Despite having a doctor in the house, Jackie goes to Jameson's room to get some tender loving care from his non-verbal friend. Jameson happily provides that, and a little more.
Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all the Canadians! And I believe today is Columbus day/Indigenous People's Day for Americans too. There's two independence days as well, and overall...24 holidays today! I had no clue. either way, I hope you all enjoy!
Jackie walked up to the door and knocked gently. When the person came to the door and opened it, Jackie looked up to the person at the door.
‘Hello Jackie.’ the person signed.
Jackie smiled and lowered his right arm. “Hi Jay. May I come in?” Jackie asked.
Jamie nodded his head and opened the door for him. Jackie walked in, and sat on the chair at the side of his room. ‘What’s wrong?’ He asked.
Jackie sighed and bit his lip, before removing the unzipping his onesie and pulling his arm out. “There’s a reason I wear red.” Jackie explained. “I wear it to cover up any blood that leaves my wounds.” He unrolled his sleeve to show Jamie his arm. “I…”
Jamie widened his eyes and covered his mouth. Jamie pulled up a chair and checked the slice wound on his arm. ‘Does it hurt?’ Jamie asked.
Jackie chuckled. “Yeah…but it’s nothing I can’t handle!” Jackie declared, smiling with a thumbs up.
Jamie hummed silently and stared at the man for a moment before going back to checking the wound. He conjured up a mask and gloves, before putting both on, followed by a pair of glasses. He took a better look at the cut and looked at Jackie. ‘Hurt?’ Jamie asked.
“Nope.” Jackie replied.
Jamie opened the wound slightly with his fingers. Then he looked at Jackie and raised his eyebrows in an attempt to ask.
“I’m fine.” Jackie replied despite some visible strain in his voice.
Jamie looked at Jackie with suspicion. Jamie then conjured up a bowl and a pitcher of cool water, before dumping bits of the water onto the cut at a time to clean it out. This made any loose bits of blood and dirt fall out of the wound and into the bowl. Jamie looked up and raised his eyebrows again, asking once again for an update on the pain.
“mm- fine.” Jackie muttered. It seemed like Jackie was determined to keep his pain and anguish a secret from Jamie at any cost.
Jamie looked at Jackie with eyes partly closed, clearly unamused and annoyed. He didn’t want Jackie to suck it up for him. So, Jamie shoved his finger into the wound and raised his eyebrows slightly more dramatically.
Jackie yelped and pulled his arm back, grabbing it with his other hand. “OW! DUDE!” Jackie yelled.
‘Did that hurt?’ Jamie signed, showing slight frustration on his face, as well as in his ASL.
“YES! What do YOU fuckin’ think?!” Jackie yelled.
Jamie looked him straight in the eye. ‘Thank you for telling me the truth.’ he replied.
Jackie stared at him and blinked, taken aback. “........I’m sorry, what?” Jackie asked.
Jamie put the bowl down and picked up a piece of gauze from the bed. Ripping open the gauze, he reached out and took Jackie’s hand. He stayed silent while he did so, due to his hands —his only form of communication— being occupied.
Jackie was left confused, but strangely let Jamie work at his arm again. But…why he let Jamie work at his arm again despite Jamie’s malice towards him…he couldn’t be sure. Maybe because he was desperate? Or maybe it was because he knew Jamie was proving a point, and wouldn’t do it again.
After Jamie was done, he put the gauze down and let go so he could sign. ‘You are not being truthful about how you feel.’ Jamie told him.
Jackie blinked. “That…that’s because I feel fine, despite the cut.” Jackie replied.
Jamie let out a long sigh, and shook his head. ‘No you don’t.’ Jamie said as he conjured up a roll of gauze.
“But-…but I do!” Jackie repeated.
Jamie cleared his throat loudly and started to wrap the gauze around the wound. Again, Jamie stayed silent through the wrapping process due to both his hands being too occupied to sign anything. This left Jackie in an uncomfortable state of silent agony. But Jackie didn’t need Jamie to tell him anything…because Jamie’s face said it all.
Disappointment.
Jamie tied the gauze ends together and put his hands down. ‘Done lying?’ Jamie asked.
Jackie widened his eyes and blinked. Gosh…it’s scary knowing how much Jamie could see through him. The man was not only naturally talented at conveying nonverbal gestures, but also at observing other people’s non-verbal gestures. It fascinated Jackie to no end.
He finally let go. “Okay, fine…” Jackie sighed and put his arm down. “I’m not okay. I can’t stop thinking about the robbery victim.” Jackie told him as he put on his onesie sleeve again. “The victim’s in the hospital with life-threatening injuries.” Jackie told him. “And the perpetrator got away. He was the one who…” Jackie looked down at his arm and sighed.
Jamie nodded and adjusted himself in his seat. ‘Why go to me?’ Jamie pointed to the arm. ‘Henrik is a doctor.’ Jamie made the D sign and touched the left inner wrist to make the sign.
“Doctor?” Jackie clarified.
Jamie nodded with a smile. ‘Why me? Why not go to the doctor?’ Jamie asked, repeating the sign.
Jackie bit his lip. “Henrik is very against what I do.” Jackie admitted. “He doesn’t say it out loud, but he doesn’t need to in order to make his opinion known.” he explained.
Jamie smirked. ‘What does he tell you?’ Jamie asked.
Jackie sighed. “He warns me about overdoing it and getting injured too often.” Jackie admitted.
Jamie smiled a bit more. ‘I warn you too.’ Jamie mentioned.
Jackie grunted. “But you do it with a lot more patience.” Jackie complained with a laugh.
Jamie chuckled and showed his teeth in his smile, shrugging his shoulders and signing the word ‘true’ back to him.
“You also know how to cheer me up.” Jackie admitted. “Even when I don’t want to be.” Jackie added with a laugh. Jamie smirked and looked to the upper right, wiggling his mustache playfully. This alone was enough to make Jackie laugh. “Yeah! Like that! We have the same visual humor.” Jackie admitted. Jamie smiled brightly and cleared his throat, getting up. He conjured up a doctor coat and scrubs, put on a medical mask, and wrapped a stethoscope around his neck. Then, he put on a name tag that said [Cheer Up Doctor]. Jackie smiled brightly. “Ooohoho, nice get up! Still not a doctor though…” Jackie teased.
Jamie rolled his eyes as he pulled out the stethoscope and waved the end of it. ‘Check heart?’ Was roughly what Jamie was asking.
“Sure!” Jackie replied.
Jamie placed the stethoscope onto his chest and listened to his heart. Jamie looked super focused on his heart, almost like he WAS able to hear his heart. Jamie soon lowered the stethoscope and removed the earpieces from his ears. ‘Small bit low. Signs of sadness.’ Jamie told him.
Jackie chuckled. “Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.” Jackie teased.
Jamie gave him an unimpressed face before pulling out a thermometer. He waved the thermometer, as if saying ‘check temperature?’ To him. When Jackie gave him the permission, he placed the thermometer in his mouth, under his tongue. A few seconds later, the thermometer beeped and Jamie removed it. He sighed with a smile and showed Jackie the thermometer screen: [Sadder than Eeyore]
Jackie read it and laughed, loving the little reference.
Jamie pulled out a clipboard from his doctor coat and conjured up a pen. He started vigorously writing, before removing the paper and giving it to Jackie.
Jackie read the paper.
[Treatment: 10 minutes of tickles]
Jackie widened his eyes and looked up at Jamie. “...Really?” He asked.
Jamie tapped the paper. ‘Wanna be treated here? Or at home?’ Jamie asked.
Jackie could feel his face heating up slightly. “Uhhhh…” He chuckled awkwardly and adjusted himself in his seat. “Here? I guess?” Jackie replied, giving Jamie permission to tickle him.
Jamie nodded and offered a hand. ‘Paper please.’ Jamie signed. Jackie laughed and handed him the paper. Jamie took the paper and adjusted his glasses to read it, nodding like a good doctor would, pretending like he had not just written the ‘prescription’. Then, he turned away, put the paper into his pocket, before turning to face Jackie again and sprinting up to him.
“ooOHGOD-!” Jackie yelped as he was playfully tackled to the bed and tickled mercilessly on his armpits. “eeEEK! WAIT-HAHAHA! Eeek! Noho! NAHAHAHA! You ahahahaHAHAHASS!” Jackie yelled.
Jamie smiled brightly and winked, before lifting up Jackie’s right arm and signing the word ‘cute’ to him…only for him to resume his tickle attack on just the right armpit.
Jackie threw his head back and shook his head as his laughing fits filled the room with gleeful noise. “HAHAHAhahaha- Cohohome ohon! Hahaha! Hehehehe- Whyhyhy tihickles?!” Jackie asked.
Jamie let go of his arm and signed the word ‘fun’ to Jackie.
“Fun?!” Jackie reacted.
‘Strong man is ticklish’ Jamie signed next before moving his hands to his ribs. ‘Your laugh is funny’ He signed right before gripping his ribs.
“Is this really the only treatMENT OPTIOHOHON?! BAAAHAHAHAHA- Hahahaha! This ihihis ridihihiculous! NahaHAHA!” Jackie argued.
Jamie only squeezed his ribs in response, earning him another fit of hysterical laughter.
Jamie wiggled his fingers evilly in his face, and moved them around to figure out where to touch down.
“Oh no, oh no, Jahamie dohon’t you dahahare!” Jackie pleaded.
Jamie smiled and made his hands into fists facing down. Slowly, he began to count his fingers one by one.
‘1…2…’ Jamie had both index fingers stretched out. And Jackie was giggling helplessly as he watched Jamie’s fingers anxiously.
‘3…4…’ Jamie had both middle fingers out now, joining the index fingers in the fight to tickle. And Jackie could only close his eyes and shake his head as giggles left his lungs.
‘5…6…’ Jamie’s thumbs were now outstretched for poor, vulnerable Jackie to watch and fear as his mind filled with teasy daydreams and phantom tickles.
‘7…8…’ Jamie’s ring fingers were now outstretched, further tormenting Jackie with their look alone. This made Jackie tense up and shake with an anxious, wobbly smile filling his face.
‘9…10!” The moment both of Hamie’s pinkies were stretched out, the dapper boy let his wiggly fingers touch down. With no moment to lose, he skittered and scraped Jackie’s ribs as gently and as teasily as he possibly could.
Jamie took pity on him and stopped his fingers. For now, anyway. But when Jamie started visibly scanning the man, Jackie immediately began to sense that something else was afoot. “…what?” Jackie asked.
Jamie looked up at Jackie. ‘One more?’ Jamie asked.
Jackie groaned slightly at this.
But Jamie was considerate beyond the insistence. ‘Finale! I’ll stop after! Promise!’ Jamie signed.
Jackie could only look at Jamie’s puppy dog eyes for a few seconds…before he ultimately gave up the cause. “Fiiine.” He replied.
Jamie smiled brightly for a few moments before removing the medical mask from his face, Then, Jamie took in a quick deep breath, and lowered himself down!
PPFFBBBFFFBBBBFFT!
Aaaand out came any ounce of leftover sadness left inside of Jackie.
