Chapter 15

Being wheeled out on a gurney for all your neighbors to see as your hot new boyfriend walks behind and climbs into the ambulance is not quite as humiliating as I thought it would be. In a town like The Pleasant, an ambulance on your street brings everyone out to see what's happening. We all know each other, and if something is wrong – everyone wants to know. Plus, that gives us something to gossip about later.

I was sure that Justin's mere presence with me would give this street something to talk about for weeks. What would Justin's parents think? I wasn't the kind of guy that they were probably hoping he would introduce to them one day. I was about ten years too old – at least.

Thankfully, if they were there, I didn't notice. I didn't notice anyone because of the excruciating pain I was in.

I hate going to the emergency room. Normally, whenever I've gone in the past, I have wound up waiting for hours to be seen. But apparently, when you're brought in by ambulance, you go right into a room. It's like Doris Day parking in those old Rock Hudson movies. She always managed to snag a spot right in front of the door. Lucky me.

Before I could even believe it, my vitals were being taken, and a nurse was giving me the once-over. I cussed as she touched the parts of me that hurt – that was just about all of me.

It wasn't long before the doctor came in and winced when he saw my ankle. "That's a beaut!"

A ‘beaut' he called the monstrosity that once used to be my ankle. It was now swollen and already splotchy with the bruise that would eventually turn dark. I could barely look at it, and the doctor seemed to want to give it a sash and a crown- hell, why not a title? Miss Bruised Point Pleasant a contestant on the next season of Drag Race.

"This is gonna hurt." He touched my foot and I almost jumped off the uncomfortable bed. "Yeah… We're gonna take you down to X-ray and check that out. If I had to take a guess, I'd say at least a hairline fracture. But we want to make sure what damage your fall caused. The paperwork said you fell down a couple stairs. Are you sore anywhere else?"

"I might have hit my head."

He spent a few minutes feeling around and moving the other parts of my body. I winced when he rotated my shoulder, and he nodded. "What?" I asked quickly.

"I think you were very lucky. You banged yourself up pretty good, but it looks like the ankle took the brunt of the injury. As for your head, let's see." He shined a small flashlight into my eyes. "It looks fine. Who's the current president?"

"Biden."

"What's your wife's name?"

"I don't have a wife."

"What do you have?"

"I might have a boyfriend?"

"What's his name?"

"Justin."

"That's a good name. What's your name?"

"David."

"I think you're fine." He placed his hands on my scalp and pressed gently. "No contusions or swelling. Your neck seems fine, too. Let's get that X-ray out of the way and see what we need to do for you." With that, he walked out of the room, and a few minutes later, a young man came and wheeled me down to the X-ray machine. It was not a fun experience. However, this was much better than any experience I ever had in a hospital before, so I must have been winning. The ones in Denver were atrocious.

Finding out that I did indeed have a stress fracture and would require a boot for the next six to eight weeks, where I couldn't put any weight on it, was also not fun. A couple of hours later, I was wheeled out with a thick black support boot and a long list of things to do – and things I could not do. My life was about to get very difficult.

Justin stood as he saw me, and I noticed that he had a pink teddy bear in his hand. He smiled, and I melted into my wheelchair. This was not the way that a new… whatever this was – should go.

"I was about to storm the barricades. But Priscilla over there," he waved at a woman with grey hair and thin lips. She grinned and waved back at him. "Well, she kept me informed. Broken, huh? I was afraid of that. Are you going to have to have surgery?"

"No, he was very lucky." Hell, I had forgotten that there was a nurse behind me, even if she was the one pushing me. "Are you going to be his caregiver?"

I gasped. "No, he…"

"Yes. If he needs one. Let me guess, he can't put any weight on his foot, right?" Justin gave me the teddy bear, and I held it tightly against my chest.

"Correct. It's a hairline, but we want to make sure it heals and doesn't grow. He needs to ice and elevate. It's all right here." She handed him my file. "You listen to your son, ok?"

Justin laughed. "Oh, I'm not his…"

"Just fucking push me down a larger flight of stairs, please." I groaned and sunk into the chair, feeling absolutely humiliated.

"He calls me daddy," Justin winked.

"Oh! Well, isn't he lucky?" She giggled. "If it gets any worse, bring him back in. He should follow up with his primary doctor no more than two weeks from now. If you will sign this release over at the window, you can take him home."

"Don't mind me. I'm just gonna sit here and hope I die."

"Shush, you. Don't move. Lucky for you, John brought my car over while you were in emergency, so you have a ride home that doesn't have flashing lights." He winked and walked over to the window, where he pointed at me. A few minutes later, he came back, and they wheeled me outside. Justin ran ahead to get his car and quickly drove up in his station wagon. If the neighbors didn't get a good looky-loo when they wheeled me out to the ambulance, they would get a second chance when Justin pulled up in front of my house and helped me get inside.

Why was I so embarrassed about this? When the very strong Tylenol they gave me wore off, I would have to think about this. Was it our difference in age – or was it that everyone would wonder why he would ever choose someone like me? Maybe it was both? Maybe this fucking medicine would start making the pain would go away? Everything from my foot to my head seemed to throb with every crack on the cement as the wheelchair rolled me to Justin's car.

"Your chariot awaits." Justin opened the passenger door and scooted the seat back as far as it would go. "How are we going to get him inside?"

"Here's his crutches," the nurse or orderly – whoever the masochist was that was pushing me handed them to Justin who opened his trunk and threw them inside. "I'm gonna wheel you right beside the car, ok?"

Great, now he was talking to me like I was a fucking child. If I wasn't in so much pain… But I was.

"Now, don't put any weight on that foot. Just keep it lifted and I'm gonna help you up and over."

"Can I help?" Justin offered.

"You can help steady him, but because he was discharged from an emergency, I will need to help him get out of the wheelchair."

"He is right here – and he is already hurting, so get me the fuck up and push me into the fucking seat, please," I snapped.

"Ooh!" Justin laughed. "Baby has fangs. Hang tight, David. This is probably gonna hurt."

The orderly gently took my feet off the footholds and put his hands under my arms. "I'm gonna lift, and you just stand on the one foot and we will get you into the car as quickly as possible."

Justin reached out, and I took his hand. The orderly was strong, but the pain in my body made me wince as he hauled my ass out of the wheelchair. "Fuck! Ouch!"

"Ok. You're right by the door. Reach out and put your hands on the side, and we will lower you down."

Justin's eyes widened. "Hold on. I have an idea." He ran away. I tried to see where he was going, but… "Ok, I'm ready."

Justin was in the car, and I peered down to see him wink at me with his arms out. The orderly helped lower me with his hands digging into my underarms. I gasped as Justin's hands caught my ass and held me firmly. Instead of falling – my hunky, big biceped daddy was guiding and actually lowering me down into the seat so I didn't jar myself.

What did I have to fear about people seeing us together? He was sweet and strong and willing to help me – wanting to, even. My ass hit the seat, and it did hurt, but it wasn't as jarring as it would have been if Justin hadn't been here.

"Thank you," I said to both of them, but mainly to Justin. He reached over and put his hand on my knee.

"You ready to go home?"

"How the hell are you gonna get me out of this fucking car?"

"Don't worry, babe. I have plans."

He held my hand all the way back to our street, literally picking me up, carrying me up the stairs, and gently laying me down on the couch. He then ran out and got my crutches, setting them at the foot of the sofa while Liza jumped up and curled beside me, licking my face.

"Good girl. Did you miss your daddy?"

"Looks like she did. Are you comfortable?"

"Could Liza get a job in IT?" I couldn't stop the snark; I was throbbing all over. "I hurt."

"Those pills will help dull the edge, David, but it's not going to take it all away. You need a little more of them in your system, babe."

"Babe? I like that more than I should."

"You'll get used to it. I think it fits you quite nicely." He bent down and kissed my forehead. "I'm gonna go and grab some things from my house and tell Mom where I'm going to be, ok? I'll be gone about an hour tops. Do you need me to help you do anything before I leave?"

"I'm just gonna lay here and suffer."

"I had no idea you were such a drama queen."

"You know it might be better if you have someone come over just in case you need a glass of water or to go to the bathroom."

"I'm fine."

"I insist. You are to not get up for any reason unless you have someone who can help you."

"Where's my cell phone? I think I had it in my hands when I fell naked down the stairs. Maybe I… It could be up in the bedroom still, I…"

"I know where it is." He walked somewhere else. I couldn't see over the fucking couch. He returned with the phone in his hand. "You must have been scrolling while you were walking down the stairs. Maybe that's why you fell?"

"Are you judging me? Trust me, it wasn't that." I grinned knowingly. "I told you that I wasn't sure I could walk."

"Next time – I will get the bourbon when you need a drink." He chuckled. "I really wish you weren't in pain. I miss your naked body underneath mine. Now, that will have to wait."

"I might like a little suffering."

"Who are you calling?"

"Zane. He's really the only person who I know will come. He'll be pissed I didn't let him know I was in the emergency room. I mean, he may not answer if he's out or at some trick's house." I pushed the button, and Justin stood there with his arms crossed and his biceps flexed as I put the phone on speaker.

Zane answered. "Girl, what are you doing?"

"I fell down the stairs, and I hurt. I just got back from the emergency room."

"Bitch! What!"

"Zane? This is Justin. David is a little out of it and can't walk on his own at all. He has a fracture and can't put any weight on his foot. Can you come over and stay with him while I take care of a few things?"

"Bitch, I am already walking to my car! That's my bestie. I'll be there in about ten minutes." Zane disconnected, and Justin laughed lowly.

"I think I like him more now." Justin kneeled beside me and stroked my cheek. "Does your head still hurt?"

"Everything hurts. It's not that bad. My foot and shoulder hurt so bad I barely notice my head."

"I'm sorry, baby. Those stairs are gonna be difficult for the first few days. We need to see if you can get up them with your crutches. We'll sleep down here tonight if you think you'll be comfortable enough. Honestly, I don't think we have another choice. I could try carrying you up the stairs, but…"

"You are a He-Man. But I'm not a kid and…"

"What if I got halfway up and had to put you down. That would be bad. I'll grab things when I come back." He adjusted my couch pillow and grabbed the other and slid it carefully under my foot. "You need to keep it like that, ok?"

"Ok. You don't have to… I mean, stay here with me. Zane will if I ask him."

"That's not negotiable, David. I will be back as soon as I deal with a few things. Understood?"

"It shouldn't make me this happy, should it?"

"Why not? I'm happy I can do it for you. Besides, I like being with you, babe."

"Babe…"

The front door banged open, and Liza jumped onto the back of the couch and barked.

"Bitch! You really fell down the fucking stairs?" Zane walked into view. "Oh, honey. You look like someone beat you up."

"I feel like someone beat me up."

"Zane? I'll be back in about an hour. Do not let him…"

"I got this boy scout. Go do your thing." Zane snapped and Justin kissed me on the forehead again. As he walked by Zane – he grabbed him by the arm. "Thank you for being here, Justin. I… Thanks for being here for my bestie."

"He's important to me too. Thanks for coming, but I can see that nothing would have kept you from it."

"Maybe a ten-inch dick. No – not even that." He grinned. "I'll stay as long as you need."

"Thanks." Justin turned to me. "Stay on that couch."

I heard the front door shut.

Zane pursed his lips and sat down on the chair facing me. "So… I think you have a lot to tell me."