Choices - 3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Liam was bored. This was his second full day in the hospital, and it looked like he was going to be here for a while longer. He’d finally spoken to Bryce. His friend made the forty minute drive from Belleville as soon as he could get away from work, and had chastised him for not calling sooner. They’d enjoyed a great visit, but now he was alone again. It’s not that he minded his own company, but when he was home, he had his favorite books to read, home projects to work on, and his recent pastime: studying physiotherapy textbooks Corey had lent him. His boss was always advocating for him to go back to school to get his degree, and recently Liam had been seriously considering the idea. Corey had even offered to help him study, and a place to set up practice once he graduated.

He was considering starting another Sudoku puzzle, or taking one more slow walk around the ward when his cell phone buzzed beside him.

“Hey, Marty,” he answered happily.

“Hi, Shorty. I’m just calling to let you know I’m booked on the eight-fifteen flight to Toronto. I should be in Kingston in the early afternoon tomorrow. I don’t want any arguments from you, but I took a week off work, and I’m setting up camp at your place.”

“But….”

“No buts. You’re my best friend. Besides, you took care of me after that four-wheeler accident a few years back. It’s time for some payback.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “You were sixteen, and living with your parents. This isn’t the same thing.”

“You still ran around to get my homework, and were at my beck and call until I got that walking cast. For a teenager that’s a lot more work than visiting a friend for a week.”

“Can’t argue with your logic.” He gave in with a laugh.

“Of course you can’t.”

“I guess I’ll see you in the morning then?”

“You got it. Don’t get into any unsanctioned trouble until I get there.”

“I really appreciate this, Martin. I love you. You know that, right?”

“I know, Liam. I love you too. You’re my brother. Now get some rest. Those pills they’re giving you are making you sappy.”

Although he felt bad for putting his friend out, Liam could admit he was thrilled his best friend would be by his side. They’d been as thick as thieves since they were kids. Marty had helped him through the terrifying time when he came out to his dad, and Liam had been there for Marty during the ‘girlfriend pregnancy scare’ when he was eighteen. Liam had managed to talk Marty off the proverbial ledge until a second test came back negative. What Liam would be forever grateful for, though, was Marty’s support when his dad died unexpectedly of a heart attack a few years earlier. He didn’t think he could have survived the heartache without Marty’s strong shoulder to lean on. The man had stuck by his side, helping him make funeral arrangements, and dealing with the estate lawyer.

Over the years, many people had mistakenly assumed they were a couple. A few boyfriends had even become jealous enough to confront Liam about their close relationship. Liam laughed every time. Marty had never, and would never, be anything but a brother to him. At six foot two, the man was tall, muscular, and handsome, but aside from an appreciation of his friend’s good looks, there were never any sexual feelings towards one another.

Indulging in a nap to kill a few hours was starting to become a viable option, when a knock at the door pulled him from his bored haze. He was surprised to see Nathan, the paramedic, standing at the opening holding a paper bag and a tray with three coffee cups.

“Good afternoon. I see they haven’t sprung you yet.” Nathan greeted him with a smile. “Do you mind if I come in?”

“Please do.” Liam scooted back on the bed, and waved in the direction of a chair. “Have a seat.”

The man strode in, and placed the tray and bag on the rolling table. “I just got off shift, and had to drop off some paperwork. I thought if you were still around you might like something other than the coffee they serve here.”

Liam perked up immediately. “You brought me three cups of coffee?”

“Well, one for you, one for me, and the third is a hot chocolate for Mrs. Ferguson. She’s an older woman in the room next to yours, but she’s sleeping right now. I’ll just leave it for her if she’s not awake by the time I leave.”

“That’s so sweet of you,” Liam said as he grinned up at the man.

Nathan shrugged, looking suddenly shy. “My partner and I brought her in a few weeks ago. As far as I can tell, she doesn’t have anyone. Bringing her something warm to drink and spending a few minutes with her doesn’t take anything out of my day, and it seems to cheer her up.”

Liam removed the lid from his beverage, peering at the other man through the steam. The paramedic was as cute as he was sweet. He looked to be a few inches taller than Liam’s five foot eight, and his musculature was more defined, likely from lifting stretchers all day.

“I wasn’t sure what you took in your coffee, so I brought cream and sugar.”

“Black is great. Thank you for this.” Liam took a sip, and hummed in appreciation. Hospital coffee had a bad, if well-earned reputation. “Do you do this every day or is ‘saint’ a part-time gig?”

Nathan’s eyes widened as he sputtered a laugh, choking on his coffee. “I’m hardly a saint,” he responded when the coughing subsided.

“What would you call a man who takes time out of his busy day to bring life-giving caffeine to those in need… after already saving their lives, I might add?”

The paramedic blushed, and looked down at the floor, but not before Liam noticed his smile. Nathan was adorable. “I’m just happy you’re on the mend,” the man said quietly, meeting his gaze. “Your boyfriend must be thrilled.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Yeah, the tow truck driver? He was here the other day when I stopped by.”

“Alek?” Liam laughed, noting how bitter it sounded. “He’s my ex-boyfriend… with an emphasis on EX.”

“Oh,” Nathan shifted in his chair and looked out the open door. “I think he might want to change that.”

Liam rolled his eyes, and took another sip of the delicious, dark liquid. “Well, he’s the one with a girlfriend now. He made his choice a while ago, and now he has to live with it. Shit… I’m sorry. Here you are being a good guy who’s visiting bored-to-tears patients, and I dump my crap on you. You don’t need to know all of the sordid details of my love life.”

“I asked.”

“Still,” Liam replied with a sigh. “You don’t need to be subjected to that mess.” Pasting a smile on his face, he straightened his spine. “So, what’s it like being a paramedic-slash-saint? Do they give badges for that sort of thing? Commendations? A pay raise perhaps?”

The other man’s laugh was a joy-filled sound. “Well, I don’t know about pay raises for sainthood… but I love my job. When I was in public school, my mother was in a bad accident. If it wasn’t for the paramedic on scene, she would have died. After that, I was determined to become a paramedic so I could help someone else’s mom someday.”

Liam found himself staring at Nathan, intrigued by the man. He was kind, generous, and seemed to have a heart of gold. How many other men did he know who would take time after a long day at work to visit an elderly patient?

Their conversation moved on to lighter subjects, including Liam’s job and career aspirations.

“You should do it,” Nathan said, setting his cup on the table. “I can tell by the excitement in your voice you want that degree. What’ve you got to lose?”

“All of that tuition money if I flunk out?”

“You owe it to yourself to give it a shot. You said your boss, Corey, offered to help you study, and lent you his textbooks, right?”

“Yeah, but he has a business to run, and is newly married. He’s not going to have a lot of time to devote to helping me pass.” Liam knew he wasn’t stupid, but studying and tests had never come easily for him. Sometimes it felt like he had to study twice as hard to get the same grades as his classmates.

“Well if you want, I could help you study?”

“What?” Liam turned to the other man, wincing at the twinge in his back. “Why would you do that? We barely know each other.”

Nathan shrugged and picked at the seam of his work pants. “I don’t know… you seem like a nice guy, and we get along well. I don’t know about you, but I could always use another friend.”

Liam felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. This guy really was amazing. “Same here, and if I do decide to go back to school, I promise to pick your brain so often you’ll regret offering to help.”

Nathan smiled happily, standing when the yawn Liam had been stifling finally escaped.

“Sorry,” Liam said, feeling the colour rise in his cheeks. “I must be more tired than I thought.”

“It’s all right. I should probably go and see if Mrs. Ferguson is awake before I head home, or she’ll think I forgot about her.”

“You can’t have her thinking that,” Liam acknowledged, feeling his eyelids drooping. “Thank you again for the coffee and the company.”

“You’re welcome. It was my pleasure.”

“Oh, wait!” Liam opened his eyes wide as a thought occurred to him. “If I get out of here tomorrow morning, we won’t know how to contact each other. I enjoyed our talk today, and I would love to get together again… for coffee or something. My treat next time.”

The smile on Nathan’s face morphed into a wide grin. “I’d like that too. Here, I’ll write down my number.”

“Better yet,” Liam said, grabbing his phone from the side table. “Put your number in here, and I’ll text you so you’ll have mine.”

Within minutes, Nathan’s number was saved and his cell dinged with an incoming message from Liam. Still grinning, the paramedic waved and left with the now cool hot chocolate in hand. Liam fell asleep thinking how nice it was to have another friend in town.

<><><>

“Hey, Shorty. What the hell are you still doing in bed? Do you think you can just laze about all day?”

Liam’s heart skipped a beat as he turned towards his best friend in the world. “Marty! You made it.”

Seeing the man was like coming home. It settled his anxiety and made him feel like everything was going to be all right.

“The traffic was a bitch, but I made pretty decent time.”

“Driving safely I hope.”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Fuck you. You know I worry about my brother… especially after what happened to me.”

The teasing expression on Marty’s face fell. “I know. I’m sorry, Liam. Really.”

Liam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “No, I’m sorry. I know you wouldn’t do anything stupid. I think that accident is going to make me gun shy for a while.”

“It’s okay, I get it.” Marty walked the few steps to Liam’s bedside, and hugged him gently. “How are you feeling today? Are they going to let you out?” His friend leaned back and frowned, running his thumb under the bandage over his eye.

“The doctor just left. He said my vision appears much better, and he’s willing to discharge me since you’ll be staying with me. Once the nurse takes out this IV, I should be good to go.”

Sitting on the side of the bed, Marty held Liam’s good hand. “How is everything else? How bad is the arm?”

“It’s fractured in two places, and I have cuts and bruises everywhere. Nothing that won’t heal.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t call me,” Marty scolded, giving his hand a light squeeze. “I would have come right away, you know that.”

“I know… I didn’t want to put anyone out.”

“Li....”

“I know, I know. Corey already scolded me.”

“Good. I knew I liked the guy.”

Liam laughed, wincing when his ribs creaked.

“All right, Mr. MacPherson. Let’s get that IV removed, and get you out of here.” A pretty redheaded nurse walked in with a small tray of gauze and tape. As she expertly removed the needle and tubing he noticed Marty subtly eyeing the pretty woman. Mentally shaking his head, he returned his attention to the nurse as she went over his home care. Although he no longer needed to be woken at all hours of the night, he was advised to pay careful attention to any changes in his symptoms, like worsening headaches, vision problems, personality changes, and nausea.

“I’ll keep a close eye on him,” Marty assured her from his perch against the far wall.

Turning her assessing eyes on his friend, the nurse nodded briskly. “Good. Your boyfriend took quite a knock to the head. His condition could worsen quickly.”

“Oh”, Marty looked surprised for a moment before breaking into a smile. “Li’s not my boyfriend. More like a brother. We’ve been best friends since short stuff here hit me with a swing on the playground. Besides,” he continued with a wink. “I like my dates a little softer, and with more curves.”

Liam chuckled as he listened to his friend flirt. From the flush in the nurse’s cheeks, the attention hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“So I can leave then?” he interrupted, not wanting his best friend’s mojo to get in the way of his escape.

“Yes, sorry.” The redhead turned back to him with an apologetic smile. “I’ll be back with your discharge papers, and your prescriptions.” With another tight smile, the flustered woman fled the room.

“Leave it to you to find someone to flirt with in a hospital.”

“It never hurts to make nice with the medical staff.” Marty grinned at him as he pulled a pair jogging pants and a sweater from a small duffel bag. “I wasn’t sure if you had any clothes here so I brought these with me. They might be a little big, but with that cast, it’s probably for the best.”

Soon, after a lot of help from his friend, Liam was dressed in too large, but comfortable sweats, and sitting in a wheelchair, ready to go home. The nurse returned to hand Marty the discharge paperwork, and with a shy smile, hurried back to the nurses’ station.

As Marty wheeled him around a corner near the front entrance, he thought he spotted Alek, but when he turned, no one was there. Why in the hell was he imagining Aleksei? He’d been doing so well getting over the man, and then the big Russian had to show up and bring all of those feelings roaring back, as if they’d never left. His ex-boyfriend had taken the coward’s way out, and let him go, so why couldn’t Liam do the same? With a wrench of will, he turned his attention to his best friend.

“Wait here. I’ll bring my car around, and then we’ll get you home. It’ll be the best place for you to heal.”

“You’re right,” Liam replied softly. “I need to heal.”