The Fox and the Pigeon hole P2 Chapter 13

13. Black eyes

“Father” Jackson breathes, moving towards the bed cautiously. His father is lying in the bed, facing upwards and his eyes are closed. He is unnervingly still and Jackson feels a mixture of fear and sadness as he sits down on a wooden chair next to the bed. “Father” He says again, more quietly but Jackson’s Father does not wake. Perhaps it is better this way, he does not have to speak to his father but then if he doesn’t make it. Jackson shakes himself and tries not to think about it, his father’s slow breathing is calming and makes Jackson think about what he would do if his father died.

He would be sad of course but then a sick feeling of guilty relief hits him, after all his father has never been a pleasant man especially not to him. Perhaps he was once, before Jacksons mother died, another pang of remorse hits him when he thinks about his mother. Not one single memory of her comes to mind, this is because he has none, he doesn’t remember his mother at all but when he pictures her she is young and laughing, with one arm around Father and one around him.

Jackson smiles as he pictures this, his father is laughing as well he looks happy and at peace. Thinking about this image now, Jackson realises that he has never heard his father laugh for real. He often chortles jovially when talking to other ‘respectable’ people but it is always forced and unnatural. He smiles often, he smiles at Jackson when he does not have something to be angry about but this almost never happens. Jackson has always done something to upset his father, never anything drastic but at least enough to reflect badly onto him and his reputation within the council.

A sudden movement makes Jackson jump, his father shakes briefly and a single bead of sweat rolls down his face. His face winces and then he sneezes in his sleep, blood splatters from his nose onto the white bed sheets. Jackson gets up quickly, not knowing what to do he turns to the door “Nurse!” He calls in what he hopes is not a scared or frantic voice. The nurse who he had talked to earlier came in “What is it?” But she notices the blood and doesn’t wait for an answer. To Jackson’s astonishment she does not seem at all surprised by it “Oh, yes he’s been doing that for some time now. We still don’t know what’s wrong with him” She starts to wipe the blood off his face with a cloth.
“You don’t have any, idea?” Jackson asks hopefully,
“No, I’m afraid not” The nurse says looking briefly into his eyes and then down again to clean his father’s face “Well, we are fairly sure that it is not contagious” she adds optimistically.

She has a strange accent he notices, it is foreign but she still has a clear and carrying voice. After she leaves Jackson alone with his father again the room feels silent and he feels more alone than ever, wishing that he had Katie or anybody with him Jackson sits back down on the wooden chair. He clasps his hands firmly together on the bed and closes his eyes, not thinking about anything, just embracing the peace and putting all of his worries to one side for a moment.

He is just thinking about going to find somewhere that he can have breakfast, realizing how hungry he is from the day’s trauma, when something grabs his arm. Jackson looks up, his father is still lying with his eyes closed but he is holding Jacksons arm forcefully, slowly his father tightens his grip. The pain is so intense that Jackson’s legs nearly give way; his mouth is open in a silent scream as he tries to prize the hand off of his arm. Sure that he can feel his arm breaking he tries to pull it free leaning over his father’s face, “father” He breathes thinking he might pass out, but before he does his father’s eyes snap open. They are wide and completely, black.

Finally Jacksons father lets go of his arm, stumbling backwards and holding his burning arm Jackson watches as his father gets out of bed and stands staring at him. He rips off his white hospital gown with amazing force, underneath his suit from the night before is still immaculate. It is unnerving to see him looking so formal, his shirt and bow tie lie straight on his cleanly shaven neck. Jackson walks slowly backwards, terrified. His father’s intimidating nature has been magnified a hundred times over and he walks towards Jackson menacingly, purposefully. “Father” Says Jackson hitting the wall behind him, “Father you’re not well” he says, his voice breaking slightly as his father stops in front of him. After a brief hesitation Jackson’s father slams his hand into Jackson’s neck and pushes him up the wall. Jackson’s vision becomes blurred as he shakes uncontrollably, he feels light headed and looks wide eyed into his fathers. They are a deep black, shining from the morning sun and the faint glimmer of a smile comes across his face as he pushes harder and harder against his son’s neck.

‘BANG’ Jackson suddenly falls to the floor, rasping for air he coughs and splutters before looking up to see two officers, they are dressed in their green uniform and one has just shot directly at his father’s heart. He gasps, looking up at his father. There is not blood, just a deep wound directly through his shirt he looks at the officers who, despite their menacing nature look at each other. They exchange looks of confusion and fear as Jacksons father runs towards them suddenly. The officers back away and shoot again but they miss and Jackson’s father collides with one of them, with one arm he brings the officer to the ground. He looks up, still with one hand on the officer’s throat.

The other officer looks back at him in a state of pure terror and shock, but does nothing as Jackson’s father stands up and brings his foot slamming down onto the officer’s neck. Again a slight smile shows on his face as he kicks the other officer with such force that he slams into the wall and slumps the ground with his eyes open. Both officers lie dead on the floor as Jackson’s father turns around to face him again, but before either of them can do anything the nurse rushes through the door. She freezes and sees the two officers and Jackson, and then without warning she screams piercingly and runs to the wall were she crashes her fist into a glass square. The alarm is so loud that Jacksons feels like his whole head is vibrating.

The nurse turns around and promptly collapses on the hard floor. Jackson stands up, still feeling dizzy and light headed he looks around at his father. Standing next to the large window and staring straight at him, Jackson’s father starts to walk towards him again. But before he can reach Jackson four more officers come crashing through the door. He stops instantly and then looking around he sprints towards the window with the speed of an animal. The officers all fire endless rounds of bullets at him but he has already launched himself out through the glass, it shatters loudly and Corporal Thorne disappears below the window.

The group of officers run to the window, “There!” One of them yells pointing down into the sunlit town square. They all fire out of the window but before long they stop, “Damn!” One of them yells aggressively. “You!” he turns and points at Jackson, “What happened?”

*
After telling the officers what had happened, Jackson asks for something to help him calm down. The officer’s rush off to report back but Jackson sits in the hospital room, the wind whistling through the open window as the sun rises higher over the buzzing city. “Here you go” Says a nurse that Jackson has not seen before, the other one is surely being treated from when she collapsed. “Thanks” He says quickly taking the pill and the glass of water from her hands immediately and placing them down on the table. “It’s terrible” She says, more to herself as she looks out of the window, “Just terrible”

“Take as long as you need” And the nurse strides out rubbing her eyes. Jackson sighs, before taking the pill and gulping down the water. What will he do now, he thinks, walking towards the door. He will not get his inheritance; his father is still alive in some way, but also the look in his eyes. Those deep black eyes fill up Jackson’s whole mind, why would his own father try to kill him.