What if, Chapter 7
Back home from their vacation, Josh and Randy spent their first few hours on the floor, playing with their sons. The boys had had a good time with Grandma, but they missed their daddies.
It was comical to watch the two little guys crawl all over their fathers. What was particularly curious was that they didn't spend more time with their own biological parent than they did with their dad's partner. The lines between kinship were blurred by their fondness for both adult males. Observing the phenomenon put smiles on their dads' faces.
"We really are a complete family," Randy said. "We're a seamless unit."
"I agree. It gives us another reason to get married as soon as we think the time is right. We don't need permission from anyone else."
When Randy went back to work, he was on the "graveyard" shift in the ER. He had chosen this for several reasons. The main one was so he'd have a consistent schedule instead of switching every few weeks. It would be easier to plan around Josh's time at school, and his mother would be able to settle into a regular routine.
No one in the hospital competed with him for that time-slot. Most of the other nursing staff preferred being there in the daytime.
Another benefit was that he would be on four days and off three. That would give him more time with his lover and their boys.
The late shift had other perks too; it was quieter overnight, and it paid more. Sure, there were occasional accidents or shootings in the predawn period, but those were rare. The only drawback Randy found was being around one particular LPN, Bob Meisner, who often complained loudly if he had to do anything he felt was "beneath his dignity."
The "dignity issue" had never entered Randy's mind. Hadn't they all signed up to take care of people's needs, whatever those were? Were any of them too proud to clean up an old man who had wet himself from the stress of being in a serious auto accident? Was it lowering oneself to take care of the teenager who vomited up his supper after overindulging at a kegger with friends?
It seemed to Randy that the thankfulness in the eyes of helpless people was a reward that more than made up for the odors and messes.
Sure, some of those duties fell more on people of lower rank, but that was because they weren't qualified to do other procedures that RN's and doctors were needed for.
One evening it all came to a head when Bob refused to bathe a young teen who had come in with a bad case of "Montezuma's revenge," as they were prone to call a serious case of diarrhea. He said that the boy should clean himself up because he was old enough to know better. He shamed the kid instead of helping him.
Dr. Vaani Kapur, who was on duty that night, took issue with his attitude. She advised him to take care of the patient, or suffer the consequences. If he defied her, it would be considered insubordination, and she would recommend that his position be terminated.
Bob flew into a rage, saying he was being discriminated against because of his race. He claimed there was a war against white people ever since the country had elected a black man as President.
"You're not being asked to do anything any of us doesn't do on a regular basis, whatever our ethnic background," Dr. Kapur said. "How am I treating you unfairly?"
"You want to see white people doing menial jobs. This wouldn't have happened in the old days. You foreigners are taking the good jobs away from true Americans."
"Bob, my ancestors may have come from India, but I'm a third generation American. I'm no more a foreigner than you are. Didn't I hear you tell once about how your grandfather came over from Germany as a boy?"
"He was a white Christian, like all his kin!"
"I'll take care of it," Randy stepped in. "Let's get you cleaned up, young man. Are you still feeling miserable?"
The boy nodded his head, afraid to speak lest he break into tears after the berating he'd received.
"Well, I'm sure the medicine Dr. Vaani gave you will kick in pretty soon. We'll get you cleaned up and settled into a nice quiet room where you can sleep."
"I'm such a baby for crapping my pants, but I couldn't help it. We were in the car on the way here, and there weren't any bathrooms. I couldn't stop it from coming," he sobbed.
"Don't call yourself a baby; adults have the same problems when we have the stomach flu. I dirtied my underwear a couple of years ago in the same situation. I was driving, and I had no choice! I hated it, but it couldn't be helped."
"Really? You're not just saying that, are you?"
"Yes, it really happened that way."
"Thanks for telling me."
Despite being behind a curtain, and not naked in front of anyone else, the boy blushed when Randy's touch made him spring a boner. He was at the age when nothing, not even feeling miserable, could prevent its happening. He chanced a quick peek at Randy's face to check his reaction.
Randy grinned. "You're definitely not a baby!" he teased.
"I'm so embarrassed!" he said with a half grin.
"You have no reason to be."
After Randy had the kid cleaned, dried, and outfitted with a gown, he offered a blanket out of the warmer and tucked it around him. The boy was grateful.
"Thanks!" he said again. You don't know how much better I feel."
"That's what I'm here for," Randy replied as he squeezed the boy's shoulder.
A few minutes later, an orderly, accompanied by a lady who was evidently the kid's mother, came to wheel him on the gurney up to his room. He would be kept overnight to make sure he didn't get dehydrated.
Randy couldn't miss Bob's continuing rant while he was putting things back in order. Dr. Kapur had called security and they were in the process of escorting Bob to his car. It couldn't happen too soon!
Randy told the story to Josh, who was as appalled at the LPN's attitude as he was.
"Do you think he's mentally unstable? I don't know anyone who would act like that. Even the crazies at my mother's church aren't abject racists. Now, if it had been a gay doctor, maybe. Vaani isn't lesbian, is she?"
"I doubt it. She's married, and she and her husband have three kids."
"We were married to someone of the opposite sex, too. I'm not sure you've proved anything."
With the departure of Bob Meisner, the night-shift at the ER became a lot more pleasant. In a city with a population of barely over 100,000, some nights can be almost monotonous. Randy often did little maintenance jobs in the area to help make the time pass. The ER was always standing tall when he was on duty.
Summer was drawing to a close, and Josh would soon be attending preservice meetings at school, and getting his room ready for the fall term. But, in the meantime, he was enjoying being a full-time father of two. The boys seemed to develop more by the day. He couldn't help but wonder what his life would have been without it's unexpected twists and turns. Growing up, he'd never dreamed of being in a same-sex relationship helping to raise two little guys who were the delight of his life.
Evelyn took care of the boys more as Josh's school duties increased. Early in the summer, they had decided that it would be good to make a gradual transition from having the dads totally in charge to having Grandma as an active caretaker. That way, the boys would be less likely to be upset by the change. So far, it seemed to be running smoothly.
Josh spent a number of extra hours setting up his room for the fall term, before his contract formally started. Having details taken care of ahead of schedule gave him peace of mind.
On one occasion, Evelyn had a dental appointment, and Josh took the boys with him. He had hoped they might nap on a blanket in the corner of the room, but the unfamiliar environment tended to pique their curiosity. He was about to give up and come back later when Paul Oglethorpe, one of his favorite students, entered the room.
"Hi Mr. Blackwell! I have a favor to ask. Would you consider letting me enroll in your Physics II section this fall? I know it would be an overload, and my counselor said you'd have to sign off on it. I promise to do my best not to add to your stress."
"Paul, I'd be delighted to have you in there. If this term is like past ones, someone will drop the class in the first week when they discover how challenging it is."
"Thanks!
"Wow! I see you've got two little helpers! They're so cute."
"Cute is as cute does, as Grandma used to say. They're curious little critters today, so I'm not getting a lot done."
"Whose kids are they?"
"Didn't your mother tell you?"
"If it's something work-related, she never discusses client information at home."
"Well, then it's up to me to fill you in. They're mine. This one is my biological son, and the other is my partner's, but we claim both equally, if that makes any sense."
"Awesome! I want to have a couple of these someday. If I run this back down to Ms. Sankot so she can fix my schedule, could I come back and play with them to keep them out of trouble?"
"That would be wonderful!"
Paul returned shortly, and sat down on the floor a bit apart from Danny and Joey. They sensed that he was a friendly "big person," and soon went over to get acquainted.
Josh enjoyed watching the interplay. Paul had either been around little ones, or instinctively knew how to engage them. Instead of entering their space, he let them invade his. He would make a good daddy.
Not having to worry about the boys had allowed Josh to finish his tasks. It was nearing noon, so he invited Paul to join him for lunch.
"If you don't mind putting together your own sandwich, we'd love to have you. I won't be the ideal host because I may be occupied getting these two filled up, but I'd like to repay your kindness."
"Hey, it was no problem, and I owe you for letting me into your section. It's the only way I can fit band in."
When they arrived at Josh's house, Randy was up getting things out for their lunch. He was introduced to Paul, and given a glowing report about the guy's help with the boys. Randy suggested that they might hire him to babysit sometime.
The men spent part of their time feeding their boys, but allowed them to pick up the things, like crackers, that they could put in their own mouths. Neither boy had a good grasp on how to use a spoon, but they were coming along.
Paul was uncharacteristically quiet as they ate. He seemed self-conscious, and blushed a lot. Finally, he felt he must say something to confirm his suspicion.
"We've met before, haven't we, Mr. Fischer?"
"I believe we have, but please call me Randy. By the way, has your buddy recovered completely from his concussion?"
"Yeah, Owen didn't get his brains scrambled, but the doctor warned him against playing football again. His parents and I convinced him to quit. We're both in marching band instead."
"So, you're still as close as you were?"
"Yup, thanks for asking. Should I tell Mr. Blackwell the whole story?"
"You should do whatever you think. I'm sure Josh will understand. I suspect he already knows, because I told him about a polite but insistent young man who paid a late-night visit to comfort his best friend earlier in the summer."
"Oh, yeah, I do remember hearing that story," Josh grinned as the penny dropped.
"I'm so embarrassed that you know what I did with him," Paul blushed even more.
"Do you think it was any different from what Randy and I would do to bring each other relief?" Josh asked.
"I hadn't thought of that. I suppose not."
"Well, since there were no witnesses to what you did, you have no reason to feel uncomfortable. If you do, simply imagine that I'm doing whatever it was to my fiancé. That should put us on the same level."
"You're the most awesome teacher in the whole school! I can't think of anyone else who's half as cool."
"I told your mother something similar about you when she was making a welfare check on Danny, and we made the connection. I believe we can address each other on a first-name basis when we aren't at school. Would you like that, Paul?"
"You know it, Mr., um, Josh!"
It was a quiet night in the ER. By 3:00 a.m., the only thing even bordering on being an emergency thus far had been an older lady who was brought in by her husband an hour and a half earlier due to heart arrhythmia. Dr. Kapur had prescribed an IV with a medication to steady the rate, and another IV in the other arm that was for an anti-coagulant. She had to reduce the chances of a stroke from blood clots caused by part of the heart working harder than the other.
Randy was in and out of the small room checking to see that everything was going well, and tending another patient who had suffered a fall at home earlier in the evening. So far, x-rays showed no broken bones.
In the midst of this, Randy heard a loud male voice in the main trauma center. There was a softer female voice evidently trying to defuse the situation. He rushed that direction to see what was wrong.
What greeted his eyes was an angry, and apparently intoxicated, Bob Meisner waving a hand gun in the face of Dr. Kapur who had been in the process of treating an elderly gentleman. He told her to pray to her foreign god because she was about to meet him. Then he took aim to make good on his threat.
Randy figured he needed to create a distraction immediately so Vaani could get away. He shoved a cart holding empty glassware into the room, sending it crashing against a wall in the opposite direction of the doctor and her patient. He tried to dive for cover, but Bob spun around and fired several rounds in his direction.
As that was happening, Vaani grabbed the only thing she could see that might be used as a weapon, which happened to be her patient's metal cane. She brought it down on Bob's head with enough force to send him to the floor unconscious, his gun skittering noisily across the tile.
Security was there a second later. Having heard the gunshots, two private-duty guards ran in with guns drawn. They quickly assessed the situation, and cuffed Bob.
Vaani ran to where Randy was sprawled on the floor bleeding.
"I need two nurses and a surgical assistant in the ER, STAT!" she spoke into the communication device around her neck.
The elderly gentleman she'd been treating told her to take care of Randy and not worry about him.
"That young man needs you more than I do. I'll say a prayer for him, and take a nap until you're done. I'm feeling better already."
The help she had requested arrived quickly. One of the nurses was sent to check on the woman with the heart issue, and the other, along with the surgical assistant got Randy on a gurney and began to cut away his scrubs to find where he'd been hit.
Randy passed in and out of consciousness as all this was going on. The first thing he asked, when he was lucid, was if Vaani was safe. She assured him that she hadn't been hurt.
The second thing he enquired about was his patient with the heart condition. Again, he was told to relax because she was being seen to. Then, he asked if his fiancé had been told about his situation.
"I know I'm not gonna die, so please let him sleep until at least 7:00. He has our two sons to tend to, and I don't want him stressing over me."
The staff started an IV immediately, while assessing whether he would need a transfusion. It was difficult to judge exactly how much blood he had lost, and Dr. Kapur was taking no chances, so they put a port in his other arm.
After they got the chance to thoroughly examine his body, they were relieved that there wasn't as much damage as they'd feared. His bleeding wasn't arterial after all. Some of it was from superficial cuts he'd received from the broken glass. However, Dr. Kapur discovered a slug lodged very close to the femoral artery in his left leg. It needed to be removed lest it puncture the artery wall at the slightest provocation.
As they prepped him for surgery, she did request one unit of blood. In case there turned out to be any leaking from the artery as she removed the bullet, she would rather be safe than sorry.
Within an hour, Randy was in the recovery room, and no longer in any danger. He would need time off to recuperate, but he would be fine. Vaani, herself, made the call so that she could explain everything to Josh, in hopes of alleviating his fears. Evelyn came immediately to the house to watch the boys, and Josh arrived at the hospital just as Randy was coming out of the anesthetic.
"Hey," Randy said with his trademark grin.
"Hey, yourself," Josh responded, leaning in to kiss him.
"You'd better not; I'm sure I have buzzard-breath."
"Inhaling your breath is the sweetest, most wonderful thing I can think of at the moment. I'm so glad you're breathing. Vaani says you saved her life. She called me personally to tell me how everything went in surgery. She's a gracious lady."
"I may have acted rashly. Perhaps she could have reasoned with Bob."
"The elderly man she was treating at the time said differently. He agrees that you're a hero, and he was thrilled Vaani could use his quad-cane to bash Bob over the head. He's extolling her too - as one gutsy lady."
"I hope they throw the book at Bob. He could have killed a top surgeon and loving mother. I think he should be charged with a hate crime given his language about her, but he could possibly get off on an insanity plea."
"That will take months, if not years, to be resolved. My concern is how you're feeling, and how long it will be before I can take you home. I have less than a week to spoil you before school starts."
"I'll be happy with whatever time you can spare," Randy said, drifting off.
Josh stayed until Randy fell asleep. It was about Randy's normal bedtime, and sleep was what his body needed to help him mend. Much as he wanted to watch over his lover, Josh felt it was only fair to give Evelyn the chance to see her son too, so he kissed his forehead, and tiptoed out of the room.
Josh was back after lunch, because Evelyn insisted it was more important that he be there. She said her son would heal faster with Josh around than with her. She said that he needed his soul-mate the most, and that was how it should be. She would take care of the boys.
Several of the hospital staff stopped by briefly to check on Randy, including one of the volunteer ladies who worked as a barista at the coffee bar. Randy had been a frequent customer when he worked day shifts, and had always been sociable. The ladies in the shop all sent their love, saying they would bring up his favorite latte anytime he wanted one.
In addition to his colleagues, Randy had two teenage well-wishers in the form of Paul and Owen. Paul had heard about the shooting on the news, and realized the victim was someone he knew and liked.
The two had stopped in the gift shop to purchase a small balloon "bouquet" which consisted of a Mylar one bearing a get-well message and three regular helium-filled ones in bright primary colors. Those would cheer up his room, but not as much as the guys who brought them.
Paul came up to the bed and took Randy's hand with no hesitation. Owen followed suit, but blushed a lot. He was still self-conscious over what the men knew about Paul's "mission of mercy" from earlier in the summer. Eventually, he would be comfortable enough to have a laugh over it, but right now it was still an embarrassing incident in the forefront of his mind.
Josh was present, and made small-talk about school, and the boys' upcoming involvement in marching band. That helped to raise Owen's comfort level.
Later in the day, Josh got the good news that, barring any unforeseen complications, he'd be able to take Randy home before lunch the following morning. Having that to look forward to, he would sleep well.
Author's notes: I'm sure all our heart go out to the victims and their relatives the Nevada shooting. Please keep them in your thoughts.
I heard from the following readers this week: Shep D, Joe W, Wayne, Walt Sz, Bill T, Charles G, Steve C, John L, Jim M, Mendy D, Jack W, Jeff S, Darell R, Frank K, Bill K, Tom A, Dick W, Chandra B, JLF, Tony C, Tom A, Tom S, Paul R, Joe H, Micha C, Al B, Zero M, Randy McM, Jim W, John McD, Avid R, and Paul F.
I appreciate all your kind words. Chapter 8 will conclude this tale. Yeah, I know I could continue it for months, but it's time to move on to other things. I may post a couple of single-chapter stories before starting a new series. Those of you on the "alert" list should receive notification when they're up.
Love and peace,
David