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 Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:17 pm
“You don’t have to know anything about medicine,” August tried to reassure him, his hand still against Jonah’s back. “Are you able to put dates on a calendar and respond to emails saying I’m available or not?” he asked, trying to think of the worst parts of his job. Which was dealing with other people who worked in the hospital.
“I don’t respond to phone calls, so you wouldn’t have to answer or call anyone,” he said, because talking on the phone was even worse than answering emails.
“But yes, like a job. No one seems to want to be my assistant. Something about my attitude…” Or just his face. It wasn’t his fault that he was born with an angry expression. Smiling would only give an even less desirable effect.
“If you’d rather not do that, then we’ll figure out something else,” he said with a shrug. “The offer still stands. You can stay here and we’ll figure out something you can do to pay me back if you really feel the need.” Something told him that Jonah wouldn’t just accept staying there without some kind of repayment plan in place.
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 3:20 pm
Jonah had to wonder if August even needed an assistant, or if he was making up a job simply to be nice. Did doctors have assistants who weren’t nurses or interns? Sure, it didn’t seem like August intended for him to do anything at the hospital; everything he mentioned could easily be done from home, in the office August kept across from the guest room, or wherever Jonah happened to be with his laptop.
It was too good to be true. A place to stay. No phone calls. Not having to talk to people or show his face anywhere. August had to be making it up.
But he didn’t know August well enough to be able to figure out when he was lying. Maybe he was telling the truth after all. All Jonah could do was trust him.
For someone so kind and empathetic, that was still easier said than done.
“It’s not that I… don’t want to,” Jonah admitted, still picking at his hand. “I just…”
Don’t want to be a burden, he almost said, but August was always telling him he wasn’t a burden and he didn’t cause trouble, so Jonah clamped his mouth shut so August wouldn’t have to repeat himself again.
“Thank you,” Jonah said meekly, glancing up to meet August’s eyes again, even if it was nerve-wracking to stare him in the face sometimes. “I… I’d like to stay. At least for tonight, and… and I don’t know about the rest of it, but… I’ll think about it.”
He wanted it to be this easy, but that never seemed to be his luck.
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 5:27 pm
Look, he was trying. He didn’t know what he could do to convince Jonah that he wasn’t a waste of space or a failure or whatever his grandfather had convinced him he was. And August usually didn’t bother caring about other people. It was a waste of time usually.
But Jonah had helped him when he didn’t have to, and he didn’t get scared off by his unpleasant expression. Jonah had been that awkward, quiet guy in the cafe, who tried not to stand out. And because of that, August thought he stood out more.
Jonah was broken. More than August had realized when he first decided to sit down at his table. Had he known just how much of a nervous wreck Jonah was, like he knew now, he might have tried being a little more tactful.
“Take all the time you need,” August said, meeting Jonah’s eyes. He then pulled his hand away and stood from the couch. He collected the glasses to bring to the kitchen, and grabbed a handful of tissues to bring back to Jonah.
“If you need the company, we can sit up longer. We don’t need to talk if you’d rather not. Or you can talk about whatever you want. If you’d rather sleep, that’s fine too,” he offered, showing Jonah that he was serious about sitting and listening to him talk, or sitting in silence by taking his spot back on the couch.
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 6:44 pm
Jonah didn’t need August to be tactful. August kept giving him chance after chance, even when Jonah didn’t think he deserved it. That was a whole lot better than tact, in Jonah’s opinion.
Of course, Jonah’s opinion was a bit skewed after years of verbal abuse.
He nodded, watching August take the glasses away, but Jonah lowered his head again as soon as August came back, trying to hide the fact that he’d been staring. He took the tissues gratefully and wiped at his face, blowing his nose in a soft, delicate way he hoped didn’t seem too gross. August probably saw and heard worse in his profession, but Jonah would still rather not expose him to too much snot.
“We can… sit,” he decided. “Just… for a little while.”
The good thing was, neither of them had to talk. August didn’t require it of Jonah, and Jonah didn’t require it of August. Jonah had already said more than he intended to, and he’d received more than he expected in return. Simply sitting next to August, feeling his presence and listening to him breathe, was enough to make Jonah feel a little less alone.
Later, once the alcohol made him too tired to keep his eyes open, Jonah mumbled a quiet “good night” and made his way to the guest room.
His sleep was peaceful and undisturbed.
He felt more at home in August’s apartment than he ever had at his own house.
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