END OF PART 7
I tried not to snoop too much in his stuff, feeling that I was already finding out more about him than I had a right to know. But what I did know tugged at my heartstrings and made me better understand Vince's connection to Adam. I'd never had a son, but I had a better inkling now as to what it would feel like to care about a young man like I was starting to care about Trevor. I'd known him for only two days and already I was consumed with a desire to make a difference in his life. By offering him a temporary place to live, I had already done that, but I knew he needed more. Much more.
PART 8
When I got to the hospital room on Tuesday morning, Trevor's bed was empty. I figured that he must be in the bathroom or out for another hall walk with Patty, so I sat down and talked to Vince for a while. I ached to see any sign of improvement in him, but I knew the doctor had warned Adam that it might be several days yet before that was likely to happen. He needed to remain in the induced coma until there was no further sign of brain swelling. It was necessary, but also hard to watch.
"Hi, Drew -- guess what!" I heard behind me. "They might release me this morning. Are you ready for that?"
I turned and saw Trevor's smiling face as he re-entered the room with Patty at his side. He looked like he felt much better than 24 hours ago, and I gave him a big smile.
"Of course, I am, Trev," I replied. "That would be great."
"I won't know for sure until the doctor comes in for a final check, but the nurses tell me that I'm doing very well. Patty let me walk without holding onto her this morning."
"I didn't exactly let' you, young man -- I made' you," she spoke up with a smile. She made sure Trevor was safely back in bed and then darted off to answer another call button.
"Have you told your mother about my offer to house you until you're ready to take the bus home?" I asked. "And how is she, by the way?"
"Yes, I talked to her first thing this morning. She's doing fine but probably can't work for a few more days. That sucks because she lives paycheck to paycheck, but my aunt and uncle are helping out. She's staying with them temporarily.
"She was a little dubious about my going home with someone I hardly knew, but I convinced her that you're a good guy and even volunteered to empty out my dorm room for me yesterday. She said to thank you for your kindness and feels bad that she can't provide any support right now."
"None needed, my friend. What goes around in this world comes around, and someday you'll be able to help someone else out. Besides, like I said, I'm going to put your butt to work around the house when you feel up to it."
"Deal, man. I did most of the housework for Mom when I was in high school, so I'm used to it."
Morgan came in to give Trevor his daily sponge bath while I sat outside the curtain and paid attention to Vince for a while. I guessed I'd be doing Trevor's sponge baths for him -- or helping him at least -- starting tomorrow, and I had to admit that the idea was appealing. When I told him I wasn't attracted to younger men, I stretched the truth a little, but I was determined not to cross any "untoward" lines with him. Vince was my main man, and I would wait for him for as long as it took.
When Trevor was back in his hospital pajamas and the curtain had been pulled back, I couldn't help but notice that Morgan's ablutions had produced a sizeable lump under Trevor's sheet. I'd get hard, too, if I had the good fortune to be bathed by Morgan and those large black hands of his. He was a hunk!
Trevor and I chatted for a while about the logistics of getting him out of there and into "my" home. The doctor did indeed decide to release him around noon. Patty offered to help him get dressed, but he told her that he would rather that I help him, and she understood his need for a little modesty around her.
She did take time to tell me about his need to have fresh bandages on his surgical incision every day and gave me a supply to take home, along with some medications he'd need. She said he shouldn't take a shower or tub bath for a few days, until the incision looked somewhat healed. She also returned his watch, wallet, and cell phone, which she had been keeping under lock for him at the nurse's station.
I closed the curtain enough to block the sight of Trevor from the hallway door and dug out his clothing from the cabinet.
"You ready, champ?" I asked nervously.
"Very ready. Let's get on with it."
Sitting up on the side of the bed, he was able to untie his gown from the back of his neck, and I pulled it off of him. His only other garment was his pajama bottoms, and I pulled those down and off, leaving the college stud as naked as the day he was born. I'd seen him that way before, but I'd never gotten used to it yet. I guessed I was going to have to if he was going to share a bathroom with me.
Just then Adam walked in for his daily noon visit with his dad and saw Trevor in all his glory.
"Umm, hi guys. Going home today, Trevor?"
Trev looked a little embarrassed at being naked in front of Adam, but he turned and said, "Yeah, man -- can't wait. Thanks again for letting me stay in your dad's house for a while."
"You're very welcome. When you get to feeling better, we'll see you again."
"Probably with more clothes on -- right?"
"I hope so," Adam kidded, but he didn't look away. Anyone but a lesbian would have found Trevor's body worth taking at least a quick look at.
I helped him put on some clean briefs and socks, and he pulled his shirt on. After I got his jeans started on his legs, he stood up and buttoned and zipped. He sat down again so I could put his shoes on. Then we were ready to go. He looked over at Vince and told Adam and me that he hoped he would see Vince at the house before he went back to Virginia, but Adam told him it was unlikely. His dad was probably going to have to go to a rehabilitation center first, after he regained consciousness.
"Drew, you don't have to come back here today," Adam said. "Keep an eye on Trevor, and I'll look in on Dad before I go home tonight. It doesn't look like he's going to wake up any time soon."
"Well, if you change your mind about that, just give me a call. You know where to find me."
Adam offered his hand to Trevor, and Trevor held it in both of his and shook it gratefully as he said good-bye.
I went down to the parking lot to pull Vince's car up to the door, and Patty wheeled Trevor out and helped him ease into the front seat.
"Bye, sweetie," she said. "You've been a good patient, and I wish you luck. Take care."
He put his hand on the bottom of the open window, and she gently squeezed it.
"Bye, Patty, and thanks for all your good care."
She smiled, and then we were on our way.
"Are you hungry, Trev? Wanna stop for a burger on the way home?"
"That would be awesome. That hospital food just doesn't cut it -- I'm starved."
We pulled into a drive-in restaurant and ordered our food from the window. Rather than letting it get cold by going home first, we just parked and ate in the car. Trevor had his burger half eaten before I could even unwrap mine.
"Trev?"
"Ummhmm?"
"I'm sorry I didn't close the curtain all the way around your bed when I was helping you get dressed. I forgot that it was about time for Adam's daily noon visit. Forgive me?"
"I could've asked you to close it, so don't worry about it. I didn't mind too much. After that shaving I got from Morgan and his daily sponge baths, I got quite used to being seen naked there. It's no big deal."
"If you don't mind my saying so, it looked like you enjoyed those times with Morgan, didn't you?"
He blushed.
"Was it that obvious?"
"Well, you tented your sheet pretty well every time he left."
"Wouldn't you tent your sheet if Morgan bathed you?" He grinned.
"Umm, I suppose that might happen. He was pretty cute wasn't he?"
"`Cute' doesn't begin to cover it -- he was just plain hot! I thought I was going to explode before he finished shaving me the other day."
"You exploded right after he left, didn't you?"
"You don't miss much, do you, Drew?"
"I was young once. I remember what it's like to be in a situation like that."
"You mean you were shaved once?"
"Yes, but the guy wasn't as hot as Morgan."
"Were you naked?"
"Sure -- how else would they do it?"
"Talking about it is making me hard right now, so maybe we'd better change the subject."
"I didn't know you could get hard so soon after having surgery, Trev."
"I'm 18 -- remember?" he said with a big grin, raising his eyebrows.
We ate the rest of our meal in silence, but I was smiling at the boy's candor. He wasn't one to hold back much.
"Adam sure is cute, isn't he?" he said, proving my point.
"Yes, but don't get any ideas. He's married and has two kids."
"How old is he?"
"He's 27 -- a bit too old for Freshmen magazine -- right?"
"Oh, maybe, but I'd look."
"Your chances of that are slim and none -- Adam is about as straight as they come."
"That didn't stop him from looking me over pretty good when I was naked. Didn't you notice?"
"Not really," I lied.
We were home five minutes later, and I had Trevor hold onto my arm as I got him out of the car and into the house. He looked around and just said, "Wow -- I get to hang out here? This place is awesome! You should see the dump I grew up in. Mom and I kept it clean inside, but it was only about the size of two of these rooms."
"How are you feeling now, Trev?"
"Pretty good, but I think I'd like to lie down for a while. Which one is my room?"
"Down at the end of the hallway, straight ahead. I didn't have time to do much with your room, so it's still full of boxes. I washed up your white things last night and put them in a drawer in the bureau. I'll wash the rest while you're napping. Need some help getting undressed?"
"Yes, please. It's still hard to bend over."
I helped him out of his shoes and socks and then his jeans and shirt and pulled back the covers on the bed. Just before he was about to get in it, I noticed that he was still a little plumped up from our lunchtime conversation.
"I should go to the bathroom before I get in bed. Where is it?"
I led the way past my bedroom door to the door to the bathroom that we would be sharing, as he followed me in just his briefs.
"Are you just going to pee? Do you want to sit down?"
"I'll stand. Just stay with me, okay?"
"Okay, but hold onto the towel bar or something to steady yourself."
I watched in amazement as this beautiful young man pulled out his dick and unleashed a long stream of pee into the toilet, not seeming to mind that I was only a couple of feet away. I was standing somewhat behind him but could see him peeling back his foreskin. When he was done, he reached for some toilet paper to clean off the head of his dick and then the toilet bowl rim. His mother had taught him well to be neat in the bathroom. He flushed and then washed his hands.
"Which towel is mine?" he asked.
I pointed to the set I had hung up for him the night before.
"Drew, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Well, I know you said we were going to be platonic here, and that's quite all right with me, but I do like to hang out in just in my briefs a lot. Is that going to be okay with you?"
"Sure, but let's keep it to just your room and the bathroom."
"You can go that way, too. I don't mind."
"Well, we'll see. I wouldn't want to excite you too much," I said, teasing.
Smiling, he suddenly embraced me and laid his head on my shoulder.
"I just want you to know how grateful I am to be here, Drew. I'd probably have to be in some shelter or something right now if it weren't for your generosity. I can't thank you enough for taking me in."
I wrapped my arms around his bare back and stroked it gently, practically making him purr. I loved this boy so much already -- not in a sexual way, but more like...well, I don't know...like in a very protective way. I was going to see to it that he was going to get all the care and friendship he needed to recover. I was already dreading the day when he wouldn't need me anymore.
I followed him back to his room and stood beside him while he crawled into bed. I couldn't resist giving him a little kiss on his forehead as he lay face up in the bed. He rewarded my gesture with a soulful, blissful look that almost made me forget the haunting look he'd given me on his way to surgery on Sunday. God, I loved this kid!
I picked up the second load of his laundry from where I had left it on the floor and closed his bedroom door about halfway.
"You call me if you need anything. I'll help you get dressed again whenever you're ready to get up."
"Thanks," he said as he quickly nodded off.
I threw Trevor's clothes in the washer, then sat down in the recliner and nodded off myself. An hour later I woke up and moved his clothes to the dryer and tried to figure out what to have for dinner. I decided on mac and cheese and some vegetables. I'd have to ask Trevor what ones he liked.
"Drew?" I heard from the back of the house.
"Coming," I replied.
"I guess I should get my ass up for a while. Patty reminded me to keep walking several times a day so I don't backslide in my recovery."
"Good idea," I said, as I asked him what he wanted to put on. There wasn't really any choice, as all his other clothes were in the dryer, so I helped him put on the same outfit he'd worn home.
"We'll get you into a different outfit in the morning after your sponge bath. If you'd rather wear some shorts now, you'll have to wait for the dryer to go off. It's pretty hot outside."
"I'll just walk around the house for now," he said. "Maybe after dinner it'll be cool enough to get outside for a while."
I walked with him and pointed out where things were. He marveled at Vince's master suite, the TV room, the living room, and the kitchen. Then he spotted the back yard with its masses of colorful flowers and bushes.
"Oh, my god, that's beautiful," he gushed. "Who takes care of all that?"
Suddenly I realized for the first time that we were both going to be coming face to face with the shirtless lawn boy some morning soon, if Adam was correct about Jimmy's schedule.
"Vince has a lawn worker two days a week. I saw him Sunday morning but haven't actually met him yet myself. Next time he comes I'm supposed to find out when and how much Vince pays him."
"Is he cute?" Trevor asked with a grin.
"You'll see," I coyly replied.
Changing the subject, I asked Trevor what kind of veggies he liked.
"Oh, about anything, I guess -- except weird stuff like Brussels sprouts."
"How about broccoli?" I asked, naming my favorite vegetable.
"Sure. What else are we having?"
"Mac and cheese, I think, and a salad."
"Cool," he said as we continued our exploration of the house. By then the dryer had gone off, and I put his clothes in a basket. "You want to help me hang up your shirts?"
"Oh, sure -- I've been here all of four hours and already you're making me work," he said with a grin.
"It's good for you -- remember what Patty said."
As we walked down to his room with the clothes, he poked his head in my room.
"So this is where you sleep? Looks like you have your own door to our bathroom."
"Yes, and we'll keep both doors open at night so I can hear you if you need help. You can use the hallway door to the bathroom and close my door while you're in there. Just remember to open it when you're done so I know the coast is clear."
"Aye, aye, sir!"
It didn't take long to put the boy's meager clothes on hangers or in the drawer. He wasn't ready to unpack anything else yet, so he followed me into the TV room and lay down on the couch while I occupied the recliner. We watched the evening news together, and then I went to start dinner. He wolfed it down as fast as I served it to him, and then asked for seconds.
"I forgot how much teenagers eat," I wisecracked. "I hope I can afford to feed you."
"You can take it out in trade."
"That's against the rules, young man. You know that."
"Just kidding. You couldn't keep up with me anyway at your age."
"Listen -- you'd better be nice to me if you want free room and board here," I said, getting up to clear the dirty dishes. He got up and put his arms around me from behind.
"How's that?" he asked.
"That's a good start, but I'm insatiable when it comes to wanting hugs."
"Me, too," he sighed. "Me, too. You can never get enough of those, can you?"
Tears welled in my eyes as I loaded the dishwasher.
"Let's put on some shorts and walk around the block. Are you up for that?"
"Absolutely. You won't be wearing long black socks, will you? If so, you'll have to walk forty paces behind me."
"No, I won't embarrass you."
As we were doing our neighborhood walk, Trevor remembered that he hadn't charged his cell phone since Saturday.
"Did you find my cell phone cord when you were packing up my stuff yesterday?"
"Yes, I remember unplugging that, but now I can't remember what box I put it in."
"No problem -- I'll look for it when I get back. I want to call Mama again and let her know I'm out of the hospital."
"Well, you can use my phone tonight while yours is charging. Is there anyone else who should know about your situation?"
"I should try to call my roommate, Nathan. He was leaving town early Sunday morning, and I haven't talked to him since I was taken to the hospital. I'm sure he's been wondering what happened since then."
"Where does he live?"
"Atlanta. I sure do miss him already -- he was such a great roommate this past year. If it weren't for him, I'd probably still be in the closet."
We looked at each other, and he smiled.
"Nathan's a year older than I am, and he was -- shall we say `experienced' already? He taught me a lot this past year. We're going to room together again next year if I'm able to keep my scholarship."
"Is there any real doubt about that?"
"I have to maintain a 3.5 GPA to keep it, and it's gonna be nip and tuck. Until I get my grades in a few days, I won't know."
The possibility of Trevor going back to Virginia and never returning to Montgomery took me by surprise. I'd never considered that might happen, and I didn't want to think about it.
"Can you go over to the college in a few days and get your grades and check on your scholarship?"
"I hope so. Till then I'm just going to concentrate on getting back to normal and hope for the best."
"I'll be hoping with you, believe me."
Trev was tired and ready for bed already when we got home, so he decided to delay his calls until the next day. He found his cell phone cord in one of the boxes and plugged it in. We had a bowl of ice cream, and then I helped him get undressed and under the covers. He was out like a light. I fixed myself a drink and tried to watch a little TV. I turned it off, however, when I didn't find anything worth watching. I just sat and thought about all the events of the past few days.
Who would have thought a week ago that I'd be sitting here in Vince's house while he was laid up in a coma in the hospital? Or that a young man like Trevor would have walked into my life like he had? I considered it such a privilege to be able to look after him for a few days and help him get his normal life back. He was filling a void in my life, but I knew God was only loaning him to me for a while to take care of. Would I be able to "set him free" with no regrets when the time came for him to leave? Somehow I doubted it.
I looked in on him, and he was sleeping peacefully. I took my evening shower and crawled into my own bed, missing Vince more than ever.
(To be continued)
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