Mr. and Mrs. Frost [completed]

XIX: Denial

No! That's not possible. 

It couldn't be true.

Jack's mind screamed in denial, the words echoing through his thoughts like a clap of thunder. His heart pounded as he tried to make sense of what Haroom was saying, but the doctor's calm voice cut through his confusion with unnerving precision.

"Jack," Haroom continued, his tone measured and serious. "You know I'm a doctor, a cardiologist. That's why you're here, right?" His gaze remained steady as he watched Jack, his hands resting on the desk in front of him. "But the condition you're describing is not one I usually treat."

The weight of the words hit Jack like a blow to the chest. He swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how the air around him seemed to thicken. "So I'm sick? I'm really sick?" he asked, his voice strained, barely above a whisper. His fingers ran through his hair, tugging at it in frustration. He was spiraling now, trapped in a web of confusion, the grip of something he didn't understand tightening around him.

Haroom nodded, unfazed by Jack's growing unease. "Yeah, you're sick," he said simply, his expression not one of sympathy, but of an undeniable truth. "You're lovesick."

Jack froze, his body going rigid as the words struck him with the force of a lightning bolt. "What? Lovesick? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" His chest tightened, the very thought of the word sending an unfamiliar heat flooding through his veins.

Haroom's gaze softened, and there was an almost imperceptible sigh in his voice as he spoke, like a man who had seen this type of situation far too many times. "It means that you've got feelings for her, Jack. Real feelings. The kind that mess with your heart, your mind... everything." He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a contemplative look. "You just have to accept those feelings, Jack. The sooner, the better."

The words sliced through Jack's thoughts, sharp and relentless. Accept it? He couldn't even fathom what accepting it would mean. He was drowning in this overwhelming storm of emotions, and the last thing he wanted was to admit that what he was feeling wasn't just some passing infatuation or a strange shift in his heart.

Haroom's voice broke through his internal turmoil. "The more you deny it, the more frustrated you'll become. You might even make it worse, who knows?"

Jack stared at him, lost for words, a sickening feeling settling in his stomach. Deny it? That was all he had been doing. For days, for weeks, he had buried this growing ache in his chest, this constant pull toward Elsa, telling himself it was just stress from the case, or maybe exhaustion from the job. But now... now Haroom had shattered the illusion. Jack's heart wasn't just racing from danger or adrenaline; it was racing because of her.

And the reality of it hit him with a cruel intensity. Lovesick?

The term tasted bitter on his tongue, as if admitting it out loud would make it more real. Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his body still tense, his hands shaking slightly as he fought the overwhelming urge to flee from the conversation, from the truth that was suffocating him.

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Tooth, Bunny, and Sandy huddled near the door, their curiosity piqued to the point of almost palpable tension. Their eyes darted between one another, exchanging glances that spoke volumes—what could possibly be going on inside Haroom's study? They had seen Jack storm in with such urgency, his posture rigid with a kind of quiet intensity that was unlike his usual demeanor. The mystery of it gnawed at them. Why had Jack suddenly come here, bypassing all the formalities, and went straight to Haroom?