Soulmates - Jack Thompson

-37-

I heard voices around me. Beeps kept going off. After a while I realized that I was already in the hospital. I felt like I was too tired to open my eyes, so I tried to listen to the voices. I could vaguely recognize them, but I didn't know who they were, though I felt like I should. They were talking about an explosion. About them thinking I was dead. Someone said I would never wake up again. His voice sounded broken. Everyone sounded a little depressed. They were also talking about Jason now. And again that guy said I'd probably never wake up again.
"Jack, shut up." Suddenly I recognized the voices. It was Jack who sounded so broken and Daniel who got mad at him. I heard Peggy and Howard. I think even Jarvis and his wife, Ana. As I continued to eavesdrop on their conversations, the memories slowly returned. We were at Isodyne, Jason took too long and when I went to look for them, there was an explosion. I knew nothing more. I suddenly felt a little better and slowly opened my eyes. Howard's jaw dropped, he sat next to me and I saw him out of the corner of my eye. As he gasped, the others turned to me. I also looked their way. Jack sat on a stool next to the door. Daniel was leaning against the wall next to it. Peggy sat opposite Howard in a chair to my bed and Jarvis and Ana sat on a small couch opposite me. Sousa kicked Jack.
"See." He looked irritated, broken and happy at the same time. I didn't know how he did it, but you saw all the emotions clearly. I tried to smile, but it looked really weird to me. Howard next to me, bursting into laughter. Slowly everyone laughed, except Jack and me. Soon a doctor walked into the room and sent almost everyone away. Only Howard and Peggy stayed, I was not surprised when Jack immediately got up and left the room. Peggy watched him.

"What's the matter with that moron?" I couldn't shrug.
"He didn't want to talk to us either and if he said anything, it was that you wouldn't wake up anyway."
"Yes, I heard that." I said. Peggy put a hand on my bed.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that."
"It's okay."
"Tell me what happened while I was gone!" I sat up as best I could and Peggy and Howard took turns telling what had happened.
"We were all so happy when we found you under that beam, I can swear Jack had tears in his eyes." said Peggy.
"Speaking of Jack, I saw him a few days ago." said Howard.
"He was sitting on the floor against a wall somewhere."
"Just in the middle of town?" I asked. Howard nodded.
"I thought it was strange, but there was no point in saying anything to him." No, that was right. I talked to them for a while. Jason had apparently died. I felt so bad to have obliged him to help. We basically just chased him to death.

As Peggy and Howard left, Jarvis and Ana came in. They didn't have much to say, but said they wanted to know how I was doing. They left pretty quickly on the pretext that Sousa and Jack must have wanted to see me. At least I knew half of it wasn't true. Even though they may not have known it themselves.

Jack said almost nothing, as expected. When he was not paying attention for a moment, Daniel began to whisper.
"He may be acting tough now, but he was devastated to hear that you were probably killed. I even saw him cry." That was a bit of a surprise. I had never seen Jack cry. I didn't even know he could do it. Daniel decided to get me a drink, which I thought was his worst idea ever. Because now I was alone with Jack while everyone else was chatting in the hallway. I knew I shouldn't be like that since he was my boyfriend, but I couldn't help it. There was a silence, which lasted quite a long time. Finally he started talking.
"I was really terrified that you would really be dead." He said.
"Then why did you keep saying I wouldn't wake up?"
"So that all my hopes were gone and I wouldn't be so shocked anymore if you didn't make it." That sounded so sweet, even though he didn't mean it that way. I couldn't help but smile and looked at my feet.
"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for my behavior lately."
"I didn't think you had what it takes to apologize."
"What confidence you have in me." I chuckled.
"Sorry..." At that moment Daniel flung open the door again.