Part 1
by Bernie D.

It was very late when Will and Jack arrived back at the apartment building from an evening of clubbing. The cab they had hired to transport them pulled up across the street from the entrance. The street seemed unnaturally deserted for a weekend, but considering the hour, it was just possible. Jack, anxious to hit the sack, jumped out of the taxi and started across the street.

As Will paid the driver, a speeding car screeched around the corner and accelerated up the avenue. Will looked over his shoulder in the direction of the noise and froze. For whatever reason, the driver seemed oblivious to the pedestrian in the street and didn’t slow down. Will tried to yell a warning but for some reason he couldn’t speak and for all his effort to move, felt as if his feet were frozen to the pavement. He thought Jack was a goner and squinted his eyes shut.

He heard the dreaded thump of the impact and opened his eyes just in time to see the speeding car zoom off and, on the street, Jack’s body rolling over and over several times from the inertia of the departing vehicle. Will was finally able to move and ran over and knelt down by his friend.

“Oh, no...Jack!” he gasped.

The cab driver also hurried over.

“You see that...crazy driver!” he shouted, shaking his fist in the direction of the departed car. Then pointing at Jack he asked, “You friend?”

“Yes, “Will gulped as he turned Jack over.

“I radio for ambulance, hokay?” the diver offered.

Will just nodded. Jack was unconscious. Will felt for a pulse. It was difficult to tell, but it was there, weak and thready.

“Please hurry,” Will silently prayed for the paramedics, but as he continued to feel Jack’s wrist the pulse slowed, fluttered a few times, then stopped.

“JACK! NO! NO!.....NOOO!” Will cried as he grasped Jack’s limp body and clutched it against his own as he heard the faint blaring of sirens in the distance.

“NOOOOOO!” he continued to scream as he suddenly found himself home in bed, heart pounding and covered with perspiration. He was sitting up and hugging one of his pillows between his arms, on the verge of tears. Momentarily confused, he rubbed his temples.

“Just a dream...a terrible dream.” he thought. “No more midnight snacks of shrimp scampi,” he vowed to himself. He tried to fall asleep again, but the dreadful images played over and over in his mind the rest of the night.

It was a weary and morose Will that sat at the breakfast table the next morning. Good thing it was Saturday so he didn’t have work. Grace noticed and asked if anything was wrong. Will knew if he told Grace his frightful dream, three progressively worse scenarios would likely happen:
1) She would ridicule him about it for the rest of the day, or
2) She would ridicule him then tell Jack who would ridicule him, or
3) She would follow him around all day trying to analyze why he had that dream.
So he decided to be evasive.

“Just didn’t sleep very well," he replied truthfully.

Grace, not to be put off so easily, continued to pump at him.

“Now why wouldn’t you sleep well?” she wanted to know.

Will was getting a little irked by so much interest in his sleeping habits and especially when it was over something as trivial as a silly dream. He was about to formulate a reply when Jack came sailing into the apartment.

“‘Morning, Gee. ‘Morning, Doubleya!” their ebullient friend enthused. “‘Gee’ because ‘Grace, it’s Great ta’ see ya,’ and ‘Doubleya’ for ‘Will, everytime I see ya, ya doubleya size!’,” then he quickly added, “What’s for breakfast?”

Will stared at Jack like he was seeing a ghost and silently frowned as his friend sat at the table and started helping himself to the toast and coffee.

“What’s with Grumpo?” Jack asked turning to Grace.

Grace just shrugged.

“Jeez, Will. Lighten up already. Remember we’re going to the Tool Box tonight,” Jack reminded.

Will continued to scowl. “Maybe we shouldn’t go,” he said.

“Not go! Of course we’re going. We’ve had this all set since, let’s see...Wednesday...” Jack trailed off, looking quizzically at his friend.

Will was torn between his desire to socialize and his premonition something appalling would happen if they went. Being a logical attorney, he was never one to put much stock in dreams or alleged psychic abilities.

After all, a dream is a dream - not reality.

“Well, okay,” Will grudgingly decided, although apprehension still annoyingly tugging at his emotions.

“I’ll be here at eight...wear something dark, it makes you look thinner, and...do something with your hair,” Jack suggested, making a vague circular motion with his fingers towards Will’s head. “I know there’s not much you can do with two inches,” he sniggered at the thought that phrase conjured up in his mind, “But try.”

“Uh...Jack,” Will started to say.

“Huh?”

“Whatever you do today, be careful,” Will warned.

“Yes, dear,” Jack sighed. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some shopping to do.”

“WAIT! I’ll get dressed and go with you,” Will offered.

Four eyebrows shot upward.

“Will, what’s up? Grace asked. “You know you don’t like to go shopping with Jack.”

“Do I have to have a reason, Grace?” Will snapped back, as he walked towards his bedroom. “Sheesh!”

Jack and Grace waited for Will and several minutes later he emerged and gestured to Jack who jumped up and followed Will out.

As the men stepped onto the sidewalk, Will silently appointed himself Jack’s bodyguard, his eyes scanning the street for any threats. He kept himself between Jack and the traffic, walking close to his friend.

“Really, Will, I appreciate the attention, but give me a little room to breathe!” Jack mildly scolded.

Suddenly a car backfired. Will threw himself on top of Jack and both men went down on the sidewalk. Jack didn’t appreciate Will’s weight on him pushing his face into the concrete.

Turning his head to the side he said, “Hey, Truman! If you wanted to be on top, you should have told me a long time ago!”

“Sorry, Jack. I guess I’m just a little edgy,” Will apologized as he stood and then helped his friend up.

Jack decided he was going to have to try and ditch his companion before Will’s overzealous and ill-advised behavior ended up getting himself, or both of them, hurt. Once inside the store, Jack pointed wildly.

“Look, Will! A sale on Armani!”

“Where! Where!” Will looked away, craning his neck and temporarily forgetting his self-imposed duty.

When he turned back, Jack was nowhere to be seen. Will searched frantically, but could not find him.

Dejectedly, he returned to his apartment. After all, he did what he could do. Endeavoring to keep track of the frenetic, mercurial Jack was like trying to put out a forest fire with a squirt gun. All he could do was hope that Jack would show up for their date.

When he arrived back, he discovered that Grace had gone out, too. Will didn’t know what to do until 8 PM. He grabbed his briefcase and shuffled apathetically through the contents. He could try to catch up on his paperwork, he thought, as he spread some documents out on the table. However, his mind kept drifting back to the dream...and Jack.

About an hour later, Will’s phone suddenly buzzed.

“Hello!” he barked into the receiver. An unfamiliar voice responded.

“Are you William Truman?” the voice asked.

“Yes, who is this?” Will questioned.

“I’m Doctor Nightengale at New York City Hospital. I’m afraid I have some bad news for you..." the doctor replied, the paused to let Will absorb the comment.

Will tensed, almost anticipating the content of the doctor’s call. “Yes...” he prompted, “What is it?”

“Uh...” the doctor stammered, “Are you a relative or close acquaintance of John McFarland?”

“Yes,” Will answered, his stomach already tying itself in knots.

“Well, there was...uh...an accident. We found your name and phone number among his belongings.”

Will sat stunned with the phone clapped to his ear.

“Mr. Truman...MR. TRUMAN!” the doctor’s voice barked over the phone.

“How badly was he hurt?” Will asked.

“I think you should get over here as soon as possible,” the doctor hinted, “and hurry!”

Will placed the phone back and jumped up grabbing his jacket. He turned to leave when his phone burped again. He debated whether to answer it as he stood frozen three feet from it. It rang and rang. Will’s eyes shot open. He was still at the table, but his head was down on it. He sat up and realized he had dozed off, probably due to fatigue from the restless night and he had experienced another disturbing dream.

But his phone was ringing, that’s what woke him. Still groggy from sleep, he debated on whether to answer. He quickly decided and grabbed the receiver.

“WELL! FINALLY!” Jack’s voice sounded sarcastically.

“Jack,” Will sighed with relief. “Are you all right?”

“All right? All right? Of course! Why wouldn’t I be, except from the slight back strain I got from carrying around all that stuff I bought. Did I disturb you, Sleeping Beauty, or do you have company?”

“As a matter of fact, I was sleeping,” Will yawned to prove his statement, but happy to hear his friend’s voice.

“Just wanted give ya the skinny, fatty, date moved up to 8:30, if that’s okay. And if it isn’t, it’s still gonna be 8:30.”

Will smiled. “It’s okay, Jack. See you then.”

Will replaced the receiver just as Grace breezed in with her arms laden with bags and packages. She relieved herself of them on the sofa, plopped down next to them. She pawed through them, intermittently stopping now and then to display a garment or two for Will’s approval. Will grunted unenthusiastically. Grace sighed, gathered her bundles and flounced into her bedroom. She could tell that Will was not giving her his undivided attention. She would just have to wait until whatever was bothering him passed or he decided to share it with her.

The afternoon went quietly. Grace watched television and Will did paperwork. They were almost like two dull married people. After a light dinner, Will occupied the TV nook and Grace prepared for her own date. As she walked through the apartment, Will interrupted her.

“Uh...Grace,” he said.

“Yes?” she answered expectantly.

Will hesitated, then, reconsidering, blurted, “Have a good time.”

“Yeah...sure...” she responded disappointedly, thinking he was going to share his deep secret reason about his moodiness. She exited and the door snapped closed behind her.

Will was alone. After a while, he clicked off the TV and glanced at his watch. It was ten minutes to seven, in an hour he’d have to start getting ready to go out.

He couldn’t help but let his thoughts drift back to the two disturbing dreams. What could it mean? Likely nothing, but then again...

An urgent knocking at the apartment door interrupted his reverie. It was too early to be Jack and Jack wouldn’t bother to knock – he would just rush in.

“Who’s there?” Will called. No response only more knocking, but weaker and fainter now.

Will sighed and strode to the door and yanked it open.

He gasped as Jack tottered and collapsed in Will’s arms. Will gently lowered his friend to the floor and noticed that Jack looked injured. He had bruises and lacerations on his face. His clothing was torn and dishevelled.

“Jack, what happened?” Will demanded.

“Help...me...” Jack gasped. Then his body convulsed and went limp.

Will placed his hands on Jack’s chest, but couldn’t feel a heartbeat. Will tried to give Jack CPR then listened to his chest for a pulse. “BANG! BANG! BANG!”

Will was startled at the loudness of the noise -

suddenly he was back on the couch, the TV was still on.

"Damn!” he exclaimed.

“BANG! BANG!” the knocking at the door echoed through the apartment.

“C’mon, Will. Whatever you’re doing, give it up,” Jack’s voice demanded, “and let me in for Mary Kate and Ashley’s sake!”

Will glanced at the clock - 8:42 PM. He had fallen asleep again! He arose and shuffled to the door.

“Sorry, Jack,” Will apologized. Grace must’ve locked it when she left.

“Jeezus, Will. What’ve ya been doing? You’re not even ready!”

“I was watching TV and must have dozed off,” Will explained.

“Maybe you were right before. You seem too tired. Maybe you shouldn’t go tonight.”

“Yes...let’s stay in. We could watch a movie or play cards...” a relieved Will tried to convince Jack. One dream he could have ignored, two – maybe, but three...

“Whoa, cowboy! Back up that horse,” Jack said putting his hand up. “I didn’t mean ME! I’m going!”

“No...just give me a minute...I can get ready,” Will said as he backed towards his bedroom.

Once Will was out of sight, Jack made a hasty exit. Will was acting so weird that Jack thought he’d have a better time without his friend’s emotional baggage tagging along. A few minutes later, Will came out of his room as he slipped on a suede sports coat over a white turtleneck.

“Okay, Jack...Jack?” will looked around. That apartment was deserted.

“Damn!” He exclaimed again and ran out.

He pumped the elevator button, but as usual it seemed to take forever to come. Once out in the street, Will hailed a cab and gave the address for the Tool Box.

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