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Then As It Was, Then Again It Will Be	By : OpenPage Category: 1 through F > 21 Jump Street Views: 1347 -:- 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
- 5
- 6
- 7
After leaving the Chapel, Booker returned to the apartment he and Hanson once shared. He carefully packed up all of Tom’s personal effects, along with his own. He was relieved not to have run into Jake, as he felt in no mood to have to fabricate a story as to why they were leaving. Putting all their belongings into Hanson’s car, he drove back to Jump Street. As he was getting out of Tom’s Mustang, the door violently slammed back into his legs.
“Hey!” Booker yelled, shoving the door back open. As he stood up, he saw Penhall’s angry face glowering at him.
“Don’t start,” Booker muttered wearily. “I’m just here to return Tom’s things.”
Penhall snatched the car keys from Booker’s hand and stomped around to the back of the car. He opened the trunk and took out both bags. As he threw Dennis’ on the ground, he gave the ex-policeman a threatening look. “I never want to see you again, understand?”
Booker nodded, too tired to put up a fight. But as Doug walked away, Dennis called out, “Has Fuller spoken to Hanson’s Mom?”
When Penhall turned back around, the anger in his brown eyes had vanished but it had been replaced with immense sadness. “Yeah, she uh…” Doug hesitated before continuing. “She thinks Tom deserved it because of going undercover as a gay man. Apparently, he’s sinned in the eyes of God or some bullshit. I dunno, I knew she was religious but… anyway, she came by and gave Fuller a bible to give to Tom. It’s supposed to help him repent.” Penhall looked away for a moment before his voice exploded with emotion. “She even underlined some passages, Leviticus 18:22 ‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination,’ I mean, for fuck’s sake! How can she think Tommy deserved to be rap…” Doug’s face crumpled and he began to sob. Booker stood watching, unsure how to react. Eventually, he stepped forward and put a reassuring arm around Penhall. Surprisingly, Doug did not pull away and he allowed himself to be comforted. After several minutes, Doug wiped his eyes and loudly blew his nose. Extricating himself from Booker’s arm, he gave a watery smile.
Booker returned the smile, albeit a small one. Doug took in Dennis’ disheveled appearance and blackened eyes. He felt a moment of remorse for his behavior the night before and was about to apologize, when Booker spoke. “Don’t, okay.”
Penhall nodded. An uncomfortable silence stretched out between them until Doug finally spoke. “Fuller said you quit.”
Dennis shrugged, as if it was of no consequence to him anymore. “What about the case?” he asked instead.
“Harry’s on it, he’s undercover with Judy as backup.” Doug replied, as he turned and walked away. Before he entered the Chapel, he spoke over his shoulder. “See you at the hospital.”
It was a statement, not a question so Booker did not respond. Turning, he picked up his bag and left.
**
The Intensive Care Unit consisted of four beds. Machines beeped in a constant rhythmic pattern, varying only when the shrill sound of an alarm rang out. Over the ensuing days, Dennis learnt to hate that sound. Panic filled his heart and his eyes immediately darted over to the equipment that was monitoring Tom. He felt dreadful each time he realized it was someone else’s alarm that had sounded. His relief however, far outweighed the remorseful feelings. Tom was his priority, he had no time to worry about what else was going on around him.
Five days had passed with no change to Hanson’s condition. An endotracheal tube helped Tom to breath and he had several intravenous lines inserted into his veins. A cardiac machine monitored his heart rate, blood oxygen levels and blood pressure. Hanson’s bruises now had a greenish, yellow tinge and the swelling around his eyes had subsided. His broken wrist was set in a cast and his right arm was in a sling to protect his healing shoulder. Each day that passed brought with it the possibility that Hanson may never wake up. However, Dennis did not allow himself to think those thoughts, as if doing so would somehow prevent Tom from recovering. Instead, he remained positive, constantly talking to his new friend about all the things they would do when Tom woke up. Baseball games, bowling, anything he could think of he chatted about, all in a hope of reaching Tom. But Hanson remained motionless, the constant beep of the monitor slowly driving Dennis mad. During quiet times, Booker gently stroked the back of Tom’s hand with his thumb. On one occasion, Harry had walked into the room whilst Dennis was tenderly stroking Hanson’s hair. An uncomfortable silence had followed until Dennis eventually left the ICU so Ioki could visit Tom alone. Although Penhall and Booker had established an uneasy truce, both Harry and Judy gave Dennis a wide berth. Neither of the officers could understand how it was that Dennis and Tom had become so close during their assignment. It was now a known fact that Dennis was bisexual and both Ioki and Hoffs felt uncomfortable about how Booker and Hanson had conducted their case. Captain Fuller remained civil to Booker when their paths crossed but he, like Harry and Judy, had trouble comprehending the fact that Dennis and Tom may have formed a relationship that extended beyond friendship.
After her initial visit to Captain Fuller, Margaret Hanson had not inquired after her son’s health and neither had she visited Tom. She had instructed the hospital to consult with Adam concerning Tom’s treatment. The bible she had sent lay on the cabinet next to Tom’s bed. Every time it caught his eye, Dennis felt the urge to rip out the pages and hurl the book across the room. Instead, he remained calm as he stared at Tom’s lifeless body day after day, all the while praying silently to a God he did not believe in, for Tom to wake up.
**
Booker’s finances, or lack thereof, were becoming an issue. He needed to find a job or he would be homeless and living in his car by the end of the month. His heart however, was not in it. He wanted or maybe he needed to be by Tom’s bedside every day, which made searching for work near impossible. Eventually though, common sense prevailed. He applied for and was promptly employed as a security guard at the local mall. The pay was appalling, but the hours were suitable, 9am until 5pm, Monday through Saturday. It was convenient enough for Booker to be able to spend evenings and all day Sunday with Hanson. He smiled to himself as he collected his uniform. Not too long ago his pride would have prevented him from taking such a job. He had always seen himself as superior to the rent-a-cops he had secretly poked fun at over the years. How times had changed. Now he was one of them and if truth were told, he really could not have cared less.
The following day he started his first shift at South Central Plaza. The work was tedious and unfulfilling. He located several lost children and apprehended a teenage shoplifter. Time passed slowly and it was a huge relief when 5pm finally arrived and he could clock off. He changed out of his uniform and into street clothes before leaving the mall. Arriving at the hospital at 6.10pm, he rode the elevator up to ICU, all the while wondering what Tom would think about his career change. Alighting on the fourth floor, he greeted Tom’s regular nurse with a wave. Nurse Jackson hurried towards him, her expression anxious. Booker felt his heart jump into his throat. Something was obviously wrong.
“Dennis,” the mature aged nurse gasped. “His eyes are open.”
Booker’s world began to spin. He could see that Nurse Jackson was speaking to him but her words made no sense. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his knees began to buckle. Deep in his subconscious mind he realized he was about to faint but he was powerless to prevent it. Nurse Jackson’s face swam in front of him before blackness shrouded his vision and he collapsed to the floor.
**
Dennis’ first awareness was that something cold was pressing against his forehead. His second awareness was a gentle female voice speaking to him. “There you are sweetie, you didn’t half give me a fright. I’m going to help you to sit up, just lean on me.”
Booker’s eyes came into focus and he saw Nurse Jackson leaning over him. With a grunt, he hoisted himself into a sitting position as a wave of embarrassment washed over him. “Sorry,” he murmured, rubbing an unsteady hand through his hair. “Guess I should have eaten something.”
Nurse Jackson smiled. Over the short period of time she had known Dennis, she had become extremely fond of Officer Hanson’s dark-haired friend. She was unsure as to the extent of their relationship but what she did know was how much Dennis cared for Tom. She saw it in every gesture that Dennis made and every look he gave his unconscious friend. She had seen similar looks in the eyes of Tom’s other colleague, Doug. But not to the same degree. There was something very special between Dennis and Tom, of that she was certain. She gave Booker a warm smile. “Can you stand up?”
Dennis nodded and taking Nurse Jackson’s arm for support, he got to his feet. Leaning against the wall, he spoke in a shaky voice. “Tom?”
Nurse Jackson slowly guided Booker to a chair and instructed him to sit down. She seated herself next to him and took his hand in hers. “Tom has opened his eyes but that doesn’t mean that he’s aware of what is going on around him. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“So what does it mean?” Dennis asked. “Will he recover?”
“The doctor’s assessing him but it’s very early days. It could take a month before he’s aware of his surroundings. After that, well… he’ll probably need speech and physical therapy,” Nurse Jackson replied. “He’ll need round the clock care once he’s released. Most patients go into a rehabilitation facility but others who have strong family support, can go home.”
Booker slowly processed the information. It could be months, possibly years before Hanson once again became the man he had fallen in love with. But it did not matter. All that mattered was that Tom was on the path to recovery.
Turning to Nurse Jackson, he smiled his winning smile. “When can I see him?”
- 5
- 6
- 7
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Then As It Was, Then Again It Will Be