Jack puls Fran into a small hug. He hadn’t wanted her to feel like that. It wasn’t his intent. Before he could think of something comforting to say, the door opens.
"Hello, hello," a man says as he leans into the room which Jack assumes is the doctor. He points a finger at Fran. "Miss Mancini, right? I’ll be right with you." And was out the door before he could get an answer.
"Seems like your name carries some weight around here," Jack mutters. He hoped Fran wouldn’t take it negatively, with how he had previously reacted to learning about her name. Jack just remembers having to wait longer in a hospital.
The doctor returns with a clipboard and closes the door behind him. ”Miss Mancini,” the doctor says holding his hand out to her. ”My name’s Stacey Foster and I’ll be your doctor for this visit.”
Her head quickly raises to look at him before he disappears. Well, that was fast.
Fran gives a shrug as the mention of her name. "Yeah, I guess." Gang members usually came in for routine check ups, and the hospital seemed to understand who was who. Fran had been here quite a few times, but it wasn't often that she was there for check ups. It was way too expensive for her little family, especially just minor sicknesses.
She suddenly turns her attention to the man reentering. Her hand moves to greet his somewhat unenthusiastically. Surely, he would understand this isn't where she would like to be sometime. "It's nice to meet you."
Jac rubs unconsciously at his chin, hardly noticing the feel of stubble against his fingers, legs crossed in his chair.
“You. Want me. To be ‘Uncle Jac…?’”
Jac leans closer, peering into the young woman’s eyes, doubtful of her sanity. She nods somewhat enthusiastically, beaming across from him in her own chair. “You do realize that I have no experience with children, yes? And that I absolutely disdain them with all of my being?”
Again, there is an enthusiastic nod, but accompanied with a light laugh from the woman. “Jaaaccccc.” She draws the name out, shoving him playfully. “I think you’d be a wonderful Uncle! Just think, you’d have a Fran Jr. in your arms. Or a Jack Jr. even!”
There’s a smile that crosses Jac’s face as Fran Jr. is mentioned, but quickly turns into a scowl when Jack Jr. is presented. There was still some harsh feelings between the two men, but there was never any clear, definite reason as to why. Several petty arguments, as well as a couple of misunderstandings, had festered into a mutual disgruntlement between the two. If anything, the animosity between the two was left to fester, the wound never allowed to heal, both men too stubborn to apologize for anything.
Jac sighs, pushing a hand through his dark, thick hair, as he rights himself from leaning towards Fran. “You’re serious, aren’t you? You really want me to be a part of this kid’s life?” The man shakes his head, disbelief plain to see on his face. It wasn’t a question that needed an answer, but yet again, Fran offers a nod, more serious this time. “I…don’t really know what to say to this, to be honest. Never in my life would I ever imagine that I would be asked of this. I’m always extremely careful to never end up with a child as is.”
Jac received a punch to the arm in response to his poor joke. Sure, Jac spends a lot of time wooing ladies, only to immediately leave them after bedding them, but Fran just wasn’t any woman. She was one of the very few women Jac could count as a friend, and one who he hasn’t actively tried to get into bed with. A pass might be made every now and again, just to test the waters, but it’s never completely serious.
But having a kid in his life was never on his agenda. Kids were annoying, ate your food, and spent all of your money, not to mention the fact they constantly required attention and looking after. Kids were nothing but a hassle in Jac’s mind. Just shit eating, food consuming human disposals. And here Fran wanted him to be an ‘Uncle’ to one.
Again, he sighs. “I’m not…super thrilled with the idea, but I suppose I can. But only because it’s you, Fran.” She squeals in delight, as she quickly embraces him in a hug, backing off just as suddenly. Jac can’t help but smile, giving her a light hug back in response. His face turns serious after her embrace, however. “Obviously, Jack doesn’t approve. He can’t.”
Fran opens her mouth to respond, only to close it. Suspicion immediately hits Jac. “You mean to tell me he doesn’t know?” It would be the only logical explanation for her hesitation. He fully expected her to say that Jack did not approve, with some witty response that she would eventually win him over, but hesitation was not on the list.
Jac frowns, shifting in his seat. “As much as I don’t get along with Jack, I can’t be an Uncle if he isn’t in agreement. It wouldn’t be right. I cannot accept until I get his agreement.” Which, Jac thinks to himself, will happen when hell freezes over.
Fran is quick to respond. “Of course, Jac. I’ll tell him about it whenever I can bring up the subject. But I wanted to see if you would even consider the idea first before I even brought it up with him. If you had said no, and meant it, there would have been no need to bring up the subject with him. Why start an argument if the end result was you saying no?” It’s said with a slight shrug, as she takes a sip of water. Fran has had to watch what she’s been eating as of late, as it feels as if everything upsets her stomach nowadays.
Joli, who had been listening idly to the conversation on the couch next to them, lets out an enormous yawn, adding a little slobber to it. She smacks her jaws, before placing her head back onto the couch. The slight commotion causes Jac to turn his head, reminded of her presence. As big as she is, she can be pretty hard to miss sometimes. “You don’t think…Joli would be a problem, would she? I mean, she is fairly large.” This illicet’s a grunt from the Mastiff, with a quiet apologize from her owner.
"Gosh no! Joli is a sweetheart. She won’t even hurt a fly!" Which is the absolute truth. Fran’s cat, Gillespie could be called Joli’s best friend, but Joli herself considers it a mutual respect. They sometimes nap together, sure, but Gillespie is such a small thing compared to her, so she’s always wary and careful around the cat.
Despite what Fran says, Jac is wary nonetheless. While he has faith in his companion, Jac will never be quite certain until that day actually comes. She could be gentle now, but that doesn’t mean she would be with a little pink flesh monster pulling at her tail, ears, and paws. “I suppose we’ll have to cross that bridge when we get there…”
"It’s Reeds," Jack says correcting the nurse, but he sits in an empty chair. He waits as patiently as he can, rubbing his hands together, as the nurse asks her questions. Jack was nervous but knew Fran had to be a mess.
As soon as the nurse leaves, he walks up to Fran, putting his arm around her shoulder. ”How are you doing?” he asks. He was expecting an angry answer.
The nurse doesn't seem to pay any mind to his correction. Perhaps their medical records had just not been updated. That happened often with their old pen and paper system, but she doesn't mind. It certainly would be taboo to have an unmarried couple with such an age gap to be in their situation. Which she seemed to know, but it is not her place to disclose such information.
Fran takes a moment to calm herself as she leaves. Her carefully applied stitches seemed to be unraveling at the seems. The dam was breaking and there was no way she was going to cry here. Not here, not right now. She isn't angry right now. She simply cannot be. Otherwise, she would be a sobbing mess. That just was not an option for her in this small, white room. Her first response is to cuddle up to him, which she does without hesitation. The fluorescent lights drape themselves across he freckles and dark under eyes as she looks up to him. "I want to go home." She responds quietly.
She just wishes this wasn't happening. Plain and simple. She just wants to lay in bed and forget about all this. Surely she would get better. She always did, and this would be no different.
Although she wants to talk to him, their conversation is cut short by the clicking of the door.
She doesn’t respond to his bribes. Although it is tempting, she does not particularly feel like being anywhere but home right now. She just wants to leave here. Forget this happened. She will be fine. It’s just a virus, anyways. Recently, she has been so tired. Midnight vacations to the bathroom left her with baggage under her eyes, as well as a terrible backache in the morning. Her temperature has been running a bit higher than normal. She probably just has another virus.
He tightens his grip on her and she feels a bit calmer. No matter how angry either of them was, their fights never lasted long. Jack had seen parts of her that nobody else cared to and Fran just couldn’t manage to stay angry.
"Mancini?"
Her body suddenly tightens as she looks up to him. Oh, she’s got that deer in the headlights look down perfectly, and she couldn’t seem to move. She would probably need some help getting there.
When Fran doesn’t respond to the dinner, Jack gets a bit mad at himself. She was probably too angry to go out after this anyway. Jack hears the name and looks at Fran, his guilt multiplying. “Come on,” he says softly. “I’ll be right there with you.” He stands, and helps her stand without yanking her out of the seat.
She suddenly pulls herself closer to them as the walk. Much like a frightened child, she holds onto his arm tightly. The nurse gives her a small smile and a nod, maybe hoping to reassure her. "This way please." Fran shuffles beside him, following the petite blonde to a small room. It's a standard examination room, with a table covered in paper and two chairs. One for the doctor in front of a small desk, and one for an extra person. "Here, I'm going to weigh you and take your height." The nurse gives a nod to Jack with a smile. "You can have a seat right there, Mr. Mancini."
Fran doesn't bother to correct her. Instead, she hesitantly lets go of Jack's arm and shuffles to the scale, where she stands for a few moments. The nurse nods and marks it down on her clipboard, and then takes her height shortly after. "Alright, you're all good. Now you can take a seat on table right over there!"
She hesitantly finds her way to the table and hops up, unhappily sighing once she is settled. The nurse takes a seat in the swivel chair opposite of her and takes the clipboard off of the doctor's counter. "Alright. I just have a few questions for you." She responds with a nod and swallows hard.
"Last monthly?"
"About three months ago. It's irregular."
"Do you take any illicit substances?"
"No."
"What symptoms have you been noticing lately?"
"Well, I've been really tired, a little bit nauseous. I've got overall aches in my back and legs, and I've been kind of dizzy. Mood swings, too."
The nurse cocks an eyebrow and marks that down. She gives another friendly smile before standing and straightening her dress. "Alright, the doctor will be right with you!" She disappears shortly after.
"I’m god damn fine, Jack.” Fran hisses between clenched teeth. She’s wounded by his actions, like a trapped animal. How could he does this to her? How could he betray her like this. She leans into him and keeps her voice low, wanting to keep appearances up with the people around her, There are no familiar faces in the room, but everybody knew somebody in this god damn town. There is hardly anybody at all, but it’s enough to keep her temper contained. With arms crossed, she keeps her head down.
The way she is feeling cannot be described in one word. It’s anger, sadness, and anxiety all in one. She is not his paper doll, delicate and ready to crumble in his palms. His intentions are good, but Fran will not see that right now. Her mind was just so damn loud right now. Loud like her first concussion. Loud like a stray shot from a scattergun. Loud like Manhattan during a gang fight.
Fran keeps her head down and waits in silence. She is wounded.
He gets mad as she snaps at him, but he doesn’t say anything or snap back at her. He was sure that he’d probably react the same if Fran had did this to him. Jack just didn’t want it to be anything serious. Jack doesn’t say anything but he gives her arm a small squeeze. Of course he feels like a jerk, and he knew that if he just kept apologizing, he’d probably just make her angry at him. It won’t be an issue, though. He hopes that Fran’s right.
He sits with her as they wait for someone to call them back. He didn’t know any doctors here and hoped that at least one knew who Fran was. (Although not know her too personally) Jack looks at her hanging head. “I shouldn’t have lied,” he says after a few minutes. “But you wouldn’t have come otherwise.” He looks at the floor, but his hand rubs her arm. “I’ll still take you out to that place. If you still want.”
She doesn't respond to his bribes. Although it is tempting, she does not particularly feel like being anywhere but home right now. She just wants to leave here. Forget this happened. She will be fine. It's just a virus, anyways. Recently, she has been so tired. Midnight vacations to the bathroom left her with baggage under her eyes, as well as a terrible backache in the morning. Her temperature has been running a bit higher than normal. She probably just has another virus.
He tightens his grip on her and she feels a bit calmer. No matter how angry either of them was, their fights never lasted long. Jack had seen parts of her that nobody else cared to and Fran just couldn't manage to stay angry.
"Mancini?"
Her body suddenly tightens as she looks up to him. Oh, she's got that deer in the headlights look down perfectly, and she couldn't seem to move. She would probably need some help getting there.
She feels him slow down and her heart begins to race. Oh no. No, no, no, she knew him better than this. He loved her more than this. She looks at him when he stops, eyes wide and pitiful. No, he was not doing this. “For what?” She asks, quietly. He answers her with his actions, and she struggles against him. She pulls away from him forcefully, but his grip is too tight. If it weren’t for the receptionist sitting at the desk in the lobby, she would have struggled more.
But it wasn’t like her to cause a scene. She doesn’t want struggle against him anymore. Instead, she stands next to him with her head down. Oh, someone was going to be sleeping on the couch tonight.
Guilt ate him up, but it didn’t stop him from pulling her inside. Fran stops once she was inside. He doesn’t say anything when he walks up with her to the receptionist. He checks in, and walks with her to a seat, arm still around her.
"I just want to make sure that you’re alright." he says to her. "It’s not ok to be sick as much as you are."
"I'm god damn fine, Jack." Fran hisses between clenched teeth. She's wounded by his actions, like a trapped animal. How could he does this to her? How could he betray her like this. She leans into him and keeps her voice low, wanting to keep appearances up with the people around her, There are no familiar faces in the room, but everybody knew somebody in this god damn town. There is hardly anybody at all, but it's enough to keep her temper contained. With arms crossed, she keeps her head down.
The way she is feeling cannot be described in one word. It's anger, sadness, and anxiety all in one. She is not his paper doll, delicate and ready to crumble in his palms. His intentions are good, but Fran will not see that right now. Her mind was just so damn loud right now. Loud like her first concussion. Loud like a stray shot from a scattergun. Loud like Manhattan during a gang fight.
Fran keeps her head down and waits in silence. She is wounded.
The question surprises him a bit. He hadn’t really planned on getting anything since they weren’t going there in the first place. ”Um… Probably the same thing I got last time,” he answers. ”The afraid-of dish wasn’t that bad.” It was a great dish. He’d have to take her again at some point.
She gives him a strange look as she walks beside him. “Alfredo?” Laughter is bitten back behind metal bars, sealed within her as if not to offend him. They make a turn at the end of the block, and toward the harbor. She was so content with their current situation. “It is pretty good.”
Her stomach drops when she sees the hospital. Oh, he wouldn’t do this to her. No, of course not. They were just walking past it. They always did. Fran was not going to let her paranoia get the best of her right now. She really didn’t need that on her mind.
"Isn’t that what I said?" He feels her tighten her as they approach the hospital. He suddenly remembers that he didn’t have a clue on how he was going to get her inside.
Jack slows a bit when they neared the front, but otherwise kept walking. He was going to have to be quick about it, and get her inside before she could really do anything about it. He stops walking, and holds her hand. ”Fran, I’m sorry.” And he attempts to grab her around her waist to drag her inside.
She feels him slow down and her heart begins to race. Oh no. No, no, no, she knew him better than this. He loved her more than this. She looks at him when he stops, eyes wide and pitiful. No, he was not doing this. "For what?" She asks, quietly. He answers her with his actions, and she struggles against him. She pulls away from him forcefully, but his grip is too tight. If it weren't for the receptionist sitting at the desk in the lobby, she would have struggled more.
But it wasn't like her to cause a scene. She doesn't want struggle against him anymore. Instead, she stands next to him with her head down. Oh, someone was going to be sleeping on the couch tonight.
Fran is quick to catch up with him, wanting to walk beside him. She was actually pretty happy to be going out with him. It had been quite some time since he’d taken her out, almost four months. She hardly remembers that, considering she got nearly blackout drunk. The only thing she vaguely remembers is calming Jack down, and then screaming his name about twenty minutes later. Must have been a good night, then.
She is eager to walk beside him and smell the gentle harbor’s breeze. It was kind of windy today, actually. Still warm, just a little bit breezy. “What are you gonna get, you think?” Maybe they should stop at by brother’s house on the way there, see if they wanted to go.
The question surprises him a bit. He hadn’t really planned on getting anything since they weren’t going there in the first place. ”Um… Probably the same thing I got last time,” he answers. ”The afraid-of dish wasn’t that bad.” It was a great dish. He’d have to take her again at some point.
She gives him a strange look as she walks beside him. "Alfredo?" Laughter is bitten back behind metal bars, sealed within her as if not to offend him. They make a turn at the end of the block, and toward the harbor. She was so content with their current situation. "It is pretty good."
Her stomach drops when she sees the hospital. Oh, he wouldn't do this to her. No, of course not. They were just walking past it. They always did. Fran was not going to let her paranoia get the best of her right now. She really didn't need that on her mind.
Jack gives a smile. ”Yes. That’s the place.” He remembers it. It was something he should have thought of in the first place, even though he was sure he wouldn’t remember the name. ”I figured it’s been awhile and I want to treat you with something nice.” And he hoped that she’d accept his apology of actually taking her there after everything was said and done.
He smiles until she disappears upstairs. He was going to be in trouble once she realized that they weren’t going to the restaurant. He grabs the milk, and puts it back into the fridge. He stands there, and stares into it for a few seconds before he closes it. It was going to be a war.
It wasn’t too long before she reappeared in the doorway, clad with refreshed makeup and purse. With mood swings, came the ups and downs, and he had just so happened to catch her on the way up.”Ready, baby?” She smiles, leaning against the door frame. It had been awhile since they had gone out and done something nice, so this would feel good. “This’ll be nice.” Hopefully, she wouldn’t throw it right back up.
He has a small smile when she returns. ”Yea,” he answers. ”Just waiting for you.” He opens the door, letting her leave first before heading out himself.
He was unsure on how well she’d handle the fact that he tricked her. Hopefully, Fran would only be mad at him for a few days.
Fran is quick to catch up with him, wanting to walk beside him. She was actually pretty happy to be going out with him. It had been quite some time since he'd taken her out, almost four months. She hardly remembers that, considering she got nearly blackout drunk. The only thing she vaguely remembers is calming Jack down, and then screaming his name about twenty minutes later. Must have been a good night, then.
She is eager to walk beside him and smell the gentle harbor's breeze. It was kind of windy today, actually. Still warm, just a little bit breezy. "What are you gonna get, you think?" Maybe they should stop at by brother's house on the way there, see if they wanted to go.
