The Hostage

Jackson Tate

Eileen drove to the residential accommodation for disabled people and parked on the side street behind the building. She looked at the building and felt a great sadness. She just couldn't understand how a great mind like Jackson Tate could end up in such an old style building that once was an old mental hospital before being converted to what it was today. She got out of the car and walked towards the building, her heels of her boots clicking on the ground as her nerves kicked in with every step she took. 

As Eileen approached the building she began to worry. How was she going to talk to Jackson? Would he remember her brother? Would he remember that day? Would he talk to her or ignore her?  

As she took her first steps  onto the tiled floors of the building she wrote her name in the visitors log book and looked around nervously. There were a few people in wheelchairs that wheeled passed her, looking at her curiously while several other were walking by to different rooms that she assumed were the carers.

One of the carers, an elderly lady, stopped. "Are you looking for someone?" she asked studying Eileen.

"Yes, I was wondering if Jackson Tate is around. My name is Eileen and I'm the younger sister of one of his friends Damon. He went missing ten years ago and I want to look for him." Eileen spoke as the lady listened. The lady herself was a middle aged woman with her long dirty blonde hair tied up in a bun. Her green eyes had met Eileen with some form of hatred, as if threatened by Eileen's presence.

"Right...follow me I'll take you to his room." The lady responded rudely before adding "The name is Jenny by the way."

"Pleased to meet you. Tell me, what is Jackson like?" Eileen asked curiously wondering now how Jackson was facing his days. She hoped that Jackson was doing well but with a disability she was unsure how he would be. 

"Jackson is...complicated. He does not really talk a lot. His parents visit every so often. Hence why it's a surprise anyone comes to visit him." Jenny spoke as she knocked on the door labelled 1-C

"I'm busy!" A familiar gruff voice from inside yelled before the door opened revealing a small one bedroom room that was in a bit of a mess. Clothes were piled up on the bed, a tv sat on the desk next to the computer and placing his phone in his lap was a man who was busy gripping the wheels of his wheelchair and began to turn around.

Eileen gasped. Jackson was still the same except he appeared aged, perhaps from stress. He had wrinkles already and his hair was shaved off. The brown eyes that Damon would have described years ago as 'always a spark' were now filled with sadness. 

"You have a visitor Jackson. Her name is Eileen. She says you knew her brother Damon." Jenny introduced Eileen to Jackson before a beep was sounded.

Jenny turned to Eileen. "I must get that. Feel free to leave anytime."

Eileen nodded before noticing Damon eyeing her up. "It's been ten years Jackson..." Eileen started as she looked at him then looked at the ground feeling a bit out of place.  Eileen stepped into the room and noticed a few things she didn't see hidden in another corner of his room. Posters of famous cyclists and movie posters hung from the wall. On the desk were a few trophies and a large desktop computer. 

"I remember seeing you a few times when you were on campus with Damon. I must say you have turned out to be an attractive woman. Had it not been for a few things..." Damon chuckled and looked away, turning his wheelchair around and looked at his computer screen "I would have probably asked you out or something once you were older." 

Eileen blushed. She did not expect this sort of introduction but she brushed it off and looked around. "It's been a while. You haven't changed yourself." She replied with a faint chuckle.