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Over the Hills and Far Away	By : OpenPage Category: 1 through F > 21 Jump Street Views: 2103 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own 21JS or the characters. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. All characters and events in this story are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is coincidental.

Chapter List
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Awakening from a light doze, Dennis ran his fingers through his hair and gazed down at Tom’s damaged face. He had been sitting at Hanson’s bedside for ten hours and it was now eight o’clock in the evening. Janice had explained that they were keeping Tom sedated so that his body had a chance to heal. Many of the deep cuts covering Tom’s body had required stitches and he had lost so much blood he had needed a transfusion. He had facial and body contusions, which the doctor surmised had been the result of blunt force trauma and there was evidence of anal tearing, indicating rough sexual intercourse. X-rays had also revealed several fractured ribs and a broken wrist. He was also dehydrated which fitted in with the account from the elderly hotel manager that he had been held captive for several days.
Reaching out, Dennis gently stroked Tom’s hair. He thought back to what the police had told him when they had returned to the hospital. According to the manager, whose name was Cecil Edwards, Tom had arrived at the hotel with a man on the Friday night at approximately seven o’clock. Edwards knew Tom and he was somewhat surprised when the man paid for two nights. He knew Hanson was a prostitute, streetwalkers often used the hotel, as it was cheap and clean but the johns usually paid for the rooms by the hour not by the night. When asked by the police officer in charge of the case why the cleaners had not entered the room during the time Tom was there, the manager explained that the man had requested a discounted rate if he did not have the room cleaned during his stay. According to Cecil, it was not an unusual request and he had not thought much about it. The man had left for several hours on the Saturday morning but had returned before midday dressed in different clothing. The first Edwards knew that there was anything wrong was on the Sunday morning when his resident cleaner, Mrs. Walker had run down the stairs screaming that there was a dead body on the fourth floor. He had immediately called an ambulance and the police. When he had arrived upstairs, he was shocked at the sight of Tom lying naked and bloody in the hallway. He had covered Hanson with a sheet and entered the room where he stated that he almost passed out when he saw the amount of blood that stained the floors and the bed. Searching through Tom’s clothes, he had found the address for the boarding house, which he had given to the police when they arrived. The officer had phoned the Turners and the two elderly proprietors had rushed to the hospital to be by Tom’s side. They had sat with him until the doctor had administered the sedative and all the while, they wondered who the mystery Dennis was that Tom kept calling for.
Tears of sadness and exhaustion filled Dennis’ eyes but he quickly wiped them away when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning his head, he saw Janice approach. “It’s time for you to leave Dennis,” she instructed softly. “You can come back again in the morning.”
“But what if he wakes up?” Dennis asked worriedly. “I don’t want him to be alone.”
Laying a gentle hand on Booker’s shoulder, Janice smiled reassuringly. “He won’t wake up, we’re keeping him sedated remember? And I promise you, when it’s time for Tom to awaken, I’ll make sure you’re here for him.”
Dennis smiled self-consciously. “Sorry,” he apologized quietly. “I know you’re taking good care of him. It’s just… he’s been through so much and—“
“Don’t apologize,” Janice replied, taking Booker’s arm and escorting him out of the Intensive Care Unit. “He’s very lucky to have such a devoted friend. Now go home and get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Nodding his head wearily, Dennis walked slowly down the quiet corridor and waited for the elevator. Arriving at the ground floor, he walked out of the hospital and stopped. His car was no longer where he had parked it and he swore loudly. Then he suddenly remembered that he had double-parked and in all likelihood, the City had towed and impounded his Cadillac. Sighing heavily, he headed towards the nearest subway.
An hour later, he unlocked his apartment door and switched on the light. He felt worn out and he longed for a long hot shower to ease his aching muscles. Shrugging out of his leather jacket, he tossed it over the back of the couch. Pulling his t-shirt over his head, he kicked off his boots and walked over to his desk. The red light on his answering machine was blinking madly and he saw he had four messages. Frowning slightly, he hit the play button. George’s voice sounded through the speakers, his first message playful and flirty. “Hey baby, it’s George. Where are you? I’m already at the restaurant and I’ve ordered a bottle of wine so you’d better hurry up and get here or I may get drunk and let you have your wicked way with me.”
But as the messages continued, George’s voice sounded strained. “Hey, it’s me, I’m starting to get worried. Please ring the restaurant so I can speak to you… Me again, where the hell are you..? Okay, so it’s pretty obvious you’ve forgotten about our date, so I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Dennis slammed his fist down on the desk. “Damn it!” he yelled. In his rush to get to Tom, he had completely forgotten about his date with George. Picking up the phone, he started to dial his lover’s number but he stopped and replaced the receiver. A slow realization dawned and he suddenly knew he had been deluding himself. Tom was the one he had an all-consuming love for, not George. He had feelings for George but in reality, he had been nothing more than a distraction, a way to move on and try to put Tom out of his mind.
Sitting down, he rested his head in his hands. He needed to break it off with George but he could not do it over the phone, he owed his lover a face-to-face explanation. Standing up, he struggled back into his t-shirt and pulled on his boots. Grabbing his jacket, he switched off the light and walked out the door.
**
Standing outside of George’s apartment building, Dennis wiped the palms of his hands nervously on his jeans. Clearing his throat, he pressed the intercom button. He waited a minute before pressing it again and after another minute, he heard George’s sleepy voice. “Hello?”
Leaning forward, Dennis spoke, his voice sounding shaky. “Hey George, it’s Dennis. Can I come up? We really need to talk.”
George hesitated before answering. “Okay,” he replied quietly and he buzzed open the door.
Dennis entered the building and climbed up the stairs to the second floor. As he walked down the hallway, he saw George standing in his doorway, dressed in a robe. When he reached the apartment, he stopped and gazed at George uncomfortably. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.
Standing back, George motioned for Dennis to enter. Closing the door, he gave Booker a hard look. “You don’t look injured so I’m assuming you stood me up on purpose,” he said sullenly. “Care to explain?”
Stepping forward, Dennis took George’s hand in his. “I’m really sorry George, but you’re not going to like what I have to say.”
George’s palm slapped painfully against Dennis’ cheek. “YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!” he yelled. “You’ve been to see him!”
Lowering his eyes, Booker stared at the floor. “Yes I have, but George, you don’t understand, Tom was—“
“DON’T YOU SAY HIS NAME!” George screamed. “He’s nothing but a fucking WHORE and yet you—“
Dennis threw back his arm and punched George in the face, knocking him to the ground. When he saw his lover’s frightened eyes staring up at him he immediately felt remorseful. Reaching down, he offered out his hand. “Oh Jesus George, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, it’s just—“
Ignoring Dennis’ hand, George scrambled to his feet. “Get the fuck out of my home,” he said through gritted teeth. “I never want to see you again.”
Turning away, Dennis walked out of the door. “I really am sorry,” he muttered under his breath.
“Go to hell!” George shouted, slamming the door closed. Dennis felt tears stinging his eyes, it had never been his intention to hurt George but he had managed to do so, both physically and emotionally. But amongst all his inner turmoil, he also felt a huge sense of relief. He was now free to take care of the man who had stolen his heart the first day they had met and this time, he would do it right.
**
Rising out of the plastic chair, Dennis braced his hands against his lower back and stretched out his aching muscles. He had spent twelve hours a day for the last five days sitting at Tom’s bedside, too fearful to leave in case the sedation wore off. Glancing at his wristwatch, he saw that it was nearly lunchtime and as if on cue, his stomach growled. Walking out into the corridor, he saw Tom’s doctor heading towards him. “Hello Dennis,” Doctor Heath greeted. “I was hoping I’d find you here.”
“Where else would I be?” Dennis joked. He had spent so many hours at the ICU that he now knew most of the staff by name.
Laughing pleasantly, Timothy Heath laid a hand on Dennis’ shoulder. “You’re right, I knew I’d find you here.” Motioning towards a chair, the doctor sat down. “I wanted to talk to you about Tom’s treatment. I think it’s time we brought him out of sedation.”
Booker felt his pulse rate quicken and he chewed nervously at the skin around his thumbnail. “What can I expect?” he asked quietly. “I’ve done this before but Tom wasn’t so badly injured last time. Do you think he’ll ever recover from this?”
Doctor Heath gave Dennis a questioning look. “Are you asking if he’ll recover physically or emotionally?” he inquired directly.
“Both,” Dennis replied quietly. “I need to know how best to help him.”
Timothy thought about his answer before replying. “Physically, he’ll recover. He’ll be in pain when he wakes up but over time, that will pass. There’ll be scarring but none of the injuries should cause any permanent disability. Mentally… well, that’s another matter. From the information you’ve given me, Tom has suffered more mental torment than most men would suffer in ten lifetimes. He is going to need intensive therapy to help him come to terms with everything that has happened to him. But be prepared, he has gone down that road before with little success. He will quite likely refuse to try again. However, I would suggest you encourage him as best you can. His best hope of recovery is with professional help and we are here to give him whatever he needs. Furthermore, I would like to keep Tom under my care, at least for the time being. I think it is important that he learns to trust the people who are taking care of him and that won’t happen if he keeps seeing different doctors.”
Dennis nodded. He knew the doctor was right and he felt relief that Tom finally had a physician who seemed to understand the obstacles he would face and how he could overcome them. That the doctor had also offered to keep Tom under his care was music to Booker’s ears. He trusted Timothy Heath and he knew he would do the very best by his friend.
Standing up, the doctor reached into his pocket and pulling out a business card, he handed it to Dennis. “If you have any questions, give me a call. I’ve instructed the nurses not to continue with the sedation. Tom will eventually wake up on his own and when he has done so, I will of course be back to examine him. As he has been on a low dose sedative, it is doubtful that he will suffer any side effects such as amnesia.”
Staring at the card, Dennis nodded. Janice had explained the risk of side effects to him and a small part of Dennis hoped that Tom would not remember what had happened to him, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. He knew that Tom needed to face his demons head on or risk slipping back into a life of drugs and prostitution.
Dennis smiled a genuine smile for the first time in days. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he murmured to Doctor Heath. “I just wish you’d been there when Tom first needed help.”
“I’m here now,” the doctor smiled. “Don’t worry Dennis, between the two of us, we’ll help Tom through this.”
“Yeah,” Dennis replied softly. “I really hope so.”
**
Sitting next to Tom’s bedside, Dennis leaned forward and rested his elbows on the bed. Taking Tom’s hand in both of his, he silently willed his friend to wake up. It had been three hours since Janice had removed the IV but Tom had yet to show any signs of life. Janice had explained that each patient was different and it was impossible to say when Tom would regain consciousness. Dennis hoped that it would not be during the night when he was not there. More than anything, he wanted to be by Tom’s side when he woke up so he could reassure him that he was there for him and always would be.
Lifting Tom’s hand, Dennis kissed the fingers tenderly. “C’mon baby,” he murmured softly, staring into Tom’s sleeping face. “Wake up.”
Tom’s fingers twitched and his eyelids started to flutter. Dennis reached out and began to stroke Tom’s hair. “That’s it baby,” he encouraged. “Wake up. C’mon Tommy, please wake up.”
After several minutes, Tom’s eyes slowly opened and he stared around the room, his eyes wide with panic. “Don’t hurt me,” he croaked weakly. “Please don’t hurt me.”
Tears spilled from Dennis’ eyes and he squeezed Tom’s fingers gently. “Tommy, baby, it’s me, it’s Dennis. You’re safe now baby, you’re in the hospital.”
Tom’s eyes darted around the room and he visibly relaxed when Janice walked over and smiled down at him. “Welcome back Tom,” she said in a soft voice. “My name’s Janice and I’m your nurse. I’ll give you a few minutes with Dennis and then I need to check your obs.”
When they were once again alone, Tom gazed into Booker’s face and tears slid down his bruised cheeks. “I never… thought I’d… see you… again,” he whispered in a hoarse, breathless voice. “Oh God… Dennis… I was so… fucking… stupid.”
“Shh,” Dennis soothed, gently wiping at Tom’s tears with his thumb. “You need to concentrate on getting better and we’ll deal with everything else later, okay.”
Nodding his head weakly, Tom closed his eyes and fell asleep. Sighing quietly, Dennis continued to stroke at Tom’s matted hair as he gazed down at his battered body. Now that Tom was awake, the challenges were about to begin and Dennis hoped that his time, Tom would find the road to recovery.
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Over the Hills and Far Away