Part Thirteen
When the nurse woke me the next morning, Josh had moved the cot to right beside my bed. As she was taking my vital signs and doing other nursy things she informed me that I would be getting out bed today and walking around. Josh stirred and opened his eyes. The nurse looked over at him and told him there was coffee down at the nurses station. "Can I have some of that also?" I asked. She told Josh to bring me a cup also. A kitchen worker brought in two trays of food, placed them on the tray tables and left. As the nurse started to push one tray table up to my bed, Josh returned and said he would take of that. "And, I will bathe him after breakfast, if you don't mind."
She laughed slightly and said, "I guess you'll need the practice. If all goes well today he might get to go home tomorrow. Push the call button if you need me."
Taking the lid from the plate Josh wrinkled his nose and said "Even my cooking will look good after this stuff." He raised the head of the bed, pushed the tray up to me and smiled as I looked down at what appeared to be scrambled eggs and a bowl of cream of wheat. He sat in the chair and pulled his tray table over and uncovered his dishes. Once again hios meal was the same as mine.
"Josh, you don't have to starve yourself on my account. I promise I won't steal any food from you if yours is better than mine."
"Oh, this is fine. I will make up for it when we get home. So, you get to get out of bed today. That should be exciting."
We ate our meager breakfast without any conversation. I used my right hand some but mostly my left. When we were fished Josh rolled the tray table to the side, placed our trays in the hall and closed the door. "Time for your bath" He went into the bathroom and returned with a pan of water, towels and a wash cloth. He removed my gown after putting my sheet at the foot of the bed. Putting the small bar of soap in the wash cloth he immersed both in the pan of water and created quite a bit of lather on the cloth. Starting with my neck he washed my upper body, then rinsed it with another cloth. After resoaping the first cloth he started at my feet and washed upwards on my legs. As he washed my thigh I felt a stirring in my groin. Josh smiled at said, "Looks like that didn't have any lasting damage." He then kissed the head of my cock and lovingly washed it. I was seriously hard by then and noticed a bulge in the front of his jeans.
"I could probably take care of that for you" smiling as I said it.
"We better wait. I'd hate to have the Doctor or a nurse walk in on us. I know, I could say I wanted to take your temperature but couldn't find a thermometer." We both laughed as he rinsed my lower body and turned me over to wash my back. As he washed my ass cheecks he said "Now where is that rectal thermometer." I groaned as he rinsed and dried me. Rolling me back over he sat me and put a fresh gown on me.
"You make a pretty good nurse, stud. But I hope your temperature taking skills would be used only on me."
There was that smile again. "You got it, old man. After we get home I'll see about taking your temperature quite often." He kissed me deeply and then pulled a chair up next to the bed. Taking my hand, he said "Seriously, I'm thinking that I should take courses to get into nursing when I go back to school. I'm going to skip this quarter and start in the spring."
"I'm going to be just fine, so you don't need to skip because of me."
"It isn't just that, The doctor said you should have at least of rest before returning to work and I can help out around the house. I want us to get settled before we have to deal with the dem,ands of your job and me going to school and working. So I'll find the part time job we talked about and start school in the spring."
I really couldn't argue with his logic so I beckoned him over to the bed so I could kiss him. Just as we broke the kiss the same orderlie from yesterday walked into the room. "Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to interupt."
"You didn't." I replied. "Sorry, but yesterday I didn't get your name. What is it?"
"Jason. Pleased to meet both of you." He shook both of our hands and held up the wide belt he was carrying. "Are you ready for a little stroll?"
With Josh on side and Jason on the other they sat me on the edge of the bed. Josh slipped another on me to cover my backside and Jason fastened the belt around my waist. "I have a loop to hold onto on the back of this and will walk right behind you. Josh can walk on one side, the nurse will walk on the other. We aren't going to go very far, but we want you to do as much as you can." The nurse came in and the three of them steadied me as I pushed up from the bed. I stood there as the slight dizziness went away. Somehow Jason had slipped between me and the bed as Josh supported on arm and the nurse the other. With small, shaky steps we started for the door. We had passed two doors when Josh said that was far enough and we turned to go back to my room. By the time we reached my bed I felt I was walking normally and didn't need my three anchors. The nurse took my blood pressureand said I had done very good. When she picked up the thermometer, Josh and I both started laughing. Unphased, she took my temperature and recorded everything on my chart. "You rest for a while and we'll do that again."
Jason removed the belt, helped Josh lift my legs onto the bed and I laid back. Jason handed me a tennis ball and said to squeeze it as much as I could. Josh left to go get some coffee and Jason sat down in the chair. "How long have you two been together?"
"10 days" I replied and laughed at the look of surprise on Jason's face. He was about the same age as Josh, had blonde hair and blue eyes. His build was that of a swimmer or maybe someone who ran track. He ran his fingers through his hair, smiled and said, "the nurses are right. You are very lucky. He seems to really love you and has been taking excellent care of you."
"He is thinking of going into nursing. Maybe you could talk to him about it."
"I'd be glad to. He would probably make a good nurse, if what we have seen so far is any indication."
Josh returned with two cups of coffee, handed me one and pulled another chair up to the bed. "Jason, do want this cup, I think I am going to nap for a little while. You two can sit and talk."
Josh took the offered cup from me and handed it to Jason. He leaned back towards me, kissed my cheek and said. "Rest well, you earned it with that walk."
I listened to their quiet conversation for a short time, closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
When I awoke about an hour later Jason was gone and Josh was napping with his head on the back of the chair and his legs straight out in front of him. I watched him for a few minutes and thought that he is as beautiful inside as he is outside and loved him even more. I sat myself up and reached for the urinal. As I was placing it under my gown Josh opened his eyes and said
"trying to take my job away from me?"
"Never. I was just trying to do something for myself. Besides I was enjoying the view."
He smiled, came over to the bed and placed his hand on top of mine, holding the urinal. "If this isn't love, I don't know what is" he said looking into my eyes. When I finished he took the urinal into the bathroom to empty it.
Jason returned with the belt, "Ready for the marathon?"
"Oh yes, but please keep your hands off my butt this time." Jason actually turned red but smiled at me.
"I don't think Josh would allow me to do that anyway." fastening the belt around me. This time he stood on one side and Josh on the other as I raised myself from the bed. As I stepped from the bed Jason moved into position behind me and Josh slipped his arm around my waist just below the belt. Once in the hall we turned the other way and walked past the nurses station. The three nurses on duty all looked up and smiled. My nurse rose but Josh waved her back down. The three of us continued to the end of the hall and Jason suggested we rest in the small lounge. I sat on the sofa, Josh sat beside me and Jason sat on my other side. Sitting between two such good looking men made me sit a little more upright and proud.
After a 10 minute or so rest we walked back to my room. I asked to sit in the chair for awhile so we bypassed the bed and I eased into the chair. Josh pulled the other chair up beside me and Jason unhooked the belt. He left the room but returned in a minute carrying a chair from another room. I noticed Jason put the chair beside Josh. we talked about the possibility of my going home tomorrow and Jason said that if I kept walking like that the doctor would probably allow it. He told us that he had completed his first year of nursing school and had worked at the hospital during the summer but was done next week, returning to school the following one. Josh asked him questions about nursing school and I just listened. Finally Jason said he'd better get back to work, picked up the extra chair and said he would be back in two hours.
After he left Josh took my hand, stared into my eyes and said "I hate to break it to him but I am committed."
"You noticed also?"
"It was hard not to. Maybe on our next walk I'll find a way to get the message across."
"OH my, I'm in love with a heartbreaker." We laughed and Josh kissed me. His tongue entered my mouth for the first time since I'd been in the hospital. I sucked it in further and kissed him back as hard as I could. We heard someone clear their throat and broke the kiss to see Beth standing there holding a vase of flowers.
"I hope you were giving him mouth to mouth." She came over and kissed me on the cheek, "Glad to see you so much better, big brother." She leaned over hugged Josh and kissed him on the cheek also. "I see you have been taking good care of him for me."
We all three laughed then Josh told her about our walks, jumped up and took the tennis ball from the tray table and handed it to me. "Can't forget this part."
"Slave driver." I said but started squeezing the tennis ball anyway. "Maybe I need Jason back in here"
"JASON!!" Beth exclaimed.
"Relax it isn't that Jason. Did you call him by the way."
"Yes, I called him after I got home. He was glad that the stroke was so mild and said he would come over to visit you in the next day or so. The kids said to give you sugar."
"Call him back tonight and tell him to come to the house. I should be going home tomorrow."
Josh said he was going to go get something from the vending machines and asked Beth if she wanted anything. She asked for a diet pop. He turned to me and said "Let's get you back in bed before I go."
I agreed that was a good idea and he placed his arm under my shoulder to help me raise myself up. With his arm around me I walked the few to the bed. Once I was settled he left and Beth pulled a chair up close and sat. She said she couldn't get over how good I looked and inquired if I wasn't pushing it to want to go home so soon.
"He's ready, and I'll be there to make sure he doesn't try to get out of hand." Josh said as he walked back into the room. "Look who I found walking around the halls" Jim and Sara walked into the room behind him. Sara was carring a balloon arrangement with a big Get Well Soon mylar one in the middle. Josh took it from her and placed it on the table next to Beth's flowers. "Dad, if you walk on one side I'll take the other and maybe we can go sit in the lounge at the end of the hall. You ready for another stroll, old man?"
I sat up on the edge of the bed and Jim and Josh flanked me as I stood up. After waiting my minute to steady myself we proceded out of the room and down the hall. As we passed the nurses station I heard "Very good" in triplicate.
We sat in the lounge talking for about an hour and then my nurse came up to say I should go back to room now as lunch would be arriving soon. I told Beth to go with Jim and Sara so she could put Josh's clothes in her car. Jim shook my hand, patted Josh on the back, both women kissed my cheek and walked towards the elevator as Josh, the nurse and I walked back to my room. Once settled into bed the nurse took took my vitals, wrote them on my chart and left.
Lunch arrived. It was a hamburger steak, mashed potatoes (instant, yuck) some nasty looking beans and a salad. As we ate Josh said he was going to ask Beth to take him to my work to get my car. I said that was a good idea, told him in the keys were in my pants pocket and said I would nap while they were gone. Beth returned as we were finishing and we finalized those arrangements. Josh pulled the tray table aside and lowered the head of my bed. He kissed me and said to sleep until he came back. Beth kissed my cheek again and they left. I lay there for a few minutes thinking how lucky I really am and actually started to miss Josh. My eyes grew heavy and I dozed off.
When I awoke this time Jason was sitting in the chair watching me. "Wally, I need to apologize to you. Josh explained that the two of you noticed that I seemed to to be attracted to him. I admit it, I am, a little. But I also see that the two of you belong together so I would never try anything. He also informed me that he was taken and I would be wasting my time."
"Jason, your apology is accepted. And yes Josh and I are meant to be together. We both think you are a nice young man and if circumstances were different either of us would welcome advances from you. I'm glad that is cleared up before it went any further."
"The nurse tells me that you are doing great with walking. She even said you walked back down to the lounge earlier. That is super." He smiled and I returned the smile.
"When Josh returns you can walk with us but no belt this time, okay?"
"No belt. It's a deal"
"When did you see Josh, if I might ask."
"Right after I left your room this morning. I was getting a pop and he came up to the vending machines. Do you need anything?"
"No thank you. I'm fine right now" I looked up and Josh and Beth were walking back into the room.
"The car is in the parking lot and my clothes are already in it. Excuse me but I want to change." He carried a small bag into the bathroom and shut the door.
I introduced Jason to my sister and asked her if she was going to stick around for the next grand march.
She said something about she wished she had brought some music and we were all laughing when Josh came out of the bathroom. He had on a pair of cowboy cut jeans, a t shirt and his rodeo belt buckle. I noticed Jason's eyes lingering on the buckle but kept quiet.
I sat up on the side of the bed and said "Let's roll" Josh and Jason each stepped beside me as I stood up. We made two complete laps of the hallway and settled into the chairs in the lounge for a break. Everyone made over me as if I had just won the Boston Marathon and I loved it. We made it back to my room just as the Doctor arrived. He commented on my walking, checked my eyes, listened to my heart and lungs, had me squeeze his hand and checked my right leg. "It is simply amazing the progress you have made. Would you like to go home today?"
"Oh, yes"
"As I told Josh yesterday, you should remain off work for a month and then come to see me. Keep exercising and if you have a headache call my office, other than that everything should be fine. As long as you pace yourself and get plenty of rest you will be able to do whatever you want. You will learn your limitations. Good luck." he shook my hand and left the room.
I hugged Josh, then Beth. Jason was just standing there so I pulled him into a hug also. "Thank you for your help these past two days." Josh shook his hand and Jason told him to take good care of me. Josh replied that he would. Jason told Beth it was nice to meet her and left.
As Josh was getting my clothes from the closet the nurse came in with my discharge papers. She went over everything, told me my appointment date and time for my followup with the doctor, handed me three prescriptions and hugged me.
Jason appeared with a wheelchair. "Hospital regulations" he said with a shrug. I sat in the chair, Jason pushed me out of the room with Josh and Beth following, each carrying a bouquet.
At the lobby Josh ran ahead to go get the car and I turned to Jason. "My address is on file here, you have my permission to copy it down and come visit. We both like you as a friend and would enjoy your company. Just keep in mind that that is all. If you would hope for more, don't come."
He shook his head, smiled and said "I would like that." Beth just looked at me with a strange look on her face.
My car pulled up to the door and Josh came around it and stood.Jason pushed me out the door while Josh opened the car door. Beth hugged me, kissed my cheek and said "I'll just go on home and let you two get settled. If you need anything just call."
I sat in the car and thanked Jason as Josh shut the door. He ran around the car and got in. We waved at Beth and Jason as he pulled away. "You'll have to give me directions or we'll never get there."
I did just that and soon we were pulling into my driveway. My little house never looked so inviting. Josh came around the car, opened the door and held my arm as I got out of the car. He slipped his arm around my waste and we walked up the stairs and into our home. We went right to the bedroom and he sat me on the bed. He bent down to take off my shoes, then removed my pants and shirt. I layed down and watched as he undressed. He lay beside me and pulled me into his arms. With our arms wrapped tightly around each other we fell asleep.