by Sean Michael
Chapter Twenty-Five
JEAN HAD a care package made up—juices and bread and magazines and decent coffee in a Thermos and soft, comfortable clothes. “Come on, chou. The lady said they got him in a private room already. That’s good, huh?”
“Yeah, it is. Means they’ve moved him out of ICU. I’m not sure why we needed to bring all this stuff….”
“Because Benj needs real food. Brett needs real food.” Hospitals were awful places.
“He might not be on solid food yet, babe.” The elevator stopped and they stepped out. “They said room 412.”
“Brett needs nutrition, and it’s chilly in here.” So what if he was stubborn about it?
Ralph chuckled. “Let’s face it—you’re a nurturer.”
Like that was news.
“Shut up, chou.” There. Room 412. He knocked quietly.
Ralph chuckled softly, opening the door when they heard Benj call, “Come in.”
Brett was in bed, eyes closed, looking pale as hell but not as bad as he’d feared. Benj, though, the man looked too pooped to pop.
Benj gave them a tired smile. “Hey.”
“Hey. I brought goodies.” He headed over, handing Benj a nice, soft, warm sweatshirt and the Thermos of coffee. “How’s he doing?”
“Oh God, Jean. Thank you.” Benj looked like he was going to start crying, but he bit his lip and didn’t. “Good, actually. The nurses kept waking him up. I’m not sure how anyone gets better without getting any decent sleep. But he knew who I was, what was going on. They’ve even taken the drain out. He wants to go home.”
“I imagine so. No one wants to stay, hmm? Can he eat yet?”
“I don’t think so—they’re still only letting him have ice chips. Maybe after the doctor sees him.” Benj hugged the sweatshirt to him, like it was a pillow or a security blanket. “Is this coffee? The stuff in the cafeteria is brutal.”
“It is coffee. I brought sandwiches too, and some sweet stuff. Music, books. A decent pillow.”
Brett’s eyes opened for a second. “Benjamin?”
Benj turned immediately and took Brett’s hand. “Hey, love. I’m right here.”
“Benj. Hey. Thirsty.”
“We’re still on ice chips, love. I’ll talk to the nurse when she gets here.” Benj fed a couple of ice chips into Brett’s mouth, his attention fully on his man.
“I’ll go talk to them, Benj,” Ralph offered. “He needs to wet his whistle, huh?”
Jean nodded to Ralph, then smiled at Brett. “How’re you feeling?”
“Sore. Stupid. You bring me a smoothie?”
“Huh?”
Benj gave him a grin. “He’s been asking for one of your smoothies.”
“I’ll bring you one tonight.”
Brett grunted. “A red one. I want a red one.”
Strawberry. He knew that. “You got it, man.”
Benj beamed at both of them. “He brought me a nice, soft sweatshirt too, and some good coffee. Which I don’t think you can have yet. But Ralph will find out. Are you hurting? Do you need anything else?” Benj was flittering from one thing to another. The poor sweet thing was obviously exhausted.
“No. No, I’m good.” Brett smiled a bit, and then his eyelids fell again.
Benj patted Brett’s cheek and sighed. “He’s been doing that, going in and out. He knew who you guys were, though, and remembered that he wanted a smoothie. Those are good signs.”
“He sounds good. Very good. Can he… how’s his balance?”
“I don’t know. They haven’t had him up yet.” Benj gave a frustrated sigh. “The doctor hasn’t come by yet, so we don’t know anything, and he can only have the ice chips, and I just wish he’d show up and let us move forward.”
Ralph came in the door, two big male nurses in tow. The familiar faces made Jean smile. “Benj, this is Marcus and Ken. We’re good friends, and they’re going to be on Brett’s team while he’s here.”
“Hi there. It’s good to meet you.” Benj shook their hands. So serious.
“Hey,” Marcus said. “The doctor’s going to be here in a few minutes, and then we’ll get him on his feet. He’s allowed more than just the ice chips, now and there’s juice down at the nurses’ station. You can get some if you want, and we’ll check bandages and tubes.”
“Oh, I should stay.”
“What kind would he like? I’ll go.” Jean didn’t mind.
“Something with strawberry if they have it, apple if they don’t. Thank you so much, Jean.” Benj held his hand tight for a moment.
He nodded and headed out. He found apple that didn’t look like it had extra shit in it.
“You being picky, babe?” He hadn’t realized Ralph had followed him out. “Thought Brett would appreciate being given the privacy.”
“Yeah. He looks better than I thought he would.”
“It went well. He’s with it too. That’s a really good sign.”
“Yeah? You’re happy?”
“With what I’ve seen so far. I’d like to hear what the doctor has to say.”
Jean nodded, bouncing a little. “Yeah. Yeah, me too. I just…. I’m worried about Benj, hmm?”
“He’s stronger than you think—he’ll do anything for Brett.”
Jean headed back toward the room, walking slowly. “But would Brett do anything for him?”
“I believe he would, Jean. He tore up that DNR.”
“Yeah?” That made him feel hopeful, honestly hopeful, that the gruff man would make Benj happy.
“I know he’s not your type, babe, but he’s a good man.”
“You’re my type, chou. Open the door.” It wasn’t that he thought Brett was a bad man; he thought Brett wasn’t good enough for Benj.
Ralph goosed him first and then quickly opened the door.
Brett was sitting, pillows propping him up, looking like he’d just run a marathon. Benj was fussing over Brett’s pillows, looking happy to have something to do.
“Hey. Hey, guys.” Brett blinked at them. “When did you get here?”
“About ten minutes ago, love.” Benj stroked Brett’s hand. “Remember asking Jean for a red smoothie?”
“Right. Right, I…. Fuck.”
“Shh. It’s okay, love. They were drilling in your head. It’s perfectly all right to need reminding now and then.”
“Still.” Brett frowned. “I want to go home, Benj.”
“I know, love. It’ll be a few days here at the hospital, though. The doctor hasn’t even seen you yet.”
Benj’s fingers fluttered, fiddling with the edge of Brett’s sheets. Jean fought the temptation to take Benj’s hand, settle him. Benj needed Brett now.
Ralph stepped up, got face-to-face with Brett. “Your short-term memory’s a little whacked, man. That’s frustrating as fuck, I bet.”
Brett nodded, then winced. “I gotta fucking stop doing that.”
Ralph added, “You’re going to be okay, though. Remember, this was one of the possible temporary side effects.”
Benj took the apple juice from Jean and popped the top, finding a straw. “Are you still thirsty?”
“Fuck yes.”
Benj sat on the bed next to Brett and held the straw up to his mouth.
“I can do it, Benj.” Brett’s hands were shaking violently, opening and closing randomly.
Benj bit his lip but nodded, closing Brett’s hand around the juice and then letting go.
“Wait.” Jean stepped over quickly, caught the bottom of the glass in one hand before it fell. “Those things are damn slick. I know, I carried it in.”
“Thanks,” Benj said, taking the glass from him. “Let me help you this time, Brett? We’ll find you a better cup for next time.”
“Okay. Okay, Benj.” Brett drank deep, then settled back, gasping a little.
“You’re doing well, love. You’re doing well.” The sweet thing looked absolutely frazzled.
“Are you sure you won’t come to the house, cher? Let me or Ralph ta
ke a shift?”
“Oh no. I can sleep here. Brett needs me.”
“I’ll be happy to stay, cher. Honestly.”
“I promised him I’d be here.” Benj patted his hand. “I do appreciate the offer, but I’m fine.”
Ralph cleared his throat. “Let’s let them sleep, Jean. It’s time for rest. They’ll have him up and walking this afternoon.”
“Yeah?” At Ralph’s nod, he shrugged. “I’ll be back this evening with your supper, cher.”
“Thank you so much, Jean, Ralph. It was good of you to come. Oh, and the red smoothie, right?”
“Absolutely, cher. I’d be happy to.” In fact, he’d be more than happy to.
“Thank you!” Benj wrapped him in a quick, hard hug before going back to Brett’s side.
Jean nodded and left with Ralph, trying his very best not to worry.
Not to worry about the little cher at all.
Ralph’s arm came around his shoulders. “You’re fretting, babe.”
“Am I?” He shook his head. “I don’t know why. We’ve had head-injury patients. We’ve had grumpy patients. I just really like Benj.”
Ralph began to chuckle. “Babe—you’re a nurturer. Benj calls to the momma in you.”
“Oh, you stop it.” He reached out, swatted Ralph’s ass hard. “Ass.”
Ralph growled, but it didn’t stop the laughter. “It’s the truth, babe.”
“Is not. Butthead.” They were both laughing now, walking out into the fall morning. “You want to go spend the day goofing off?”
“I do. Yesterday was long and awful, and once Brett is back, he’s going to need a lot of attention. Let’s go have lunch somewhere fun and then decide what to do with our afternoon.”
Their fingers twined together for just the briefest second. “Sounds good, chou. Perfect.”
“Perfect like me.” Ralph danced out of the way before Jean could do anything about that comment.
He gave chase, the sun making the day seem brighter, warmer. Happy all of a sudden.
Ralph looked back over his shoulder, laughing, smiling.
It really was a perfect moment.
BENJ WATCHED and worried and tried to stay out of the way as Marcus and Ken helped Brett sit up and move to the edge of the bed.
He held his breath as Brett carefully got his feet under him and stood up. When Brett didn’t immediately collapse back down, Benj clapped his hands happily.
“Well done!”
“You ready to take a step, man?” Ken asked.
Brett nodded, then groaned and swayed. “Fuck.”
“Easy. Easy. Breathe. Don’t jostle your brains.”
Benj giggled nervously. “No brain jostling.” He wished there was something he could do.
“The first few steps are going to be really weird, man, but your brain needs you to try so you can rewire the motions.” Ken had Brett take one shaking step.
“Good job, love!” Benj beamed at Brett. “Your first tumor-free step.”
Brett looked at him, eyes wide and scared and beginning to be furious. “How long is it going to be like this?”
“Love, this time yesterday you were in surgery. They cut your head open. Of course you’re going to be shaky to start with!”
“It wasn’t just yesterday….”
“Yes, love. It was.” He blinked back tears and put a smile on his face. He knew how much Brett hated feeling weak. “Just yesterday.”
“Jesus.”
Marcus patted his arm. “Dude, bigassed tumor equals big hole for your nerves to figure out. It’ll happen.”
And now they knew—now Benj knew from the surgeon’s mouth.
Not cancer.
Not malignant.
He patted Brett’s hand. “It’s all going to be just fine. You need to be a little bit patient is all. Do you think you can take another step?”
Marcus had one arm, Ken the other, and Brett managed another step, then a third.
“We’re going to get you to that chair, man, and remake your bed, okay?”
“That sounds great, doesn’t it, love?” Benj went to the chair and patted it, like he was Vanna White or something.
“I want to go home.” Brett looked about as white as a ghost.
“When the doctor says it’s okay.”
Marcus and Ken got Brett to the chair and sitting in it and then went to deal with the bed.
Benj cupped Brett’s cheek. “Can I get you anything, love? Some more juice?”
“This is fucked-up, baby. I want out of here.”
Brett’s heart was racing. His pulse fluttered beneath Benj’s fingers on the side of his neck.
“It’s just going to take a couple of days, love.” Benj pressed kisses on Brett’s face. “You need to calm down, okay? You need to relax.”
Benj retrieved the juice from the tray table, and Brett sipped at it, swallowing easily, color seeming to come back a little.
“Jean’s bringing you a smoothie later. Won’t he and Ralph be pleased to hear you walked!”
“Ralph. He’ll say I haven’t done enough.” Brett winked.
Benj giggled softly. “Probably. But you’ll do better tomorrow.”
“You think?” Brett patted his hip, chuckled.
He leaned into the touch. “I know you will. Nothing’s going to stand in your way for long.”
“I just feel so goddamn fucked-up.”
“You need to be patient, love. You’ll get better every day.”
“Okay, man. Back in bed. You’re made up.” Marcus came over. “I want to get you up and walking with a cane before you’re released.”
“See? They expect you’ll be walking that well in a couple of days.” Then they’d get Brett to the house where Ralph could help them. He just needed to make it ’til then.
Benj encouraged and cajoled, helping Marcus and Ken get Brett back into bed.
“There—that wasn’t so bad!”
Brett grunted, the sound raw and pissed and weird. Benj kept touching and petting and trying very hard not to lose it.
“Jean will be here soon with your smoothie.”
“I just want you, baby. Okay?”
“Yeah, that’s okay by me. Do you think I could climb up there with you? I’ll try not to jostle anything.”
“You can jostle, baby.”
Benj climbed as carefully as possible until he was lying stretched out next to Brett. “Oh….” He sighed, his eyes fluttering closed.
“There you go. Sleep, baby.” Brett’s heartbeat was sure and steady now. Better.
“Okay.” Benj thought maybe now he could.
Chapter Twenty-Six
RALPH HELD the door open to let Jean go in, his arms full of food and smoothie and God knew what else.
Jean stopped after taking a step in. “Aw, look at that.”
Benj was in the hospital bed with his man, the two of them sleeping peacefully. Brett had an arm around Benj, cradling him, protecting him.
Jean eased Ralph out and shut the door quietly. “Give them a minute longer, eh?”
“A minute, a half hour. We’ll want to go in before they shut down visiting hours. You promised Benj you’d bring that smoothie.” He hoped they didn’t need to keep Brett in here too long—he hated hospitals. Not as much as Jean did, but still.
“I did. It’s just… the wee thing’s getting rest.” Jean looked so damn sincere.
“He’ll have all the sleep he wants when they come home to us, yeah?”
“Yeah. Yeah, chou….”
Ralph was going to suggest they go to the waiting room when a nurse went in with a tray of what had to be supper. “I guess we should get in there before they start on that so-called dinner.”
Jean smiled, nodded. That was all Ralph needed. “Evenin’, y’all! I brought smoothies!”
Benj sat up next to Brett and yawned, stretched. “Oh, is it suppertime already?”
“It is.” Jean grabbed two big Thermoses from his bag. “One red smoothie. One good
coffee.”
“How’re you both feeling?” Ralph stood out of the way as Jean helped organize Brett and the drinks.
Brett looked over at him, eyes confused for a second, then seeming to focus. “Better. I feel better. The pain is almost gone.”
Benj had Brett’s smoothie and carefully wrapped Brett’s hand around the Thermos. Brett seemed stronger already, holding the big Thermos in both hands, sucking from the straw. Benj was drinking Jean’s coffee, sighing happily, though Ralph wasn’t sure if that was from the coffee or how well Brett was doing.
Brett drank most of the smoothie, looked at Jean. “Thanks, Cajun. Like those.”
Jean beamed. “I know. There’ll be another tomorrow. I put protein powder and….”
Brett grunted, held up one hand. “I don’t want to know.”
Benj giggled and started in on the homemade sandwich Jean had brought. Brett relaxed back on the bed again, eyes closed.
Benj kissed Brett’s cheek. “Sleep, love. I’m going to visit with Ralph and Jean for a few minutes.”
Benj climbed off the bed, smiling at him and Jean. “I really appreciate you guys coming back and bringing the food and stuff.”
“It’s what we’re here for, chou.” Jean led Benj to a chair. “Did you get some rest?”
Benj smiled. “Yes. Brett let me curl up with him.”
Ralph bit back his chuckle. It didn’t matter if Jean liked Brett or thought he was “good enough” for Benj—Brett was clearly who Benj wanted.
“He already seems more with it. Did the walking go well?”
“I think that depends on who you ask.”
Ralph did chuckle this time. “He doesn’t think he’s doing well enough, hmm?”
Benj nodded slowly. “He is, though. He made it all the way to the chair and back. And he only grumped a little.”
“It takes a little time, that’s all.” Jean sighed and then asked the question they were all dreading hearing the answer to. “Did the pathology report show up, cher?”
“Yes!” Benj beamed at them. “It’s not cancer.”
They both relaxed, slumped a little. Oh thank God.
Jean grabbed Benj, hugged him tight. Ralph laughed happily and hugged them both at the same time, picking them up off the floor and making Benj squeal.