Emergency Medical Dad

XLIX: mid august, present

JORGEN

I'm still off my leg, but I figure that'll be for longer than I thought it would be, considering my blisters split and I can't do much without the whole thing stinging. It's not awful, it's happened to me before, it just means that I have to do things at home for a while. I have to do everything on crutches, which I hate. Or hopping, which makes Connor lose his mind laughing and his reaction takes the edge off how degrading it is in my view of myself. This afternoon he even got up and tried to do it with me, stopping to compliment me on my balance before falling flat on his back.

Which leaves me here, Jessie beside me, hands hovering over her phone.

"What can I even say?" She looks up at me, big doe eyes making me feel like everything's just fine. "Hi, Mom, sorry it's been five whole months, but I found Connor's Dad, moved in with his parents, am absolutely not financially stable at all and would like some closure on the situation?"

"I figure that might do some of it," I mumble. "Do you want to plan for this or just do it?"

"Do it, I think," she says, tapping open her contacts list. Her mom is right at the top in favorites. "Jay, I'm so nervous."

"I know you are, but it's okay, and the hang up button is fully accessible."

She stops fidgeting for a moment, then exits her mom's contact, "I'm- I'm gonna call my Dad first. He's... he'll be alright."

I nod, letting her.

She doesn't hesitate with the call button, just pressing it with her eyes closed and going for my hand right after, gripping my fingers.

It rings for three awful seconds, then: "Jessie? Sweetheart, wh- I haven't heard from you in months, are you okay?" Her Dad sounds genuinely worried and it gives me a moment I didn't expect to have, a halfway weird Dad to Dad connection, knowing in some fraction exactly how that has to feel.

"Yes, I'm okay, I'm alright, it's good to hear your voice," she uses her free hand to swipe at her cheeks and I open my arm, offering my chest for her to lean against. She doesn't take it, too focused on this.

"What's happening? How are you? Are... is everything going alright?"

"Everything is okay, yeah, I just, I wanted to check in. How is it there?"

He lets out a tiny noise, almost a scoff, "well, your mother poured boiling water on my hands about four weeks after you left and so I dug out all the divorce papers I got ten years ago and I'll be moving to my company's Boston branch starting September first. As of right now, I'm with a friend. So things are different here."

Jessie lets out a soft gasp, "she what?"

"Didn't like that I had a different opinion on what happened with you."

"Are you okay? Oh my... oh my gosh."

"I'm alright," he breathes out. "The burns healed up pretty good, though the skin on my hands has some scars on it, the EMTs were very nice when I called about a block away from the house."

I look over at her, catching her eyes looking back at me.

"It's been a little weird without her, but I'm regaining my footing, so, I'm okay, things are okay. How about you? I'd love to help but I still don't quite have access to the finances because the courts are slow right now."

"I'm, I'm good," Jessie squeezes my fingers. "I spent a week or so with a friend from high school, and then I bumped into- do you remember Jorgen Hadley, perhaps?"

"Was he the skinny one you liked on the frisbee team? The one that was over all the time during senior year? I won't say the end of my assumption, but I assume you already know," he lets out a soft laugh.