Chiding

It’s a longer drive than anyone likes, but worth it to know that JT will help the gang and keep everything and everything that happens, confidential.

Austin and Jason lead the way into the hospital, while Mick stays behind to help with BJ, walking with Rosetta and Angel. “We’ll let JT do his thing with Jason first. Keep an eye out for Damien, and I know you both already know this, but try to avoid much contact with too many people in here…the less questions, the better, and I’d hate to put JT’s job in any more jeopardy than it already is.” Mick heads to the second floor lobby to sit down and wait.


“…Jason, what have you been doing?” JT frowns as he looks at Jason’s knee, feeling the muscles around the kneecap.

Jason sits on the bed with his leg extended, his face reddening slightly. “Nothing.”

JT throws him a look of annoyed disbelief. “Not according to your knee.” He sighs. “I told you before – you’ve got to be more careful. You’ve set yourself back at least three weeks with whatever stunt you pulled. Now listen to me…” JT stares at him sternly. “Twisting around and not being careful is no way to help this heal. You need steady, controlled exercise, mixed with rest. Think you can handle that?”

Jason holds back from rolling his eyes. “Yeah,” he grumbles.

JT raises an eyebrow. “You’re not convincing me.”

“Just… yeah, okay? I’ll be more careful.”

JT sits back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest to study Jason’s face. “I know I’m not to ask questions about what all you’re doing, and I respect that. But something has changed about you, and I’m not liking it. That attitude of yours isn’t going to help this healing one bit, and don’t tell me you haven’t got a pinch of depression lingering there.”

Jason grits his teeth, this conversation making him quite uncomfortable, though he finds he can’t argue well with this man. Apparently JT had the knack for getting people to talk – probably not a bad thing for someone in his position. “So? There’s unavoidable circumstances you know nothing about, JT. …There are just some things I can do nothing about.”

“Ah, but you can do something about the way you react to them.” JT looks into Jason’s words far deeper than his patient would like. “You’re fighting against yourself instead of fighting for yourself, Jason. Don’t let whatever your circumstances are do that to you. You’ve been knocked down by something – don’t let it keep you there.” JT rises and studies his chart, letting that end their conversation. “I want to see you again next week. Now…where’s this little patient I’m to be seeing?” He sticks his head out the door and glances down the hall to the lobby and spots Rosetta, throwing her a look of question and expectation.

Jason pulls his jeans back on and winces as he sets his leg up on a chair to lace his boot. Why did what JT said bother him so much? How could he really change his reaction? JT knew nothing about what he was going through, yet his words were applicable, were they not?
He sighs deeply, shoving it all to the back of his mind, and reaching for his crutches.



Wyatt’s eyes widen at Katie’s statement, their twinkling is hidden by his sun glasses. He lets out a hearty laugh as he pulls his jeep back out into the street. “Hey, Laura,” he calls to the backseat, “Why don’t you postpone getting that car of yours fixed. This is too much fun to do just once.”

“You’d get too big of a head,” Laura quips. “Keep your eyes on the road.”

Wyatt grins, throwing Katie a sidelong glance, knowing good and well she’d embarrassed herself. “Well,” he answers Laura, though keeps his focus on Katie. “Maybe you’re right. But I must say, being the knight in shining armor does have an appeal that’s hard to resist.”