by A M Huff
“Hospital?” Justus repeated. The word did not make sense to him. He tried to remember.
“Relax,” Tina said.
Justus felt her touch his arm. He looked down. His arms were by his side. He tried to move them but could not. His heart began to race again.
“Please, Mr. Reynolds, you need to try to relax,” the nurse said, sounding impatient. “Take a few slow, deep breaths for me.”
Justus looked at her and although nothing was making sense, he did as he was told. The beeping sound slowed. He turned his head to see where it was coming from and saw a monitor on a pole near the head of the bed. He started to relax more.
“Harry?” he said to the nurse.
“He’s here, waiting outside.”
“I want him.”
“In a moment. We need to make sure you are calm first.”
“I am calm,” Justus answered, but the beeping started to become faster again.
“Deep breaths,” the nurse instructed.
Justus inhaled, slowly filling his lungs completely and then letting it out.
“Okay, I’ll send him in.” The nurse nodded to the other people in the room. They all turned away and filed out of the room. The last one to leave was the nurse, who shut the door behind her.
A moment later the door opened and Harrison peeked inside. He grinned when he saw Justus.
“You’re awake,” he said and came in the rest of the way.
“Harry!” Justus choked and started to cry.
Harrison rushed over to the side of the bed. “It’s okay.”
Justus looked down and saw Harrison holding his hand but he could not feel anything. Tears slipped down the sides of his face. “Harry, where am I?”
“You’re in the beautiful Kaiser Sunnyside Resort,” Harrison answered in a playful tone. He smiled but Justus could see he was worried.
“Yeah,” Scotty spoke up from Harrison’s right.
“Scotty! You’re here?” Justus gasped. He had not seen him come into the room.
“Yes, I’m here. We had to argue with the paramedics in order to get you here. They wanted to take you to Pill Hill, but you have Kaiser Insurance.”
Scotty’s words were confusing, and too much for him to think about right now. Justus felt the side of his head throb with sharp pain.
“Harry, I—I can’t feel my hands,” he whispered.
Harrison raised Justus’ hand and gave it a little squeeze. Justus shook his head.
“It’s okay,” Harrison assured him. “You will soon enough. You need to rest. You’ve been through a lot.”
Justus was confused. He looked at Scotty who stood staring at him with a strange, sad smile on his face. He turned back to Harrison who seemed preoccupied with something across the bed. Justus turned and saw his sister was still in the room. She wiped the tears from her eyes.
“What happened?” Justus asked.
“Don’t you remember?” Harrison asked.
“Remember?” Justus answered while he tried to search his memory.
“It must be the meds,” Scotty spoke up.
“Yes, you’re on some pretty strong pain medication, Justus,” Harrison agreed while still holding Justus’ hand.
“Oh,” Justus answered and nodded. He yawned.
“You need your sleep. We’ll wait outside,” Harrison said.
“No! Stay with me,” Justus blurted.
Harrison looked at the other two and motioned with his head toward the door.
“I’ll wait outside,” Tina said and turned away.
Justus could see she was crying which only made him more confused. He watched her and Scotty leave the room. He yawned again and looked back at Harrison. “You’re here,” he said and closed his eyes.
“No!” Justus shouted and woke himself up. The room was dark. I have to get out of here! He tried to move but his arms wouldn’t cooperate. No!
A movement to his left caused him to turn his head despite the pain that shot up from his shoulders, traveling through his neck and out of the top of his scalp. A dark shadow slowly rose and drew closer.
“No! Stay away from me!” he shouted. His heart thumped wildly. He fought the pain and wiggled himself away. He bumped into the bed rail and was confused. “No,” he whimpered when he realized he was trapped. “Harry!” he shouted.
The dark figure moved toward him faster.
“No! Stay away from me!” Justus screamed again.
“Justus,” the shadow called his name.
The room suddenly lit up, and a woman dressed in blue scrubs rushed up to the right side of the bed.
“It’s okay,” she said in a gentle voice. She put her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay.”
“Harry?” Justus said when he looked at the person on his left.
The nurse moved away to check the monitor and tubes connected to Justus’ chest and arm. Harrison stepped up to the side of the bed.
“I’m here,” Harrison answered and took Justus’ hand. “You’re safe. You’re in the hospital, remember?”
“Hospital,” Justus repeated. He felt his fear drain away. He started to cry. His tears stung his eyes and ran back to his ears.
“It’s okay, Justus, I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, I promise,” Harrison assured him “Hey, you moved.” He smiled and took Justus’ raised hand.
Justus looked at his hand. It was still a bit swollen but it was looking more familiar. He then turned to watch his right arm while he lifted it off the bed.
“That’s enough,” the nurse said taking hold of his arm and putting it back down on the bed. “You need to be careful you don’t pull out your IV.”
He looked back at his left hand, at the gauze wrapped around his wrist. “What—”
“The cuffs rubbed your wrists and ankles raw,” Harrison explained. “The doctor put ointment on them and wrapped them so you’d be more comfortable.”
“My head hurts.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
The nurse stepped back up to the side of the bed.
“Let’s get you in a more comfortable position. Shall we?” she said while she put her hands under Justus’ shoulders and nodded to Harrison who did the same. “On the count of three, one, two, three.”
Justus felt his torso lift slightly and slide across the bed toward Harrison and then down again.
“There, is that better?” she asked while she adjusted his pillow.
“Yes,” Justus answered. He realized the pain had lessened, too.
“Good. If you need anything, simply press this button.”
Justus tried to look to where she was motioning but could not see what she was pointing at.
“We will,” Harrison answered for him. “Thank you so much.”
Justus watched the nurse leave and then turned his head and looked at the window seat. Even with the curtains closed and the light dim, he could see the cushioned seat was empty. He looked around the room.
“Scotty?” he said, wondering if he had dreamt it or if Scotty really had been here.
“He’s with Douglas.”
“Douglas—” A flash. A memory. Douglas lying on the ground not moving. Blood. Lots of blood. The monitor beside the bed began to beep faster.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Harrison said while he patted Justus’ shoulder lightly.
“Douglas. He was bleeding. Is he—”
“He’s okay,” Harrison said reassuringly.
“Okay,” Justus repeated and closed his eyes while he exhaled slowly. He opened his eyes and looked around. Even though the light in the room had returned to a dim glow, he could see light around the edges of the curtains. Another flash of memory. The scent of turned dirt. An angel.
“What is it?” Harrison asked.
“I don’t know,” Justus answered. “I— What time is it?”
“It’s two in the morning.”
“How long have I been here?” Just
us asked and felt himself slipping away. He yawned.
“Just a day,” Harrison answered. “Hey, your mom and dad are on their way up. I called them yesterday afternoon and told them what happened. Your mom told me to tell you she loves you.”
“I love you,” Justus murmured and closed his eyes.
Justus felt as though he was weightless and starting to float. He looked down and could see his feet barely touching the ground. Then the ground spun and dropped away. A stabbing pain in his side caused him to open his eyes.
The room was filled with light. He looked at the wall at the foot of the bed. A whiteboard with different colored words scribbled on it hung beneath a schoolhouse-style clock. A door to the right was ajar and even though the light inside was off, he could see a toilet.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” a nurse said. She stood beside the bed with what looked a TV remote in her hands. She smiled while she held a button down and then let go. The bed stopped moving, and she tucked the remote between the bed and the bedrail near his head.
Justus stared at the woman. She was not the same woman he had seen during the night, was she? He watched her while she checked the tubes and wires. “Feel like getting cleaned up a bit today? I hear you’re going to have some special visitors later.”
Justus looked at her confused. The fog in his head was lifting at the same rate his pain was easing but he still felt lost.
“Where’s Harrison?” he asked.
“I had your friend step out for a moment. We need to change your bedding and give you a sponge bath.”
“We?” Justus repeated. A man dressed in baggy teal scrubs walked into the room. In his hands he carried a set of white sheets and a few towels. He smiled at Justus when their eyes met.
Not bad. Justus thought while he looked him over.
“Think you can make it to a chair?” the woman asked.
Justus looked at her.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, we’ll help you,” she said.
Justus began to feel anxious inside. He pulled away when she reached to help him. “I need to talk to Harry,” he said, his tone demanding.
“You can. After we’re through,” the woman answered and tried to reach for him again.
“No, I need to talk to Harry, now! Please,” Justus insisted, raising his voice.
The beeping on the heart monitor increased. The nurse looked at the orderly and nodded. Justus watched the young man leave the room and a moment later return with Harrison behind him.
“What is it?” Harrison asked standing beside the bed.
Justus looked at the female nurse and motioned for Harrison to lean closer. Harrison complied.
“I don’t want her to give me a bath,” Justus whispered.
“It’s okay, she’s a nurse.”
“I don’t care. I don’t want a woman to. . .” He glanced down at his groin.
“Oh,” Harrison said and raised his eyebrows. “Okay, I’ll talk to her.”
Justus watched while Harrison took the nurse out of the room. The door was open so he could see what was happening, but they kept their voices down. They stood facing each other. Harrison spoke first and then the nurse glanced back into the room. The look on her face was not happy. She said something to Harrison. Harrison responded. The nurse held up her hands as if to surrender and then stormed away. Harrison shrugged his shoulders and returned.
“What did she say?” Justus asked.
“She’s going to see if she can find a male nurse.”
“She’s mad.”
“She’s not happy.”
“Too bad,” Justus said, sounding unsympathetic. He glanced at the male orderly standing beside the bed. He looked a bit uncomfortable but he nodded as though he understood.
“That’s what I told her,” Harrison said with a smile. “Oh, I almost forgot. Your parents arrived this morning. They’re going to freshen up and then be over to see you.”
“You’ll be here?”
“Yes,” Harrison said and gave Justus’ hand a squeeze.
A big burly man dressed in loud, colorful scrubs walked into the room. “Someone need a sponge bath?” he said in a deep baritone voice.
Harrison looked at the male nurse and then back at Justus. He grinned and looked like he was about to laugh. “See you later.”
Despite his size, the burly nurse was actually a gentle giant. He carefully pulled the blanket and sheet down. Justus saw his bare legs for the first time and gasped. They were red and his knees were bruised and puffy.
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” the giant said in a kind voice. “You’ll be okay. We’re going to remove the bandages around your ankles. I’ll warn you, they’re pretty raw looking.”
Justus nodded. He watched while the big handed man gingerly removed the gauze. He tried not to be shocked but the sight of his beet red skin where the shackles had rubbed against him made him pull in his breath.
“There,” the burly nurse said. “We’ll leave the bandages off for a while. The air will do them good.”
The other male nurse, the handsome one, set a large bowl of water on a raised bedside table. He handed Justus a towel.
“You can cover yourself with this,” he instructed.
Justus clumsily took the towel. He tried to pull the front of the hospital gown up but his fingers would not cooperate and every time he moved them, bolts of pain shot up his arms to his shoulders. His arms dropped to his sides.
“That’s okay,” the young orderly said. “Is it okay. . .?”
Justus nodded. He watched the handsome man unfold the towel and slip it beneath the gown and over his privates. Once covered, the nurse helped him out of the gown. Four round stickers with what looked like a button with a small wire sticking out of it dotted his chest and sides. Justus gasped when he saw the large bruise on his side.
“We’ll be careful,” the young man assured him.
With both men working together, they gently wiped him down with warm damp washcloths. Justus lay back and closed his eyes. Even though it felt good, there was just enough pain to keep him from embarrassment.
“Here, I’ll let you do the rest,” the nurse said and handed him a freshly rinsed cloth. “Wipe off your personal area.”
“I can’t,” Justus admitted when the washcloth slipped from his hand.
“If you don’t mind, I can do it for you,” the handsome orderly volunteered.
Justus nodded.
There was nothing sensual about the way the orderly handled his task. He seemed very focused and unfazed while he ran the damp cloth over Justus’ manhood. In a few seconds he was finished. He put the cloth in a plastic bag with the towels. After emptying the water bowl in the bathroom sink he took the bag and left the room.
The burly nurse pulled a pair of pajamas out of a bag that was sitting in the chair by the door.
“Your friend brought these for you,” he said and held up the shorts and shirt. “I’ll help you put them on.”
While Justus sat on the edge of the bed, the nurse carefully slipped Justus’ feet through the leg holes and slid the shorts up to his knees. “It might be best if you stood up.”
“I don’t know if I can,” Justus said.
“Lean on me,” the giant said.
Leaning against the nurse for support, Justus slowly stood up. The nurse carefully but quickly slid the shorts up. Justus sat down on the edge of the bed while the nurse turned around and grabbed the shirt from the chair.
“This might hurt a bit,” he warned. “You have some broken ribs.” After threading the IV bag through the sleeve, he went ahead and buttoned the front of the shirt for Justus. “Think you can sit in a chair while I change your bedding?”
“Sure,” Justus answered.
The nurse wheeled the chair over to the side of the bed and gently lowered Justus into it. He then slid the chair back and went to work on the bed.
In no time he had the bed stripped and the fresh sheets spread out smooth and neatly t
ucked. He turned back to face Justus and looked worried. “Ready to climb back into bed?”
“I guess.”
Carefully Justus returned to the bed with the help of his giant. With the top half of the bed raised, Justus was able to sit up. He watched the nurse gather his things.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked.
“No. Thank you,” Justus said and managed a sincere smile.
“I’ll see you later then,” the nurse said, but it sounded more like a question.
“Sure,” Justus said but the nurse was already gone.
Justus looked at his freshly bandaged wrists and his red and blotchy hands. He wondered if they would ever work again.
The door opened and a young woman in light blue scrubs and an apron walked in carrying a tray. She smiled at him.
“Ready for something to eat?” she asked and set the tray on the raised bedside table.
“I guess so,” Justus answered. He looked at the glass of milk and the plate covered by a plastic lid. The woman removed the lid to reveal a plate of mashed potatoes, sliced turkey, peas and carrots all covered in gravy. Justus took a deep breath, savoring the aroma of hot turkey and gravy.
“Enjoy,” she said and left the room before Justus had the chance to ask her for help.
Alone, he stared at the plate of food. He saw the plastic utensils still in their cellophane wrapper. He tried to pick it up but the pain that shot up his arms every time he moved his hands or bent his elbow was too much to bear. He dropped his arms to his sides.
When he was about to yell for help, Harrison opened the door and walked into the room.
“Ah,” he said seeing Justus’ untouched lunch. “Need a little help?”
Justus nodded. It was strange having someone feed him as though he were a baby. He would have been more upset had he not been so hungry. He ate every bit of his lunch and settled back against his pillows.
“Thank you,” he said while Harrison straightened up the tray and replaced the lid over the empty plate. “Are they here yet?”
“No, you still have time,” Harrison answered.
“Harry, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? About what?”
“I was so sure Dean was behind the missing men that I forgot all about Andy. We suspected him too, you know?”
“Yes. Scotty told me. In fact, when I didn’t hear from you, I called him. He’s the one who led us to the house. We made it just in time it seems.”