Chapter Eleven
BLAINE felt like cotton-wrapped, hammered shit, but at least he felt like cotton-wrapped, hammered shit at home.
The exterminator had come, pronounced the barn clean, and gone, and he was on his couch, three butterfly bandages on his shoulder and Flynn staring at him like he was going to explode in a ball of pus any moment.
“How are you feeling?” Flynn asked, coming closer.
“Glad to be home. Sorry for all the drama.” They’d been at the ER for damn near twenty-four hours.
“That’s okay. Hey, how do you spell your name? They were asking at the hospital and….”
“What? Like Blaine or Franks? Because neither one is particularly unusual.”
“Well, no, I guess not.” Flynn sighed. “You told me at the hospital that your name was Christian. And you called me David.”
“I was dreaming, I bet. They had me all looptastic.” Christian? He was totally not pure and light.
Flynn frowned. “What does that mean?”
“Huh? That I was dreaming or high on pain meds?”
Flynn tilted his head. “I guess…. And because you knew about the guys in room 204, you used their names.”
“What? What guys?” Don’t you go up there. You promised.
“Jason told me about the research about Christian and David and how one of them was sick and the family wouldn’t let the other one in the hospital, and he died, and the other one killed himself. Those guys.”
“Yeah. Lots of folks die in the hospital, Flynn. That’s what happens.”
“Yeah, well, you started calling me David and making me promise not to go to room 204, and when I asked who you were, you said Christian. I guess there’s been enough weird stuff going on that it freaked me out, and I thought you were being possessed by a ghost.” Flynn looked pretty sheepish.
“That would be deeply fucked up.”
“Yeah, no shit.”
Blaine grinned. “I promise to warn you if I’m possessed if you swear to remove any weird bugs from my skin.”
“It’s a deal.” Flynn held out his hand, and they shook. “This whole thing really is fucked up, isn’t it? I don’t know whether I want to wrap everything up and never go back there or really start looking into it.”
“It’s just coincidence, I bet. Seriously.”
“Yeah? Probably. So we should go back next weekend and check out room 204, be sure there’s nothing there to find.”
“Next weekend?” No way. No fucking way. “If my shoulder is closed up all the way, huh?”
“God yeah, for sure. We can go the next weekend that you’re up for it, eh?” Flynn touched his shoulder. “How’s it feeling, anyway?”
“Numb. Weirdly numb.” Dead was what he thought, but he wouldn’t say it.
“Let me see.” Flynn helped him get out of his T-shirt. “Wow, it’s looking so much better than it was.” Flynn touched gently. “And it isn’t hot anymore.”
“Good. It itched like fire before, you know?”
“I know. It looked awful too.” Flynn leaned against him. “So is life with you always this exciting?”
“No. Not normally. I tend to work and hunt ghosts.”
“Well, I have a theory that the ghost hunting is part of this craziness. I mean, maggots don’t usually happen in live flesh. I think maybe the biter was a ghost.”
The words maggot and flesh made Blaine want to gag. “I’ve heard of spectral bites, but… not this.”
“Spectral bites?” Flynn asked, cuddling closer.
“Yeah, you know, random scratches, bites from nowhere?”
“Yeah, that sounds like what happened. Only it had a maggot stuck in its teeth or something.” Flynn shook his head. “I don’t know whether to be thrilled by having contact with the other side or freaked out that it hurt you. And I’m leaning toward freaked out. I was honestly worried about you.”
“Yeah. Flynn, I have to tell you, if you say the word maggot one more time, I’m going to make you sleep in the car.”
Flynn laughed, then stopped suddenly. “You’re serious about that, aren’t you?”
“Yes. No more m-word. Not until I have a good night’s sleep and possibly a beer.”
“I’ll totally get us a couple of beers. If you’re allowed to have them while you’re taking meds.”
Flynn wasn’t going to be a stickler for the rules on this, was he?
“Thank you for running me to the hospital, man.”
“I would have done it sooner if I’d realized what was happening. I figured we could just doctor it ourselves, though, you know?” Flynn got up and stretched. “Did you get a sheet of dos and don’ts with your meds?”
“Probably?” He’d just shoved everything in his bag.
Flynn snorted at him and started going through the bag with his meds. “Here we go.” Flynn started reading.
“Tell me ‘have a beer’ is on there.”
Flynn chuckled. “It doesn’t say have a beer. But it doesn’t say you’re not allowed to have a beer either, so I’m going to assume we’re good to go on the beer front.”
“Works for me. Christ, I’m tired. Bone-deep.”
“Why don’t you head upstairs and pick a movie to watch or a show to binge on? I’ll get us some beer and a snack and meet you there. We’ll spend the afternoon hibernating.”
“You sure?” Blaine was already up and moving.
“I’m sure. I think there’s leftover pizza. The guys were hoping to see you last night, but lo, we were stuck in the hospital waiting for a doc to certify you officially bug-free.” Flynn’s voice faded away as he headed to the kitchen.
Whatever. Blaine didn’t care. He just wanted to relax, rest.
He grabbed the remote on the way to the bed, groaning as he sat on the mattress. His own bed had never felt so good.
He patted his pillow, making sure there were no bugs, no eggs, nothing gross. Then he did the two extras and Flynn’s too. Everything was clean, kosher. In fact he was pretty sure Mom had been here with clean bedding, not just pillowcases.
She was a trouper. So good to him.
Flynn arrived with a pizza box, a couple of beers, and a bunch of napkins, plus his bag of meds. “Most of these are ‘take with food,’ so….”
“Cool.” Blaine stared at Flynn, blinked a couple of times, then sat up.
“You sure you need the beer?” Flynn asked, setting stuff down on the bedside table.
“I don’t know, man. I just don’t know anything.”
“Well, it’s here now. Just have a piece of pizza first.” Flynn gave him a cold slice. “And when you’re thirsty, have some beer. I bet you fall asleep before you’re done with it anyway.”
“I bet we both do. Have I said thank you for the help yet?”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you can’t say it again.” Flynn kissed him. “I’m just glad you’re okay, babe.”
“Me too. That was terrifying.”
“It was. I say we forget about it for the afternoon and just eat and binge-watch Penny Dreadful or True Blood.”
“Okay. That sounds like one hell of a plan.”
“I haven’t seen either of them. You got a preference?” Flynn settled on the bed next to Blaine, sitting on the side of his good shoulder, and grabbed a slice of pizza.
“Don’t care.” He nibbled, hoping the food settled.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Flynn reached past him for the bag of pills and began doling them out. “You have to have food with all of them, and you can start on all of them at the same time. Man, they’re really throwing the whole pharmacy at you, aren’t they?”
“I guess, yeah. No one wants more ooky things coming out of me.” Especially him.
“From your mouth to God’s ears.” Flynn squeezed his arm. “Okay. Here’s this round of pills. Take them with water. I have a thing about washing meds down with booze.”
“Yeah, that seems sorta… weird.”
“Yeah, exactly.” Flynn munched on his pizza, looking happy as a clam right where he was.
He leaned in, kissed Flynn’s shoulder. “Sorry if I scared you.
“It’s not your fault.” Flynn nuzzled against his cheek.
“No? Cool.” Because it felt a little like his fault.
“Of course not. Unless you put the bug in your shoulder.”
He winced, his face twisting up.
“Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
“No. No, that was….” He shuddered, suddenly queasy.
Flynn rubbed his belly. “Don’t think about it, okay? You need to keep those pills down.”
“Yeah. Yeah, how did you know?”
“You all of a sudden went kind of green. Plus we were talking about the unmentionables. Just eat and watch the pretty vampire, okay?”
“Yes, boss.” Eat. Watch the pretty vampire. He could do that.
“Oh, be careful. I could get used to being called the boss.”
“I bet Jase would give you the job.”
“You think so? I probably don’t want it, eh?” Flynn rubbed their cheeks together.
“I’m not sure anyone does.”
“Some people like being the boss, like the power. I’m not sure that ghost hunting encourages power-hungry guys.”
“I think that ghosts would come for that, though, being power hungry.”
“So you’re saying we should go in there and start fighting over who gets to be the boss?”
“I’m saying that I want someone to talk to Jase once in a while.”
“I don’t get what you’re trying to say,” Flynn told him. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be dense.”
“The ghosts, honey. I just… I’m feeling a little wigged. Maybe someone else can be psychic.”
“Oh! Duh! Sorry, I totally wasn’t following you. I guess we do kind of put it all on your shoulders, don’t we?” Flynn rubbed Blaine’s belly again, the touch soothing, comforting.
“I’m sort of the only one who seems to do it, except for you.”
“I’m a lightweight in that department compared to you. I mean, I do seem to see and feel more than the guys, but you have actual conversations with them and stuff. I could try to help more in that department if you want, though, babe.”
“I just… I don’t want to go back there right now.” He never ever wanted Flynn to go back.
“Yeah, I don’t blame you at all. So maybe the four of us will go while you’re working the farm stand for your dad,” Flynn suggested.
“No. No, let’s just find another site for a weekend, huh? Something juicy and fun.”
Flynn chuckled. “You’ve got a real hate on for that place, don’t you? I suppose I can’t blame you.” Flynn touched the spot on his shoulder. “Do you think knowing about the couple who died got into your subconscious?”
“I guess? I didn’t even know about them, really. I mean, lots of people died in that hospital.”
“You knew their names, though.” Flynn grabbed his beer and had a swig.
“I don’t remember them.” He didn’t. He had a vague recollection of the story.
“Room 204.”
“Stop it, of course you do. You said you were Christian, and you called me David.”
Blaine didn’t respond to that. He didn’t remember it, he didn’t want to remember it, and he didn’t want to think about it.
“Room 204.”
Jesus. Loud as anything. He looked at Flynn, but the man didn’t look like he’d heard it at all.
Leave me alone.
“Room 204.”
I’m serious.
Flynn was cuddled up against him, watching TV, obviously not hearing a thing going on. So obviously it was going on in his head.
God, was he going crazy? Was it the meds? The drugs? What?
“Room 204.”
Jesus Christ. What was it going to take to shut that voice up?
“Room 204.”
Stop it. I’ll go look with a camera. I’ll go, but I’ll go by myself.
“Room 204.”
“Room 204.”
“Room 204.”
“Room 204.”
The words repeated over and over, getting louder each time.
“What?” Flynn asked.
“Huh?” He wasn’t sure if he wanted Flynn to hear them or not.
“I thought you said something about a room.”
“Just dozing, I think.”
“Yeah? Okay.” Flynn stroked his belly. “How’re you feeling?”
“A little stoned still, I think.” Like I’m losing my fucking mind.
“Well, considering I just gave you a whole bunch of meds, I doubt that’s going to change anytime soon. Did you want me to turn the TV off? Would that make it easier to sleep?”
“No. No, I like that noise.”
“Okay.” Flynn settled again.
“Room 204.”
The words started up again, only now they sounded angry, frustrated.
Flynn frowned and looked at him.
“Room 204!”
Eyes going wide, Flynn gasped. “That wasn’t you.”
“What wasn’t me?” Did you hear it too?
“Room 204. I thought it was you saying it, but it didn’t sound like your voice. And it wasn’t even you saying it, because I heard it again, and your mouth wasn’t moving!”
“I didn’t say it,” he whispered.
“Then who did? Because I’m not buying into shared hallucinations.”
“How the hell should I know?”
“Well, it obviously has something to do with the hospital.”
“Room 204. Room 204. Room 204.”
There was an urgency to the voice now as it repeated the room number over and over again.
“I think we need to find out exactly who the guys who died there were and what happened to them.” Flynn held on tight to him, looking around like he was trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.
“You have to promise me never ever to go to the hospital again, Flynn.”
Flynn frowned at him as the phrase got louder, more strident. “I have a hunch maybe we need to go there to deal with this, Blaine.”
“No. You can’t.”
“But why not, babe? The… whatever it is seems pretty adamant that that’s exactly where we need to go. We should at least research it, dig deeper, even if we don’t go there.”
“Room 204!” It was a shout this time.
“Okay! We get it! Shut up already.” Flynn shouted out the words, glaring at the air.
“I’ll take care of it.” Whatever it was. Whatever it needed. Blaine would deal with it.
Him. Alone.
“You’re not facing this alone. You’ve got four guys more than ready to back you up. And if the others chicken out, you’ve still got me.”
“You’re suggesting….”
“I have no idea. I’m just saying that whatever’s going on there, you don’t have to face it alone. Whether we just need to research this and perform a ceremony of some sort, or whether we have to go back and face this at the hospital, you are not alone in this.”
“Maybe I ought to be.” Maybe he should. He knew, no question, that bringing Flynn to the second floor again would be… a huge mistake.
“No way. I’m not letting you do that. What if something happened to you?”
“Nothing will happen.” He knew the words were false as soon as he said them.
Flynn shook his head. “I don’t care what you say, I’m not risking you. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that. Maybe we’ll get this figured out just by doing some research.”
“Maybe. That would be cool, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, it really would be. I’ll get together with Jason and see what all you have, then dig deeper.” Flynn chuckled. “And here I thought I’d be done doing research now that I’ve finished university.”
“I thought that’s what scientists did.”
“Well, yeah, but into new things. We’re going to be researching an old thing. Especially if we want to stay away from the hospital….”
“For a bit. Nothing will change. It’s been what it is for years.”
“Yeah, except now it’s affecting you directly here at home.” Flynn leaned up again and checked his shoulder. “It looks okay.”
“Good. Good, that’s what I want to hear.” He didn’t even want to suggest otherwise.
“Anyway. None of that is here or now. You’re supposed to be resting. Getting better. So hush and watch the show already.” Flynn settled back in against him, using him like a giant pillow.
Right on. Hush. Watch the show. Don’t think.
Flynn stroked his belly, fingers warm and gentle. It felt good. Not even really sexual at all, more comforting.
“Glad you’re here, man. For real.”
“Yeah? I’m glad too, you know?” Flynn’s eyes were bright and happy.
“Even with the grossness?” Blaine had to ask.
“Shit yeah. What’s a little grossness between friends?” Flynn laughed. “I’d prefer less grossness in the future, but if you ever need someone to pull a bug out of you again, I am your man.”
“At least you didn’t say maggot.” They started laughing together, the sound wild and a little hysterical, but real, intermingled. True.
Flynn settled back against him, warm and right.
Maybe he’d make it. Maybe it would all be all right.