Chapter Nine Rowan

"Avet clinic?" I balked. "Really? What the hell are they gonna do for you?"

?"I work here," James replied, smiling as always. "The vet stays here late on Fridays to finish up paperwork. He'll get me stitched up."

?"But this place is for dogs! And you're not a dog!"

?"Astute observation," James sighed. "But they have everything here you'd find at a hospital and it won't cost me the next ten years of my life to pay off." He gave me a stern look, cutting off any further argument. "Now help me inside."

?I did as I was told, coming around to the passenger side of my car to retrieve him. We'd had to leave his car at the park because his foot was too injured to drive. Even though he resisted, telling me he could handle it, I wouldn't hear of it. Besides, even if he got a parking ticket or something, I'd pay for it. I didn't care about that.

?Scooping James into my arms once more, I headed for the front of the building. To no one's surprise, it was locked, and the place looked closed save for a light coming from the back office. James rapped on the glass door, but when there was no answer, he pulled out his phone and began to dial. A couple of rings and someone picked up.

?"Hey Doc," James said. "I'm out front of the clinic. Can you let me and my friend in? We need your help."

?I heard a voice respond, but I couldn't make out what he said. A moment later the lights popped on in the front lobby and a man wearing a pair of dusty blue scrubs pushed the front door open.

?"James? What's going on?" He glanced down at the bandaged foot that was red with blood and sighed. "What did you do now?"

?"You say that like this happens all the time!" James retorted. "I've only ever come to you once for help and that was because I found a puppy!"

?Doc lifted an eyebrow. "You didn't have just one puppy, you had seven puppies. And you were here two months ago when you had that weird rash."

?I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment. The last thing I wanted to do was hear about James' mysterious rashes.

?Of course, he noticed and immediately tried to save himself. "It was just poison ivy!"

?"Yeah, but it was on your ass," Doc replied with a grin. "And other places. Can imagine how you got it…"

?"Alright, alright! Will you just help me please?"

?That was the first time I'd ever heard James get flustered. Usually he was all smiles and happy sunshine. But this veterinarian kept him on his toes.

?"Yeah, come on in. Let's make sure you're not gonna get gangrene and die."

?Doc waved us in and I followed with James still in my arms. He led us toward one of the patient rooms and had me place James on the stainless steel bench in the center that was usually reserved for pets. James put his foot up on the table and Doc started pulling the bandages away.

?"Is… is this sanitary?" I asked, staring at the bench that probably had twelve different dogs on it today alone.

?"Everything in the rooms is sanitized between patients," Doc replied, not looking up from his work. "It's probably cleaner here than it is in most hospitals. We're not understaffed and working twenty-four hours a day like most nurses, so things actually get done properly here."

?"Oh. Okay." I paused for a moment. "Is he gonna be okay?"

?Doc glanced up at me, smirked, then looked at James. "He's gonna be fine. Don't you worry." He tossed the bloody bandages into a trash can under the bench. "What did you step on?"

?"Glass I think. The cut's pretty clean."

?"Barefoot again?"

?James sighed. "Yes…"

?"I told you to stop doing that, you silly boy."

?"So did I," I added.

?"Finally," Doc laughed. "A man that speaks sense. Much better than that last idiot you were dating. Hold on to this one."

?I opened my mouth to correct him, but my heart practically dropped out of my butt at his assumption and I found it very difficult to produce sound.

?"You cleaned it with iodine?"

?"Yeah," James nodded, clearly unperturbed by his boss' comments. "I think it needs stitches."

?"It does," Doc replied. "But I only have anesthetic spray. I don't have any shots for people."

?"That's fine, Doc."

?"You sure? That's gonna hurt like hell."

?"Can't hurt more than it already does."

?Doc sighed. "We'll see."

?"You're going to sew him up?" I asked, my embarrassment suddenly forgotten.

?"He needs it."

?"I… I don't know if I want to see that…" I could feel my face flush white again. "I'm not great with blood and stuff."

?"You can sit in the waiting room," Doc offered.

?"Go ahead," James smiled. "I'll be fine."

?I fought with myself for a moment. I wanted to stay there and be supportive of James because I knew how much pain he must be in. But my stomach was also turning at the idea of seeing a needle pushed through his skin. Still, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving him. I didn't know why either. It wasn't like he belonged to me and we definitely weren't involved. However, I wanted to be there at his side. I had to be.

?Just as I was about to leave, I spotted another rolling chair on the far side of the room. I grabbed it and pulled it over to the stainless steel table, climbing in so I was facing away from James' feet.

?"I'll stay," I said, a flood of anxiety filling my chest. I was so far out of my comfort zone, but I couldn't help it. James was hurt, and I felt like I had to be there for him. "For moral support."

?James nodded with a smile and held out his hand. "For moral support."

?I took his hand, the butterflies in my stomach erupting all at once. It was such a small gesture, but there was something so deeply intimate about having his fingers laced through mine. I felt like my hands were made for his, like his were the ones I'd been searching for all my life whenever I went to take someone's hand.

?I couldn't help rolling my eyes at myself. That was a stupid thing to think. Good thing I didn't say it out loud because that was some cheesy bullshit for the movies. Real life wasn't that nice.

?However, I didn't get to dwell on it for too long as James' fingers squeezed around mine.

?"Brace yourself," Doc said with a click of his tongue.

?The next five minutes were some of the weirdest and most uncomfortable of my life. And that being said after I found some other dude fucking my girlfriend. James winced and squeezed my hand as Doc sewed him up. But, to his credit, he didn't cry out or even whimper. The dude was a fucking trooper. But then again, after some of the things I heard gay guys go through in the bedroom from Adam, James was probably a lot tougher than his soft smiley facade might imply.

?"Well, that should about do it," Doc said at last, leaning back from James' foot.

?I stole a glance downward, surprised to see that not only was his foot stitched, but completely cleaned and bandaged once again. It almost looked like nothing had every happened to begin with.

?"You know to keep that clean," Doc added. "And to stay off it. I won't expect you in the office all next week while that heals."

?"I can't take that much time off work!" James protested. "You guys need the help! And well… I need a paycheck."

?"It's not going to break the bank to pay you for normal hours, so don't worry about that." Doc pulled off his nitrile gloves and tossed them in the trash can. "However, when you get back you'll be on cleaning duty. And if I ever hear of you walking barefoot out in a public park again, I won't be stitching you up. You can go deal with the hospital."

?"Ugh… fine. That's fair I guess."

?"And you," Doc said, pointing at me. "Make sure this boy wears some shoes. You seem to have some sense, so keep him in line."

?"Oh… uh… we're not together…" I was having a hard time looking Doc in the eyes as I said that. "He's just a friend."

?"Uh-huh," the vet nodded. Clearly he didn't believe me. "Right. Still make him wear shoes though."

?My cheeks were burning. "I'll do my best."

?"If that starts to look even remotely infected, you call me. I don't care what time it is."

?"Don't worry," James smiled. "I know what to watch for."

?"Good." Doc huffed, stood up from his stool, and stretched. "Now get out of my office. I want to go home. It's the weekend for Christ's sake."

?James started to slide off the table, but Doc stopped him.

?"What are you doing? You can't put any weight on that with fresh stitches in."

?"I have to walk, Doc."

?"Your friend carried you in," he replied, glancing over at me with one eyebrow raised. "He can carry you out." He paused. "In fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to have someone to look after you, at least for the weekend." Doc turned to me, a serious look on his face. "Can he stay with you for the weekend?"

?"Uh…"

?"You don't have to do that, Rowan." James looked suddenly embarrassed for the first time. "We just met. You hardly know me."

?"You can stay," I nodded, surprised by the words that came out of my own mouth. "It's a two-bedroom cabin, so I've got room."

?"Then it's all settled," Doc smiled. "Now go away."