Unobtainable (35 page)

“Is he going to have brain damage?” Dyson’s father asked, holding his wife’s hand to his chest when she gasped.

“I highly doubt it, besides some probable short term memory loss, I can’t see there being any concern regarding brain damage,” the doctor assured him.

“Pneumonia? We walked in the rain…Jesus, I did this to him, we were soaking wet, soaked to the bone.  Why am I not sick?” I asked.

“He’s been sick for a while, you were lucky enough not to contract it. Just to be safe though, I think I’ll get you started on a regimen of antibiotics as well.” Doctor McCarthy said, adding, “You did not do this to Dyson.”

“What can we do for him?” I asked, gut wrenching guilt making me want to heave.

“Do what you are doing. Talk to him and be here for him.”

~~~

Work was put on the back burner, left in the capable hands of a great team. EJ, Clayton and Tobias made sure there was nothing to keep me from staying with Dyson. I was fast becoming a fixture at the hospital. I knew every nurse’s name, their spouses and children’s names from the conversations we had, and I even knew the cleaning staff by name.

Dyson had opened his eyes a few times but they remained unfocused, and my heart sank each time he slipped back to sleep. I wasn’t sure if he even recognized me before fading away again. On a frustration scale from one to ten, I’d say I was at a strong eight.

Mark, the physiotherapist, who came in each morning to work Dyson’s legs and arms, taught me how to put Dyson through his paces. We did our exercises three times a day after each meal, which was another one of the things I learned to do to help out the nurses and give me plenty to fill my days. Although Dyson’s feeding tube was kind of disgusting, I got used to it, you do what you have to do.

Reading to Dyson kept me entertained; I even read him current events from the newspaper. I was very picky about what I chose to share, mostly football results and the personals, adding my own flare of naughty talk to make it more interesting.

I most enjoyed sponge bath time. Not for the reason you’re thinking. It gave me a chance to touch him, to be one with him on an entirely different level. It was intimate moments like this with Dyson that brought me closer to the conclusion that I could never let him go. He was my one and only.

Dyson’s mom and dad came by every day. I was getting close with them. His mom would send me off to shower, change and get a meal while she watched over him. I think she genuinely worried about me. It was certainly different having a mom who worried about you. I liked to watch as she brushed back his hair and held her hand to Dyson’s cheek when she spoke to him, it was endearing, the way a mother should be with her child.

Every day after work, EJ, Clayton and Tobias dropped in to check on us. They brought me dinner, the newspaper and any paperwork to sign or remedy. They were all so good to me, to us.

I believe the cage around my heart was beginning to fall apart, one rod at a time each day. I was actually excited about my future, our future and all that it promised. As I racked my brain trying to remember a time when I was this happy I heard the sound of a throat clearing.

“What’s that smile for, is our boy awake?” Tag asked, as he walked to my side, he placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

“Not today, the prince is still asleep. He did stir a bit when I washed his face and combed his hair.”

“You want to get away for a while? I’m up for sitting with him while you go get a coffee or something.”

“Thanks anyway, but I’m not interested in going anywhere,” I said.

To tell the truth I was quite content. My heart was warming to the idea of Dyson’s beautiful brown eyes opening and telling him
exactly
how I felt. I was ready when he was, all he had to do was open his eyes.

“You should get out, stretch your legs,” Tag said, sitting. “Aren’t you going stir crazy in here?”

“No.”

Tag sat and I looked over to the window. The window revealed another gray cloudy day as I watched raindrops splash against the glass and slowly trickle down to the sill. It wasn’t even worth crossing the room to glance out the window. What was there? Only puddles filling and sewers backing up onto the road.

“Hello, how are we today?” Dyson’s nurse Molly asked.

“Better now,” Tag said, his flirty eyes locked on Molly’s boobs.

“Dyson honey, are you going to open those eyes for me?” Molly asked, focusing on the readout hanging from one of Dyson’s monitors, ignoring Tag. “Yes that’s me talking to you. It won’t be long now will it?”

“Molly?” I asked.

“Dyson’s brain activity is rocking today,” she turned, smiling. “Say something to him.”

“Wake up baby, Tag came to visit,” I said, close to his ear.

“See right there,” she pointed to a bunch of squiggles on a new strip she tore from the machine and laughed. “He reacted to your voice, he’s listening to you. I’m not a doctor but I’ve had enough experience with brain activity to assure you he’s on his way home.”

“I’ll be here when you wake, baby. I’m not leaving.”

“You really love him, don’t you?” Tag asked.

I held my finger to my lips with a shit-eating grin. “Shhh…he might hear you. I want to be the one to tell him.”

Molly shoved between Tag and I, he smiled into her face. Tag was sweet on Molly, I could tell, she had better look out.

“What’s for breakfast today?” she asked, handing me a kidney dish, complete with a prefilled syringe of food and one with water, blue rubber gloves and sanitary wipes.

“I’m thinking an egg white Spanish omelet, whole wheat toast and dark roast coffee,” I said, struggling to get the gloves on. “And orange juice.”

I swear they made these fucking gloved in one-size-fits-no-one. I snapped the glove at my wrist with a painful cry and Tag laughed.

“I’m going to get us coffee while you do that and see if I can persuade Nurse Molly here to have dinner with me tonight.”

“Maybe we should hook you up to one of Dyson’s monitors and see what a crazy question that really was,” she laughed, as she paraded out of the room and Tag followed her like a puppy dog in heat for the first time.

“That man is going to end up in a hospital bed right beside you if he keeps fucking with her.” I tittered to Dyson.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement, Dyson’s fingers lifted.

“Baby...can you do that again?” I asked, watching his finger intently. “Move your fingers for me.”

They twitched, then twitched again.

“That’s it, you come back to me,” I whispered. “I have so much to tell you, hurry home.”

~Harley~

There had been so much rain over the past few days, even the ducks were up in arms…wings. Even with my eyes closed I could tell today was going to be different. It was bright outside and the noise of rain pelting against the window had stopped. Opening my eyes, I blinked a few times to adjust to the light. Just as I thought, it was sunny and streams of light were shooting across the room.

As I sat up, stretching my arms over my head and yawning, I looked over at Dyson and gasped. His head was turned and his eyes were open as he stared towards the window.

“You’re awake,” I said. “Jesus, why didn’t you make a noise or something?”

I bolted to his side, afraid to touch him.

“Too tired,” he barely whispered, the sound constricted. “Didn’t want to wake you, am I as sick as I feel?”

“How do you feel?”

He struggled to swallow. “Like I got run over by a fucking truck, shit on and run over again.”

I placed my hand on his cheek and laughed. It felt so good to see is eyes open and hear his voice, no matter how weak it was.

“You’re going to be fine,” I assured him. “You have an infection but it’s almost gone.”

“Hospital,” he said. “How long…what day is it?”

“Don’t worry about all that, just concentrate on getting better so I can take you home.”

“The money…will I be out of here on time?” Dyson asked, I knew he meant the donation.

“You missed it, baby,” I said, noting the confused look on his face. “It’s okay, none of that matters right now.”

We would get to that later, for now all I was worried about was Dyson getting better.

“Let me get Molly,” I said, searching his bed for the call button.

“Who’s Molly?” he asked, with the cutest little scowl on his tired face.

“Your nurse,” I told him, pressing the button, once I pulled it out from under his ass.

Dyson held his arms up, his eyes trailing the length of plastic lines. “What is all this?” he asked, his face twisting with disgust once he located the feeding tube. “Fucking gross, take it out.”

“Wait for Molly.” I moved his hand away.

“Well, hello gorgeous,” Molly smiled walking to his side, taking hold of Dyson’s wrist, focusing on the tiny watch hanging from her name tag. “It’s about time you woke up…brown eyes.”

“Need water,” Dyson smiled.

“Let me get the doctor to check you out and then we’ll see about getting you some ice chips and maybe a small sip of water.”

Dyson nodded. “Please…I need to pee.”

“Go for it honey,” Molly leaned closer. “You have a catheter.”

“Do I have any opening that isn’t plugged with tubes?” Dyson asked.

“One.” Molly grinned.

“You smell pretty,” Dyson told her, as his eyes slowly closed.

“Flirt,” she laughed.

I stopped listening after Molly called Doctor McCarthy and held her stethoscope to Dyson’s heart. Nervously, I stood at the window wringing my hands, watching cars in the parking lot below. Molly couldn’t fuck off soon enough. Just as she left the room, Doctor McCarthy came in asking me to stand out in the hall. Molly went back inside and I proceeded to pace back and forth.

~Dyson~

Undoubtedly waking up in a hospital bed with machines bleeping, tiny little lights flashing in strange patterns and the sight of Harley curled up in a ball on a half-ass cot was alarming. Why was I here? The last thing I could remember was standing in the shower, we were going to go to the cabin. We were heading out of town. Harley said I missed the donation ceremony which meant I’d been here for at least four days.

I stared out the window as the doctor scribbled something onto my chart. She discussed removing the feeding tube with Molly, thank God because it looked disgusting, I could feel it in the back of my throat each time I swallowed. I really did feel like I’d gone six rounds with Tyson. Beaten and battered. And where the hell was Harley?

As soon as Molly started pulling the never-ending spool of tubing from my nose, I started coughing and wishing she had just left it in. I coughed until I puked. Molly rubbed my back holding a dish under my chin. Next she tackled the catheter. Molly told me it may be uncomfortable as she gloved up and prepared. When she gently grasped hold of my penis in her left hand and started to tug the tube with her right, the embarrassment quickly left me. I grasped hold of the side rail with one hand, the IV pole with the other and let out a loud cry, the pain was immense. After that pleasure I lay panting, drenched in sweat. She had me stripped naked, washed up and re-gowned in a matter of minutes.

Molly was efficient, pretty and smelled nice too. I would have to point her out to Tag.

“Stay put and I’ll be back with something to drink.”

My penis was burning like a hot metal rod had been inserted into it, and even though Molly gave me something for the pain and rubbed it with lotion, the thought of ever using it again was out of the question. I was certain sex was a thing of my past.

“What did the doc say?” Harley asked, coming into the room with his hands in his pants pockets. “I see the feeding tube is gone.”

“Thank Christ,” I said. “My dick is incinerating as we speak though. Miss Molly removed the catheter. She went to get me a drink, my mouth feels like the Sahara dessert.”

“Besides your sore dick and needing a drink, how are you feeling?”

“Uh,” I had to think, so much had happened in such a short time period. “Better, I guess. I don’t feel sick but my gut is aching and I’m sore all over. Could you crank this thing up? I’d be a fuck of a lot better if I was sitting up.”

Harley was quick to adjust the bed, he was acting strange though, watching me like I was a piece of grandma’s favorite bone china wavering on the edge of the high shelf. If I didn’t know better I’d think he was suddenly shy. Molly came into the room, Harley moved off to the side, sinking his hands in his jean pockets again. He was cute with that just fucked look, his hair ruffled, his shirt wrinkled.

“Slow sips,” Molly warned. “Too much, too fast and you will throw up. How’s your pain level down below, need anything?”

“No, I’ll live,” I said, rubbing my chin layered with heavy stubble. “How’s the Grizzly Adam’s look working for me?”

I took a sip of water, swishing the cool wet liquid around in my mouth. It felt like heaven as it slid over my tongue and down the back of my throat. I felt it travelling its way to my stomach, the chill landing like a tidal wave splashing into an empty drum.

“Looking good,” Harley said, with a weak smile and a wink.

“Where’s my bracelet?” I asked, hoping it hadn’t been cut off and thrown away or something stupid.

“I have it here,” Harley took it from his pocket. “They gave me your watch too.”

“I don’t care about the watch, I want my bracelet.”

Harley tied it on my wrist, he smiled. His eyes meeting mine, we shared a silent moment as I toyed with his bracelet. Two seemingly inconsequential pieces of leather meant far more than a sack of gold to each of us.

“Time to get some rest,” Molly said.

“But I just woke up,” I protested, even though I was feeling exhausted.

“If you want Harley to stay, you will close your eyes and get some sleep,” Molly said, fluffing my pillows. “If you would like me to turn into Nurse Ratched and send Harley home you will continue to argue with me.”

“You started out as such a nice lady,” I joked, laying my head back and closing my eyes. I peeked through a crack and saw her standing with her hands on her hips before she left.

“I’m going to call everyone,” Harley said, taking his phone from his pocket. “I won’t be gone long. Sleep.”

It felt like hours had passed when I opened my eyes and saw Tag sitting there, Miss Molly standing at his side with her hand on his shoulder. He had a cheesy grin slapped on his face, obviously he was trying the schmooze her. It almost looked like it was working, her cheeks fresh with a pink blush when she noticed me staring.

“That was hardly a nap,” she moved to my side. “Are you in any pain? Would you like to try some ginger ale, or apple juice?”

I shrugged, scrubbing my fingers through my hair. “Apple juice and a shower.”

“I may be able to arrange a bath, but it’s a bit soon for a shower. How would you like to go for a stroll, maybe a short walk to the door and back while Tag’s here to help?”

I nodded and watched Tag watching her as she left.

“Did you ask her out yet?”

“I’m working on her,” Tag laughed. “She’s playing hard to get.”

“I knew I liked her…she’s making you work for it.”

“It’s just a matter of time,” Tag adjusted his collar. “She won’t be able to resist this charming face much longer. I’m wearing her down.”

“If you say so, Romeo.”

Molly giggled, obviously overhearing our conversation.

I drank a glass of juice and ate a cup full of ice chips while waiting for Molly to come back with a wheelchair. It was strange, I wasn’t the least bit hungry, Molly said it had something to do with having an IV. Tag stood on one side, Molly on the other, as my jelly legs carried me to the door and back. It felt good to be out of bed but I was feeling really weak and a bit on the spinney side. Though it was nothing like before.

Harley smiled when he came into my room and saw me sitting in the wheelchair, fuck I loved that smile, we needed to talk. We needed some alone time.

“Molly’s coming back to give Dyson a bath, the lucky son-of-a-bitch. I’d pay that hot tamale to scrub me down any day. It’s making me hard just thinking about it.” Tag said, adjusting the package in his pants.

“Charming,” Harley growled. “You can be so immature.”

Tag flagged his hand in the air. “It takes a certain flare to maintain this kind of immaturity,” Tag laughed, I couldn’t help joining him as Harley glared at us.

“Don’t be too hard on Tag,” I told Harley. “His dick rules his head. He’s crushing on our Miss Molly. I promised I’d get her number for him.”

“For crying out loud,” Harley rolled his eyes. “Don’t encourage him, if he pisses her off I might come in and find your IV lines tied in knots.”

“Not gonna happen,” Tag said, indignantly. “I’m not going to fuck with this one, I like Molly, she’s sweet. She’s beautiful and smart, doesn’t have to use her assets to get what she wants and she talks to me like I’m an actual human being. That doesn’t happen very often except with old ladies and family members.”

“See? He’s using the big brain now,” I laughed.

“Gentlemen,” Molly said, walking behind me and taking grasp of the wheelchair handles. “I’m taking Dyson for his bath. I have it all ready for you, the jets will help sooth your tight muscles. It will take some of your discomfort away too.”

“I’m up for that,” I smiled.

Harley cleared his throat with a brow raised and we all laughed except for Molly, she clearly didn’t get it.

“Molly?” Harley asked. “Could I borrow you for a second, privately?”

For the fact that I couldn’t read lips, I watched Harley questioning Molly at the nurse’s station wondering what he was up to. He was up to something and she was okay with it as she nodded her head, touching Harley’s arm with a smile.

For nearly an hour I sat in the large whirlpool bath that resembled a giant tin can with a hoist, the jets pummeling my body as I laid back with my eyes closed, listening to Molly humming tune after tune. I felt amazing, better than I had in weeks.

I felt alive!

~Harley~

“How was the bath?” I asked, as Molly wheeled Dyson into the room.

“I feel like a new man,” Dyson smiled, brushing his fingers through his damp hair, the curls bouncing back into place.

“Feel like taking a stroll with me?” I asked, glancing over to Molly who nodded her approval.

“Fuck yeah,” Dyson cringed. “Sorry Molly.”

“Don’t apologize to me,” Molly said, checking the IV lines. “You have an hour of freedom, use it wisely.”

Molly winked.

“Where are we going?” Dyson asked, as I wheeled him into the elevator.

“You’ll see, push seven,” I said. “I went for a walk yesterday while you were sleeping and found this quiet spot where we can be alone for a while, just you and me. If you’re up for it, that is.”

“Stop treating me like I’m going to break.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it. I was so close to losing you.”

“Well, I’m okay now.”

The elevator door opened, a sudden rush of humidity hitting us as I pushed the wheelchair into the hospitals conservatory. It was like viewing a snow globe from the interior, the glass ceiling letting the warm sun stream in. A large fig tree sat proudly in the center with a cedar bench built around its trunk and greenery everywhere. An interlocking stone path wove through the structure and soft music played from speakers hidden amongst the shrubbery. I located the spot I had discovered yesterday where all the greenery was thick and lush, offering plenty of privacy, and sat on a bench beside Dyson.