The Beginning of The End

Chapter 5

         If someone were to ask Jackson how long it took his father to open that door, he'd give an inadequate answer. It felt like minutes, maybe even close to an hour, in his mindset. That's how slow James moved, turning the handle as if giving him more time before a mugging or, with their luck, a murder.

Thank goodness that wasn't the case, the man who stumbled in was indeed injured, and looked quite young, maybe early 20's.

He was grabbing at his arm, blood dripping from the wound onto their hardwood floors.

"What happened?" James asked, shutting the door behind the stranger before bringing him into the bathroom down the hall. They answered his question, but Jackson couldn't hear quite well, so he gestures towards the other two on the couch, and soon follows the others out of curiosity.

"Damn, sorry about that, what's your name?" Unfortunately, Jackson missed the short story on the kid's injury, but got there in time for his basic information. He was about to answer until he stops to Jackson's arrival, staring at him as if he was carrying some kind of weapon. Jackson would have taken offense to that, but he was in pain, and in a house full of complete strangers.

"Uh," he lets out, eventually ignoring Jackson's presence to look at James, who was currently digging out any medical supplies they had still left over since packing. It was hard to see with the lack of light, really the only source being his dad's phone flash. "Jonathan. Jonathan Cross, sir."

"Well Jonathan, where's your parents now?" He swallowed, hard, the attempt at blinking away tears obvious to Jackson. Something bad he presumed.

"D-dead, sir." James flinched a bit at the given reply, instantly showing regret on his face. He felt bad for asking.

"I'm just going to clean and wrap up your wound. You can crash here for the night."

"Thank you! Thank you so much." As much satisfaction Jackson gets for providing someone with shelter after losing their parents, he still would rather them leave after being wrapped up. How could you trust they aren't acting? For all they knew, he planned on robbing them in the middle of the night.

Jackson takes a step forward, causing Jonathan to wince a bit, "how can we trust him?" He asks, ignoring the hurt in the other boy's brown eyes. He wouldn't pity him, not during these chaotic times.
James isn't quick to reply, his hands and mind too busy at dabbing down the gash. Jackson only got a glance, but it looked almost infected, lightly bubbling around the open area. Have infected wounds always looked like that?

"I have a good lie detector built within me, son, I trust him." Not a very good reasoning, but for now Jackson will take it.

They don't interact much more, so Jackson leaves out of pure boredom, heading out to see Ava sitting at the dinner table, surrounded by candles. Susan, at the same time Jackson entered, was now leaving the kitchen with servings of sandwiches. Tonights dinner wouldn't be very interesting in seems.

"Hey, hun. Made everyone a sandwich." He nods as he slips in beside Ava, awaiting his serving from his mother, and soon after his sister got hers as well. When he grabbed ahold of his food, he caught eyes with Susan, and he stops, knowing that look. She had a question. "Is.. the kid okay? He staying for dinner?" He just nods, resuming his action in taking a bite. "I assume yes to both those questions." Another nod.
She sighs, and drops the attempt at a conversation.

The three of them finished their dinner by the time James and Jonathan walked out, and whenever Jackson saw the other, he wondered if he could have looked anymore paler. It almost looked like he just finished a play where he starred as the ghost.

"Oh, please take a seat." Susan smile seemed a little forced as she gestured towards the empty chair to her left, the one across from Jackson. Jonathan seemed to notice, cause when he sat down he shifted his seat over a bit, away from her. "That sandwich is for you." And with that, he hardly gave a free second after her words, already digging in like it's his first meal in months. Jackson raised an eyebrow at his antics, and when Jonathan caught eye contact with him he almost choked.