Part 19

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Part 19

~I hate the way it's always the same; hate recrimination and blame~

JC's alarm rang at 8:00 AM. Usually one to hit the snooze and loll around in bed as long as possible, today he was up and in the bathroom almost immediately. In the shower, he made a mental list of the questions that he wanted to ask Lance's doctor when he saw him today. After quickly showering and dressing, he went down the hall and knocked on the door to the guestroom. There was no answer. He knocked again, louder this time. When there was still no answer, he assumed that Stacey and Ford were up already. His assumption was proved to be correct when he heard Stacey's voice as he approached the kitchen.

"Mom, please," she was saying. "You're being totally unreasonable."

JC sighed. Her mother. Lance's mother. He assumed that she hadn't made the phone call, since he hadn't heard the phone ring. Stacey had obviously called her, trying to make peace. She really was a great girl. She and Lance were a lot alike. He glanced into the kitchen. Stacey was standing by the counter, phone in one hand, her other pinching the bridge of her nose, as if warding off a headache. Ford was sitting at the kitchen table; cup of coffee in his hands, looking resigned. He knew how this conversation was going to turn out. JC stood listening outside the kitchen door, not wanting them know he was there just yet.

"He needs you here, mom." She paused, listening to her mother's answer. JC could tell by the look on Stacey's face that the reply did not please her.

"What does that have to do with it?" Stacey rolled her eyes. "An abomination? Yeah, so is going out in public when you're pregnant, according to the bible. So is eating pork, for God's sake." JC almost smiled at that. Now her mother was probably chastising Stacey for taking the lord's name in vain. "I'm sorry mom." Yep, he was right.

"He's your son," Stacey continued, her tone pleading. "The only one you'll ever have." There was a pause as her mother responded.

"Don't talk about JC like that, mom." JC raised his eyebrows at that, wondering how his name came into the conversation. "Yes I am," Stacey was saying. "Because Lance loves him. And he love's Lance and he's been here for him the whole time, even though he's about to fall apart." JC frowned at that. He didn't realize he was so obvious. Deciding that now was the time to make his presence known, he cleared his throat as he entered the kitchen. Stacey looked up in surprise as he entered. She looked a bit guilty. JC simply smiled at her. She had absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, in his opinion. He didn't know what came over him. He had no idea why he did it, but he held out his hand to her. She looked at him, confused. 'What?' she mouthed. He indicated the phone in her hand. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head emphatically. He gestured to the phone again, insistently. With a sigh, she reluctantly handed him the phone.

"Mrs. Bass?" he said, his voice sarcastically pleasant. "Was there something that you wanted to say to me?"

"Who is this?"

"It's JC. I heard my name mentioned and thought you might want to speak with me." There was silence on the other end. "Mrs. Bass, are you still there?"

"I have absolutely nothing to say to you," she said, her voice venomous.

"Oh, that's all right. You can just listen then, because I have something to say to you." His voice held just as much venom as hers did.

Stacey bit her lip, nervously. "JC give me the phone," she whispered, reaching for it.

"I just wanted to say," he continued, turning to avoid Stacey's hands, "thank you for putting those horrible ideas in Lance's head, and making him doubt his worth and right to live the day before he had major surgery. That was really good of you. Very motherly."

"How dare you? You have no right, you little..."

"I have every right," JC cut her off. "I have every right because I love him, and you hurt him."

"I hurt him? You're the one that hurt him!"

"How the hell did I hurt him?" JC said angrily.

"You corrupted him. You set him on the path to sin. This is all your fault."

JC laughed harshly. "I can't believe you lady. You honestly believe that Lance had a brain tumor because he's gay? Are you really nuts?"

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, you, you queer!"

"Oh yeah, that hurts," he said, his voice transforming to a shout with his next words. "He could have died. Don't you get that? Don't you even care?"

"I don't have to answer to you," she hissed.

That wasn't an answer, JC thought to himself. So that was basically a 'no'. "You are a cruel and hateful woman, and you don't deserve a son like Lance." His voice was suddenly deadly calm. "You've hurt him and hurt him over and over, and gotten away with it. But you will never hurt him again. Do you understand me? I won't let you." Not waiting for a reply, he disconnected the phone.

Stacey looked at him anxiously. "Josh?"

JC took a deep breath, and glanced at the clock. "It's almost nine," he said. "Let's get to the hospital."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to But Faith Part 19 ~I hate the way it's always the same; hate recrimination and blame~ JC's alarm rang at 8:00 AM. Usually one to hit the snooze and loll around in bed as long as possible, today he was up and in the bathroom almost immediately. In the shower, he made a mental list of the questions that he wanted to ask Lance's doctor when he saw him today. After quickly showering and dressing, he went down the hall and knocked on the door to the guestroom. There was no answer. He knocked again, louder this time. When there was still no answer, he assumed that Stacey and Ford were up already. His assumption was proved to be correct when he heard Stacey's voice as he approached the kitchen. "Mom, please," she was saying. "You're being totally unreasonable." JC sighed. Her mother. Lance's mother. He assumed that she hadn't made the phone call, since he hadn't heard the phone ring. Stacey had obviously called her, trying to make peace. She really was a great girl. She and Lance were a lot alike. He glanced into the kitchen. Stacey was standing by the counter, phone in one hand, her other pinching the bridge of her nose, as if warding off a headache. Ford was sitting at the kitchen table; cup of coffee in his hands, looking resigned. He knew how this conversation was going to turn out. JC stood listening outside the kitchen door, not wanting them know he was there just yet. "He needs you here, mom." She paused, listening to her mother's answer. JC could tell by the look on Stacey's face that the reply did not please her. "What does that have to do with it?" Stacey rolled her eyes. "An abomination? Yeah, so is going out in public when you're pregnant, according to the bible. So is eating pork, for God's sake." JC almost smiled at that. Now her mother was probably chastising Stacey for taking the lord's name in vain. "I'm sorry mom." Yep, he was right. "He's your son," Stacey continued, her tone pleading. "The only one you'll ever have." There was a pause as her mother responded. "Don't talk about JC like that, mom." JC raised his eyebrows at that, wondering how his name came into the conversation. "Yes I am," Stacey was saying. "Because Lance loves him. And he love's Lance and he's been here for him the whole time, even though he's about to fall apart." JC frowned at that. He didn't realize he was so obvious. Deciding that now was the time to make his presence known, he cleared his throat as he entered the kitchen. Stacey looked up in surprise as he entered. She looked a bit guilty. JC simply smiled at her. She had absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, in his opinion. He didn't know what came over him. He had no idea why he did it, but he held out his hand to her. She looked at him, confused. 'What?' she mouthed. He indicated the phone in her hand. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head emphatically. He gestured to the phone again, insistently. With a sigh, she reluctantly handed him the phone. "Mrs. Bass?" he said, his voice sarcastically pleasant. "Was there something that you wanted to say to me?" "Who is this?" "It's JC. I heard my name mentioned and thought you might want to speak with me." There was silence on the other end. "Mrs. Bass, are you still there?" "I have absolutely nothing to say to you," she said, her voice venomous. "Oh, that's all right. You can just listen then, because I have something to say to you." His voice held just as much venom as hers did. Stacey bit her lip, nervously. "JC give me the phone," she whispered, reaching for it. "I just wanted to say," he continued, turning to avoid Stacey's hands, "thank you for putting those horrible ideas in Lance's head, and making him doubt his worth and right to live the day before he had major surgery. That was really good of you. Very motherly." "How dare you? You have no right, you little..." "I have every right," JC cut her off. "I have every right because I love him, and you hurt him." "I hurt him? You're the one that hurt him!" "How the hell did I hurt him?" JC said angrily. "You corrupted him. You set him on the path to sin. This is all your fault." JC laughed harshly. "I can't believe you lady. You honestly believe that Lance had a brain tumor because he's gay? Are you really nuts?" "Don't you dare talk to me like that, you, you queer!" "Oh yeah, that hurts," he said, his voice transforming to a shout with his next words. "He could have died. Don't you get that? Don't you even care?" "I don't have to answer to you," she hissed. That wasn't an answer, JC thought to himself. So that was basically a 'no'. "You are a cruel and hateful woman, and you don't deserve a son like Lance." His voice was suddenly deadly calm. "You've hurt him and hurt him over and over, and gotten away with it. But you will never hurt him again. Do you understand me? I won't let you." Not waiting for a reply, he disconnected the phone. Stacey looked at him anxiously. "Josh?" JC took a deep breath, and glanced at the clock. "It's almost nine," he said. "Let's get to the hospital."