Even Now

Chapter 46: Harder To Breathe

*Layne on the left, Mark on the right up above in the picture.

This is a long chapter... I hope you're somewhere warm and safe, maybe with some milk and cookies as you embark on this long chapter-ous journey! If not, then I hope you will accept this digital glass of milk 🥛 and this delicious-looking digital cookie! 🍪 :) ❤️❤️❤️

On to the story...

***

July '94 was one hell of a month.

Three significant events would occur in Layne's life: a knock on the door; a ring of the telephone; and a gaze out the window.

Three seemingly simple and insignificant events, yes- but they would forever alter the course of the future.

It all began with a new arrival on Layne's doorstep.

***

You know how when people are really, really angry, their blood begins to boil? Or, at least, they usually describe it that way? "Oh, he really made my blood boil" - usually an obvious exaggeration, being a well-known figure of speech.

Well, Jerry can actually say he's felt like that. His blood has actually boiled. He may have anger issues... but only when it comes to things that matter.

He's only felt that way on two separate occasions.

1991: when a roadie accidentally snapped the neck on his beloved acoustic guitar with which he'd had fond memories of playing songs for his late mother.
1994: when he saw a helpless Layne getting beat-up by those fucking junkies at the Music Bank.

And again, he could honestly say his blood boiled in July of 1994.
Of course. Two incidents in one year...

In hindsight, maybe Jerry shouldn't have reacted the way he did.

But he couldn't help it. Not when Mark-fucking-Lanegan was involved.

***

February 7, 1993: Sweden

One year ago. Over one year ago, in fact.

Jerry had been searching everywhere for Layne. They needed to confirm their setlist for the show they were about to play, yet Layne was nowhere to be found.

Jerry feared the worst.

Mark. Of course, he's off with Mark.

The Screaming Trees lead singer, Mark Lanegan, was good friends with Layne. And since his band was opening for Alice In Chains, he and Layne had many opportunities to spend time doing idiotic things together.

It made Jerry very upset for a multitude of reasons.

One: Layne was never where he needed to be because he was with Mark.
Two: it may have been cliché, but Jerry simply missed his friend and was worried whenever he didn't know where he was.
Three: most importantly, Mark was a heroin addict- just like Layne.

The two had been caught using together before... Jerry feared that the 'mysterious' absence of the two singers was because they were off in a bathroom or in a nearby hotel room somewhere.
He winces at the thought.

Jerry asked around: "Where's Layne" "You seen Layne anywhere?" "What about Mark? You seen him?"

Eventually, he got a tip from a guy in The Screaming Trees. He'd given his band member up rather easily, saying that he saw both Mark and Layne heading off to some trailer backstage, but when he'd tried to intervene, they'd simply ignored him.