pathetic to frame it like that. He was helping August, not avoiding going home.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 4:33 pm
The only reason August could really smell the alcohol was because he knew what it smelled like. He couldn't say he drank as often as he would like, given his job, but he was still known to take an evening or two and drain a few bottles. It was better than the smell of blood and decay and any number of things he was used to smelling at the hospital.
Jonah was a rather skittish young man. He'd noticed that when he first saw him years back. Maybe that was why he bothered to offer his number or even talk to him in the first place. While he was sure the way Jonah stumbled over his words as his thoughts merged together would annoy a good number of people, August couldn't say it really bothered him. It was a little more difficult to piece together what Jonah was saying sometimes, but it didn't diminish what he was saying.
And, while Jonah was rambling and keeping his eyes away from what August was doing, he pulled the hidden starseed out of its container and quickly popped it into his mouth to crunch down on. He snapped the lid shut and rustled around with some things to mask the sound, and went back to stitching up his leg now that he felt a rush of energy.
It really had been a good idea to keep one of those hidden for emergencies.
"You're staying," August once again decided for Jonah, feeling infinitely better despite the pain from having to stitch up his own wounds without any kind of anesthetic.
"You said so yourself. You don't want to go home and no one will care if you do."
No, that wasn't exactly what he said, but that was the gist of it, right? August didn't even know if Jonah lived on his own or lived with someone else. He was an adult who went to piano bars at night in a dangerous city and helped near strangers from bleeding out in alleys. If he had anywhere else to go, or anyone else that would care about where he was, he would have taken the time to text them or call them, but the entire time he'd been with August he'd been either helping him or rambling about whatever came to mind.
"It's so I can repay you for your help," he tried again. Was this a 'softer' approach? Maybe a night wasn't good enough repayment? Or maybe Jonah needed more of a reason to stay? Jonah seemed to have a lot of trouble saying things he wanted to say, and not a lot of confidence in himself. Perhaps the result of abuse?
"You can stay the night or a week if you want. It will be easier to have someone around to help me than try to do everything myself," August said, using some tiny scissors to snip the ends of the thread and patched over the wound with medical tape. "I doubt they'll fit very well, but I have extra clothes. It's no trouble."
Why was he doing this? Maybe he was just curious about this young man still, even after Jonah never bothered to call him. Then again, August did kind of spring it on him.
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 11:10 am
“O-Okay…” Jonah agreed, still a bit nervous and halting.
He hadn’t said no one would care if he didn’t go home, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t at least partially true. His little sister had her own place and her own life; she cared about him, but he didn’t want to bother her or distract her with his lame problems, so she’d never know if he made it home or not. His parents were frequently gone, either away on business in his mother’s case, or… who knew what his father got up to with his bandmates. And his grandfather… well, he’d care that Jonah didn’t make it home, just not the way Jonah wanted him to.
His grandfather would see it as a failure, or disobedience. He wouldn’t be worried, but he’d use it as another thing to hold against Jonah all the same.
Jonah didn’t want to think about all that, nor did he want to talk about it, so he focused on what August was saying, turning to observe him again now that the worst of the wound care was done.
“Don’t you have anyone else who can help?” Jonah asked, surprisingly steady at first, before he realized he was asking something that might be too personal. He bit his bottom lip and looked away, wringing his hands together. “I mean… you must have… friends. Or co-workers. I… I don’t mind helping. I like helping, but… isn’t there someone… better?”
Did he sound like he was making excuses? Or looking for a reason not to stay? He didn’t want to seem unappreciative, or unwilling. It was just… August didn’t know him, but he trusted him to stay and help him while he healed? He was a doctor; surely he had friends or colleagues who would do a much better job seeing that he got better.
“I’m not saying ‘no’... I just…”
He was just tipsy, and his brain wasn’t working well, and it was a pretty s**t brain to begin with, so he couldn’t really depend on it to make decisions or provide him with any guidance.
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 12:15 pm
Why was he trying to convince Jonah to stay? Why had he even bothered approaching Jonah in the first place? August still wasn't entirely sure. Maybe because Jonah hadn't been immediately turned away by his unpleasant resting expression? He saw so many people each day, why this nervous young man who could barely speak in a full sentence?
He knew it was selfish to assume that this guy would immediately agree, but it wasn't as though many others would have considered helping him in that alley. Or stare at him in a coffee shop. Slowly, August's brain was supplying him with other reasons as to why Jonah had been staring. Maybe he stared at everyone? Or maybe he was just looking somewhere between August and himself?
August didn't like not immediately being right about things. In his profession it could mean life or death, so it was easier to just adapt that philosophy to his everyday life. Now he was realising he was being rather presumptuous.
Did August have friends or co-workers that would help him? Celeste came to mind, but he didn't want her involved. Yet. Besides, she might end up telling him he deserved getting injured. Co-workers? Like he would let them near him. But Jonah seemed harmless and had been helpful.
"I don't," he admitted, letting out a breath through his nose as he finished wrapping up his leg.
"If you don't have the time, or can't, or don't want to, I won't stop you," August tried to explain, although he wasn't sure how well he was doing. "I gave you my number before because I thought… something about you was interesting. I wasn't able to put my finger on it, so I thought trying to get to know you might help. But if you hadn't gone down that alley tonight and bothered to stop, I wasn't planning trying any harder to get help."
Maybe that wasn't the best thing to admit, but at the same time he wanted Jonah to know he was serious about his offer, and honest about his subsequent request for help.
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 1:56 pm
Jonah flushed again.
Had anyone ever thought he was interesting? He didn’t think he was very interesting himself. He read books and did sudoku puzzles and wandered around Destiny City because it was easier to avoid his problems than it was to face them. He didn’t have an exciting social life — or any social life, for that matter — or an impressive career. He was nervous, and awkward, and lost, and he let that define his life because he’d never been given the encouragement or taught the tools necessary to do otherwise.
Maybe August was lying. Maybe he was just trying to get sympathy and keep Jonah around because… whatever. Jonah didn’t know. He wasn’t the best at reading people and he didn’t like to think poorly of someone who, in his own way, was being kind to him, but he also didn’t think he was deserving of that kindness, so didn’t that mean there must be an ulterior motive?
He was going to get stuck going around in circles if he kept thinking things like that.
Jonah’s flush slowly faded as he looked at August, thinking how sad it was that he didn’t have anyone either, that he wouldn’t have bothered to try finding help on his own.
“I… I have the time,” Jonah said. “I told you I like helping, so… I want to. I can stay. I will stay. I’m not… needed anywhere else.”
No one ever really needed him for anything. He was just a waste of space.
“You should rest now,” he suggested, rising to his feet. Now that he’d made the decision, he felt useless just sitting there. If he was going to stay to help, then he should help. “I can clean up. And… I can get you a glass of water. You lost a lot of blood, so… you need fluids.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 3:48 pm
August watched Jonah as he seemed to debate with himself about what he wanted to do. Maybe he'd said too much and Jonah decided this really was a bad idea? August thought it was pretty obvious that Jonah didn't think very highly of himself, which was both a shame and a good thing. Good because that was part of his nature that was interesting to August, for whatever reason.
After a little while it seemed Jonah got control over himself again, and there was some relief that August felt when Jonah decided to stay and help him. He didn't say how long, but even if it was for the weekend, or night, it would be better than trying to drag himself around to do daily things. Like eat.
Of course, that relief quickly turned into something of a scowl when he was told he should rest and drink water. Well, yes, he was going to do that. Eventually. For a doctor, he probably shouldn't do the bare minimum to take care of himself. It was why he survived off caffeine, because he had little time to sleep as it was.
"Very well," he grunted and held out his hand for Jonah to help him up. Even with the starseed, he was still feeling rather weak on his feet. "I leave myself in your capable hands."
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