Second Chance, Chapter 55
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Chapter 55
After Eric eventually became groggy from the pain medication and fell asleep, Josh went down to the cafeteria to find something to eat. He had completely forgotten about food in his concern for his boyfriend. Scott had eaten lunch before he'd been called to the hospital, so did not accompany him.
Josh saw that new dishes were being added to the steam table in anticipation of the dinner rush. He was pleased to be able to get food that hadn't been held since noon.
After going through the checkout, he looked around for a place to sit. He was heading for a deserted area when someone called to him. It was the emergency room doctor who had just put his tray down at a nearby table.
"You're Josh, right? Please join me and give me an update on how Eric is doing. I've been dealing with a multiple injury auto crash and haven't had time to breathe, so I haven't heard."
"Thanks for asking," Josh said as he sat across from the young doctor.
He glanced at the name tag before continuing.
"Eric is doing fine, thanks to everyone here. I need to apologize for my behavior earlier today, Dr. Evans. I was fussing at you for something that you don't really have control over. I'm sorry for being short with you."
"Apology accepted, but not expected," the young physician answered. "In your shoes, I would have reacted the same way if my partner were in danger and things weren't moving fast enough."
"Uh, do you mean that literally or figuratively? Do you have a partner?"
"Yes I do. A few staff members don't like it, but since my father is a major contributor to the hospital's fund-raising efforts, they all tolerate the idea of a gay physician on staff – even those who are prejudiced. And yes, I would fight for my partner's right to quality care."
"Are you guys married," Josh asked between bites of a surprisingly good piece of lasagna.
"We had a commitment ceremony, if that's what you mean."
"Do you have legal protection so that you can make medical decisions for each other in case of an emergency?" Josh continued.
"Actually we don't," the young doctor admitted.
"Eric and I are going to be married in Iowa next month, but Dad is also drawing up legal papers so that we're protected. I'm sure this state isn't going to recognize our marriage though it would for heterosexual couples married in Iowa. It's not fair, but that's reality. Here's one of my dad's business cards. Please call him. He won't charge you for an initial consultation and you owe it to your partner and yourself to look into it."
"Whoa! As I said this afternoon, you'd make a lawyer. I will check it out. Thanks!
Are you planning to stay overnight with your boyfriend?"
"I'm hoping to, but I don't know what hospital policy is. I'm 17, does that count?"
"They're not always happy to have buddies staying, but if they assume that you're family I'm sure there'll be no problem. You guys look enough alike to be brothers. Just let them assume that you are. And if they give you any guff, I'll talk to the charge nurse. I don't usually play on daddy's position, but it's not beneath me to," he grinned.
"Thanks!"
The two put their trays on the conveyer belt and went their separate ways after shaking hands.
Eric was sitting up with an unappetizing all-liquid diet on his tray when Josh entered the room. Scott was unsuccessfully attempting to get him to try a bit of it.
"I'm going down for a bite to eat now too. See if you can get this uncooperative boy to take nourishment. He might eat for you."
"Come on Babe. You have to eat something to get stronger so we can spring you from this pop stand," Josh joked as he dipped a large spoon into the bowl of watery broth. "Pretend you're Oliver Twist and you're asking for more gruel."
Josh proceeded to feed Eric his "dinner" one spoonful at a time. When he got to the Jell-O, Eric perked up and ate that without assistance.
"See, that wasn't so bad. I'll bet if you keep cleaning up your plate, you'll get to go home tomorrow or the next day."
"Thanks. I know I'm being a big baby about this, but I really like having you feed me. It's like I feel loved."
"You know I love you, and your dad loves you too. Everyone in the house does."
"I know, but it's special with you because you're going to be my husband soon. I can hardly wait."
Josh bent over and kissed Eric on the lips. Eric responded with more passion that would be expected from someone who had undergone surgery a few hours ago. They were lost in their own world when there was a light tapping at the open door.
Josh didn't jump, but backed away slowly. He wasn't going to worry about getting caught kissing his lover. He grinned at their two friends.
"We didn't mean to interrupt a private moment. We assumed you'd be flat out in bed, not up making out." Colt teased as he approached them.
"Evidently I don't react to anesthetic as strongly as some do." Eric replied. "Besides, if you have a hot guy leaning over you with his lips within range, what are you supposed to do?"
"Just what you did, I guess," Dane smiled. "Man, you look way better than you did this morning, even after surgery. Oh, we brought you this."
Dane handed him a get-well card with a gift certificate for IHOP inside. They thought it would be more practical than flowers and was something that Eric could share with Josh.
"You can take Josh out to lunch to thank him for watching over you," Colt suggested.
"That would be one way to get decent food!" Eric agreed. "This stuff is like the swill they used to feed hogs!"
He was ready to expound further on the subject when more visitors came into his room.
"We couldn't wait any longer to check on you. Robbie's already been fed and Blake and I are gonna catch something downstairs before we go back home," Rob said by way of greeting. "How is my brother doing?"
"I'm fine, but there's less of me to love than the last time you saw me," Eric quipped.
"Oh no! They didn't remove THAT, did they?" Blake snickered.
"I should know better than to give you a straight line like that," Eric giggled. "In fact, I need to be careful with the whole lot of you. If you make me laugh too hard, I'll be in pain."
At that point, Ben came in. He had dropped the younger guys and their son at the door and gone to park the car.
Everyone wanted to make sure Eric was fine, but no one wanted to stay too long and wear him out. He visited with them for several minutes, but was beginning to tire.
Scott had come back by then and offered to drive Josh's pickup back to the house and leave the Sebring for him to use. He said that Ben and he would take care of putting away the camping equipment. He didn't like leaving it all exposed in the parking lot even if this was a good part of town. The rest agreed with the wisdom of his plan.
All of the guys, except for Josh, said their goodbyes and left. Eric was beginning to nod off, but didn't get to just yet.
"We're here to cheer you up," Dylan said as he entered carrying a "bouquet" of balloons.
He was followed by Aaron, Sam, Garret, and Luc. Luc had heard about Eric from Rob and had texted the others. Dylan in particular felt that he should pay a visit since Josh and Eric had done that for him after he'd been shot.
Poor Eric was doing his best not to fall asleep, but was having a hard time remaining awake. Visiting hours were not over yet, but an older nurse came in to remind them that her patient needed rest.
The boys understood. They all hugged him gently and said that they would be thinking about him. Dylan was the last to say goodbye. When it was his turn, he kissed Eric on the cheek as well as giving him a tender hug. Eric was touched by his show of affection.
As soon as the others had left, Eric quit fighting to stay awake and fell into a sound sleep immediately. Josh stretched out on the sofa and joined his lover in dreamland.
The nurse came in quietly to check on Eric. He seemed to be fine. She went to the closet to retrieve a light blanket which she carefully spread over Josh's sleeping form. These boys must be close, she thought with a motherly smile. It was nice to see brothers caring for each other.
With Eric unable to work for the time being, Cliff was really pleased that he'd gone with his gut instinct and hired Peter to be a sub. Peter had proven to be a quick learner as Damian had said he would. The two of them had handled the refreshment cart without any hitches. Of course, it had been a fairly light day when he'd first been on that duty.
Peter had done equally well with the other jobs. Cliff had paired him with fellow students for the most part so that he would feel comfortable. In no time, he was able to work independently when necessary and had shown great initiative in doing what needed to be done without being prompted. Cliff was overjoyed with the work ethic that he'd seen in this summer's help. Would to God that it were always so!
Word about Eric's sudden illness and surgery spread among the country club workers like wildfire. Damian and Peter were planning to visit him in the hospital when word came by way of Garret that Eric was being sprung.
Eric was really please to be "kicked" out of the hospital so quickly. Other than some discomfort from the stitches and a little swelling in his abdomen, he was feeling pretty good. He was determined to recover as quickly as possible. For one thing, he didn't want to lose his competitive edge in swimming. And for another, he wanted to feel his best for his wedding.
Josh was allowed to drive him home in the early afternoon. It had been only about 24 hours since his surgery, but it seemed like days ago to Eric. Josh was concerned that it might be too soon for him to be released, but was happy with the prospect of having him home where he could be his full-time nurse.
When they got home, Eric was ready for a nap. He hadn't anticipated the energy he would expend in simple tasks like climbing the stairs to their shared room. He stopped for a few minutes to play with Robbie who seemed especially happy to see him.
By dinner time, Eric was allowed to eat something other than liquids. He was still supposed to take it easy and not stuff himself, but at least he could eat somewhat normally.
Scott suggested to Josh that he call Cliff to see how soon he was needed at the club.
"I know you want to be his primary care-giver, but you also have to think about your job. Rob and I will both be here most of the day. We can work around each other's schedules so that he'll never be left alone. Even couples who are soon to be married have to allow other family members to fill in sometimes."
"Yeah, you're right. Even if working at the club isn't my ultimate idea of a career, I do need to fulfill my obligations. Thanks for being willing to take care of Eric. I'll call Cliff."
Scott hid his smile of amusement. After all, Eric was his son and of course he'd tend to his boy's needs. But here was his son's young lover feeling that it was his responsibility to look after him. They were both growing up fast.
Cliff told Josh that things were under control for tomorrow, but that it would be great if he could come in by the weekend which would be quite busy. Josh was pleased to have one more day to be with Eric and not have his job in jeopardy. It wasn't the money that mattered so much as the work experience and recommendation that he'd get from Cliff in the future.
Eric was happy to be in his own bed again, especially since he was sharing it with Josh. It didn't matter that they'd slept together almost every night for the past year; he still felt a surge of joy being in the arms of the guy he planned to be with for the rest of his life.
Josh very carefully cuddled him from behind, not wanting to do anything to cause pain. Eric felt a kind of warmth spread through his body at their contact. It soothed him and he fell asleep without having taken any pills for pain.
Josh awakened before Eric in the morning and carefully slid out of bed to avoid disturbing him. He went downstairs to prepare breakfast for two which he put on a tray to carry up to their room. Ben reminded him that there was a bed tray with short legs which he could place over Eric's lap to make it easier to eat his meal.
Eric was awake when Josh came into the room and set the tray on the desk. He then retrieved the bed tray which he set over Eric's lap before putting his food on it.
"Be careful, this tray has legs on it that are only about eight inches long. It will clear everything alright as long as you don't pop wood and tip it over!" Josh snickered.
"Babe, I'm not energetic enough this morning to get hard." Eric stated.
"We'll have to see about that," Josh replied.
He reached under the covers and rested his hand on the inside of Eric's knee. He gently massaged the firm flesh there before moving up very slowly toward Eric's crotch. The response was exactly what he had predicted. Eric's cock sprang to attention pushing against the tray, but without enough force to raise it.
"Hmm, you seem to have more energy than you thought," Josh grinned.
"Okay, smartass! Cut it out before I'm forced to throw all this good food on the floor and have my way with you."
"Sorry, I just had to make sure that you hadn't been drastically affected by the surgery."
The boys ate in silence for several minutes. Eric enjoyed every bite of the scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, and toast that Josh had prepared. It all tasted particularly good because it had been made with a special ingredient – love.
"Thanks for doing this. I could have gone down to eat in the kitchen, I guess."
"I want you to conserve your strength. Besides, I love being your nurse. I'm at your disposal for ANY services you might require." Josh said licking his lips.
"The first service I would like is help getting the odor of the hospital off my bod. Could you give me a shower and wash my hair? The doctor said I could shower as long as I protect the area with plastic wrap and tape. It's not that big anyway."
Josh left again to find the necessary materials to cover the incision. Then he helped Eric to the bathroom, got them both naked and under the water. Eric commented again on how loved he felt when Josh took care of his basic needs. Josh smiled as he pulled back Eric's foreskin and gently cleansed the swelling head. He knelt and ran his tongue over the sensitive glans to make sure there was no hint of piss.
When they got back to their bed, the look in Eric's eyes suggested that he needed assistance with another basic need that all male teenagers could empathize with. He lay on his back with his cock pointing toward the ceiling.
"I need you," he whispered.
Josh kissed him passionately and then licked his way down his chest to the bellybutton. Bypassing the tender abdominal area, Josh chose instead to lick the insides of Eric's legs. When he reached the top, he took Eric's left orb into his mouth sucking gently. Then he took the right one. He licked the area behind them, coming tantalizingly close to Eric's rosebud.
By this time, precum was oozing from Eric's throbbing cock. Josh caught those tasty pearls on his tongue and then engulfed the whole thing down to the pubes in one gulp. Eric shuddered and moaned.
Josh slowly bobbed up and down on the hot, steely shaft while massaging Eric's ball sac. When he felt it draw up closer to Eric's body, he knew that it wouldn't be much longer before he got his reward.
Eric clawed at the bottom sheet and moaned louder as his sap began to rise. He fired volley after volley of hot jizz into Josh's mouth. Josh swallowed it all quickly, not savoring the taste as he usually did. Whether it was due to the anesthetic, medications, or general effects of the surgery, the flavor wasn't like it normally was. Of course he didn't tell Eric. He would have to make sure that Eric got fed strawberries, blueberries, or bananas to sweeten it up again.
Eric fell asleep almost before his orgasm had ended. He was totally relaxed and fulfilled. Josh wanted to spend the day enjoying the sight of his lover's sleeping form, so he went to the studio to gather up paper, pastels, and a drawing board. Soon he was sketching his favorite model.
Eric was lying on his back naked to the world with his deflated penis lying slightly to his left. Josh busily captured the pose and began to fill in the warm flesh tones. He didn't paint the abdomen exactly as he saw it because of the swelling, but chose to portray it as flat as he knew it to be normally.
After Josh had spent nearly two hours on the painting, he set it aside to finish later. Next, he created a more stylized work, presenting his boyfriend as a sleeping angel. He made the heavenly being look masculine without actually showing its genitals. This sketch was destined to become the basis for a series of angel paintings that he would exhibit in another show.
It was almost noon, but Josh didn't feel hungry yet. He carefully slipped back in bed beside Eric to take a short nap. Eric stirred slightly, turning on his side and wrapping himself around Josh's back. Josh smiled as he drifted off.
Author's notes: Several of you have emailed since the last posting:
Paul R, Tony W, Mike W, Tom A, Jim We, Rick, John McD, Harry T, Chuck V, Karserus, Rutabaga, Chris B, Jim C and Richard, Paul L, Carroll, Caleb, Rad, Davy and Gary McC. Responders to "A Christmas Tale" include Paul R, Tony W, Jim We, Jim C, John McD, and John L. Thanks!
Uganda may still pass draconian laws against gays. Please do whatever you can to put pressure on their legislators and religious leaders.