Playing Doctor

Day had showered and put on a pair of God’s huge sweatpants that he’d had to tie as tight as he could so they’d stay up, and a black tank top he found in the dresser in the corner. There was a small television on top of it and Day turned it on to the food station, setting the volume just high enough so he could hear it and not disturb God.

Day quietly did his evening duties for his patient. He changed the IVs, emptied the catheter bag, inserted the pre-filled syringes of antibiotic and pain medicines into the port, and put some cool water and clean rags by the bed. Day climbed onto the other side, careful not to jostle God and propped some pillows behind him. He took a small sip of the coffee he’d sat on the tiny end table before turning on the bedside lamp.

Day flipped through his magazine until he found the article on the modern submachine handgun. He was engrossed in the article when he felt God shifting on the bed, perhaps trying to get more comfortable. Day absently rubbed God’s shoulder while he groaned and rocked back and forth. He put his mouth close to the side of his face.

“Sshh, it’s okay, Cash,” Day whispered quietly.

That seemed to settle his partner, but a few seconds later God’s large thigh shot out to the side, darn near knocking Day off the bed, and released a loud cry.

“Cash, calm down.”

God cried out again. Obviously he was dreaming. Fuck, another nightmare. When he started thrashing more wildly, Day had to jump out of the bed. He ran around to the other side and quickly moved the IV tower out of reach so God didn’t knock it over.

“No, Dad, stop!” God yelled, his eye squeezed shut, and sweat pouring down his face.

“Cash, wake up!” Day yelled. His heart was beating wildly and his hands shook as he got a firm hold on God’s wide shoulders.

Day shook him more forcefully but that only seemed to make it worse. He climbed on top of his partner and tried to press his full weight on him. If God ripped the IV or catheter out, Day wouldn’t know what to do. He held God’s arms down to his side and yelled again. “Cashel, Cash, stop it!”

God’s eyes opened but Day knew he wasn’t awake yet. Day rose up and straddled his stomach, still pinning his arms to his sides. He leaned over and dipped the cool rag in the water and leaned back in to wipe God’s wet face. “It’s all right. It’s just a dream, Cash, wake up.” Day watched God’s eyes come back into focus. Day began to lift up some, so his full weight wasn’t pressing on him anymore, when he felt one of God’s arms come around his back, preventing him from moving.

“Stay,” God moaned.

“I’m too heavy. I’m just gonna slide over.” Day eased off and settled in close to his side. God took in a shaky breath and coughed hard for several seconds. Day wiped his damp brow some more, his cheeks, his neck, and then his lips all with light tender strokes.

“It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.” Day placed a soft kiss to God’s temple and saw his partner’s muscled chest fall with his exhale.

God turned his head to stare into Day’s eyes. He could see the gratitude emanating from those beautiful green irises.

“Leo,” God said in a half-breath, half-wheeze.

“Try not to talk. My brother said he’d be back in the morning, he said it won’t take long for the worst of the symptoms to go away. You’ll be weak for a while, but I’ll be right here to help you. I’m going to get up now so I can give you some more cough and pain medicine. Jax said I could give them as needed.”

Day watched how God stared at him wide-eyed. Day stared back. “I know. You’re welcome.” Day softly wiped the cool rag across God’s forehead one more time before kissing him there too.

He moved to the other side of the bed and got out, moving around to God’s side so he could inject the medicine. He pushed in the two syringes and realized that he only had two more for pain. Shit. I hope he doesn’t need more before Jax comes back. God stayed with his back to him, and Day took the opportunity to raise God’s shirt and wipe the cool rag over his back. Day couldn’t help his body’s reaction to the strong, muscular back. Day gasped at the huge lion tattooed across the upper left side of his back. The mouth was open wide in mid-roar; the full, bushy mane was so detailed, it looked like it swayed when the muscles moved. The paws were big and the claws were extended as if the beautiful beast was prepared to attack. A lion described his partner perfectly—fierce, protective, a king. Day had only caught glimpses of the exquisite work before because God didn’t undress in front of him or anyone often, probably not wanting too many people to see the scars that accompanied the art on his body.

Day oh so gently traced his fingers around the lion’s mouth and shivered when a slight moan came from God’s lips.

“So beautiful,” Day whispered.

He finished wiping God’s back and was climbing back in bed when he heard the light snores. Sure that the medicine had pulled him back into a hopefully peaceful slumber, Day watched him sleep for most of the night, only stirring slightly when he tried to get more comfortable. Day had finally dozed of himself about three in the morning.

He was startled awake at seven by his phone ringing on the nightstand. He hurried to pick it up before it woke his still snoring partner. Day saw it was work, pressed the accept button and put the phone to his chest as hurried out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

“Yeah, this is Day,” he said still sounding groggy with sleep.

He listened to Vikki tell him why she was calling. He gave her the location of the files regarding their kingpin case. “They're in my desk, the bottom locked drawer and the key is taped underneath my keyboard.”

He was about to hang up when she asked how God was doing.

“He’s fine,” he replied shortly. When Vikki asked to come over and relieve him, he almost told her to fuck off. However, since that would be mean he simply said, “I got it, he’ll be up and at ’em by tomorrow,” and disconnected the line.

You won’t get your claws in him Vixen Vikki.

Day made a pot of coffee and drank it black to try to wake himself up. After one full cup he poured himself another and began looking through God’s cabinets, knowing that his patient would eventually require food. After a quick inventory, Day realized a trip to the grocery store was in order, and laundry would need to be done too. Who’s gonna stay here? Oh, of course. Day dug in the drawer for the mobile phone he'd found in God's truck and typed a message to Gem, adding the address just in case. I’m sure he won’t mind sitting here a few minutes while I run some errands.

Day took the one can of soup God had in the cabinet, poured it into a bowl, and popped it in the microwave. He fixed a small mug of hot tea. I got to remember to get some lemon and honey from the store. He opened a bottle of water and poured it into a clean glass.

Making his way back to the bedroom, he saw that God’s eyes were slightly open. His forehead had tiny beads of sweat and the collar of his pajama shirt was wet from perspiration. “Hey you,” Day spoke quietly.

“Hey,” God croaked, his voice sounded like he’d smoked for fifty years.

Day set the bowl and drinks down so he could wipe the sweat from God’s face and neck. “You’re not as pale as yesterday,” Day said while tenderly wiping his forehead. God turned his head toward him and sighed. If Day had to interpret it, it’d probably be an I’m-tired-of-feeling-like–shit-and-being-taken-care-of sigh.

“Won’t be much longer, babe. Jax said you’ll start to regain your strength in only a couple days. I brought you some soup. Do you want to try to eat it… or just the broth? I know you're starving by now.”

“I’m not hungry,” God said around a hard cough.

“Just try to eat a little for me, okay.”

Day watched God twist in the bed to face him. He groaned and cursed, obviously not accustomed to being watched over or forced to eat.

“Okay,” he finally conceded.

Day set the bowl on the bed beside God and watched him struggle to sit up so he could get the spoon to his mouth without spilling. Turned out he failed miserably. As soon as he brought the spoon mid-way to his mouth, he began to cough and spilled the few noodles and broth on his chest.

“Uhh, dammit,” he muttered.

Day reached for the spoon, but God yanked his hand away from Day’s touch.

“Cashel, come on, don’t be like that. I’m here to help you. You’re not the only man to ever get sick and need someone. Let me be that someone,” Day spoke quietly.

Sad green eyes stared back at him for a couple seconds. He could’ve sworn that he was apologizing to him, and Day didn’t need him to say it out loud. God handed him the spoon. Day took the washrag and was wiping the soup from God’s chest when God put his hand over his. Day looked into those gorgeous eyes and felt something click between them. Had he proven himself to God? Did he realize that Day didn’t just want him for a fuck? He hoped so, because he realized that his partner was also his best friend, and the only man that he’d really cared about or loved since his college sweetheart.

Day leaned in and put his lips to God’s ear. “When you get better, I’m going to show you just how much you mean to me.” Day heard God moan sensually. He smiled against the side of his face and laid a delicate, chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Now I want you to eat.”

Day propped a couple pillows behind God and fed him almost half the bowl. By the time he finished helping him drink the lukewarm tea; he heard a knock at the door. He kissed God on his forehead before getting up to answer the door.

“Hey, baby brother, how’s the patient?” Jax said coming in through the door with a book bag hung on one shoulder trailed by the same nurse who had cleaned God up the day before.

“Okay. He’s still weak, though. He woke three times through the night. The coughing is not as hard and is less frequent. He ate half a bowl of soup and some tea this morning,” Day said, making his way down the narrow hallway and into God’s bedroom.

“That’s good. I’ll probably stop the fluids since he’s drinking water now. I got the test back and it was bronchitis, which can cause flu or pneumonia-like symptoms if left untreated. It really is a good thing you got to him when you did. I brought some more antibiotics, anti-nausea stuff, and stronger cough medicine. You only need to give the pain medicine if he asks for it,” his brother said to him since God had fallen back asleep.

He had on his stethoscope listening to God’s chest. “Sounds a little clearer. By tomorrow morning I’ll be able to take out the catheter and the IV, he can take pills after that.”

“Great, thanks, Jax. When do you think he can go back to work? I’m sure he’s going to ask that,” Day said.

“Well he’s not contagious anymore after twenty-four hours of antibiotics. By the way, did you take yours?”

Day huffed. “Yes. I took it last night and this morning.”

“You probably took it with coffee.” Jax laughed.

“That’s irrelevant, as long as I took them. Now back to my question. When can he go to work?”

Jax raised God’s eyelids and shinned a mini flashlight in them before answering. “You just play it by ear. If he feels well enough to go, he can go. It’s Wednesday. I’d say let him rest for the rest of the week and then Monday he can go back in.”

“Cool. I already called his brother… well actually sent a text because he’s probably in school, and asked him to come keep an eye on him for me tomorrow while I go to the store and check on my house.” Day sat on the side of bed, watching God sleep.

The nurse began gathering his stuff to clean God up again, so he and Jax went into the living room.

“It’s good you called his brother so you can get a break, Leo.” Jax sipped the bottle of water he’d given him.

“I don’t need a break, but I do need to get some food in here and get the sheets washed since your nurse is putting the last clean set on now. I haven’t met his mom or brother yet, because God said that they have kind of a strained relationship. He never went into specifics and I didn’t press the issue. But I’m sure it’s not that strained that his brother wouldn’t help him if he’s really sick. This will be a good way for his brother to show him that he loves him,” Day said while flipping channels on God’s massive television.

“Well hopefully you didn’t do anything that God wouldn’t want you to do,” Jax said, always the voice of reason.

“Nah. Cash is always doing things for them. The relationship probably isn't as bad as he thinks. Sometimes it takes something like this to mend an argument.”

“And you have no clue why their relationship is strained?”

“No, Jax. Like I said, God didn’t really give any details.”

“Okay, don’t get antsy. I just want you to be careful.” Day let his brother drape his thin arm over his shoulder and pull him into a hug.

Day wiggled out of the hold. “I’m good, bro. Thanks for doing this, and believe me; I’m going to kick his ass about not having insurance. This really makes no sense. He lives like a peasant and never spends any money. All he has is his truck, which is financed. Unless he’s saving to buy a yacht or his own small island, I can’t fathom why he’d cut off his insurance or how the hell the department would allow it.” Day thought for a second. “Unless he told them he had private insurance.”

Day finished talking just as the nurse came out.

“He’s all clean. He wasn’t as nice today as he was yesterday,” the nurse grumbled.

Day smiled wide. “Was he all growly and snarling?”

“Yes.” The nursed sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes.

“Yes! That means he’s getting better already.” Day pumped his fist in the air.

“You guys have issues.” Jax shook his head. “Okay, you know the drill. Call me if you need me. He’s on a bland diet right now until the nausea is completely gone. Give him the meds on time and let him get as much rest as he can.”

“Got it.” Day walked his brother to the door.

He went into the kitchen for another cup of coffee. After scanning God’s freezer, he took out some chicken and a few cans of vegetables to make homemade soup until he could get to the store.