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Apr. 24th, 2013 10:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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nevermore_logsWHO: Thomas and William Kemp [NPC]
WHAT: Father son bonding
WHEN: Thursday afternoon
WHERE: William and Emma's house
WARNINGS: Talk of illness and a choking incident
The moment his classes were finished for the day, Thomas slipped out of the school and he headed to his parents' house. He texted Jamie once he was there to let him know he wouldn't be home until later, and then he let himself into the house he had grown up in.
Emma Kemp was at work, but Thomas knew his father would be here alone and he really just wanted to spend some time alone with the man. He found William seated outside in the small garden and to Thomas' surprise, William was smoking a cigarette. When Thomas opened the sliding glass door, and it gave it's familiar and rusty screech, William tried to hide the cigarette behind his leg. "Emma, I didn't know you were- Tommy, goddamit! You'll give an old man a heart attack!"
Thomas chuckled and he slid the door closed before going to take a seat in one of the plastic chairs beside his father. "Do you honestly think Mom isn't aware you're smoking again?" he asked, amused.
"Oh she knows, but she can't say anything if she doesn't catch me." William stopped bothering to hide it and he took another drag on the cigarette before handing it to Thomas who groaned.
"Daaaadd, what are you doing to me?" But he accepted it and took a deep drag before he could think twice about it. Holding the smoke in his lungs as long as he could, he breathed out slowly. "Oh fuck I've missed you," he said to the cigarette and then he hastily handed it back. "Shame on you and by that I mean can I have one?"
William arched an eyebrow at Thomas and instead of answering, he asked a question of his own. "Did you stop by to see your mother? She's at work but she should be home in a few hours."
"I came to see you," he said with a shake of his head. "I knew you were home alone." It looked like a good day. His father was shaking and the ashes were falling from his cigarette as soon as they appeared which meant he didn't need to flick it. But he wasn't jerking around as much as he sometimes did. "How are you feeling?"
"Feeling tired of people asking me that, though I know you all mean well," William offered his son a smile. "I talk about me enough. How are you? Tell me about this girlfriend of yours?"
While William may have been ignoring the issue, Thomas figured he may as well let him. "Her name is Lena and she's a dancer and musician at a theatre restaurant. Her family are all artists and her brother works at SVA so he's already given Jamie a tour which is really great. And she wasn't scared off when she heard I'm going to get sick which is pretty special."
"Good on her," William said with a nod. He stubbed out the cigarette and then crossed his arms over his chest. "You should bring her over for dinner, I'd like to meet her while I'll still remember who she is."
"Dad-" Thomas sighed but then he looked up and met his father's eyes. "She'd like that too."
"She sounds like a keeper. You thinking along the same lines? I know it's been lonely for you, son." William fixed him with a Look which felt like it pierced right into his soul. His father had a way of doing that.
With that, Thomas blushed a little, his ears turning red. "Well I made my own bed, so I had to sleep in it. Alone." He rubbed at his eye while admitting, "yeah, I've been lonely, but she's wonderful. I can see it lasting for a while, at least at the moment. I guess we'll see. Seriously. Dad. Either we have to go inside or I'm going to physically steal a cigarette from you, the smell is driving me insane. And I want to see if there are brownies."
William chuckled and he held his hand out so Thomas could help him up. Thomas did so without hesitating and the two of them relocated into the kitchen. "Your mother did say I was supposed to lecture you about eating more if I saw you. Can we consider this a lecture?" he asked as he settled into a chair.
Thomas laughed and he went to the fridge to find a snack. "If you won't tell, I won't. Are you hungry too? I can make something for both of us." There weren't any brownies, but Emma's fridge was always fully stocked with delicious things. Cooking was one of her favourite pastimes. "Chili!" He loved his mother's chili con carne. "Score!"
"Sure, fix me a bowl," William agreed and then he watched as Thomas heated it up and then brought two bowls over to the table.
"Here, spoon," Thomas said, handing it over and then digging into his own bowl. "Did Mom tell you I got into Columbia to study astronomy?" he asked as he ate. "I have to do an undergrad course even though I already have a bachelors degree because I don't fit the pre-requisites of their graduate programs, but I'm really excited to- Dad?"
William wasn't answering. He had taken a bite and now he looked as if he had gone blank, though Thomas could see that his throat was working as if he was trying to swallow. Finally William looked over at his son with terror in his eyes and the colour drained from his skin.
Thomas was on his feet so quickly his chair crashed to the floor. His father was choking and he needed to act fast. He pulled the man up bodily, leaned him forward and then he pounded his father in the back between the shoulder blades. Just when he was about to turn to chest thrusts, chili exploded from William's mouth and his father coughed and gasped for breath.
Relief washed over Thomas so suddenly that he went weak in the knees and without even realising it, he ended up in a heap on the floor, just breathing and letting the adrenaline calm down. William, still as white as a sheet, went back to sit in his chair. After nearly a minute of silence as the two men collected themselves, William said, "thanks."
"What happened?" Thomas asked before realising he was still on the floor with his fist balled up over his chest. He rose and went to take the seat beside his father. "Are you okay?"
"Lately it's...been harder to swallow," William confessed, his voice scratchy. "And this time it just...got stuck."
Hearing that made Thomas feel like his heart was breaking. His poor father. Huntington's was a cruel bitch. It was going to happen to him too, eventually. For now though, he could focus on William. Thomas rubbed at his mouth for a second, trying not to look too terrified and upset by that. "Here," He pulled William's bowl of chili towards himself and he went to grab a fork. Upon returning to the table he mashed the entire bowl to mush and then he pushed it back towards his father. "Will that be easier, Dad?"
"Come here," William reached out with both hands and he took Thomas' face into them. Thomas let his father lean his face forward and he smiled when William planted a kiss on his forehead. William wasn't always so openly affectionate but when he was, Thomas lapped it up. "You're a good boy, Tommy."
Thomas smiled, a little weakly. "Dad. Do you know how to give yourself the heimlich with a chair? I mean if you choke and you're alone?"
"I'll ask your mother," William said in a way Thomas felt was a little too flippant for his tastes. "You should eat your chili before it gets cold."
He did so, paying very close attention to his father as well, just in case. He was pleased to see William made it through more than half of the bowl with no major problems before giving up. It still hurt to see his father struggling to get the spoon to his mouth. It was so simple but the man's hand shook so violently, even on a good day, that it made the action difficult. And he had just seen his father in a very bad situation. He chewed on his lip and seeming out of nowhere he said, "I love you, Dad."
"I'm not going anywhere yet, Tommy." William granted him a wide smile.
"I know, but-"
"I'm not going anywhere yet," William repeated. "I'll be more careful with swallowing in the future. I'll be fine. When are you bringing that son of yours to visit? I miss my boy!"
It was a cheap distraction tactic and even though Thomas knew what his father was doing, it worked. Given the opportunity to talk about Jamie, he would. And so that was what he did for the rest of the afternoon, even after they moved to the living room and had tea. Thomas didn't leave until his mother returned home from her shift and before he left, he made sure to mention the choking incident so Emma could be sure to show William how to help himself he he happened to get into trouble while he was alone.
Just to be sure.
WHAT: Father son bonding
WHEN: Thursday afternoon
WHERE: William and Emma's house
WARNINGS: Talk of illness and a choking incident
The moment his classes were finished for the day, Thomas slipped out of the school and he headed to his parents' house. He texted Jamie once he was there to let him know he wouldn't be home until later, and then he let himself into the house he had grown up in.
Emma Kemp was at work, but Thomas knew his father would be here alone and he really just wanted to spend some time alone with the man. He found William seated outside in the small garden and to Thomas' surprise, William was smoking a cigarette. When Thomas opened the sliding glass door, and it gave it's familiar and rusty screech, William tried to hide the cigarette behind his leg. "Emma, I didn't know you were- Tommy, goddamit! You'll give an old man a heart attack!"
Thomas chuckled and he slid the door closed before going to take a seat in one of the plastic chairs beside his father. "Do you honestly think Mom isn't aware you're smoking again?" he asked, amused.
"Oh she knows, but she can't say anything if she doesn't catch me." William stopped bothering to hide it and he took another drag on the cigarette before handing it to Thomas who groaned.
"Daaaadd, what are you doing to me?" But he accepted it and took a deep drag before he could think twice about it. Holding the smoke in his lungs as long as he could, he breathed out slowly. "Oh fuck I've missed you," he said to the cigarette and then he hastily handed it back. "Shame on you and by that I mean can I have one?"
William arched an eyebrow at Thomas and instead of answering, he asked a question of his own. "Did you stop by to see your mother? She's at work but she should be home in a few hours."
"I came to see you," he said with a shake of his head. "I knew you were home alone." It looked like a good day. His father was shaking and the ashes were falling from his cigarette as soon as they appeared which meant he didn't need to flick it. But he wasn't jerking around as much as he sometimes did. "How are you feeling?"
"Feeling tired of people asking me that, though I know you all mean well," William offered his son a smile. "I talk about me enough. How are you? Tell me about this girlfriend of yours?"
While William may have been ignoring the issue, Thomas figured he may as well let him. "Her name is Lena and she's a dancer and musician at a theatre restaurant. Her family are all artists and her brother works at SVA so he's already given Jamie a tour which is really great. And she wasn't scared off when she heard I'm going to get sick which is pretty special."
"Good on her," William said with a nod. He stubbed out the cigarette and then crossed his arms over his chest. "You should bring her over for dinner, I'd like to meet her while I'll still remember who she is."
"Dad-" Thomas sighed but then he looked up and met his father's eyes. "She'd like that too."
"She sounds like a keeper. You thinking along the same lines? I know it's been lonely for you, son." William fixed him with a Look which felt like it pierced right into his soul. His father had a way of doing that.
With that, Thomas blushed a little, his ears turning red. "Well I made my own bed, so I had to sleep in it. Alone." He rubbed at his eye while admitting, "yeah, I've been lonely, but she's wonderful. I can see it lasting for a while, at least at the moment. I guess we'll see. Seriously. Dad. Either we have to go inside or I'm going to physically steal a cigarette from you, the smell is driving me insane. And I want to see if there are brownies."
William chuckled and he held his hand out so Thomas could help him up. Thomas did so without hesitating and the two of them relocated into the kitchen. "Your mother did say I was supposed to lecture you about eating more if I saw you. Can we consider this a lecture?" he asked as he settled into a chair.
Thomas laughed and he went to the fridge to find a snack. "If you won't tell, I won't. Are you hungry too? I can make something for both of us." There weren't any brownies, but Emma's fridge was always fully stocked with delicious things. Cooking was one of her favourite pastimes. "Chili!" He loved his mother's chili con carne. "Score!"
"Sure, fix me a bowl," William agreed and then he watched as Thomas heated it up and then brought two bowls over to the table.
"Here, spoon," Thomas said, handing it over and then digging into his own bowl. "Did Mom tell you I got into Columbia to study astronomy?" he asked as he ate. "I have to do an undergrad course even though I already have a bachelors degree because I don't fit the pre-requisites of their graduate programs, but I'm really excited to- Dad?"
William wasn't answering. He had taken a bite and now he looked as if he had gone blank, though Thomas could see that his throat was working as if he was trying to swallow. Finally William looked over at his son with terror in his eyes and the colour drained from his skin.
Thomas was on his feet so quickly his chair crashed to the floor. His father was choking and he needed to act fast. He pulled the man up bodily, leaned him forward and then he pounded his father in the back between the shoulder blades. Just when he was about to turn to chest thrusts, chili exploded from William's mouth and his father coughed and gasped for breath.
Relief washed over Thomas so suddenly that he went weak in the knees and without even realising it, he ended up in a heap on the floor, just breathing and letting the adrenaline calm down. William, still as white as a sheet, went back to sit in his chair. After nearly a minute of silence as the two men collected themselves, William said, "thanks."
"What happened?" Thomas asked before realising he was still on the floor with his fist balled up over his chest. He rose and went to take the seat beside his father. "Are you okay?"
"Lately it's...been harder to swallow," William confessed, his voice scratchy. "And this time it just...got stuck."
Hearing that made Thomas feel like his heart was breaking. His poor father. Huntington's was a cruel bitch. It was going to happen to him too, eventually. For now though, he could focus on William. Thomas rubbed at his mouth for a second, trying not to look too terrified and upset by that. "Here," He pulled William's bowl of chili towards himself and he went to grab a fork. Upon returning to the table he mashed the entire bowl to mush and then he pushed it back towards his father. "Will that be easier, Dad?"
"Come here," William reached out with both hands and he took Thomas' face into them. Thomas let his father lean his face forward and he smiled when William planted a kiss on his forehead. William wasn't always so openly affectionate but when he was, Thomas lapped it up. "You're a good boy, Tommy."
Thomas smiled, a little weakly. "Dad. Do you know how to give yourself the heimlich with a chair? I mean if you choke and you're alone?"
"I'll ask your mother," William said in a way Thomas felt was a little too flippant for his tastes. "You should eat your chili before it gets cold."
He did so, paying very close attention to his father as well, just in case. He was pleased to see William made it through more than half of the bowl with no major problems before giving up. It still hurt to see his father struggling to get the spoon to his mouth. It was so simple but the man's hand shook so violently, even on a good day, that it made the action difficult. And he had just seen his father in a very bad situation. He chewed on his lip and seeming out of nowhere he said, "I love you, Dad."
"I'm not going anywhere yet, Tommy." William granted him a wide smile.
"I know, but-"
"I'm not going anywhere yet," William repeated. "I'll be more careful with swallowing in the future. I'll be fine. When are you bringing that son of yours to visit? I miss my boy!"
It was a cheap distraction tactic and even though Thomas knew what his father was doing, it worked. Given the opportunity to talk about Jamie, he would. And so that was what he did for the rest of the afternoon, even after they moved to the living room and had tea. Thomas didn't leave until his mother returned home from her shift and before he left, he made sure to mention the choking incident so Emma could be sure to show William how to help himself he he happened to get into trouble while he was alone.
Just to be sure.
