Choices - 1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Kingston city limits sign was a welcome sight. Helping to celebrate Corey and Jason’s nuptials had been fun, but now he just wanted to be home and in his own bed. The ceremony had been a beautiful and intimate affair, with only family and a few close friends in attendance. He’d never seen two men so happy and in love. Although he was thrilled for them, it made his heart ache knowing he might never find a man who wanted forever… someone who wouldn’t be ashamed to be seen with him. Angrily, he wiped away a stray tear. He should be paying attention to driving, not crying over what could never be.

The weather had gotten steadily worse since he’d set out that morning, and the snow was now falling heavily, with almost zero visibility at times. If he wasn’t already so close to home he might have considered stopping at a hotel for the night.

Liam looked in the rear-view mirror, and clutched the steering wheel a little tighter. A large red pickup truck was closing quickly in the outside lane, driving much too fast for the slick roads. As the vehicle started to pass, it appeared to lose traction; slipping, righting itself, and then slipping again. Liam took his foot off the gas, hoping to put some distance between himself and the truck. He watched in horror as the Ford finally lost control and spun into his lane, clipping an SUV in front of him, and colliding with his much smaller vehicle, sending it spiralling out of control. The screeching of metal was deafening as the world whirled by at a dizzying speed. Another vehicle came into view moments before impact, slamming him into the side window. With the sound of crumpling metal and shattering glass, he came to a jarring stop. A second hit from behind threw him painfully against the seatbelt, and that knocked the wind from his lungs.

When the world finally stopped reeling, Liam tentatively raised his head, wincing at the pain in his neck and upper back. Struggling to breathe while taking stock of any other injuries, he noted he couldn’t move his legs, though he could feel them, and his left arm hurt like hell. Squinting, he tried to peer out the broken windshield, but his vision was fading along the edges. His body felt heavy until unconsciousness finally claimed him completely.

The sound of sirens and loud voices pulled him from the pain-free darkness. “Sir… sir, can you hear me?”

Something wet was dripping into his right eye. He groaned as the pain spiked.

“Can you hear me?”

“Cold….” He blinked at the person in the window. A man, he thought. Who was that man?

“Jaws of life… call in….”

“… stabilized his neck… might be internal bleeding….”

“... pressure on… have to move the van before we can….”

Phrases came and went in waves, and he couldn’t seem to focus enough to understand their meaning. It felt as though he was floating on a cloud... a painful, spike-filled cloud.

“Liam? Holy shit, Liam!”

The concern he heard in the familiar voice made him try to force his eyes open again, but they felt as though they were being held down by lead weights.

“Liam, baby, please be okay.”

Liam felt a presence beside him. “Do you know this man?”

“Yes.” Alek… was that Alek’s tear-filled voice? “His name is Liam MacPherson. What were you doing out in this weather, baby?” Liam felt something warm touch his cheek.

Stubborn eyelids finally opened slightly, but the burning sting had him squinting through small slits. “Al… Alek? What…. Where?”

“Oh thank God. You were in an accident, Li. I need you to stay awake, okay?”

He tried to raise his arm to wipe the moisture, and panicked when he couldn’t move.

“Mr. MacPherson… Liam,” the stranger spoke again. “I need you to try not to move. Your arm is trapped by the door, and we don’t want you to do any more damage to it.”

Liam’s gaze sought out the only comfort he had: Aleksei. “Alek….”

“I’m right here, baby. Just stay with me. Keep those beautiful eyes open for me.”

His vision cleared slightly. The worry in Alek’s eyes made him wonder just how awful he looked.

“Hurts.”

“I know, Li. I know. I promise, we’ll have you out of there soon. They have to get the driver of the truck out, and then they’re coming for you.”

“Why… what are you doing here?” He cleared his throat a few times, barely able to whisper.

“I was called in to pull the vehicles away from each other so the paramedics would have room to work.”

He tried to nod, but couldn’t move his head. A dark-haired man appeared in front of him, his blue eyes filled with sympathy. “We need to keep your neck stable. I know it’s not comfortable, but try to stay as still as you can.”

Aching ribs made breathing difficult, and his head was pounding with the worst headache he’d ever experienced. Panting, Liam tried to fight the nausea as spots danced in front of him.

“Head hurts….”

“I know, baby. I’m so sorry… please….”

Without warning the voices stopped, and he slipped into the blessed darkness again.

The sound of an engine and screeching metal woke him with a start. The sudden jolt made him shout out in surprise and pain.

“Li!” He heard Alek’s voice, but it was farther away now.

“You have to stay back, sir. The firemen need room to get him out.”

“It’s going to be okay, Li… just stay strong. They’ll have you out soon.”

Liam blinked, as lights flashed all around him. The door was pulled away, making the pain in his arm flare. With another scream, he welcomed the return of darkness as it pulled him under again.

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The beeping of the alarm was annoying. Where the hell was his phone so he could shut the damned thing off? He tried to open his eyes, but the bright lights forced him to shut them again with a groan. God, his head hurt. What the hell did he drink last night? Wait no… not a party. There was a car accident.

“Mr. MacPherson?”

“Too bright,” he whispered, his voice coming out as a hoarse croak. He followed the sound of fabric rustling as someone moved around the room.

The soft female voice spoke again. “I’ve dimmed the lights. It should be safe to open your eyes now.”

Cautiously cracking open his eyelids, he met a kind grey-eyed gaze. “Welcome back,” a woman in colorful scrubs said with a smile.

“How long…?” A cough cut off the rest of his question, and made his ribs ache in protest.

The pretty blonde reached for a cup from the table by his head. Using a small spoon, she scooped out some of the contents. “Ice chips. They’ll help with your sore throat.”

Accepting the cold offering gratefully, he sucked on the small pieces until they melted, swallowing the liquid down. He had a second helping before trying to speak again.

“How long have I been out?”

“A few hours.”

“How bad is it?”

With a tight smile the woman returned the cup, and turned towards the door. “I’ll let Dr. Schneider know you’re awake. He can explain your condition to you.” Before Liam could ask any more questions she left the room.

Worried about the extent of his injuries, he experimentally wriggled fingers and toes, and shifted his legs. They ached badly, but he was relieved they moved at all, and, and except for an IV taped to his hand, his right arm seemed fine. His left arm, however, was heavily bandaged and rested on a couple of pillows. Even the slightest movement caused sharp pain to shoot from fingertips to shoulder.

“Mr. MacPherson.” A tall, stern-looking man walked into the room holding a chart, followed closely by the nurse. “It’s good to see you awake. How are you feeling?”

“I have a monster headache and I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck.”

The man nodded, and jotted something in the chart. “Do you remember what brought you here?”

Liam thought back to the accident. “Car accident,” he replied. “Some idiot was driving too fast for the conditions.”

The doctor continued to write before handing the plastic folder to the waiting assistant, and took a small flashlight from his pocket. “Look straight ahead for me,” the sadistic bastard said before flashing the narrow beam first into one eye and then the other. The brightness made the pain spike and his head throbbed. With a whimper, he closed his eyes.

“Pupils unequal….” The doctor continued to speak, but Liam stopped listening as a strong wave of nausea hit him.

“Mr. MacPherson?”

“Stomach.” He swallowed repeatedly trying to keep down the bile. After several minutes the queasiness finally passed. Only then did he notice the nurse standing on the other side of his bed, holding a bed pan. “I’m okay now,” he assured her.

The doctor took the chart and flipped through the pages. “I see you had a concussion a couple of years ago?”

“Yes,” Liam responded, feeling very tired. “I hit my head against a concrete curb.”

“Your previous history could make recovery more difficult. I’ll make sure you’re given some literature on concussions before you’re discharged so you know what to expect.”

“What else is wrong with me besides my head and my arm?”

“You sustained several injuries as a result of the accident. Your legs were trapped by the dashboard. The bruising is extensive, but luckily nothing was broken. Glass and torn plastic caused several lacerations to your upper body which required stitches, including a deep cut over your left eye.”

Liam reached up with his good arm and touched the injury in question, wincing at the sting. “So that was blood dripping in my eyes,” he commented to no one in particular.

The doctor nodded before continuing. “You have a distal radius fracture of your left wrist, and a fracture of the ulna. Fortunately, they were clean breaks and won’t require surgery, but we have to wait for the swelling to subside before you can be fitted for a cast. My primary concern is the concussion. We were told you lost consciousness several times on scene, and you were unresponsive since arrival. Scans don’t show a bleed in the brain, but I want to run more tests in the morning.”

“Fuck,” Liam grumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

“I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you were very lucky. Your injuries could’ve been a lot worse.”

Liam nodded, and immediately regretted the movement as his stomach rolled.

The nurse stepped forward to raise the head of the bed, and slid the bed pan under his chin while he dry heaved. “Thank you,” he said softly several moments later, receiving a sympathetic smile in return.

“I’ve prescribed pain medication for your injuries as well as a low dose anti-nauseant. It should take the edge off the nausea without making you too drowsy.”

“How long do I need to stay?”

“I want to keep you overnight for observation. We can re-evaluate your condition in the morning. Even when you’re released, you should have someone with you for the first few days. Is there anyone you want us to call? We couldn’t find any information on next of kin, and there was no answer at the number for your emergency contact, a Mr. Corey Smythe.”

“Corey’s out of town.” Liam thought for a moment. Who could he call? He had Corey’s cell number, but he didn’t want to disturb the newlyweds. They were on their honeymoon for goodness sake. Maybe another friend? But who? Marty was in Nova Scotia, and although he had several acquaintances, Liam wasn’t that close to very many people. Maybe Bryce? No, he was visiting family.

“There’s a man in the waiting room asking after you.” The nurse interrupted his thoughts.

“Who?” Liam couldn’t imagine who would even know he was here.

“He said his name was Aleksei Petrov.”

“Alek?” Liam was stunned. What the hell was Alek doing here? Suddenly he remembered Alek being beside him, talking to him as he floated in and out of consciousness. Why was Aleksei at the accident scene?

“A friend of yours?”

“Um, yeah… a friend.”

“Would you like him sent in when we’re done here?” the kind woman inquired.

“I guess so.” He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to the man, but it would be nice to see a familiar face right now.

After several questions, and more painful prodding, the doctor left with a promise to see him during morning rounds. The nurse went with him, returning moments later with a tiny paper cup. “I have a Tylenol 3 for the pain and a low dose of Gravol,” she said as she handed him the medication. “Unfortunately, we can’t give you anything stronger until the doctor is sure there isn’t a risk of bleeding.” She puttered around the room, moving his IV pole and rearranging his side table before turning her attention back to him. “Someone will be in every couple of hours to check on you throughout the night. If you need anything in the meantime, your call button is right here. I’ll send in your friend now.”

Liam thanked the woman, and sank back against the thin pillows while he waited for the effects of the medication to kick in.

“Liam?” Alek sounded hesitant as he stood in the open doorway. The big man’s eyes were red rimmed, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Liam responded quietly, clearing his still sore throat.

Alek stepped tentatively to his side, hands twitching, as if he didn’t know what to do with them. “You look a little better. How are you feeling?”

“All right… my body aches, and my head hurts, but it could be worse.”

“God, baby, I was so scared when I saw you in that wreck.”

“Why were you there?” he asked, ignoring the endearment.

Alek pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and took a seat, leaning his forearms on his knees. I was called in by the OPP to move a cube van that was pinning a car, so paramedics could reach an accident victim. I didn’t realize it was you until I got there. I thought my heart stopped when I recognized your car … then to see you trapped in that hunk of metal.” The mechanic scrubbed at his eyes and inhaled a shaky breath. “I was so scared. They were worried about a possible back injury, and no one would tell me how you were.”

“No… no spine or neck problems. I have a concussion and a broken wrist, and my legs are banged up, but it looks like I got lucky.” Liam tried to sound upbeat, not entirely sure why he was trying to make Alek feel better.

“Thank, God.” Alek reached out and rubbed his good arm. “I was so worried about you. I didn’t think they’d let me see you.”

“Why are you here, Alek?” Liam couldn’t help but ask.

“Where else would I be?” Alek sounded distressed. “I love you….”

“But you have a girlfriend.” Liam’s heart ached when he said those words. When he’d learned Alek was dating someone, it had hurt, but it also made him sad for the man, knowing Aleksei felt like he had to date a woman to have his family accept him.

Alek winced and his expression turned grim. “Natalia has nothing to do with how I feel about you.”

“Alek,” Liam said with an exasperated sigh. “She has everything to do with this. Look, you’ve seen me now, and I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me. Thank you for stopping by, but I think you should go now.”

“Li… please don’t….”

“You have a girlfriend. You made your choices, and I made mine. Please… just go. They need to wake me up every couple of hours, so I need to rest while I can.”

As difficult as it was, Liam turned away and ignored Alek’s presence. The man sat silently for several minutes, his hand resting on Liam’s arm, gently squeezing. A chair scrape and the sound of footsteps heralded his departure. Tears started to form, but Liam refused to let them fall. He’d shed enough tears over that relationship. Right now he had more important things to worry about… like who could he impose on when he was finally discharged? Sometimes, not being part of a close family really sucked.

I hope you enjoyed the prologue and the first chapter in Liam's story.  A big thank you goes out to my wonderful editor, Gary, for helping me get this story ready to post.