At the hospital, Jonathan's head was wrapped in gauze, tubes running from his arm to a bag that hung from a metal rod overhead and other bags attached to the bed. Jim stood in the corner of the room unseen by anyone that worked there or had come to visit. A nurse entered the room, pushed back the curtain, and walked right through the man standing guard over his nephew. The sad expression on his face was not distracted by the other presence in the room with him. Even though she stood in his line of vision checking Jonathan over thoroughly, he never saw her there. He could only see Jonathan lying there, wounded, possibly dying, and it hurt him deeply.
He was actually glad Tony had ridded the club of David, though he felt it was a sad state of affairs that it had to end up the way it did. If only that moron would've listened to Bruce and Jonathan, he would still be alive and the club would still be in full swing. But, no - not David, he had to be his own boss and do his own thing. Trying to keep things the way they were when the way they were was as destructive as the way Jim had treated his nephew all those years. And how he longed to reconcile those years and the terrible things he had done to Jonathan. The poor kid still had no clue as to the whereabouts, or incident that took Jon's parents from him.
Mr. Preston had been a fool to leave that day and not inform Jonathan about it. But, if Jonathan lived, he would learn what happened to them and probably hate Jim the rest of his life. And, that was all good, too. The kid needed to hate him for all that he had done to the boy in the first place. Second, he needed to get angry and allow those emotions to help him heal, or Jonathan would end up either dead by his own hand, or a mushroom the rest of his life after he had his coming nervous breakdown, crossed the line between insanity and reality, going completely insane. He was headed there even as Jim stood guard over him and couldn't really do anything about it, but watch - feeling helpless. But, he had to try. If the sun came up in the morning and Jonathan was still breathing, he had to try his best to make things right for the boy, at all costs.
He was so angry with David for this, and wanted to tear the man apart with his bare hands. But, that wouldn't help his status any at all. As it was he was lucky just to have the opportunity to attempt to make things right with the kid. He had lived such a deplorable life of madness, so much so that the powers that be wouldn't even promise him a mansion in heaven if Jim's plan to help Jonathan, worked or not. And before Jon too crossed the boundaries of complete mental illness becoming a worse villain that Jim had been. But he couldn't bare the thought of Jonathan becoming what he was, or worse – so he begged to be able to return and make things right for the kid, if he could.
And too, now that David had tried to torch the club, he would have to beg again to help the group, (Bruce, Greg, Tony, Peter and Jonathan), repair it and have an income to fall back on until the business got back on its feet. Jonathan was supposed to have already deciphered the encryptions and gotten the business going again. But, the kid just had too many distractions going on and the business was just before tumbling to the foundations. Jim thought to himself that he was just going to have to move that disc to where Jonathan couldn't help but find it and be able to translate the encryptions and start to work on salvaging the business, before they all ended up loosing everything.
As for the club, he knew that Bruce and Greg could put their heads together and be able to keep the orders and such, just by going back through the previous orders and following suit. The roof could be repaired, as well as the DJ's equipment and the furniture that had been damaged by the water used to combat the fire. But the building hadn't sustained enough damage to warrant being torn down, for any reason. The club could actually be reopened in a matter of a week or two and bring in an income for the group. And this time it could be done right, without the drugs, prostitution and other extracurricular activity that was going on.
It would stand on its own, and Jim knew that. It was David that was so adamant about all the other paraphernalia being added to it and keeping it going, he knew that now. And he let the weasel beguile him into so much, feeding on his state of mind, knowing he would make a good DON, or whatever they call them. And he finally began to enjoy the power he felt from it, the ability to do whatever he wanted without repercussions. Oh, but little did he know that the biggest of those was the effect he had on Jonathan's life and mind.
Still he felt that his repentance was nothing short of a teardrop compared to what he had done to Jonathan's life. He understood the kid's need for punishment, being he too felt it even as he stood there looking on. And he could feel the distinct craving for pain that Jonathan knew all too well. And he did so want to help the kid so badly he could taste it, and feel it so keenly. So, that was why he was back, to undo all the bad that he had done and help Jonathan before he literally lost his mind.
Bruce and Greg walked in, and it made him smile faintly to himself. He almost wished he could manifest himself to them and talk to them, as he had been able to do with Jonathan. But, their minds were locked against him, and their eyes closed to him completely, so he hadn't been able to appear to them like he had been with Jon.
Tony, on the other hand, he begun to believe the day that he had manhandled Jonathan into his room, the day that Jonathan had yelled at his uncle and Tony tried desperately to see whom he had been talking too. Maybe if he showed himself to Tony and explained things to him a little, he could get his work done faster and before the day he would be snatched away - forever gone and helpless to do anything at all. Quickly a plan began to ensue in his mind that just might work and bring things up to speed so he could concentrate on helping Jonathan's state of mind and get Peter back home again.
***
Tony lay sleeping that night, resting per the doctor's orders, actually. He had argued the point until the man had called Bruce and Greg into the exam room to calm him down a bit, not wanting to have to sedate him. Tony's biggest fear was that something would happen to Jonathan while he slept and he wouldn't be there to protect him, or the guys. But Bruce and Greg had assured him that nothing would happen unless he knew about it.
And so, Tony was fast asleep and had been for hours that night when James Bowman walking through the wall and into Tony's room. He stood at the foot of the bed glowering over Tony's form with lustful eyes recalling how the man had felt to him when he was alive and well. It made him want him again, and again, and again. There was just no getting enough of Tony Santini at all, for him. And now, he had to fight with his desires for the man to get anything done in the moment. Well, maybe if he indulged just a little and then talked to him about Jonathan - -.
He moved up the length of the bed, rested a fingertip along the man's shin, then dragged it up and over his knee, thigh and hip as he moved, taking one slow step at a time. A wicked grin produced itself as Tony stirred and turned away onto his side. Now, Jim was becoming a little impatient with Tony - again. Ah, but, he climbed into bed with the man, moving up behind Tony's body, where he pressed his groin against the man's buttocks. Propping up on an elbow, he leaned to Tony's ear into which he breathed lasciviously in a singsong manner, "To - ny."
The man stirred somewhat, but not enough to denote his waking from the deep sleep he was in. Jim slid his manhood along the separation of Tony's bottom, pressing firmly against it. Reaching over the man's body, he grasped Tony's member stroking it leisurely and felt it begin to swell in his hand.
"Are you dreaming, Tony?" he muttered into the man's ear huskily.
A moment of silence filled the room giving Jim the feeling that Tony might not even know he was there. With everything he had within him, he forced himself into the physical plane becoming a tangible being as if he were alive and breathing.
"I know you're dreaming of me, Tony," he whispered faintly. "We did have some good times together, you and I."
