raisetheearth | It's that time of year.

Entry tags:

It's that time of year.

Who: Jacob and you
What: Jacob isn't feeling so hot.
Where: Shepherd's Haven, Woodend
When: Late afternoon, October 3rd
Status: OPEN!

Jacob blinks hard as he fumbles the key into the lock of the shop. He is closing early for the day, he hopes no one will really mind. Between the headache, the chills, and the dizziness, he can't afford to sacrifice his health or that of his customers. He tries to keep in mind that he can't really take the cold medicine in his pocket until he gets home, which honestly might give him the occasional look of terror to cross his face as he beelines to the nearest drugstore. He shudders as he tries to push the memory of his sister's illness to the back of his mind.

He'll pick up several varieties of medicine made to treat colds and flus, and try to leave the store as quickly as possible, but finds that he needs to steady himself quite a bit. Does he have a fever? He can't tell, he just knows he wants to go home and nip this in the bud. He lays down the cash at the register and forgets to pick up his change as he leaves the store.

He takes a path where he can lean on walls and trees on his way home, and with each step he takes, it becomes more frequent. He ends up leaning against the wall of a taller building and slumps to the ground as he tries to fight the fatigue. Sweat is visibly dripping off his brow and he feels distinctly nauseous. If he's already feeling this bad, he's not sure how he's going to get up all those stairs to his apartment. He cringes as he feels his head pound at thoughts of his fears in illness.

One might find him muttering incoherently under his breath as he awaits certain death or rescue.

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It was pure luck that Richard was passing close enough by to see Jacob drop to the ground. That he was around Shepherd's Haven at all was pure luck, given various current situations and as much as recent events had him suspicious of any and all (most) strangers, leaving someone slumped on the ground muttering deliriously wasn't something that he was going to do.

Things hadn't slid that far yet.

"Hey, man." Richard crouched down beside him. Looked like he was in a bad way. "You want some help?"

Jacob looks up at Richard as he crouches near him. He's not sure whether to feel relieved or like he just became someone's problem. He takes a moment, trying to consider his options. He's probably contagious, and though he doesn't live far, it's still several flights of stairs. However, if Jacob says he's fine, it's obvious he isn't. And not getting home to take care of himself will only exacerbate his fears. It's a position he doesn't like, but he doesn't have much of a choice, does he?

Jacob sighs as he makes a mental note to get Richard's information to thank him properly later.

"Help would be... Appreciated..." He points the direction of the next block weakly. "I live right around the corner... But it's alot of stairs..."

He wouldn't be blamed for feeling a little of both. Richard got the feeling that he'd taken on more than he intended when he saw the state the guy was really in, but standing up and walking away now just wasn't in him. He wasn't that much of an asshole yet.

"Sure, don't worry about it. C'mon, let's get you on your feet."

Standing up, he offered the young man a hand. "Carryin' you isn't an indignity I'm gonna put either of us through."

Jacob gives a weak chuckle as he takes Richard's hand.

"Thanks, I appreciate that."

As he gets off the ground, he tries to be as non-invasive as possible, but his stability is still wavering, and he may rely on Richard much more than he wants to. He carefully gives directions to his place and when they get in the building, Jacob gives a long stare up the stairs.

'What do they call that feeling? Vertigo?' he thinks as he feels dizzy looking up. He shakes his head to try and steady himself, but it doesn't do much to clear that dizzy feeling. He grips the handrail with the hand that's clasping the bag. How on earth are you supposed to do this with two people, now? Jacob actually wishes for a change that this place had an elevator.

Not outright lifting him up off the ground doesn't mean he's not going to get a firm arm around the young man to keep him from falling. It's the best way, he thinks, to make sure that they actually make it up any stairs with a minimum amount of fuss.

"Just keep your eyes on the stairs. Count 'em."

One step, two steps, three... It might take a while.

Take a while, indeed it does. It's several flights of stairs, and Jacob has a hard time keeping count in his near-delirium. And, unfortunately to probably both of their dismay, Jacob gives an occasional protest for them to stop so he can get his bearings back. If Richard insists on continuing before he's ready to go again, Jacob will warn that he might not be able to hold back the desire to vomit. About halfway through, Jacob insists a stop on a landing.

"One second, I can't take this anymore." He's almost home, so what does it matter, anyway? He opens the bag and fishes around a bit, pulling out sinus pills and cold syrup. He puts the pills on his tongue and chases it with the syrup. He doesn't seem to mind the taste at all. In fact, where he had a scowl of ill and frustration earlier now seems to be replaced with ease and relief. After he puts the cap back on the medicine, he slides it back into the bag, giving Richard a slight nod. "Alright, we can continue."

He'll still give the occasional need to stop and rest on the remainder of the way up, but he's probably a slight more pleasant about it. He'll even opt a bit for conversation before they reach the door.

"My name's Jacob... I don't suppose there is a way I could repay you for your help?"

The slow but steady recovery as they make their way up the stairs doesn't go unnoticed, but the knowledge that you're nearing home is a balm that Richard knows well and perhaps there are some reserves of strength that he had been holding back. He was mostly too distracted to really complain about the stops and starts, though he hadn't intended on taking so long with this.

When Jacob had mentioned stairs, he hadn't realised that he meant all the stairs.

"You know my son, don't you. Tony. He's mentioned your name before."

Jacob's eye goes wide with absolute disbelief for a moment. He certainly didn't think Richard's age was... old enough to rear a child like Tony. It's a solid stare with many things under the surface. Although, he sees a similarity in circumstances of how he met Tony, so maybe it's not all that impossible.

And, oh, God, Tony's talked about him... Maybe it's the illness, but Jacob suddenly feels very nauseous, and his face cringes to reflect that.

"Y...yes." He remembers the night they first met, and the comment that made Jacob have the urge to jump a balcony. Oh, God, what did Tony say? Jacob manages a nervous smile. "Yes. He's very nice. Rather surprising that you're his father." Small world, and all that.

"Not by birth," he replied, as if sensing what the other man was thinking. It wouldn't be the first time someone had questioned the nature of his situation when it came to Tony and he was never shy of saying that he'd adopted him. Tony may not be his son by birth but he was his son by choice, and equally his son none the less.

"I adopted him, just before he turned eighteen. Trying to make sure he had the kinds of chances I'd already thrown away at his age." Truthfully, Tony had said little about Jacob, but enough for Richard to identify him once his name was given.

At least he hadn't left him passed out in the gutter, unlike someone...

"He doesn't make it easy, but I'd not have him different, y'know?"

"Oh, well, that's very wonderful of you. I'm glad he has someone that cares so much." He gives a warmer smile as they near the apartment. "Certainly. I agree, he's fine just the way he is." In Jacob's opinion, Tony is a complete nice guy, and fun to be around. Even if he doesn't like to talk about himself much.

Jacob pulls his keys from his pocket, and fumbles a bit before getting them in the lock, then opens the door. He thinks a moment before going through the doorway and looks at up at Richard.

"Would you like some coffee or anything?" Because he's hospitable like that.

"Hm? Oh, nah, I should get goin'." He checked his watch and pulled a face - late - and gave a small shake of his head. "But you should take care of yourself, yeah? Wanderin' around in that state might get you killed."

And, though he wouldn't say it, a Numbered someone walking about like that would make an easy target for Thunder Corp. Too easy. He wouldn't put it past them to start taking people off the streets if they didn't get their way.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Right... Sorry, if I made you late for something. I appreciate your help."

Jacob's face visibly pales at the mention of death, his reaction nothing short as if he had seen a ghost. He'll be downing as much medicine as he's able to take without sending him to the hospital tonight.

His voice seems to catch in his throat as he tries to answer. No, I'm not okay, now I'm scared out of my wits. He can't really blame the guy, it's not like he knows that Jacob is afraid of death by illness.

"Eh...erm...uh.... Y-yea... I should be... alright..." Poor Jacob can't even wipe the fear off his face to pretend to be reassuring.

Edited 2015-11-02 00:08 (UTC)

Just when he thought the guy couldn't get any paler. It did prompt a level of concern just a little beyond pulling him off the street to make sure he didn't get mugged while he was in the middle of a delirium.

"You sure about that?" He held back the urge to sigh. It wasn't Jacob's fault, but this kind of thing could become so inconvenient.

"Look, siddown before you fall down an' I'll call a doctor."

"Yes, I'm..." err... no... "uhm... Maybe?"

Then Jacob is told to sit down. He might have found this humourous, because who obeys orders? The answer is Jacob. Jacob obeys orders, especially if they're in his best interest to survive being sick. But, not before giving a moment's stare at Richard for offering to call a doctor. He scoots politely over to his sofa before sitting down on it, staring at Richard the whole time.

"Uhm... isn't a doctor a little bit extreme?" Does he look that bad?

"You tell me. I mean, I just found you nearly passed out on the street. That sounds like it calls for a doctor to me." He was part way to pulling his cellphone from his pocket, but paused to shoot the other man a raised eyebrow.

"Unless that's a normal thing for you."

Maybe it's the fever, but Jacob feels his face heat up and he rubs his forehead with a look of confused frustration on his face. He gives a feeble groan.

"I... I don't get sick... Not usually." He leans back on the sofa, resting his head on the back of it, causing him to look up toward the ceiling. "This... might sound stupid, but being sick scares me. It's... It's how my older sister died."

He covers his face with his hand, feeling particularly frustrated and troublesome.

"I don't like hospitals, it feels like a death sentence. But, if you think I'm so bad off that I need one, go right ahead. It's better than actually dying..." His tone is full of surrender, leaving the final decision to Richard.

Richard doesn't feel right making that kind of decision for a total stranger, but he can't say that he likes the way Jacob is looking right now. He gives his watch a glance, then shakes his head very slightly as he lets his phone drop back into his pocket.

"It's probably just a fever. You got some medication here?"

Someone so paranoid about being sick had to have a good stock of medicines, he reasons.

Oh, boy, where doesn't Jacob keep medicine? Of course there's the popular bathroom medicine cabinet, then he has some in his bedside drawer in the bedroom, some in the pantry in the kitchen. Then there was the bag in his hand from the drugstore. He decided to remain slightly sane and not hide them in amongst the plants in his house.

He gives the question a brief thought. Out of simplicity, he states, "In the bathroom, over the sink. The medicine cabinet."

He looks at Richard a moment before gently pointing the direction of the restroom.

"Great. Stay put."

Not that he thought Jacob would be going anywhere. It was easy enough to find the cabinet - what wasn't as easy was finding something in the mass of different medications that would make him feel a bit better.

In the end, he went for a generic cold and flu medicine that would reduce his fever and any aches and pains he might have. He didn't often find himself in the position of having to take care of a stranger, but he'd dropped himself well and truly in it now.

"Just take a couple of these. If you feel worse, you're better callin' a doctor."

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It's that time of year.

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