High Flow

When Forrest learns that he's being transferred to Pontiac, the young paramedic is excited. Not only did he grow up in the Michigan city, but the move will put him closer to his ailing father. Then the night before he leaves Flint, he's viciously attacked in a bar parking lot and nearly dies. After he heals and moves to Pontiac, he vows to put the horrible experience behind him and never speak of it to anyone. He soon finds out that he can't forget that night of terror or the anger that still lingers inside him. Patrick is new to Pontiac as well. A physician who just moved into the state, he soon finds himself intrigued by the attractive, yet brooding paramedic. As he tries to get closer to Forrest, he is dismayed and annoyed when the punk brushes off his advances. But Patrick has never been one to give up on something he wants and he's never wanted anything more than to finally have Forrest all to himself. Forrest wants badly to be able to return Patrick's affection, but the attack has left him vulnerable and unable to stand being touched.

High Flow EMS Heat By Stephani Hecht

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author‟s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. High Flow Copyright © 2011 Stephani Hecht ISBN: 978-1-55487-791-1 Cover art by Angela Waters All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasybooks.com

To Mom and Dad…

Chapter One

T

his was not the way he wanted to die. He‟d always imagined he‟d perish in the line of duty or maybe live long enough to be an old man who passed away in his sleep. He‟d even entertained the idea that he may die in a car accident, just like so many of the other victims he‟d treated in the past. He never, ever thought he would take his last breaths in the dirty snow outside of a bar. Forrest dug his fingers into the cold slush and tried to pull himself closer to the building. If he got near enough perhaps somebody would find him before he bled out or went into hypothermia. It wasn‟t easy to move though, and the bar seemed to be a mile away. Each millimeter forward he took caused fresh waves of pain to slice through him. Every inch of his body felt battered, bruised and cut. He couldn‟t remember a time when he‟d been hurt so badly, and he had half a dozen angry pricks with very heavy boots to thank for that. 1

Stephani Hecht

As soon as he‟d stepped out of the bar, they‟d descended. They grabbed him and dragged him to the back of the parking lot so nobody inside could hear him yelling for help. Once the attackers had him where they wanted, the real fun started. First, they used their fists, then after he crumbled to the ground, they began to use their feet on him. Forrest fought back, even managing to bloody one of their noses. The odds had been against him, however, and he only lasted a couple of minutes. After that, his only defense had been to curl up in a ball and cover his head with his hands. It didn‟t matter though, because no matter how hard he tried to protect himself, they still managed to do some major damage. Then halfway through the beating, they‟d forced him to his knees and… No! He couldn‟t think about that now. In fact, he never wanted to dwell on it ever again. If he somehow managed to get through this, he vowed that he‟d put that particular part of his attack behind him and never speak of it to anyone. He winced as one particular spot in his back throbbed angrily. His spine and gut had taken the majority of the kicks. He didn‟t even want to ponder what kind of internal damage could have been done. All he did know was that the sheer intensity of the agony nearly took his breath away. Still, he couldn‟t allow himself to dwell on the hurt because then he would quit. If he quit, he 2

High Flow

would die. A soft whimper burst past his cut, swollen lips, caked with blood and other fluids as he forced himself to keep moving. A man and women came out the side door. Elation soared through Forrest‟s chest. Finally, someone could help him and maybe he would make it out of this mess alive. He opened his mouth to yell, but all that came out was another whimper. His hopes died a quick and heartbreaking death as the couple made their way to their car. With the way he was laying on the ground in the darkest part of the parking lot, there was no way they‟d be able to see him. Please see me! Please, please, please. I can’t die like this. His fears were confirmed when they got into their car and left, not even glancing in his direction. Forrest sobbed as he let his head drop, his cheek falling into the snow. The coolness somewhat soothed the cuts marring that area of his face, but the rest of his body still hosted a vast array of painful areas. “Please. Not like this. Let somebody find me.” This time his plea came out as a hoarse whisper. Even that small amount of effort made his throat scream in agony, the sensitive tissue raw from yelling, amongst other things. He closed his eyes and allowed a heavy blanket of unconsciousness to fall over him. Maybe if he 3

Stephani Hecht

just rested a while, he‟d have the energy to drag himself the rest of the way. Just a small nap was all he needed. After that, he‟d find the power to be able to get up and walk the rest of the way…really, he would. When he woke up not much had changed. He still lay stomach down and he still hurt like hell. He didn‟t know how long he‟d been out, but going by the amount of pinkish, red snow surrounding him, it had been a while. His mind felt numb and slow, plus he‟d stopped shivering. Both telltale signs that hypothermia had set in. Fuck! Not good at all. He tried inching forward again, only to find that his body no longer wanted to obey his commands. Defeated, he let his cheek fall once more into the snow. He gazed up into the sky, dully noting there was a full moon out and all the stars were visible. Actually, it made for a pretty sight. It was rare to see such a clear sky in a city as congested as Flint. He couldn‟t remember a time when he‟d had a better view of it. Which was good since he now realized it would be the last thing he ever saw. This time when he heard the door to the bar open and the sounds of snow crunching under somebody‟s boots, he didn‟t allow himself to hope. Since he could no longer so much as wiggle 4

High Flow

his fingers, he knew that he sure as hell couldn‟t yell. So he just closed his eyes and decided to allow the inevitable to happen. His thoughts drifted to his father, sister and younger brother. What would happen to them once he was no longer there to support them? Not only did they depend on him to pay the bills, but they also counted on him to help care for Dad. Since he‟d had yet another stroke, he needed all the support he could get just to complete basic everyday tasks. If Forrest wasn‟t there to pick up the slack, then Dad could end up in a nursing home. That had always been the man‟s worst fear. Just as he was about to slip into unconsciousness again, a voice ripped through the air. “Oh, my God! Is that Forrest?” Forrest let out a whimper of relief as he recognized the yeller as his friend, Dylan. Next came a broken sob of despair and shame as he realized that his closest buddies were about to see him at the lowest point of his life. What would they think once they saw what had happened to him? How he couldn‟t even defend himself? Worse, what if they found out all the details of the attack? Maybe it would have been better if I had died after all. “Holy shit, it is. What in the hell happened to him?” This time Forrest recognized the voice of 5

Stephani Hecht

Kaleb, Dylan‟s boyfriend. The snarky part of Forrest wanted to retort. Oh, I just spotted a city bus and decided to throw myself in front of it. What in the hell do you think happened? Warm hands touched his neck, checking for a pulse. Irrational fear flooded him that maybe they‟d think he had died and they‟d just move along, leaving him there. A thread of sanity told him that would never happen, but it didn‟t stop the anxiety from crawling over his battered body. Needing to make sure they knew he was alive, Forrest cracked his lids. Even though he could still barely speak a whisper, he still tried to force out a, “Help.” “We‟re here, buddy. You‟re going to be okay,” Dylan replied as he ran a soothing hand through Forrest‟s hair. More voices joined in as other friends came over to help. Most of them worked at Flint Fire or the same ambulance company as Forrest. Tight and fiercely protective of each other, Forrest could hear how upset they all were. One or two of them even let out sobs. Something most hardened EMS workers would never dream of doing. He desperately wanted to reassure them somehow, but the pain made it impossible for him to do anything but breathe and bleed. Luckily, they still knew how to run a scene and he soon found himself in their capable hands as 6

High Flow

they called out orders. It became a confused, yet organized mess as the voices ran over each other. “Somebody grab C-spine so we can roll him over.” “Has anyone called this in to dispatch?” “Make sure you alert St. Michael‟s that we‟re bringing in a trauma and it‟s one of our own.” “Shit, how much blood do you think he lost?” “I don‟t know. His pulse is crappy but that could be from shock or hypothermia, if not both.” “Someone assess him so we can alert the crew to all his wounds.” As Forrest felt hands running over his body to check for injures, he experienced a wash of love for his friends. At the same time, he knew that it could have easily been one of them that‟d been in his place, since most of them were gay, too. He closed his eyes as the malicious taunts from his attackers slammed around in his head. We’re going to make you cry like the little girl you are. When we’re finished, you’ll be our bitch. So, you like sucking cock? Let’s see how good you really are at it. As his friends rolled him over to his back, Forrest‟s stomach lurched and he started to vomit. For a moment, he gagged on it until they put him on his side so the fluid could drain from his throat. He didn‟t mind the bitter taste in his mouth. It cleared his stomach of the beers he‟d downed, but 7

Stephani Hecht

more importantly, he had to get rid of any trace of them. Once he‟d emptied his gut, they rolled him all the way on his back. Forrest found himself looking up at Dylan. Forrest took comfort gazing at Dylan‟s green eyes and slight messed dark hair. The features were familiar to him, something he saw during normal days. Days where not everything had gone to shit. Dylan gave him a soft smile, but there was no mistaking the fear lurking in the man‟s gaze. He had a hand on either side of Forrest‟s head to immobilize his spine so at least that meant Dylan wouldn‟t be leaving any time soon. Something Forrest found himself grateful for. Good. At least now, if I do die, I won’t do it while I’m alone. “There‟s a rig on the way,” Dylan assured him. Someone yelled something and Dylan nodded before he told Forrest, “The crew is Matt and James. They‟ll take real good care of you.” Another wave of relief went over Forrest. Matt and James were part of their group of friends. Not only that, but they were darn good medics and would know how to handle his injuries. Within moments, the area began to pulsate with red lights as the ambulance approached. The rumble of the diesel engine grew louder as the rig came to a stop within a few feet of them. 8

High Flow

After that, things became a bit of a blur as they loaded him on a backboard, then started an IV. Whether it was due to him going in and out of consciousness or because shock had set in, Forrest kept losing big chunks of time. Next thing he knew, they‟d loaded him into the back of the rig and were tearing down the streets. When he heard the sirens turn on, he knew things weren‟t good. While crews may go to calls running hot, they only used lights and sirens on the way to the hospital if the patient was circling the drain. Someone held his hand. Forrest shifted his gaze toward the source and felt profound relief when he saw Dylan still by his side. His friend must have hopped into the back of the rig with him. James was hard at work, getting a set of vitals before he started another IV. Even in his already pain-hazed mind, Forrest winced when James pushed the large needle into his arm. “That‟s it, buddy, stay with us,” James reassured Forrest as he grabbed the radio to call the report into the hospital. The only thing was, Forrest couldn‟t stay with them. He soon found himself slipping under again. The next time he woke up, they were wheeling him into the hospital. While he‟d walked the same path numerous times before, this marked the first time he was doing it supine on a cot. The 9

Stephani Hecht

florescent lights in the ceiling seemed to pass by in a rush as they hurried him into the trauma room. More friendly faces, all of them staff members of St. Michael‟s ER, loomed over him. He made out Lucas, Calvin and Janet. It even came as a relief to see the battle-axe nurse, Gladys, there. As usual, she‟d pulled her bright red hair into a bun, making her look almost like Mrs. Garrett from Facts of Life. Her usually pinched face looked softer as tears built up in her eyes. “Who would hurt someone as sweet as Forrest? What did he ever do to anyone?” she sobbed. “Gay,” Forrest managed to croak. Lucas leaned in closer. “What was that?” Forrest licked his lips and swallowed a few times to get his dry throat working. “They did it because I‟m gay.” Lucas, who looked so much like his brother Dylan, got the identical look of horror on his face that Dylan had worn when they first found Forrest. “Son of a bitch.” Lucas raised his head and relayed the message to the rest of the group. By then they had reached the trauma room and everything became a blur of activity as Forrest had his clothing cut away, blood drawn, X-rays taken and numerous other medical procedures performed on him. Through it all, Forrest continued to drift in and out. He realized at some point Lucas and Gladys 10

High Flow

were covering him with heat packs and warm blankets. Then they started yet another IV line. Other than that, things were a haze until Lucas put a hand on his chest. “Calvin says they need to operate to take out your spleen.” Forrest nodded his agreement. Calvin was a doctor so he should know what‟s best, after all. Besides, he really wasn‟t in the position to argue about anything, not with his mind as fuzzy as it was. They could have said that Britney Spears was in the middle of the room dancing with a troop of pink elephants and he would have accepted it. “Do you know who did this to you?” Lucas pressed. Fear sliced through Forrest, making his heart pound. Yes, he did know who did this. Better yet, he could give the full name and address of the ringleader. However, there was no way he could tell anyone that. Not when their parting threat still rang in his ears. You tell anyone about this and we’ll kill you, then we’ll pay a visit to your father. While he realized many criminals used that threat to intimidate their victims, Forrest knew deep down his attackers meant it. Well, more specifically the leader of the group did. He‟d had it in for Forrest for a long time. A while ago Forrest came to the realization the guy was more than a little bent, mentally. So yeah, 11

Stephani Hecht

he believed without a doubt that if he said a word to the police or anyone, then he‟d be dead within twenty-four hours. So…Forrest lied and shook his head. Lucas studied him for a few moments and Forrest wondered if his deceit was obvious. In the end, Lucas pressed his lips together in a hard line and nodded. “Okay, I‟m sure the police will have more questions for you later on, but we need to get you up to the operating room now.” Lucas put a comforting hand on Forrest‟s shoulder. “Don‟t worry, everything will be okay.” The problem was, things wouldn‟t be okay. Not ever again. But that was another thing Forrest couldn‟t share with Lucas. Life as Forrest knew it ended in that damn parking lot and he‟d never be the same.

12

High Flow

Chapter Two

S

ix months later

Whoever decided that dull green hospital issue Jell-O would be a fun choice for the dessert that night, obviously had one fucked up sense of humor. It was already bad enough that they‟d tried to pass off what could have been cardboard for bread. Or that they‟d had the audacity to call the tiny pieces of meat, turkey. No, they had to go and ruin a perfectly unruinable dessert. At least he used to believe it was unruinable. Now he had a blob of quivering green slime to prove otherwise. Where is Bill Murray and his proton gun when you need it? “Dr. Maxwell, we have a rig coming in,” Margo, one of the ER nurses, announced as she peeked her head into the break room. “Okay,” Patrick all but grunted as he gave the Jell-O an experimental jab. The slightly crusty mass seemed to come to life, 13

Stephani Hecht

swaying back and forth, almost like waves of a puke green body of water. The thing looked so foul and obscene, and with the way it jiggled, he half-expected it to slide off the table and start gobbling up staff and patients. Maybe the original blob monster had come to life that way. For all they knew, the evil creature could very well have taken its first breaths at St. Andrew‟s hospital, right in the heart of Pontiac, Michigan. In his short time in the city, he‟d seen stranger things happen. “They said it‟s a possible MI,” Margo went on, using the medical term for heart attack. He poked the blob again and it jiggled again. “What‟s their ETA?” he asked, never taking his gaze off the so-called desert. A long sigh was his only answer. It worked though, because he finally looked up at Margo. Short, with shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes that seemed to take up her entire face, she probably didn‟t have to work hard to get a guy‟s attention. She didn‟t seem too upset with Patrick though. She just furrowed her brow as she stared at the Jell-O, no doubt wondering why it held so much appeal. “They‟re five minutes out,” she replied slowly, her gaze now flicking up to lock in on his face, as if sizing him up for a straitjacket and a bed on the psych floor. 14

High Flow

“Is someone prepping the room?” “Yeah, Cindy‟s doing it now.” She paused, her lips pursed together as if she were having some inner debate. “Are you getting enough sleep? You‟re not overworked or anything, are you?” “I‟m ducky,” he replied breezily. “I would just give up my left eye for a good Cinnabon right now.” Her smile brightened. “So I take it you‟re not a fan of Jell-O?” “Maybe if it were a halfway decent color and didn‟t look like it‟d been made somewhere around the ice age.” He got up and dumped his tray into the garbage. “Did your last hospital have better food?” she asked as she held the door open for him. “No, it was much worse…but at least they didn‟t ruin Jell-O. Until today, I thought that was an impossible task.” He grinned back at her before setting the tray on top of the garbage can. “Actually, you have no idea how easy it can be. I have an aunt who puts M&M‟s and raisins in hers.” Patrick wrinkled his nose. “Gross.” “Exactly, and she gets mad if we don‟t eat it. She says since she made it with love, we should appreciate it and count ourselves lucky to have it.” They walked down the brightly lit hallway that led them to main part of the ER. Since it was still 15

Stephani Hecht

relatively early in the day, most of the rooms were empty and it was pretty quiet. The majority of the staff huddled around the nurse‟s station. They waved as Patrick and Margo walked by. By the time they got to the room and finished setting up, the ambulance crew arrived. So intent on the studying the patient, Patrick barely gave the medics a glance. As always, whenever he had a new patient, Patrick started with a thorough visual assessment. A middle-aged overweight male lay on the cot. Going by his blue Postal uniform, he‟d been on the job when the symptoms presented. His lips were pursed together as he worked hard to suck in air, plus a fine sheen of perspiration covered his rounded, pink face. “What do we have?” Patrick barked to the medics, getting right to the point. “Mr. Carson is a fifty-five year old male who presented with central chest pain around an hour ago. He also has shortness of breath and is diaphoretic. Last set of vitals were BP 100/160, pulse 120, respirations 40. We started one large bore IV en-route and gave nitroglycerin.” Patrick finally glanced up at the medic speaking and his own heart sputtered out a brief irregular rhythm. Despite the fact they were currently in the middle of transferring the patient‟s care, he couldn‟t help but admire how attractive the guy 16

High Flow

was. With short dark hair that hung just a bit over large brown eyes and a soft, full face, he had a sweet play-with-me look about him. The medic may have been a bit on the small size, probably not even reaching five feet nine inches, but going by the way he filled out his black uniform, he put every one of those feet to damn good use. Patrick gave an internal headshake. There was a time and place to be checking out hot bodies and it wasn‟t while working a possible MI. Especially when said distraction looked to be at least ten years younger than him. “Did you put him on the monitor?” he asked, forcing himself back on task. The medic nodded before handing over a long strip of EKG tape. “Yes, there I noted an elevated ST segment.” Their fingers brushed as Patrick took the paper, forcing him to work hard to repress the shiver that ran down his spine. God, what was wrong with him? He hadn‟t had this reaction to anyone since he‟d been a teenager salivating over his gym teacher. Patrick forced himself to glance at the strip. The medic had it right—the readout did show a marked elevation. While he‟d need a view with the ER‟s more detailed EKG machine, there was little doubt they had an MI on their hands. “Thanks,” Patrick said. 17

Stephani Hecht

While he‟d love to talk to the medic some more, the patient was more important. Patrick made a vow to himself that before the day was out he‟d find out the medic‟s name. Things picked up after that and Patrick didn‟t have a break over the next few hours. When they finally did get a brief lull, he took advantage of it to catch up on some paperwork. He positioned himself in a small alcove that had a half-desk in it and prayed he‟d be able to find a few moments of peace. “His name is Forrest,” Margo announced, as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned one hip against the wall. “Huh?” Patrick grunted out stupidly. “The cute medic who you were making eyes at earlier. His name is Forrest,” Margo repeated, her tone dull and slow as if she were speaking to the village idiot. “Interesting. I wonder if he has a brother named Swampland and a sister named Prairie?” Patrick quipped, hoping some dry humor would hide how interested he truly was. “Why don‟t you ask him yourself? His rig is bringing in a cougher. They‟re three minutes out. “What do you mean cougher?” he demanded, although he already had an inkling what the answer would be. She raised her brows. “I mean they‟re bringing 18

High Flow

in a sixteen-year old who‟s only complaint is that he‟s been coughing for a week.” Patrick shook his head. “Even though I‟ve been doing this a while, it still amazes me what people will call an ambulance for. Just last week I had a guy come in with nothing more than a tiny cut on his hand. He tied up a rig for something that only required soap, water and a Band-Aid.” “I‟m sure Forrest has all kinds of interesting stories he could swap with you.” Margo gave a smile that was all mischief. “Then why don‟t you ask him about them yourself?” Patrick picked up an empty chart, then passed it pointedly at her. “Because I‟m not his type. You on the other hand, are.” Even though he knew better than to feed into this gossip fire, Patrick couldn‟t resist asking, “Where did you hear that?” “My friend, Janet, is one of the nurses from St. Michaels in Flint and she told me about him. Forrest used to work in that city before he got transferred down here. I guess they were pretty close. While I couldn‟t get her to dish too much, she did say he‟s gay.” Despite himself, that little bit of info did pique Patrick‟s interest. He flipped his own chart closed. “Well let‟s go see this cougher.” They‟d just reached the front of the nurse‟s 19

Stephani Hecht

station as Forrest and his partner wheeled in the cot. Other than the fact that he was currently under the treatment of a pair of medics and in the middle of the ER, the patient looked the perfect picture of health. He also had the whole bratty Ideserve-everything thing going on, from his highend sneakers, to the sour look on his face. “I told you I didn‟t want you to bring me here,” the kid scowled. “And I told you we didn‟t have a choice but to transport you since you‟re a minor,” Forrest countered in an overly calm voice. “So if you didn‟t want to be here, then you should have never called 911 and told them you were having trouble breathing.” Forrest‟s partner, a cute, short, thin blond, named Dustin, grinned at Patrick. “Richie Rich is just upset because he was hoping Kelly would be on the rig that responded to his 911 call.” When Patrick shot him a questioning look , the blond held his cupped hands in front of his chest to indicate how big Kelly‟s chest size was. Margo coughed in a vain attempt to cover her laughter while Forrest gave a good-natured roll of his eyes. “Give it a rest, Dustin. I‟m sure that‟s not the reason. And I told you to stop calling the patient by that name.” “How about Spencer Pratt?” 20

High Flow

“No.” “Erik Menendez?” “Nope.” “Paris Hilton.” Forrest titled his head to the side thoughtfully. “Okay, I guess we can go with that one. Who knows, maybe it will make Kelly like him better.” “I‟m sure he didn‟t call 911 just to pick up a girl,” Margo reasoned. The kid perked up a goofy grin plastered on his face. “No, they‟re right. That‟s why I did it. Last time I rode in her ambulance, I could see all the way down her top whenever she bent over. It was hot!” Patrick didn‟t know whether to laugh or use his stethoscope to strangle the brat. Going by the way Dustin put a finger down his throat to mimic puking, he wasn‟t nearly as impressed by Kelly‟s rack. Forrest merely shook his head as he gestured for the newly dubbed Paris to move over to the hospital bed. There was no sense in straining to move a patient who could very well do the task himself. “We have a sixteen-year old who presented with a cough and runny nose a week ago. No signs of fever, lungs sound clear,” Forrest said before he went on to rattle off a set of vitals, all of which were in the normal range. By the time Patrick acknowledged his report, 21

Stephani Hecht

the dark-haired medic was wheeling the cot out of the examining room. Patrick‟s stomach sank with disappointment even as he darted a covert glance at the man‟s ass. Or at least he thought it was covert until he caught the knowing grin on Dustin‟s face. He’s single, Dustin mouthed as he gave an exaggerated nod of encouragement. Patrick groaned when he spotted Margo pointing in his direction before replying in kind, So is he. Dustin let out a soft laugh before he gave a large, over dramatic wink to Margo. He then picked something off the cot and said, “Will you look at that? Forrest left his clipboard behind.” Patrick didn‟t know whether to laugh or moan at their poor show of sneakiness. It was a good thing they were both in the medical field because they‟d never have made it as con artists or used car salesmen. Margo ginned. “Now that‟s a shame. He really needs that.” “Somebody should take it to him.” Patrick was about to snap that Dustin could do it since they were partners, but took one look at the smirk on the brat‟s face and realized that would only encourage them. Really, their whole act came off as juvenile and stupid, but Patrick wasn‟t too proud to turn the opportunity down. 22

High Flow

He grabbed the clipboard before he gave Margo a few orders regarding the patient‟s care, then turned around and walked away. “He should be in the EMS room,” Dustin called out as Patrick left the room. Patrick hung a quick left and opened the door to the closet-sized room that the EMS crews used to write up their run sheets and other paperwork. The room was glaringly white, the bright florescent lights bouncing off the floor and walls. A long table took up most of the space although they‟d managed to squeeze in a counter. Forrest stood at it, pouring a cup of coffee. He brought it up to his nose and gave slight grimace, the gesture made him seem almost boyish. “The Jell-O isn‟t much better,” Patrick said. Forrest jumped, nearly dropping his cup. He fumbled for a few moments before he recovered. An appealing blush covered his cheeks as the corner of his mouth kicked up into a hint of a smile. “Sorry, I didn‟t realize you were there.” “Well, you know what they say about us doctors…we‟re known for our Ninja-like stealth skills.” “Really? I‟d just heard you guys like to play golf and always stick others with the check at restaurants,” Forrest teased back, a cute, lopsided grin coming over his face. “Hey, that‟s not fair. I just paid for Margo‟s 23

Stephani Hecht

lunch the other day,” Patrick countered as he stepped further inside the room. “And where did the doctor take the pretty nurse?” The corners of Forrest‟s lips twitched, showing he very well knew how corny that question sounded. “Taco Bell,” Patrick admitted, a heat coming over his face. It was worth the embarrassment because it earned a chuckle from Forrest. The medic‟s laughter sounded soft and rich at the same time and made a slight shiver dance over Patrick‟s body. God, just when I think he couldn’t get any better, he has to go and show that he can be playful and sexy at the same time. “So why are you slumming in EMS land?” Forrest gestured around the small space. “It can‟t be for the stale donuts and the decades-old coffee.” “You forgot this in the room.” Patrick lifted the thick metal clipboard up as a peace offering. “Oh, thanks. I‟d be lost without that thing.” Patrick held it out and, as Forrest reached forward to take it, their gazes locked. As sappy and teen angsty as it sounded, Patrick found himself lost in the man‟s soulful, brown eyes. He must not have been the only one to feel it either, because damn if that blush covering Forrest‟s 24

High Flow

cheeks didn‟t return. “Yeah, I guess you would be. I know how it is in the medical field, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork.” Patrick winced as soon as he realized how idiotic that sounded. Forrest didn‟t seem to mind. He flashed that endearing grin again. “I hear you. I swear they‟re going to start making us document when we take a piss. They keep track of everything else.” “How long have you been working in Pontiac? I just got here a couple months ago myself, but I don‟t think I‟ve ever seen you before.” All the humor fled Forrest‟s face as he nibbled on his bottom lip. “I was supposed to transfer here from Flint six months ago, but an injury kept me sidelined until just last week.” “Nothing too serious, I hope.” Forrest worked his bottom lip again as he shrugged. “Nah, it‟s not even worth talking about.” Patrick didn‟t press. The fidgety way Forrest acted relayed the medic didn‟t find the subject comfortable. There would be plenty of time to learn about the man because Patrick already decided that if he had his way, they‟d be getting a lot closer. “So, Dr. Maxwell, when did you move here?” Forrest asked. “Call me Patrick. We are colleagues of sorts.” 25

Stephani Hecht

Forrest clutched the clipboard to his chest—the gesture coming off as slightly defensive. While he didn‟t seem as tense as before, the stress still clung to him like a shroud. “I‟m Forrest.” “I know.” “You do?” Forrest‟s brows drew together as his grip on the clipboard grew tighter. If he kept it up, he‟d leave dents in the damn thing. Now it was Patrick‟s turn to be confused. If he had to put a name to the vibes Forrest was sending out, it would be fear, which was ridiculous since they were having a perfectly normal conversation. In fact, before the issue of transferring had come up, Patrick would even dare to say that Forrest had been a little flirtatious. Patrick wondered if maybe the other guy was just shy or something, because for the life of him, he couldn‟t figure out what he could have said to scare the medic. “Yeah, Margo told me. She‟s the brunette nurse who‟s been working with me,” Patrick replied. Perhaps Forrest thought Patrick was some weird kind of stalker or something. The medic relaxed a bit. “Oh. Your lunch buddy. I guess that makes sense. The nurses do like to talk to each other. Almost as much as us medics do.” He looked back down at his drink with another grimace. Patrick saw his opening. “If you want, I can 26

High Flow

take you out for a real cup of coffee. I get off in a couple of hours and I know this great little café a couple of blocks away from here.” A flurry of emotions quick fired over the medic‟s face, shock, interest, fear and then sadness. Forrest nibbled on his bottom lip for a third time before saying, “I‟m sorry. I can‟t.” Disappointment crashed into Patrick. Not that he‟d never been turned down before or anything. He‟d just never been so quickly attracted to anyone the way he was with Forrest. “Some other time then?” Patrick pressed, hoping he didn‟t come across as some kind of desperate loser or something. Forrest hesitated a bit before he gave a slight shake of his head. “I would love too, but I have a lot going on in my life right now.” In other words, Thanks, but no thanks and I’m just trying to let you down easily. The medic wasn‟t finished. “I‟m not just saying that either. I really do have a ton of things to juggle around. My dad is sick, my sister is a handful and I have to take care of my younger brother. Plus, I‟ve been picking up a bunch of extra shifts to make up for all the salary I lost while I wasn‟t working.” This may have dissuaded Patrick had there not been that brief flicker of interest that still lingered on Forrest‟s face. He knew he hadn‟t mistaken it. 27

Stephani Hecht

Not that he was vain or anything, he just usually knew when someone was interested in him. So there had to be a reason for the brush-off and he had a burning need to get to the bottom of it, because damned if he was going to give up on Forrest that easily. Before Patrick could press for more answers, Forrest tossed his full cup into the garbage, then started for the door. “It was nice talking and everything, but I really need to get back to work. With as busy as things have been in the city lately, my company doesn‟t like us to waste too much time between calls.” Patrick said goodbye, but it was wasted since Forrest had already left the room. In fact, the guy motored out so quickly, Patrick felt half-tempted to check the tiles for skid marks. As he stood in the now empty, overly white room, Patrick replayed the conversation in his mind. Forrest seemed friendly enough, but there‟d also been a shadow of fear lingering in the man‟s gaze, almost as if he were terrified of getting too close. Still it didn‟t run Patrick off. In fact, if anything, it made him want to dig deeper until he found a way around Forrest‟s shell.

28

High Flow

Chapter Three

F

orrest rushed so fast to the rig he nearly broke into a dead-run. His heart pounded hard as his lungs barely managed to squeeze in enough air to keep him going. Stumbling the last few steps, he somehow managed to get the door open and climb inside, his movements clumsy. Only after he got the door shut did he feel some of the bone crunching fear ebb. He let out a sound of dismay, disappointed in himself for losing it just because someone had looked twice at him. He closed his eyes, mortified at the way he‟d ran out on Dr. Maxwell. The guy probably thought Forrest was a mental case or something now. The first good looking man to notice Forrest in ages and he had to go and blow it by acting like a spaz. It didn‟t help matters that the doctor was damn hot either. With dark blond hair and soft blue bedroom eyes, plus a great sense of humor, he was everything Forrest ever wanted in another man. 29

Stephani Hecht

Now, he probably would never bother to even speak to Forrest again, let alone give him a second glance. “And just what would you do if he did, you dumb fuck? You can‟t even hug your own brother without puking after. If you actually tried to get intimate with someone, you‟d have a freak fest that would put the Oprah’s Favorite Things audience to shame,” Forrest chastised himself, his own self-loathing evident in his shaking voice. The driver‟s side door opened, making Forrest jump, a sharp yelp passing over his dry lips. Dustin hopped in, all smiles until he got a good gander at Forrest. “Oh, honey, what happened?” Dustin‟s face softened in a maddeningly, knowing way. “Oh, nothing big. A great looking guy asked me out and I responded with a panic attack.” Dustin reached out for him, but pulled back his hand at the last minute. Forrest hated himself more at that moment. Since the EMS community was so enclosed, even the medics in Pontiac knew about his attack and all of Forrest‟s new hang-ups. While Dustin never brought the subject up, he still somehow managed to pick up on the way Forrest didn‟t like to be touched anymore. Had he been capable, Forrest would have let out a bitter laugh. At one time, he‟d been the biggest slut out there. Now he nearly vomited if 30

High Flow

anyone so much as brushed against him. The other day, one of his patients, an elderly women, had been seeking comfort and gripped his hand. The urge to pull away grew so strong that Forrest had to bite his lip until it bled to make himself stay put. “Did he come on too strong or something?” Dustin asked gently. “Not unless you count asking someone out for coffee as pushy.” “Yeah, not the last time I checked, unless it‟s a code for something else.” Dustin cocked his head to the side, a playful, thoughtful expression crossing his face. “You know, maybe it is. I‟ll have to check the Urban Dictionary site to make sure.” That finally got a small laugh out of Forrest. While his partner could be airheaded, flamboyant and over the top at times, he was also turning out to be a damn good friend. “Do you ever worry?” Forrest blurted. “About using a phrase, not knowing that it means something cheap and disgusting? All the time.” “No. Does it ever scare you being out at this kind of job,” Forrest hedged. Dustin gave him a sharp look. “Why? Has somebody been giving you flack or something?” Not exactly, but on the other hand, Forrest didn‟t think it was a coincidence that the only two 31

Stephani Hecht

open men in their company just happened to be placed on the same crew. While Forrest didn‟t hate having Dustin as a partner, he did resent the implication of their pairing. “Everyone here has been nice to me. Sometimes overly so because of what happened. It‟s just I know that there has to be talk. Especially with some of the old-school types who think only real men should have this job.” “You act like you‟ve heard that phrase a lot,” Dustin replied, his blue-eyed gaze narrowing suspiciously. Afraid he‟d revealed too much, Forrest backtracked. “No, like I said, everyone here has been great and they were all understanding up in Flint, too.” “Uh-huh,” Dustin drawled, clearly not buying it. Forrest held his breath, worried his partner would push the issue. In the end, Dustin started the rig and pulled out. Once they hit the streets, they quickly picked up another call and never brought up the subject again. Forrest couldn‟t miss the speculative glances Dustin kept shooting his way though. It‟d grown dark outside by the time Forrest‟s shift ended and it‟d become bitterly cold. He only lived five minutes away from the station, but he 32

High Flow

froze all the way since he hadn‟t bothered to warm up his car before he left. As he pulled in front of his family‟s old ranch home, anger rushed him as he noted the number of cars parked in front. Damn it, Deb. Couldn’t you just take one day off from partying? He parked and forced himself to go inside, dreading what he‟d find waiting for him. As soon as he opened the door, the strong odors of cigarette smoke and beer hit him. “Deb,” he yelled. She didn‟t answer, but that could simply be because she couldn‟t hear him over the loud voices and blaring music. The living room was deserted save for some empties and full ashtrays. He picked up a few items on his way to the kitchen. His sister sat at the table with six of her friends, engrossed in a poker game. Forrest tried not to grimace when he saw the skimpy outfit she wore. While he never thought himself a prude, an almost see-thru white tank top and tight jean skirt were a bit much. Her long dark hair was swept up, showing off several large hickies on her slender neck. The fact that they were on display couldn‟t be an accident since she could have very well used some of the ten pounds on makeup she had on to cover them up. “Damn it, Deb. You know this smoke isn‟t good 33

Stephani Hecht

for Dad,” Forrest bitched as he went over and opened a window. She rolled her eyes, sharing some snide laughter with her friends. Although Forrest had grown up with many of them, he‟d never call them buddies. As much as it pained him to admit, they were all like Deb. None of them had steady jobs or ambitions. Whatever cash they did manage to scrape together usually went for cigarettes, booze or drugs. “Relax, will you? Dad‟s asleep in his room and I shut the door.” She lit another cigarette, the bangles on her wrists making soft clacking sounds. “It doesn‟t matter if you close the door or not. It still gets into his room.” Forrest opened another window and for good measure cracked the back door so some more fresh air could get inside. “What‟s the big deal? It‟s not like he‟s going to notice or anything.” Forrest turned to gape at her. Just when he thought his older sister couldn‟t sink any lower, she had to pop off a comment like that to prove him wrong. “You don‟t know that for sure. You heard the doctor. Even though he can‟t talk to us all the time, doesn‟t mean he can‟t still understand what we say. “Face it, Forrest. Dad‟s brain is fried. He‟s just some gross, disgusting blob that demands too 34

High Flow

much attention.” He had to swallow back the hurt. When had Deb turned into such a cold, heartless bitch? Sure she‟d been mean when they‟d been kids, but nothing like this. “Then why are you still here? If he‟s that much a burden, you should just move out.” “And leave the house and social security checks for you and Todd? I‟d bet you two would just love that?” “Like I would want to fight to keep this,” Forrest scoffed as he waved a hand over the crappy interior of the home. “As for Todd, he‟s only sixteen, so leave him out of this.” What Forrest didn‟t voice aloud was Todd could never think ahead enough to be devious like her. W Where Deb had a mean, vile side, Todd tended to be almost too caring and compassionate at times. One of the men at the table, Oliver McDaniel, smiled at him. “Come on, Forrest. You need to unwind for once in your life.” Forrest cast a wary glance in Oliver‟s direction. With long, dark hair that looked like it hadn‟t seen the business end of a shower in days, he had to weigh at least two hundred and sixty pounds. The last thing Forrest wanted was to get into a confrontation with the man. “Thanks, I think I‟ll just go to bed. I had a long 35

Stephani Hecht

day at work,” Forrest hedged, his argument with Deb nearly forgotten. Now all that mattered was just getting away. Oliver pulled a joint from the front pocket of his red plaid shirt and held it up. “Why don‟t you smoke with us? If you‟re a good boy, I may even let you suck me off later on.” “Yeah, we know how much you like that,” Deb cooed, a nasty glint in her eyes. Ugh! Even if Forrest could stand being touched, he still wouldn‟t have touched that offer with a ten-foot rattlesnake. One of the girls sitting by the wall, a petite redhead Forrest had never seen before, perked up. “Is he gay or something?” “Yes, unless you have a dick, my baby brother isn‟t interested,” Deb replied, never taking her gaze off him. She pursed her lips into a tight smile, her expression all but screaming I-won-thisround-asshole. “Oh.” The redhead sighed. “That‟s such a waste. He‟s really cute.” Forrest sucked in a breath. As if it weren‟t bad enough that he had to face homophobia at work and in nearly every aspect of his daily life, he now had to deal with it at home, too. Determined to not let Deb and her crew see that they‟d hurt him, Forrest shook his head before he retreated to his father‟s room. He found Dad sitting in his wheelchair, the TV 36

High Flow

playing. One of his favorite court shows was on and he watched with a vacant, green-eyed stare. The nurse left at five, just like every other day. She must have given him a bath earlier because his gray hair looked clean and he wore a fresh pair of sweats and t-shirt. Forrest sat on the edge of the mattress, wondering for the millionth time, why he came home. He had everything he needed in Flint, a good job, a great apartment and friends. Plus, if he hadn‟t decided to leave, then his old friends wouldn‟t have thrown him that going away party at the bar. If he hadn‟t been at the bar that night then… The door opened and Todd slipped inside. “Hey, I thought I heard you come home.” Even though he was six years younger than Forrest, Todd still had a few good inches of height on him. Instead of having the same dark hair as Forrest and Deb, Todd had inherited the golden blond coloring of their deceased mother. “How long have Deb‟s friends been here?” Forrest asked as he checked his father‟s catheter and then adjusted the blanket covering his lap. “A couple of hours.” Todd made a face. “I don‟t know what‟s worse, the smoke or the bad big-hair band music they‟re listening to.” Forrest smiled. The one bright spot of Pontiac was being able to spend some real time with his 37

Stephani Hecht

younger brother. With everything that‟d gone on the past year, the two of them had grown closer and Forrest knew he‟d have been lost without his brother‟s cool wit and compassion. The only thing he regretted was the fact that Todd had to grow up too damn fast. Many times, the youth got this look in his eyes that reminded Forrest of a tired, old man who‟d seen way too much. “How was school today?” Forrest asked. “Good, I got an A on my Chemistry exam.” Todd came over and sat next to Forrest. “What did you get on the Spanish quiz?” Todd shrugged. “A C. I know I could have done better. I didn‟t study enough for it.” Guilt tugged on Forrest. He‟d been picking up extra shifts in order to pay off some of the mounting bills so a huge chunk of the household chores fell on Todd‟s shoulders. “I‟m sorry,” Forrest croaked. “Hey, it‟s no big deal. I‟ll be able to bring the grade back up.” Todd reached out to pat Forrest‟s hand, only to frown when Forrest tensed. “You know I‟d never hurt you, right?” Todd asked, his gaze growing so sad. It made Forrest want to kick himself. “It has nothing to do with you, I swear. Ever since that night, I can‟t stand for anyone to touch me.” Todd drew his hand back, then started to fiddle nervously with the bedspread. “Have you been 38

High Flow

going to that therapist?” “Sure,” Forrest lied. Between work, caring for his father and keeping up the household, Forrest didn‟t have time for therapy visits or much else for that matter. When he did manage to have a moment to spare, he needed it for sleep. “Are you sure?” Todd pressed. “You keep losing weight, you‟re not sleeping well and you still flinch whenever someone gets too close.” Yeah, Todd was definitely too wise for his years. “Yeah, I‟m sure.” No, I’m not. In fact, I’ve never felt more unstable, but I dare not lose it because then who would take care of everything? Luckily for him, Dad chose that moment to have a brief burst of lucidity. “What are you two doing in here and where‟s your mother.” Okay, make that a semi-lucid moment since Mom was never coming home. But since Dad didn‟t remember anything following the accident, it was the best they got. “She went to the store,” Forrest fibbed. The one time they‟d told Dad that Mom was dead, he‟d sobbed uncontrollably for hours, only to forget everything again the next day. After that, Forrest decided not to tell him the truth. Maybe that wasn‟t the most moral path to go, but damn if he wanted to see his old man break down again. 39

Stephani Hecht

“I hope she remembers my chewing tobacco. I‟ve been out for days,” Dad whined as his gnarled fingers plucked at the blanket. “I‟m sure she‟ll buy some for you. I added it to the list,” Forrest assured him. Another lie. Since the accident, Dad hadn‟t been given the stuff and it wasn‟t like he could hop in the car and go get it himself. Dad fretted for a few more moments before he slipped into silence, his gaze fixated on the television once more. “He‟s not going to get better, is he?” Todd asked, his eyes wet with unshed tears. Forrest briefly debated lying a third time, but in the end, decided Todd deserved the truth. “No, he won‟t. He‟ll probably get worse.” “He‟s going to die,” Todd said flatly. “Yeah, he probably will. His body is slowly shutting down and once certain things are gone internally, you don‟t get them back. We were lucky he woke up from the coma at all.” “The hospital should have never brought him back in the first place,” Todd declared fiercely. Forrest didn‟t know whether to agree with that point or not. In the same car accident that‟d killed their mother, their father had been brought into the ER. He didn‟t have a heartbeat, but the staff had worked hard to bring him back. While they‟d been successful, Dad‟s brain had suffered damage from being without oxygen for so long. 40

High Flow

“Maybe if I‟d been there during his therapy, things would have worked out better,” Forrest said. Todd shook his head. “You can‟t blame yourself for that. You were in the hospital yourself because of the bashing.” “I know, I just wish—” “What? That you could do everything for us? You already do, Forrest. Deb sure as hell hasn‟t been there for us. If it weren‟t for you, Dad would be in some state-run nursing home and I‟d be in foster care.” Forrest took a steadying breath and forced himself to put an arm around Todd‟s shoulders. The close contact made Forrest nauseous, but the way Todd sank into the comfort, made it worth it.

41

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Four

P

atrick worked long shifts over the next two days and his mind constantly drifted to his new favorite topic. Forrest. While he hadn‟t run into the medic again, Patrick couldn‟t stop thinking of the shy darkhaired man or his reaction to Patrick‟s offer for a date. More than once, he nearly cracked and asked Margo to call her nurse friend again to see if she could gleam some more information for him. Each time, he resisted the urge. Forrest made it perfectly clear he wasn‟t interested, so Patrick realized he should let things go. Try telling that to his soft side though, because the more he went back to the look of panic and fear that‟d passed over the medic‟s face, the more Patrick wanted to reach out and protect him. It was near the end of his shift and he‟d been feeling the lack of sleep all day, so he darted into the break room to grab a cup of coffee. This just proved how desperate he was. He hadn‟t been 42

High Flow

lying when he told Forrest the stuff was bad. He‟d just finished pouring a cup when Margo came in. For once, she didn‟t immediately start talking. Instead, she leaned against the wall and stared at him as she nervously worked her fingers. “What did you do now?” Patrick demanded. “I swear if you sent Aggie down to radiology again sans gown, I‟m not covering for you again. You really have to give those poor techs a break now and then.” “No, it‟s not that.” Her dull tone and pale complexion sent a spike of worry through Patrick. Setting down the coffee, he urged her over to a chair. “What is it then?” “I talked to my nurse friend from Flint again. This time I pressed her for more information about Forrest.” Patrick sank into the chair next to her, his heart hammering. Going by Margo‟s reaction, whatever she found out must have been bad. It took a lot to get her this worked up. “What did she tell you?” “Are you sure you want to know? It‟s really bad.” “Yeah, I do.” Even as he made that assertion, his stomach clenched in dread. “Right before he was supposed to move away, Forrest was attacked in a bar parking lot. They think as many as six assailants were involved and they nearly beat him to death. By the time they 43

Stephani Hecht

were done, they‟d broken his nose, shattered one of his tibias, fractured his ribs, gave him a concussion, damaged his spleen and punctured a lung. Then he suffered from hypothermia from lying in the snow for so long before his friends discovered him. Even after they managed to get him to the ER, it still took him a while to get on his feet again because of all the damage done to his body.” Patrick‟s mind reeled at the thought of anyone hurting the small man. “Why would anyone want to harm him?” Margo met his gaze. “Because he‟s gay. I guess they were throwing out homophobic comments while they attacked him.” It took everything in him not to curse aloud as he imagined the fear Forrest must have experienced when he found himself facing six angry, hateful men. “Did they ever catch the attackers?” Margo shook her head. “According to Janet, Forrest was never able to identify any of them. He claims that he only recalls bits and pieces of the assault.” Patrick gave her a sharp look. “What do you mean claims?” “Janet and some of Forrest‟s old friends always thought that he was too afraid to give all the information. That he knew at least some of his 44

High Flow

attackers, but didn‟t say so for fear of retaliation.” “Who could blame him,” Patrick defended, more protective of Forrest than ever. If he‟d just wanted to reach out and hold the man before, now Patrick wanted to hold the medic in his embrace and never let go. He lowered his head to the table with a groan. How was it that Forrest came to mean so much to him when they‟d only met once? If there was one thing he‟d never believed in, it was love, let alone love at first sight. So why was it that all he could think about was finding Forrest and somehow letting him know that Patrick would do anything to make sure he never hurt again? “There‟s something else you should know,” Margo said as she ran a soothing palm over his back. “According to Janet, Forrest is still suffering some psychological side effects. He has nightmares, refuses to talk about that night and won‟t let anybody touch him.” Patrick recalled the defensive way Forrest held the clipboard and suddenly it all made sense. He sat up and rubbed his temples. “Did Janet tell you why she didn‟t let you know all this when you first asked her about Forrest?” Margo shrugged. “She seems pretty protective of him. Or maybe she just assumed we already knew. After I talked to her, I asked around and a lot of people here in Pontiac were aware of the 45

Stephani Hecht

incident. I think you and I didn‟t because I recently transferred here from the clinic and you just moved into town.” They were silent for a few moments before she asked, “So what are you going to do? Are you just going to forget about starting anything with him and move on?” Patrick didn‟t even have to think over that question. “No, I want to get to know him better, more than anything. I just need to figure out a way for him to trust me enough to open up some.” “How are you going to do that?” “I‟ll just keep chiseling away at his shell. I can be very persistent and patient if I want to be.” She smiled. “Somehow I figured that would be your answer. For what it‟s worth, I think he may be worth it.” The rest of the night Patrick thought about Forrest more than usual. So much so, that when the medic came rushing through the ER doors, Patrick didn‟t experience any surprise. Then he took a closer look and realized the situation was anything but normal. While he helped push the cot, Forrest wore a pair of jeans and black t-shirt instead of his normal uniform. His eyes were wide with fear and he wore a pained expression as he kept speaking soothing words to the patient, a middle-aged male. 46

High Flow

Even though it was the end of his shift and he could have easily passed the patient off to the next doctor, Patrick sprang into action. “What do we have?” “A fifty-five year old male with a prior stroke history began presenting symptoms of slurred speech and facial drooping,” a female medic said. “The patient‟s son witnessed the onset of symptoms and called EMS immediately.” “How long ago was that?” To know the timeline was imperative, since he could only give certain drugs at specific intervals. “It was twenty-two minutes ago,” Forrest answered. “I‟d just brought in his dinner and he was having one of his lucid moments. We were talking when the symptoms hit him.” Patrick nearly faltered a step as he realized that the patient was Forrest‟s father. Now he was gladder than ever that he‟d decided to take on the patient. He ushered them into one of the larger exam rooms. As the medic transferred the patient over to the hospital bed, Patrick went over to Forrest. A blond teen ventured timidly into the room and stood back out of the way. “Is that your brother?” Patrick asked, resisting the urge to put a comforting hand on Forrest‟s shoulder. Forrest nodded, never taking his gaze off his father. “Yeah, he followed the rig in our car.” 47

Stephani Hecht

“Why don‟t you take him into the family room? He doesn‟t need to see all this,” Patrick urged. Forrest paused, clearly torn as his gaze shifted from his father to his brother. “I‟ll take good care of your dad. I promise,” Patrick said. The sense of hopelessness and despair looming from Forrest became so overwhelming that Patrick almost broke every protocol and hugged the man. It was only after he reminded himself that he had no real relationship with the guy that Patrick held his urge at bay. “Okay, just promise to keep me updated,” Forrest replied. He jerked his head toward the door. “Come on, Todd. It may take a while for them to get Dad stabilized.” Just as he reached the door, Forrest paused, “By the way, his name is Richard.” “I‟ll make sure to remember that.” After they left, Patrick turned his attention to the patient. He worked hard, the time passing by in a rush as he ordered numerous blood test and other medical tests. At first, he was too busy to leave the bedside so he sent Margo to give Forrest a couple updates. Finally, they had Richard stable enough to transfer to a room upstairs. After he put in the orders, Patrick went to the family room. He found Forrest on the brown couch, Todd 48

High Flow

close to his side. The younger brother‟s eyes were red and swollen, dried tears marring his cheeks. Every now and then Forrest would reach over and rub Todd‟s back in a comforting manner. Given what he‟d heard about Forrest not liking physical contact anymore, that said a lot for how much he cared for his sibling. “How is he?” Forrest asked, his voice rough with emotion. “Do you want Todd to step out for a moment?” Patrick didn‟t exactly have a good report to give. While Todd looked to be around sixteen, Patrick didn‟t know if the kid was emotionally ready to hear everything. “No, I‟ve always been honest and upfront with him when it comes to Dad.” “I can handle it,” Todd interjected as he wiped at his eyes, almost as if he feared any hint of tears would mark him as immature. Patrick felt a rush of respect for the teen. Now that Patrick knew the full extent of their father‟s medical history, he realized just how much of a battle the past several months had been. To have handled that, plus the attack of his older brother on top of it, showed how strong Todd truly was. “We have him stabilized for now,” Patrick said as he took the chair opposite them. “While we don‟t think there was any lasting damage to his brain this time, we really don‟t know for certain 49

Stephani Hecht

yet. Either way, I don‟t know how much longer his body can take all this. I know he‟s still relatively young, but his organs aren‟t holding up.” Todd let out a soft sound of distress, but held it together otherwise. Forrest just swallowed several times before he nodded grimly, as if he‟d grown used to such dire news. “When can we see him?” “We‟re getting ready to move him to a room in the ICU. You can go visit him before, but it has to be really quick.” “Thanks,” Forrest replied with a watery smile. He stood up and motioned for Todd to follow them. Even though he knew the moment should be private, Patrick couldn‟t resist peeking in on them as they stood by their father‟s bedside. Forrest had an arm around Todd‟s shoulder. While Forrest‟s eyes remained dry, Todd sobbed freely. Patrick turned away, feeling like an intruder. Damn it, he‟d wished the news could have been better—that he could have done more to help their father. In his short career as a doctor, there‟d been many times where Patrick felt helpless, but none more than that moment.

50

High Flow

Chapter Five

I

t was well after midnight by the time they got home from the hospital. When they found the house empty and Deb-less, Forrest wasn‟t really surprised. Her group of friends tended to scatter whenever any vehicle with lights and sirens appeared. They didn‟t seem to differentiate between cop, medic or fireman. To them, they were all one in the same. Forrest couldn‟t feel bad about her absence. It would be good to have one night of quiet and a smoke-free environment. He only wished they hadn‟t left such a big ass mess. Dirty dishes, empty pizza boxes, drained beer cans and other garbage were scattered throughout the home. Forrest had just started a half-hearted attempt to clean it up when a knock on the door interrupted him. Assuming it was just another one of Deb‟s loser friends, Forrest let out a put-upon sigh as he looked through the peephole. When he saw 51

Stephani Hecht

Patrick on the other side instead, Forrest‟s heart did a small gallop. Fear and excitement collided in Forrest‟s chest, making him unsure of himself. Still, it‟s not like he could leave the Doc standing out on the porch. Not in this crappy neighborhood. Forrest took a deep breath to steady his nerves before he worked the chain and deadbolt. “Hey,” he blurted, for lack of anything savvier to say. Patrick‟s smile made Forrest feel warm from the inside out. It seemed a bit odd to see the man out of his usual white coat and in a pair of jeans. Forrest couldn‟t help but notice how nice said jeans fit, too. While he hadn‟t had a rear view yet, the front was enough to make him drool. Add in the red t-shirt that was just tight enough to accentuate the man‟s tight stomach and pecs and Forrest was an instant fan of the new wardrobe. God, what he wouldn‟t have given at that moment to be his old self. Six months ago, Forrest would have already been climbing like a spider monkey up Patrick‟s delicious body. Now, all Forrest could do was stand there and gape like an idiot. “Sorry.” Forrest stumbled to step out of the way. “Come in.” Only after he had the door shut behind them, did Forrest remember the call-FEMA-now state of 52

High Flow

the house. It wasn‟t just the trash either, but the threadbare stained carpet, the Brady Bunch era furniture and the stains on the ceiling. Desperate to make things even a little better, Forrest began to rush around, picking up stuff. “I know the place is a mess. My sister had some friends over and when she gave them the grand tour, she must not have shown them the trashcan. The cigarette butts are theirs, too, because I don‟t smoke. It‟s a nasty habit that I really can‟t afford. Besides…” Forrest trailed off as he realized he‟d been babbling. He pasted a smile on his face and turned his full attention to Patrick. “So what brings you here tonight? I sure as hell hope it‟s not a home visit, because I don‟t think my insurance would cover that.” Patrick blinked a few times as if Forrest‟s topic three-sixty threw him off. He recovered quickly. “No, this is more of a personal visit. One friend just checking up on another.” Not able to handle the intensity of being so close to the attractive man, Forrest started up with the cleaning again. “I didn‟t realize that we‟d progressed from acquaintances to buddies. How did you find out where I live anyway?” Forrest scooped up a bunch of bottles and took them into the kitchen, Patrick tagging along. “I looked up your address in the phone book.” Forrest dumped his load in the sink and turned 53

Stephani Hecht

on the water. “Huh, I didn‟t know they still made those things, what with the internet and all.” “Sure, at least twice a year I find the newest addition of the Yellow Pages on my porch.” Patrick leaned his hip against the counter, making himself right at home. Forrest would have almost believed it had it not been for the way Patrick‟s expensive watch and designer shoes clashed with the cheap linoleum. “We don‟t get that kind of delivery service in this neighborhood. Even the Yellow Pages wouldn‟t be caught dead here.” While Forrest knew his comment might have come off as bitter, it was true. The crime rate had been craptastic to begin with, but after the city cut most of the police force, it‟d gotten downright scary. If it weren‟t for the great big bill pile, Forrest would have found some way to move them all to a different neighborhood. Well…almost everybody. Deb could keep the house for all he cared, just so long as she left him and Todd alone for the rest of their lives. Patrick didn‟t appear daunted by Forrest‟s attitude. “Friends or acquaintances aside, I wanted to come and see how you were holding up.” Afraid his face would reveal too much, Forrest kept his gaze directed at the sink. “I‟m fine. I have already accepted that my dad isn‟t going to last much longer. Truth be told, I started to mourn him 54

High Flow

the day of their accident.” “It still must be hard.” Forrest gave an indifferent shrug he was no way close to really feeling. “You get used to it.” “How is Todd holding up?” “He‟s still harboring some resentment toward Dad, but at the same time he loves the guy.” Since it didn‟t look like Patrick would be leaving until he got some dirt, Forrest plunged ahead, “I don‟t know how much you‟ve heard about how my dad ended up this way.” “Something about him being in a car accident and having to be revived.” “That‟s just glossing things over. The truth was Dad was high as a hot air balloon that night. So was my mother for that matter. They both were addicts—crack, meth, booze, you name it they were hooked. So Dad decided to get lit and then hop behind the wheel. He hit a tree, the tree didn‟t give, the car became a jumbled mess. Mom‟s injuries were so extensive that there was never any hope of saving her. My dad fared better so the responding medics started CPR. When they got him to the hospital, he still wasn‟t breathing, but the ER staff kept working the code. Eventually they did get a heartbeat going and stuff, but by then Dad‟s brain had been so deprived of oxygen, there was no coming back mentally.” Forrest paused for a breath, mortified over how 55

Stephani Hecht

much he‟d just spewed out. If Patrick hadn‟t thought he was some loser already, he sure as hell would after that huge info dump. He forced himself to look in Patrick‟s direction. He expected to see shock or disgust on the older man‟s face, but all Forrest found was a softened expression that spoke of understanding. “Then on top of all that, you were attacked,” Patrick said. “You heard about that?” Forrest turned off the water and grabbed a towel to dry his hands. The entire time he worried that Patrick thought of him as some kind of victim or weakling. Patrick moved a bit closer, but he didn‟t reach out to touch Forrest. In fact, the man seemed to be making great pains to make sure there wasn‟t any contact. Forrest briefly closed his eyes in shame as the implication to why slammed into him. “Let me guess, you already know about how I have hissy fits if anybody touches me.” “Yes, but it‟s nothing to be ashamed about. You suffered through a very traumatic experience. You can‟t just expect to heal from that overnight.” The soothing way Patrick put that made Forrest want to believe it was true. He wanted to so badly, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. “So now you know why I told you I couldn‟t go out with you,” Forrest said dully. Inside he was yelling and screaming at himself. 56

High Flow

There had to be a million guys who‟d love to date Patrick. Not only was he damn hot, but he was so compassionate, too. In other words, he was the perfect guy and Forrest was blowing his one and only chance. “It doesn‟t matter to me. I‟ll wait for as long as it takes you to be ready,” Patrick replied. “Huh?” Forrest stammered. He had to have heard wrong because there was no way Patrick could still be interested. Patrick finally reached out, but it was only to give a brief, one fingered caress to Forrest‟s arm. Forrest waited for the usual roll of nausea, but all that hit his stomach was a nice, happy feeling. “I can be patient because you‟re worth it,” Patrick declared. Forrest gasped as he looked deep into Patrick‟s gaze. Forrest assumed that he‟d find a clue there to why Patrick would be interested in someone like him. All Forrest saw was a tenderness that‟d never been directed his way by anyone else. “Don‟t be ridiculous. How can you know that when we‟ve just met,” Forrest protested even though every fiber of him wanted to hope that maybe Patrick did care. “I guess you make a great first impression.” Patrick grinned. “Unless there‟s some other reason why you don‟t want to go out with me? Maybe I‟m too old for you?” 57

Stephani Hecht

“No, you‟re perfect.” Forrest felt a flush come over his cheeks at that admission. “Are you sure? Ten years is a big gap.” “I‟m positive.” “Then does that mean you‟ll let me take you out for that coffee?” Forrest opened his mouth to fire off an excuse. Patrick held up a hand and continued, “I know things are going to be hectic since your dad is in the hospital so it doesn‟t have to be for that long. I‟ll even put up with the gruel they make in the cafeteria if I have to. Just as long as I get a few minutes to spend with you.” Forrest‟s mind raced. He realized he should turn Patrick down. The last thing Forrest needed was to be starting a relationship. His life was already a pile of mess to begin with. One look at Patrick‟s sweet gaze made Forrest‟s resolve crumble. “I guess one cup of coffee can‟t hurt. I don‟t work tomorrow and the ICU doesn‟t allow visitors from three until five, so I‟m free then.” “Great, I have tomorrow off, too. I‟ll pick you up at the hospital.” Forrest smiled in return, part of him still worried that it was all a big mistake. The last thing he wanted was for Patrick to get hurt and he probably would be once he realized that there was no fixing what was broke inside Forrest.

58

High Flow

Forrest‟s nerves were no better the next day as he stood in front of the hospital. Since he had no clue as to what kind of car Patrick drove, Forrest just hung back and hoped the doctor would honk when he pulled up. Finally, a slick, black sports car stopped in front of him. Forrest gaped at it a moment, until the passenger side window rolled down and he saw Patrick behind the wheel. This is his car! It probably cost more than the home Forrest lived in. Shit, it probably cost more than three homes in his neighborhood. “I am so out of my league,” Forrest muttered under his breath. “Hop in,” Patrick called. Forrest nodded before he rushed forward and opened the door. As he slid over the fine leather seats, he prayed he didn‟t leave behind dirt or something. “I thought most doctors had a ton of college debts to pay off,” Forrest blurted as he resisted the urge to run his palm over the dash. Patrick gave a half-shrug. “My parents are well off and they paid my entire way through college.” “Must have been nice,” Forrest murmured, thinking about how he‟d have given anything to have been able to even go to a community college, let alone medical school. “Yeah, I guess I was lucky.” Patrick cleared his 59

Stephani Hecht

throat self-consciously. Determined not to be a Debbie Downer for once, Forrest flashed a grin. “No, lucky me. I don‟t think I‟ve ever been in a car this nice, let alone having a hunky doctor serve as my personal chauffeur.” “If you like the car that much, I‟ll let you drive it on the way back.” Forrest‟s mouth parted in shock before he argued, “No, I might crash it or something.” Patrick shrugged. “That‟s okay. I „m insured.” “Be serious! This thing costs a fortune.” “I‟m sure the ambulance you drive for work isn‟t exactly cheap either.” Forrest gave Patrick his best are-you-serious look. “You can‟t even begin to compare the two. Plus, Dustin never lets me drive.” “Why‟s that?” “I won‟t bore you with the details, but let‟s just say the reason involved a dog, a g-string and a hooker.” Patrick laughed and shook his head. “Oh, no you don‟t. You can‟t give me a tease like that and then not tell me the whole story.” “I don‟t know,” Forrest hedged playfully. “Dustin is going to be pretty pissed if he finds out I talked about the most humiliating moment of his life.” “Which is one of the reasons you‟re going to 60

High Flow

take great satisfaction in spilling.” So true. While Dustin may be one of Forrest‟s closest friends, the story was just too good that he couldn‟t resist. “Have you treated Bertha yet?” Forrest asked, barely containing his grin. “You mean that really heavy, red-haired prostitute?” “Yeah, the one who has a fondness for anything that‟s animal print. Don‟t forget that she‟s well over six-feet tall, too.” “Yeah, I‟ve treated her a few times already.” Patrick gave a slight shudder. Not that Forrest blamed him. Bertha may wear only animal print, but that little bit she did throw on barely concealed her body. Even if she‟d been a fitness model, nobody wants to see that much flesh hanging out of a g-string. “Dustin was in the back of the rig treating her. Bertha had taken some bad ecstasy so she was tripping. She kept trying to get up and rabbit from the back of the rig, despite the fact we were going forty-five miles per hour.” Patrick grimaced. “Ouch, with as little as she wears that would have given her a nice case of road rash.” “That‟s what Dustin kept trying to tell her, but she either was so far gone she couldn‟t hear him or she just didn‟t give a damn.” “As I recall, Dustin is pretty small, too.” 61

Stephani Hecht

“Even I have a couple inches on him.” Forrest flushed as he realized that declaration could be taken in a whole different manner. “I mean tall wise.” Patrick smiled but didn‟t call him out on it. “How in the hell did he manage to stop her?” Patrick asked. “Dustin can be a scrappy fighter if he has to be. He was doing great until it happened.” Forrest had to work hard to keep the laughter from his voice. “What happened?” “The dog.” “The dog?” Forrest nodded grimly. “The dog. I was driving along and all of a sudden this ugly mutt darted out into the street.” “What did you do?” “Exactly the opposite of what we‟re trained. I swerved to avoid it and slammed on the breaks.” Patrick let out a muffled noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter. “Was the dog okay?” “It ran off without a scratch on it. I wish I could say the same thing about Dustin though.” “Oh, no,” Patrick‟s eyes widened as if he knew where Forrest was heading with this. “Oh, yes. After I managed to get the rig stopped safely, I turned around and saw Bertha, face down on the floor by the cot. I couldn‟t find Dustin…at 62

High Flow

least not at first.” “Because he was under her?” Patrick ventured, his voice soft with horror. “Yup. All I could see was his hair. It took him five minutes to get out from under her because Bertha decided she didn‟t want to move anymore.” “Was Dustin hurt?” “Just his ego, but after that, he refuses to let me drive again. It‟s like he thinks I made up the dog or something.” Patrick cocked a brow. “Did you?” “No, but I still think it‟s funny as hell.” Forrest started to laugh and Patrick joined him. After that, all the tension in the car eased and Forrest relaxed. Maybe he could get through the date without humiliating himself again. Either way, he was already enjoying himself more than he had since before the attack.

63

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Six

P

atrick was going to crash the car if he didn‟t stop darting looks in Forrest‟s direction. He couldn‟t help it, now that he had the medic in his car and actually talking, Patrick felt more drawn to the man than ever. This had gone far past just being a crush or inflation. As reckless and juvenile as it seemed, Patrick felt quite certain that he could fall hard for Forrest. Being so close to the man, yet not being able to touch him, drove Patrick nearly wild. Every breath he took in brought in the alluring, slightly spicy scent of Forrest. All Patrick wanted to do was grab Forrest and bring him in closer so that scent covered both of them. “I thought you said we were just going out for coffee,” Forrest said as they pulled in front of a Chili’s restaurant. “I figured you would need a break from the hospital food, too. I know from personal experience their lunches are even worse than their 64

High Flow

coffee.” Patrick parked the car and turned off the ignition. “I don‟t know. I think I‟m developing a taste for their slimy ham sandwiches,” Forrest drawled. “Oh boy, it looks like I got you out of there just in time. Next you‟ll be saying you have a craving for their crusty mashed potatoes and gravy.” Forrest smiled, somehow looking so sexy and adorable at once that Patrick‟s breath caught in his throat. He‟d meant it the previous night when he‟d said he‟d wait for Forrest because damn if the guy wasn‟t worth it. They got out and went inside. Once they were seated in a booth and had ordered, Forrest asked, “So since you already know all my deep secrets, why don‟t you tell me about yourself?” “There‟s not much to me. I grew up in Bloomfield Hills.” “What about your parents? You said they paid for your school. Are they always so supportive?” Patrick recalled some of the ugly history Forrest shared about his own parents and felt a twinge of guilt. “Yeah, they‟re really great.” Forrest just nodded as he took a sip of cola before firing off the next question. “Do they know you‟re gay?” “I came out to them when I was fifteen.” “How did they react?” “To them it was no big deal. They took it all in 65

Stephani Hecht

stride. How about your parents?” Patrick asked. “I don‟t know.” Forrest began to fiddle with his straw wrapper. “My mom was okay with it. Just as long as it didn‟t interfere with her life, we could do pretty much do what we wanted. I could tell it bothered my dad though.” “How so? Did he ever say anything to you?” “Nope, that‟s just it. After I came out, he basically ignored me unless it was to borrow money or something. It was like I ceased to exist to him.” Unable to resist any longer, Patrick reached over the table and lightly touched Forrest‟s hand. “Well, that‟s his loss. I couldn‟t think of a better son than you.” They both stared down at where their hands were touching, Forrest wearing a slightly awed expression, Patrick holding his breath. When time continued to tick away, Patrick grew worried that maybe he‟d pushed things too far and started to pull his hand back. “No, don‟t,” Forrest exclaimed as he reached out to reclaim Patrick‟s fingers. “It actually feels kind of nice.” Patrick studied Forrest‟s face carefully, looking for any sign of distress, but all he found was a soft expression of wonderment. Seeing this, Patrick threaded their fingers together and kept it that way until the food arrived. 66

High Flow

While they ate, Forrest continued to pepper Patrick with questions about his childhood, his college years and other aspects of his personal life. In between, Forrest shared a few more humorous stories from his own job. Finally, Forrest said, “I really should get going. Todd will be coming home from school and I should feed him before we go back to see Dad.” Patrick nodded before he reached over and snatched Forrest‟s phone away. “What are you doing? If you‟re looking for any nude pictures, you‟re in for a big disappointment.” Forrest laughed as he halfheartedly tried to take it back. Patrick dodged his efforts and began to punch some buttons. “I‟m programming my phone number and home address in your phone.” Damn, if that admission didn‟t earn him another one of Forrest‟s cute as hell smiles. “Why are you doing that?” Forrest asked. “So you‟ll be able to reach me at all times.” “And what makes you think I‟ll want to do that?” Forrest demanded, still all grins. “Because you let me hold your hand,” Patrick replied a little cockily. The waitress dropped off the check and Patrick scooped it up just as Forrest started to reach for it. “This one is on me.” He could tell Forrest wanted to protest. It didn‟t 67

Stephani Hecht

surprise Patrick either. In the brief time they‟d known each other, he‟d come to recognize that Forrest had a proud, independent streak that ran a mile wide. To mollify him, Patrick said, “You can get the next one.” The tension eased from Forrest‟s shoulders as the playful expression returned to his face. “You seem awfully confident that there will even be a next time.” “Like I said, you let me hold your hand. I look at that as a guarantee.” Forrest pressed his lips together as he seemed to be thinking it over. “I guess I can put up with your company one more time.” At that moment, Patrick felt that he was seeing a bit of the old Forrest, the one who didn‟t have a trauma behind him in addition to a whole family‟s worth of responsibilities. It made Patrick want to do more for him—to keep giving until that smile was permanently back in place. Patrick paid the bill then they went out to the car and Forrest once more refused the offer to drive. On the ride back, Forrest kept up a steady stream of chatter, mostly about idle things. It wasn‟t until they pulled in front of the hospital that the painfully familiar, pensive expression returned to Forrest‟s face. “If you need anything at all, just call me,” Patrick urged one last time. 68

High Flow

Forrest gave a slight nod before he undid his seatbelt. His fingers curled around the door handle for a brief moment before he turned toward Patrick. “Why me? You‟re hot, smart, rich and have a great personality so you must have your pick of guys. I don‟t get what you‟d want with some poor, undereducated scruff like me.” Since he‟d gotten away with touching him earlier, Patrick allowed himself to reach out and cup Forrest‟s face. When the younger man briefly closed his eyes and turned into the touch, a thrill of victory went through Patrick. That’s it, babe, open up to me. It’s safe, I promise. Since he knew it was too early to speak those words aloud, Patrick simply went with, “I want you because you‟re Forrest. I wouldn‟t change a thing about you because you‟re perfect the way you are.” A small sound of surprise burst past Forrest‟s lips before he swallowed a few times. “Wow, Doc, you really have a way with words. Has anyone ever told you that before?” “They‟re more than just mere words, but I think you already know that.” Patrick held his breath in anticipation as his heart began to beat in hard thumps. This had to be some kind of record. Their first official date hadn‟t even ended and he‟d already laid his soul out to be stomped on. Forrest licked his lips a few times before he slowly leaned toward Patrick. The tension in the 69

Stephani Hecht

car seemed palatable as Forrest inched closer and closer. Patrick stood stock still, not even daring to breath for fear of breaking the moment. Finally, Forrest pressed his lips against Patrick‟s cheek in a soft, yet sensual caress. “I happen to like you a lot, too,” Forrest whispered in Patrick‟s ear. Then Forrest pulled back and quickly left the car before Patrick could respond. Even after the younger man entered the hospital, Patrick sat there for a while, his cheek tingling from the brief contact. **** Later that same evening, Forrest pulled up in front of the address Patrick had put into cell phone. Though it was dark, Forrest still let out a low whistle as he gazed up at the large, two-story home. Even though this was Waterford and not the more ritzy Bloomfield Hills, Patrick‟s home and neighborhood still screamed classy. Forrest turned off his car and nibbled on his bottom lip as he debated aborting his mission. If he turned around now, then Patrick would never have to know that Forrest had ever come over. For all he knew, Patrick could be sleeping, or worse, with some other guy. Maybe he wouldn‟t appreciate Forrest coming over unannounced. 70

High Flow

Then he saw the curtains in one of the front windows flicker and Forrest realized he‟d been spotted. He let out a shaky sigh. Great, now he had no choice but to go ring the bell and hope that Patrick didn‟t slam the door in his face. Forrest grabbed the pizza box from the seat next to him and forced himself to leave the safety of his car. As he started up the porch steps, the front light turned on and the front door opened. When Patrick gave him a welcoming smile, the relief was so strong, Forrest felt his knees go briefly weak. “I promised you I‟d pick up the next check,” Forrest said as he held the pizza box up slightly. Patrick wore a pair of black workout pants and a blue t-shirt, making Forrest wonder if he interrupted a workout session. This instantly brought forth an image of Patrick all hot, his muscles gleaming with sweat, his face flushed with exertion. Forrest repressed a groan as desire coursed through his body. Something that‟d been happening with alarming frequency since he‟d met Patrick. Try as he might, Forrest couldn‟t get the man off his mind. Earlier, when they‟d been in the car, Forrest wanted so badly to kiss Patrick. Then at the last minute, he‟d chickened out and gone for a chaste peck on the cheek instead. Ever since then, Forrest had been kicking himself for not daring to 71

Stephani Hecht

go in for the man‟s lips. “That looks good,” Patrick said as he stepped to the side to let Forrest in. “Are you sure? I don‟t want to intrude or anything. I know I didn‟t even call ahead of time,” Forrest worried. “Are you kidding? This is a pleasant surprise. The only thing you‟re interrupting is Wipeout.” “Oh, I love that show.” “Then let‟s get some plates and we can eat while we watch it,” Patrick suggested. Patrick led the way to a kitchen so large Forrest‟s entire house probably could have fit inside it. All the appliances were stainless steel and looked to be top of the line. The cupboards were a rich, dark mahogany. Forrest ran a finger over the cool, gray marble countertop. “Do you like to cook?” he asked, as he set down the pizza box. Patrick grabbed some clean plates from the dishwasher. “Not really. How about you?” Forrest pulled a face. “No way. In fact, Todd‟s banned me from the kitchen because I‟m such a failure when it comes to that. My sister, Deb, is a really great cook though. She makes a nacho dish that‟s out of this world. It‟s Todd‟s favorite meal.” Patrick set the plates down next to the box and stepped in closer. Forrest tensed as he waited for the familiar symptoms of anxiety to return but 72

High Flow

found nothing. He wasn‟t too surprised though. He was quickly learning that the same rules didn‟t seem to apply to Patrick. If anything, Forrest felt nearly crazy with the need to have the man caress him. Before he could lose his courage again, Forrest rushed in and pressed his body against Patrick. When that still didn‟t set off any panic buttons, Forrest upped the ante, standing on tiptoe so he could brush their lips together. That one taste of Patrick proved so satisfying that Forrest went in for another, than a third one. On the fourth pass, Forrest darted his tongue out to lick the seam of Patrick‟s lips. Patrick took the hint and opened up so Forrest could slip his tongue inside. Patrick reached out gently to put his hands on Forrest‟s hips, but otherwise stood still and let Forrest set the pace. “You taste so good. Kind of sweet,” Forrest confessed between kisses. “I was eating Jolly Ranchers before you got here.” Forrest hummed before he delved inside for another sample. “I like it.” He wanted to take things further but feared he‟d become overwhelmed. Somehow Forrest didn‟t think Patrick would find a panic attack very sexy. Forrest gave one last kiss before he reluctantly pulled back. He still kept his hand in 73

Stephani Hecht

place and Patrick didn‟t remove his grip either, so they weren‟t too far away. “You doing okay?” Patrick asked. “Yeah, I am,” Forrest replied, unable to keep the wonderment from his tone. “I don‟t know what is about you, but whenever I touch you it feels…” “Right?” Patrick finished for him. “I know, it probably sounds sappy.” Forrest ducked his head, embarrassment flooding through him. Patrick put his fingers under Forrest‟s chin and forced him to look back up. “No, it doesn‟t because I feel the same way.” Forrest shook his head. “This is crazy, Patrick. We just met and we couldn‟t be more different.” “Yet, you still know it‟s true.” His mind whirled as Forrest thought up several arguments and quickly dismissed them because he couldn‟t deny the truth. Somewhere…somehow in the span of a couple of days he‟d managed to fall for Patrick. Still, he thought he should lay it all out so Patrick could be certain what he was getting. “You may want to know that I used to be kind of a slut,” Forrest confessed. “I don‟t care. So long as you don‟t sleep with anyone else now that we‟re together.” “I‟ve been told I snore and talk in my sleep.” “I‟ll buy earplugs.” 74

High Flow

“I take long showers and use up all the hot water.” “I‟ll invest in a bigger water heater.” “I love disco music and listen to it all the time.” Patrick pulled back and wrinkled his nose. “Do you really?” “No, I just wanted to see what you‟d come up with to counter that,” Forrest admitted with a soft chuckle. “I can already see that life is never going to be dull with you around.” Patrick moved in to give Forrest a quick kiss before he broke the embrace. “Let‟s eat before it gets cold.” They filled their plates and took the food into the living room so they could watch Wipeout while eating. As they watched the contestants run through the insane obstacle course, Patrick and Forrest competed to yell out the various injuries the poor saps sustained. Forrest quickly found that Patrick wasn‟t above creating the most outrageous combinations, just so he could get a leg up. “You are such a cheater,” Forrest finally accused. “Who me?” Patrick asked, all wide-eyed and innocent. “Yes, you! Who ever heard of someone getting a penile and tib-fib fracture at the same time?” “Did you see the way that guy bounced all over 75

Stephani Hecht

the Big Balls? It could happen. In fact, there was this one time, when I was still a med student, where they brought this patient in. He‟d been riding a motorcycle and—” Forrest put his hand over Patrick‟s mouth. “Don‟t you dare. I‟ve already seen enough penis injuries on my job without you adding your own nightmares on top of it.” Patrick playfully nipped at Forrest‟s palm, making him yelp in surprise as he pulled his hand away. A commercial started and Patrick gathered up their empty plates, then took them into the kitchen. When he got back, he sprawled out on the couch and tugged Forrest closer. Forrest let out a low moan as he settled into Patrick‟s warm embrace. The new position made it so Forrest was practically lying on the other man, but he didn‟t mind, especially when he felt Patrick‟s hard cock pressing into his stomach. “Is that for me?” Forrest teased. He wiggled a bit so there could be no doubt about what he was referring to. “Sorry, it seems like a near permanent condition whenever I‟m near you.” Patrick grunted. “Well then you better be careful when working. We all know how scrubs don‟t hide anything.” “I‟ll have to make sure I wear my coat at all times.” 76

High Flow

Forrest sighed as he rested his cheek on Patrick‟s chest. He could hear the man‟s heartbeat and that soothed him, almost as much as being able to finally tolerate having a warm body against his. Before the accident, Forrest thrived on human contact and until then, he truly hadn‟t realized how much he‟d missed it. Who was he kidding? Nobody, before or after, had ever made him feel this safe and cherished. He wanted so badly to stay in the comfort of Patrick‟s arms forever. For a moment, Forrest even experienced a moment of selfishness where he wished that he had no responsibilities or worries. That he could cuddle up with Patrick, and at the very least, stay the night. “I need to leave pretty soon,” Forrest sighed, his heart heavy with regret. “I thought so,” Patrick replied, sounding equally disappointed. “Todd is at a friend‟s now, but he‟ll be home soon. I‟m really sorry to have to bail so early on you.” “Don‟t be sorry. One of the things I love about you is your compassion and loyalty to others,” Patrick said, his fingers making a lazy path down Forrest‟s side. “I do wonder who took care of you when you were hurt.” “My friends from Flint. They would take different shifts and drive all the way down here to take care of my dad and me. I don‟t think we 77

Stephani Hecht

would have made it without them. Todd tries, but he‟s just a kid and Deb is, well…Deb. If it hadn‟t been for Dylan, Kaleb, James, Matt and the others, Dad probably would have ended up in a nursing home and Todd in foster care. I‟m very lucky to have such good friends.” “I‟m sure they probably say the same thing about you.” “Yeah, they tell me that every time we get together for poker and I lose all my money to them,” Forrest teased with a soft chuckle. He gave another sigh before forcing himself to get up. Patrick walked him to the door before pressing another soft kiss to Forrest‟s lips. “What are you doing tomorrow?” Patrick asked. “I have to work until three, then I was going to visit Dad at the hospital.” “How about after visiting hours?” Forrest searched his memory. “Nothing special. I think I may have to drop Todd off at his buddies‟ house, but that‟s about it.” “Why don‟t you come over after you‟re done with that? This time I‟ll order in.” A little happy thrill went through Forrest, making him feel like some giddy teen with a crush. “I would love to.” “Good, I‟ll see you then.” They exchanged another kiss before Forrest left. 78

High Flow

As he drove back to his own neighborhood, Forrest couldn‟t get the grin off his face. With everything that‟d gone wrong in the past few months, it seemed as if finally something may be going his way. He didn‟t know when or if Patrick would wise up and decide that he didn‟t want to be stuck with a loser like him, but until then Forrest planned to treasure every moment.

79

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Seven

“T

hank God you‟re on time today. The rain is damn cold,” Todd griped as he hopped into the car. He brushed a hand over his coat, causing some water to flick onto Forrest‟s face. Forrest wiped it off as he reminded himself for the millionth time that it took patience to deal with teens. “I already apologized for being late yesterday. I got hung up on a long call. It‟s not like I could have abandoned the patient in the middle of Telegraph Road because my shift was officially over,” Forrest reasoned as he pulled away from the curb. “You should have. It was probably some methhead loser like Deb and her friends.” Todd yelped when Forrest reached over and gave him a light smack on the back of his head. “Have some compassion,” Forrest chastised. “That‟s your department. Me, I just want to stay dry.” 80

High Flow

If Forrest believed that Todd really meant that statement, Forrest would have called him out on it. He understood that it was only stress and anger making Todd say stuff like that so he decided to let it slide. “So are you going to see your doctor again tonight?” Todd asked with a sly grin. Forrest felt a blush come over his cheeks. “He‟s not my doctor and yes, we have plans, tonight.” “Seeing as how you‟ve been over there for the last three nights I would say that makes him very much your doctor. What kind of wild activity do you have planned?” “We‟re going to order in some Chinese and watch Supernatural.” Todd gave him a sideways glance. “Are you serious?” “Of course I am. What‟s wrong with staying in?” “Nothing, in fact I can‟t think of any activity that‟s more daring or exciting.” “You don‟t need to be a smartass,” Forrest groused. “Seriously, are all gay guys as wild or is it just you two who live on that dangerous edge?” “Just because you‟re taller than me doesn‟t mean I can‟t still kick your ass,” Forrest threatened. Todd went on, undaunted, “You‟re right, I 81

Stephani Hecht

should cut you some slack. It‟s probably all your doctor can do since he‟s so old.” “Thirty-two isn‟t old,” Forrest protested. “Ugh,” Todd gave an exaggerated shudder. “He‟s probably getting ready to join AARP.” “Funny,” Forrest drawled sarcastically. “Does he have to eat the early plate special at restaurants? You know, so you guys can get home in time for The Golden Girls and Matlock?” “I‟ll have you know it‟s Touched by an Angel or nothing at all,” Forrest shot back, finally giving up and chuckling at Todd‟s comments. They both burst out laughing. Once they‟d calmed down some, Todd said, “All kidding aside, I‟m glad you found somebody.” “I don‟t know that I necessarily found anybody. We‟ve only gone out a few times,” Forrest hedged. “But you like him a lot, don‟t you?” Todd pressed. Forrest didn‟t have to even think that one over. “Yeah, I do.” “I‟m really happy for you. After everything you‟ve given up for us, you deserve for something good to happen to you.” They drove in silence for a few moments before Todd finally asked the question Forrest had been dreading to answer. “Have you heard anything about Dad today?” While his tone seemed casual enough, the way 82

High Flow

he fiddled with the seatbelt gave away his anxiety, which probably accounted for his earlier smartass comments. Whenever Todd grew nervous, his mouth flew out of control. Forrest sighed. While he‟d love to toss out a whole bunch of it‟ll-beokays he knew Todd deserved more than that. “He spiked a fever around noon. They think another infection has set in,” Forrest said. “But I thought the doctors said he wouldn‟t survive if something like that happened,” Todd replied in a small voice. Forrest took a deep breath. “He won‟t.” “Are you saying he‟s going to die soon?” Todd‟s face crumbled a bit before he took in a heaving breath. Forrest knew his brother was fighting to hold it together. To handle this news like he thought a man should, even though in actuality he was still a kid. Forrest pulled off to the side of the road, reached out and pulled Todd into an awkward embrace. Whether it was because of the intensity of the situation or the fact that being with Patrick had broken some mental barrier, Forrest now found it easy to touch his brother. He deepened the embrace, holding Todd tight. When Todd let out a sigh and sank into Forrest‟s arms, he knew that‟d been exactly what his brother needed, too. “You‟re not going to be alone,” Forrest vowed as he pressed a kiss on top of Todd‟s head. “I‟m 83

Stephani Hecht

not going anywhere. You‟ll always have me.” One single loud sob burst from Todd before he pulled away and retreated to his side of the car. He pressed his lips together and nodded. His eyes were full of tears, but they didn‟t fall. After a couple sniffs, he said, “Thanks for being honest with me about his condition.” “I thought it would be better if you were prepared before we got there.” “It was.” Todd let out one last sniff before he gave Forrest a watery smile. “Okay, I‟m ready. Let‟s go see him.” Forrest gave Todd‟s shoulder a comforting pat, then pulled the car back onto the road. They drove the rest of the way to the hospital in silence, the only noise an occasional sniffle coming from Todd. Once they arrived, Forrest parked in the visitor‟s lot and they made the now familiar trek to the ICU. As soon as they walked through the double doors into the hospital unit, Forrest knew things weren‟t good. He could see people rushing in and out of his father‟s room and heard orders being barked—ones that marked a code blue. “What‟s going on?” Todd demanded in a broken voice. Forrest tried to answer him, but found he couldn‟t speak around the lump in his throat. While he‟d been through numerous full-arrests as 84

High Flow

a medic, this was the first time he was seeing it from the side of a family member of the patient. His expression must have spoken volumes though because Todd let out a sound of distress. “No, he can‟t go, yet. I didn‟t get a chance to say goodbye,” Todd sobbed. This time the teen couldn‟t or refused to hold his tears back. One of the nurses, an older looking, short female, came rushing over. “We need you to go into the waiting room.” Forrest nodded dumbly before he put an arm around his brother‟s shoulders and led him out. They went into the large room and sat down on one of the many uncomfortable couches. Already they‟d spent way too much time there over the past few days, waiting for those few brief moments of visitation time. Now they sat and waited for the news that Forrest dreaded, but was certain would be coming. Around a half hour later, a tired looking doctor came into the room. Before he even spoke, Forrest already knew what he was going to say. His father‟s suffering was over and he‟d finally died. Forrest didn‟t dare cry or show any weakness though. Todd needed him to be strong, to be the adult and take care of things. Once they were home and Todd was asleep, then Forrest could finally mourn for his father. Until then, he had his family to take care of. 85

Stephani Hecht

The next couple hours passed in a haze as Forrest dealt with consoling Todd, finding a funeral home to take his father and other issues. He also took the time out to place a call to Patrick. Since Todd was next to him, Forrest just gave Patrick the basic details. “I‟m so sorry, babe. Is there anything you need me to do for you?” Patrick asked once Forrest finished explaining. Forrest felt a little better just hearing the man‟s voice. “Not right now. If anything comes up I‟ll phone you.” “I want you to call me later anyhow. I‟m worried about you.” “I‟ll be fine. Like I said before, I‟ve known for a long time that this was coming.” After he hung up, he led Todd back out to the car. Dinner time had long passed and his brother looked so overwhelmed that Forrest just wanted to get him home and taken care of. Todd hadn‟t spoken in a while as he seemed to withdraw into himself a bit. Forrest filled the silence with idle chatter, just in the hopes of keeping Todd anchored. When they pulled up to the house and saw numerous cars outside, Forrest had to bite back a curse of frustration. Damn Deb to hell! He‟d been trying to phone her ever since their father died and she hadn‟t picked up once. To see 86

High Flow

that she‟d been home but ignoring his calls made Forrest want to yell in frustration. Anger surged through him, some of it fresh, but most of it the accumulated crap he‟d been holding back. Parking the car without much care, Forrest jumped out and ran inside. He could hear Todd yelling for him, but Forrest ignored him, too intent on finally giving their sister the ass chewing she deserved. “Deb, where in the hell are you?” he yelled as he rushed inside. Several surprised shouts and whistles met his outburst. He ignored those as well as he went into the kitchen. He found her in her usual chair, dressed in her usual skank wear and drinking her usual brand of beer. “What‟s your problem?” she demanded. “I‟ve been trying to call you.” She shrugged. “I‟ve been busy. Besides, I have nothing to say to you.” Forrest balled his hands into fists and he held back the long string of names he wanted to call her. “Dad‟s dead,” he blurted. He waited expectantly for her reaction. He‟d anticipated for her to maybe shed a few tears or at least give a shocked gasp. What he got was another damn shrug. “Good, it‟s about time. I was sick of him stinking up the place.” 87

Stephani Hecht

Forrest‟s lips parted in stunned horror. He‟d always known that Deb was cold, but up until that moment, he hadn‟t realized the depths of meanness she could sink to. “H—how can you even say that? I always thought you two were close,” Forrest stammered. “That was before he became such a burden.” She cocked her head to the side, a cold smile spreading across her overly made up face. “Speaking of burdens, you and the brat have an hour to get out of here.” “What are you talking about? This is our home.” “Not anymore. Unless of course you want to make a huge scene about it.” She glanced pointedly as several of her larger male friends who were watching the entire exchange with unconcealed glee. Forrest‟s stomach dropped as the gravity of the situation slammed into him. Deb had never hidden the fact she hated him and that loathing extended to Todd. So he had no doubt she‟d do whatever it took to make them leave. If Deb sicced those guys on them there would be no way Forrest could protect Todd, either. That thought terrified Forrest more than anything. It even took precedent over his own safety. “Fine, we‟ll be gone within a few minutes,” Forrest managed pasta suddenly dry throat. A 88

High Flow

cold sweat broke out over his body as he scanned the predatory glares coming their way. Oh, yeah, there was no doubt in his mind that they‟d all love to have a piece of him and Todd. They would enjoy every moment of their pain, too. He spun around and nearly ran into Todd. The younger man was shaking his head as he studied Deb as if he‟d just found out she was Jeffrey Dahmer‟s long lost twin or something. Forrest only prayed that Todd didn‟t pop off with a smartass comment. With as tense as things were it would only take one tiny spark to make the situation explode. “Grab only what you need. We need to be out of here in under five minutes,” Forrest hissed into Todd‟s ear as he gave the younger man a shove in the direction of the bedroom. He only hoped his brother realized the urgency of their situation. This went way further than a simple family argument. Forrest didn‟t trust that Deb wouldn‟t have her boys attack them immediately and he knew with each moment they spent there, the less the chances of them walking away unscathed. Thankfully, Todd seemed to pick that up, because he moved fast. Forrest and Todd rushed to the bedroom they shared and quickly shoved only the essential items into their backpacks. The first item Forrest grabbed was hidden deep 89

Stephani Hecht

in the back of one of his dresser drawers. It held the information for a CD he‟d opened at the local bank. While it didn‟t have much in it, he hoped it would be enough to pay for the funeral and burial. Since his dad didn‟t have life insurance, all of the expenses would fall to Forrest. “Let‟s go,” Forrest urged. He hurried Todd out of there, not bothering to say goodbye. They jumped into the car and pulled out. Several miles away, once he realized they were safe, his adrenaline finally crashed and he began to shake uncontrollably. All he could think about was the pain he‟d gone through during his previous attack and how Todd almost had to go through the same thing. “Forrest, you need to pull over,” Todd coaxed in a soothing voice. “I‟m fine,” Forrest argued. “No, you‟re not. You‟re shaking so bad we‟re going to get into an accident. Why don‟t you pull over and let me drive?” Forrest began to argue before he finally saw that Todd did have a valid point. At this rate, they were going to end up wrapped around a telephone pole. Forrest pulled into a gas station and put the car in park. “Do you even know where we‟re going?” Todd asked. For a moment, Forrest almost shook his head 90

High Flow

until he realized he‟d been driving in the direction of Waterford. More specifically, he‟d been driving toward Patrick. A few days ago, that realization would have terrified Forrest. Now it brought him a small measure of comfort because he knew he had someone close he could count on. Pulling out his phone, he called his doctor.

91

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Eight

P

atrick paced nervously in the front hallway as he listened impatiently for the sounds of Forrest‟s car pulling into the drive. It‟d been well over twenty minutes since his call so he should have been there already. Just as Patrick was on the verge of calling Forrest back to check up on him, the sounds of wheels crunching against gravel hit Patrick‟s ears. Not caring that it would make him look eager, he had the front door open before Forrest even turn off the engine. Forrest came up the walk, Todd lagging behind him. They both had backpacks slung over their shoulders, but nothing else in the way of luggage. They both also had the same sad, dejected, overwhelmed expressions on their faces. As soon as Forrest came close enough, Patrick reached out and pulled him into a tight embrace. Forrest didn‟t fight it. If anything, he seemed to sink into Patrick. Forrest even brought his arms up 92

High Flow

and returned the hug, squeezing so tight it hurt a bit. Not that Patrick minded, it was worth any amount of discomfort just to have Forrest safely in his hold. “Thank you for letting us crash here,” Forrest whispered into his ear. “Anytime,” Patrick returned in the same low tone. “It won‟t be for long. As soon as I can figure things out, we‟ll leave.” “Don‟t worry about it. You guys can stay for as long as you want.” What Patrick wanted to say was that they could stay forever, but he didn‟t want to seem as if he were rushing things. They broke apart and Forrest turned to the blond. “I‟m sure you remember my my brother, Todd.” Patrick reached out and they shook hands. “I‟ve heard so many good things about you. It‟s nice to see you again..” The blond gave a weak smile. “Thanks, I‟ve heard some pretty nice things about you, too.” “Come on in. I don‟t know if you two have eaten yet. I don‟t cook much, but I can slap together some sandwiches for you.” “No thanks. I‟m not that hungry. I just want to sleep,” Todd said. “Okay, I‟ll show you where your room is.” 93

Stephani Hecht

Patrick led them upstairs. “Here you go, Todd, this is the smaller of the two guest rooms. I put fresh sheets on and stocked the bathroom for you.” Todd peered inside. “This is the smaller one?” “Yeah.” Patrick exchanged slightly amused looks with Forrest. “And it has its own bathroom?” “Sure, it‟s right through that door over there.” Patrick pointed to the right of the room. “Wow, I think I‟m going to like it here. “ A real, genuine smile passed over Todd‟s face. Todd gave Forrest a brief hug before retreating to his room and shutting the room. Forrest shrugged. “Sorry, he‟s not used to having his own bedroom, let alone toilet.” “I‟m glad he likes it. I want both of you to be comfortable here.” Patrick reached out and softly caressed Forrest‟s cheek. “I‟m sorry it was such short notice. I just didn‟t know who else to go to.” Forrest pressed his lips together as he shook his head. “No, scratch that. I didn‟t want to go to anyone else.” “I wouldn‟t have it any other way. It feels good to know that you can turn to me.” Patrick leaned down and brushed their lips together. “I‟ll show you where your room is.” They walked a little further down the hall and Patrick opened one of the doors. Forrest hesitated 94

High Flow

in the hallway. “Where‟s your room?” “Right next door.” “Oh,” Forrest said as he fiddled with the strap to his backpack. Patrick gave him another kiss. “You‟re welcome in either room. I‟ll make sure my door is always unlocked.” There, he‟d left it all up to Forrest so when and if he was ever ready to take that next step, it would all be up to the medic. There would be no pressure from Patrick‟s side of the court. He knew he‟d made the right decision when Forrest stood on tiptoe and gave Patrick a hot, long kiss. When they broke apart, Forrest licked his lips a couple of times before saying in a real low voice, “You better watch it because I‟m falling desperately in love with you.” “That‟s okay because I already know I‟m in love with you,” Patrick admitted. Forrest gave him a shy, almost bashful smile. “Are you sure about all this? I wouldn‟t blame you for not wanting to put up with someone who has as much baggage as I do.” “I‟ve never been more positive of anything in my life.” “I should probably warn you that Todd‟s going to be part of the package. He doesn‟t have anyone else to take care of him and I‟m not going to abandon him.” 95

Stephani Hecht

“That‟s the way it should be, too. I would expect nothing less from someone as compassionate as you.” Forrest gave a slight shake of his head. “I still don‟t understand what you see in me? I can‟t think of anyone else who‟d be willing to put up with all my crap.” “And I don‟t understand how you can‟t see that you‟re worth it. I guess I‟m just going to have to prove to you how special you really are.” Patrick was determined he‟d do just that, too, even if it took a couple decades. One day Forrest would come to realize his worth. Later that evening, Patrick lay in bed and listened to the muffled sounds of the shower from the next room over. His cock, which had been halfhard all night, ached as the image of a wet, soapy Forrest popped into his head. At that moment, Patrick would have done just about anything to have been able to get up and join Forrest in the shower. Then they could spend the better part of the night lathering up each other‟s bodies. Patrick groaned as he buried his face in the pillow. He really needed to get it together. Forrest had just suffered a huge loss and all Patrick could think about was getting into his pants. Patrick‟s cock really needed to get its priorities in order. The water turned off and Patrick continued to 96

High Flow

lay there for several moments as he tried to fall asleep. It proved pointless because his mind kept returning to Forrest and their earlier conversation in the hall. He still couldn‟t believe that Forrest loved him, any more than he could fathom that he‟d actually admitted to having the same feelings. While he‟d had every intention of taking things slow and giving Forrest time to adjust to everything going on around him, Patrick‟s plans fled the instant he held the man in his arms. The bedroom door opened, the soft clicking sound disrupting Patrick from his thoughts. Forrest stood there, illuminated by the light from the hallway. He wore a pair of black sweatpants and a Flint Fire t-shirt, his still wet hair slicked back off his face making him look even younger than normal. No words were exchanged. Patrick just lifted the corner of the blankets and Forrest rushed forward and slid into the bed, his warm back nestling against Patrick‟s chest. Patrick let the blanket fall over them before he wrapped an arm around Forrest‟s thin body. Forrest smelled liked the herbal shampoo Patrick favored. To have something of his scenting the man gave Patrick a strange sense of ownership. He linked their fingers together, their joined hands resting on Forrest‟s chest. 97

Stephani Hecht

Then he heard it. The soft, unmistakable sounds of crying. Despair flooded Patrick as he realized that Forrest hadn‟t been handling things as well as they all thought. He held on tighter, whispering out some soothing words while Forrest began to cry harder. “Sorry,” Forrest whispered between sobs. “You have nothing to apologize for, babe. You just suffered a huge loss.” “It‟s stupid, really. I‟ve known all along it was only a matter of time before he died. Just as I‟ve always known that as soon as he did, Deb wouldn‟t want Todd and me around anymore. I just didn‟t expect it to hurt this much.” “I don‟t think anyone could prepare themselves for everything you‟ve gone through.” “He didn‟t even like me.” “Who? Your father?” Forrest nodded. “He always said I was too soft, sensitive and weak. After I left home the only time he would ever call me is if he needed to borrow money. Even then he never passed up an opportunity to tell me what a huge disappointment I was to him.” Yet, Forrest had dropped everything he had in Flint and rushed home the minute the bastard needed him. The sheer irony of that situation made Patrick‟s blood boil. The jerk should have counted himself 98

High Flow

lucky to have a son as wonderful as Forrest. Patrick wondered how a man so vile could have managed to raise two great kids like Forrest and Todd. Them turning out the way they did just had to be sheer luck because it sure as hell wasn‟t from any of Richard‟s parenting skills. Forrest continued, “What Deb did tonight hurt, too, even though I always knew she was more like Dad, while Todd is more like…” “You,” Patrick finished. “The only reason Todd is the person he is today is because of your influence.” Forrest didn‟t argue, but he didn‟t agree either. He just let out a loud sniff before he snuggled deeper into Patrick‟s arms. “I don‟t think I would have gotten through all this without you.” “And I have no plans on going anywhere either. I promise that I‟ll be here whenever you need me.” Patrick punctuated his comment with a kiss to Forrest‟s cheek. He knew he‟d already made that promise a few times, but he had a feeling Forrest would need to hear several more instances before he believed it. After all, since everyone else in his life had disappointed him, he probably assumed Patrick would eventually do the same. They were silent for a few breaths before Forrest said, “I meant what I said earlier. I love you. It‟s not the grief talking either.” 99

Stephani Hecht

“I love you, too, and I always will. Nothing can ever change that. Like it or not, you‟re stuck with me forever.” Forrest did the snuggling thing again. “I can think of worse things to have to deal with.” Patrick smiled. “Yeah, me, too. **** The next morning Forrest opened his eyes and blinked a few times in confusion as he tried to figure out where he was. A smile spread over his face as it all slowly came back to him. He was at Patrick‟s. More specifically, he was in bed with Patrick, the man‟s strong arms still holding him. More importantly though, was that Patrick loved him. That point sent the biggest thrill through Forrest. He twisted around so he could look at his man. Patrick looked to be sound asleep, his mouth slightly opened. His dark blond hair was slightly messed and he had the hottest stubble covering his jaw and cheeks. Forrest reached up and ran his finger over Patrick‟s face, a low groan slipping past his own lips. Patrick felt so warm, so firm, so alive. Forrest‟s cock, which had already been hard, began to throb with need. He let out a whimper of frustration. It was so unfair. He wanted to be with Patrick in 100

High Flow

every way and he still didn‟t know if he could handle that much physical contact. Still, he‟d managed to spend the night with Patrick basically wrapped around him. So maybe, he‟d be able to take things a little further. It sure as heck wouldn‟t hurt to try. Forrest slid out of Patrick‟s arms so he could shift around until he finally straddled the man. Patrick moaned as his lids flickered open. He blinked, the cutest, confused expression on his face. “What are you doing?” Patrick asked, his voice raspy from sleep. “Testing the waters a bit.” Forrest put a finger over Patrick‟s lips. “Just lay there and let me do all the work.” Patrick‟s eyes grew wide as he mutely nodded. Forrest chuckled in return before he removed his finger and replaced it with his mouth. Patrick groaned, his lips instantly parting to grant Forrest access. Forrest took advantage, slipping his tongue inside to tease and stroke. He only allowed himself a few passes before he moved on, raining kisses down Patrick‟s jaw and neck. “I should give you a great big hickey,” Forrest threatened as he sucked some skin between his teeth. “What would all the nurses say if they saw that?” “That I‟m one lucky fucker,” Patrick panted. Forrest gave one last love bite before he reached 101

Stephani Hecht

down and jerked Patrick‟s shirt up to gain access to more flesh. A hum of appreciation rumbled through Forrest. His doctor was built to perfection, with tight, washboard abs to his perfectly built pecs. Forrest slid down further so he could swirl his tongue around one of Patrick‟s nipples. Patrick hissed in pleasure as his body arched up. Since that seemed to be a sign that Patrick liked it, Forrest did it again, this time adding a little pinch at the end. This time Patrick let out a short cry of pleasure as he threaded his fingers in Forrest‟s hair. “Fuck, that‟s good,” Patrick said. “Well, if you liked that, then you‟re going to love this,” Forrest crooned before he started to kiss his way down Patrick‟s stomach. When he reached the top of Patrick‟s sleep pants, Forrest only hesitated a second before he pulled them down. Patrick didn‟t have any underwear on so his erection sprang free. Forrest licked his lips in anticipation. At one time, he‟d loved nothing more than to suck a good cock. He‟d been damn good at it. He only hoped he wasn‟t too out of practice. Unfortunately, Patrick took his hesitation to mean something else. He reached down and stroked Forrest‟s cheek. “You don‟t have to do this. If you‟re not ready yet, I understand.” 102

High Flow

Forrest gazed up from under his lashes, hoping that the need and hunger he felt showed in his expression. “No, I want to. I want to suck you off, to feel your dick gliding past my lips, to hear your screams of pleasure, to taste your spunk as it coats my mouth.” Patrick‟s eyes flared with passion as he let out a broken sob. “God help me, but I want that, too.” Giving Patrick‟s stomach one last kiss, Forrest finally moved to the cock that was so temptingly close. Thick and long, a drop of pre-cum at the top, it was a work of perfection that deserved to be worshiped. Forrest parted his lips and just sucked in the tip, his tongue swirling to collect up the small pearl of cum. The instant the salty flavor hit his mouth, he knew one taste wouldn‟t be enough. He hummed in happiness. Yes, he could do this…no he wanted to do this. So much so that if he made it through the whole blowjob without creaming his own pants, it would be a miracle. He sucked in hard before letting the tip slip from his mouth. Giving Patrick a wicked grin, Forrest slowly licked the palm of his own hand to slick it up before he grabbed onto Patrick‟s shaft. Taking the man‟s cock back into his mouth, Forrest sucked on the top half while he used his hand to stroke the bottom. Patrick made the most interesting noises as 103

Stephani Hecht

Forrest continued to work his cock. After a while, he moved his hand so he could take every inch of him in. Forrest had been right about one thing, the velvet glide of Patrick‟s shaft sliding over his lips felt damn good. Forrest‟s own dick was hard and needy and he couldn‟t resist using one hand to palm it. Pleasure shot up his spine, making him whimper. Desperate now to make Patrick orgasm before he shot off in his own pants, Forrest began to use all his best moves. It worked because soon, Patrick was letting out long moans as he pumped his hips up. Forrest reached under and cupped Patrick‟s balls, massaging them gently. That seemed to be the thing that pushed Patrick over the edge. He let out a gasp before he bucked, his cock shooting out thick spurts of cum. Forrest swallowed quickly, not wanting one drop to go to waste. He even gave a few little yummy sounds as he licked Patrick‟s cock clean. Only then did he sit up on his knees, a warm feeling of satisfaction going through him. Patrick reached up and pulled Forrest down and forward so he once again sprawled out over the older man. Before Forrest could ask what he had planned, Patrick slid his hand between them. His fingers dipped inside Forrest‟s sweats, not stopping until he had a firm grasp on his erection. 104

High Flow

A loud sound of surprise ripped from Forrest‟s chest before he began to thrust in earnest. He‟d was already so close to the edge that it only took a few passes and he came, too, his hot spunk spattering both their stomachs. Patrick was lucky enough to have his shirt still up though, so he didn‟t end up with a mess on his clothes. Forrest closed his eyes as a heat came over his cheeks. “Sorry, I usually don‟t shoot off that quickly,” he said, ducking his head. Patrick grabbed him by the chin and brought him in for a kiss. Forrest allowed him to take charge, opening his mouth so Patrick could sweep his tongue inside. They made out for a few minutes before Forrest sat up and looked at the sticky stain on his t-shirt. “I guess I better change this before I go to the funeral home,” he teased. “Go take a shower while I make breakfast.” Forrest got up, straightening his pants. “What time do you have to go into work?” “I don‟t have to go in at all. I called in a few favors so I could take the next couple days off to help you out.” The sweet gesture made Forrest tear up a little. “You really did that for me?” Patrick got up and wrapped his arms around Forrest‟s waist. “Of course I did. I knew you needed me.” 105

Stephani Hecht

“I do need you,” Forrest confessed. Strangely, that admission didn‟t terrify him anymore for at that moment, he realized that Patrick would never turn his back on Forrest. For the first time ever, he had someone behind him, supporting him, believing in him and it felt damn good. Patrick lowered his mouth to Forrest‟s ear and whispered, “I‟ll let you in on a little secret…I need you, too.” Forrest hugged Patrick back, his heart overflowing with happiness. While he knew he had a couple rough days ahead of him, he also knew that as long as he had Patrick at his side, he‟d be able to get through them.

106

High Flow

Chapter Nine

“I

am soooooooo glad you‟re back,” Dustin exclaimed as he hopped in behind the wheel of the ambulance and turned it on. Forrest laughed. “Yeah, I kind of got that already since you‟ve told me that about ten million times so far today.” Dustin made a huge show of rolling his eyes. “I can‟t help it. I was just so miserable without you. Do you know who they stuck me with?” Amused with his work partner‟s melodrama, Forrest bit his bottom lip to hold back any further laughter. Since he didn‟t trust himself to speak without breaking down, Forrest just shrugged. It was enough of a response for Dustin to continue, “They made me work with Skylar.” “Ouch,” Forrest said with a wince. Skylar was a newer medic who seemed to be stuck in a permanent state of creepiness. With thin greasy hair, minimal hygiene skills and a freaky laugh, he gave everyone in the company a bad 107

Stephani Hecht

case of the skeeves. “You want to know how long it took him to bring up the fact that I‟m gay?” Dustin asked, his voice pitched with outrage. “Ten minutes?” Forrest ventured. “Try five.” Dylan held up the correct number of fingers to punctuate his claim. “I‟m almost afraid to hear what he said.” “I‟m almost afraid to have to share it.” This time, Forrest didn‟t even bother hiding his grin. “But you‟re going to anyhow, aren‟t you?” “Of course. It‟s my moral obligation to make sure everyone knows what a frigging freak that jerk is.” Dustin took in a deep breath, a sure sign that he was about to launch into a long tirade. “It started when he asked me if I was going to play Barbara Streisand all day. When I told him that I prefer Lady Gaga, he smirked and said something about how it figures since all you gays dig her.” “Did he actually say dig?” Forrest interjected. “Yeah, and then in the same breath he wanted to know if I preferred The Wizard of Oz or Showgirls. When I told him neither, he laughed and called me a liar. Then it got even worse.” Forrest cocked a brow. “Worse than Showgirls.” Dustin gave him a what-till-ya-hear-this look. “Way worse. He wanted to know why I chose to be gay when it would be so much easier to be straight and that I didn‟t know what I was missing 108

High Flow

by giving up women.” “No way?” Forrest gaped at him. After all the slurs that‟d been tossed his way over the years, it shouldn‟t have shocked Forrest, but he still felt the sting of stunned anger. “So I told him that since he‟d decided to be straight, he didn‟t know what he was missing by giving up men. Then I offered him the chance to hop into the back with me so he could find out right then and there.” A squeak of horror burst from Forrest‟s throat. “Did he take you up on the offer?” “Nah, he just got all flustered and pretended that he had to leave to make a phone call.” “What would you have done if he actually said yes?” “I would have screamed like a girl at a Jonas Brothers‟ concert, then ran away as fast as my skinny ass could carry me.” Forrest laughed. “Now that I would pay cash to see.” Once they sobered, Dustin asked him, “So how have things been going with you?” “I‟m better now that the funeral is over and everything.” “I saw how Patrick stood by your side during the entire service.” “Yeah, he‟s been great,” Forrest admitted, the same flutter hitting his stomach that always came 109

Stephani Hecht

when he thought about Patrick. “I also noticed Deb didn‟t show.” “Nope, she didn‟t come for any of the visitations either. It was just as well because then I didn‟t have to put up with any of her bullshit.” Dustin gave him a speculative look. “So are you and Todd still living with Patrick?” “Yeah.” “How long do you think you‟ll stay there?” “I don‟t know. He asked me yesterday if I wanted to make it permanent.” Dustin‟s eyes grew wide with shock. “Wow, that was quick. What did you say?” “I told him that I‟d think about it.” “But you‟re going to say yes, aren‟t you?” Dustin pressed. A heat came over Forrest‟s face. “Yeah, I am.” Dustin let out an ooooh of excitement before he switched to a high-pitched voice, “Ah, my baby has landed himself a rich, doctor. Mama is so proud.” Forrest gave his arm a playful punch. “You‟re such a dork sometimes.” Dustin made a kissie face at him. Forrest shook his head and laughed. One good thing about working with Dustin, things were never dull. The radio gave a loud beep. “Calling Apha 403, do you copy?” 110

High Flow

Dustin keyed the mic. “This is Alpha 403, go ahead.” “You have a call. There is a report of an unresponsive female on the corner of Baldwin and Martin Luther King Boulevard.” “Shit, that‟s Bertha‟s turf,” Dustin hissed before he keyed the mic again. “Copy, we‟re on our way.” Forrest flipped on the lights and sirens as Dustin began to weave around the traffic. It took only five minutes of driving and one quick glance to determine that it was indeed their favorite streetwalker. “Seriously, how can she get away with showing that much flesh? It has to be illegal,” Dustin declared as they pulled to the curb. He did have a point. As much as her black and yellow animal print thong and panties went with her wild mane of red hair, she should have kept her outfit confined to the bedroom. Especially since it was cooler out. If she didn‟t watch it, she‟d catch a chest cold. While Bertha lay flat on her back, she appeared to be very responsive, going by the way she was doing Rockette style kicks. How she managed to do that while on her back was so impressive that Forrest was tempted to clap. As he opened the door to get out, he could hear her singing a very off-key version of the song One from A Chorus 111

Stephani Hecht

Line. As soon as they got closer, she sat up, a look of pure glee covering her makeup-smeared face. “They sent my Chickadee.” Dustin ground his teeth together before snapping, “I told you not to call me that.” She ignored him. With a squeal, she jumped to her feet and attacked, her arms reaching out to bring Dustin to her chest. The medic let out a terrified sounding yelp before she buried his face in what looked to be fifty pounds of boobage. “Did you call 911?” Forrest asked as he watched Dustin struggle in vain to get away. “Yes, I did,” she declared before she made some soft cooing noises to Dustin. “And did you tell them that someone was unconscious?” Forrest demanded, trying to hold in his temper. Watching Dustin‟s predicament did help to lighten his anger some because it was so damn funny. “Of course I did. Everyone knows that gets you guys to come quicker,” Bertha replied without an ounce of remorse. Forrest sighed before he took out his cell phone and snapped a quick picture. Bertha beamed for the camera, acting as if she were a celebrity posing for the paparazzi. “Is this for a movie?” “More like blackmail material,” Forrest said. 112

High Flow

“You suck, Forrest,” Dustin called, his voice muffled. She nodded before she started to walk back to the ambulance. Since she hadn‟t bothered to let Dustin go, the medic had no choice but to go along for the ride, his feet stumbling clumsily on the road. She hopped into the back of the rig and ordered, “Take me to St. Andrew‟s. I need my pills.” Forrest nodded before he closed the rear doors of the rig, then went around to get in behind the wheel. He turned to look at Dustin who‟d managed to untangle himself from his admirer. “Don‟t worry, Chickadee, I promise to watch out for dogs this time.” Dustin shot him a glare that promised retribution. Forrest gave his best shit-eating grin in return. He also made sure to drive very, very slowly to the hospital. After all, one never knew when another one of those pesky dogs might dart out into the street. By the time he‟d pulled into the ambulance bay of St. Andrew‟s ER, Bertha had begun singing I Cain’t Say No from Oklahoma. Before he‟d even put the rig into park, Dustin had already bailed via the rear doors. Bertha gave a small shrug before she hopped out and chased after him. As soon as Forrest walked through the double 113

Stephani Hecht

sliding doors to the ER, he spotted Patrick standing by the nurse‟s station. A warm sensation filled his chest as he stared at his man. Damn, it should be illegal for somebody to look that good in scrubs. Patrick glanced up from his paperwork and gave Forrest a smile. “So, you were the one who brought in Ado Annie.” “Guilty,” Forrest moved in closer so only the counter separated them. “What‟s her complaint this time?” “That she needs her pills,” Forrest replied. “I think Dustin tried to get a set of vitals along the way, but she kept playing handsy with him.” “You left him alone in the back of the rig with her again after what happened last time?” Patrick chuckled. “I had no choice. She specifically requested her little Chickadee.” Forrest darted a quick glance around to make sure nobody was looking before he went around the counter. Grabbing Patrick by the waistband of his scrub pants, Forrest led him into an empty examining room. As soon as they were alone, Forrest wrapped his arms around Patrick‟s neck and brought him down for a kiss. Forrest made sure to keep it brief since they were both on the clock. Once they broke apart, he ran a finger down the center of Patrick‟s 114

High Flow

chest. “Sorry, you just looked too good to resist.” “You look pretty tasty yourself,” Patrick returned. Forrest allowed his fingers to drift down to give a quick caress to Patrick‟s cock. “You‟ve been so patient with me. Even though we‟ve slept in the same bed for the past few days, we still haven‟t made love.” “I think the wake up blow jobs you‟ve been giving me have made the wait tolerable.” Heart hammering with anticipation, Forrest said, “I‟m done waiting. I want you to fuck me.” Patrick gave the tiny bed in the center of the room a jaded glance. “What? You mean now?” Forrest smiled as he continued to run his finger up and down Patrick‟s chest. “No, I meant once we both get home tonight. Todd is staying the night at a friend‟s so we‟ll have the house all to ourselves.” “Are you sure?” Patrick studied him carefully. “Very.” “Because I don‟t want you to feel you have to do anything for me.” “I know. I want to do this. See.” Forrest brushed up against him so Patrick could feel his erection. “Cocks don‟t lie.” Patrick groaned. “Are you trying to drive me crazy? I have another couple of hours until my shift is done and all I‟m going to be able to think 115

Stephani Hecht

about is getting home to you.” Forrest stood on tiptoe so he could playfully nip at Patrick‟s chin. “I get off in one hour so I‟ll make sure to have everything waiting and ready for you.” “Fuck,” Patrick moaned. “Oh, and, Doc?” “Yeah.” “Make sure you wear this home.” Forrest gave the waistband of his scrubs another tug. “You look damn hot in them.” The door to the examining room burst open, making them jump apart guiltily. Margo poked her head in and beamed at them. “There you are, Dr. Maxwell. I hate to interrupt this very important meeting, but we have a car accident patient coming in.” “I‟ll be right there,” Patrick replied. Forrest gave Patrick‟s pants one last tug before he left, winking at Margo on his way out. He went in search for his partner, finding him in the middle of a huddle of compassionate nurses. “You should have seen it. She kept making me motorboat her boobs,” Dustin whined, earning a chorus of concerned noises. Dustin did look as if he‟d been rode pretty hard. His normally carefully styled hair was sticking up in places, plus his uniform top was wrinkled and untucked. There were several red 116

High Flow

lipstick kissie marks on his cheeks and forehead as well. “Time to go, Mr. Drama,” Forrest called. “That‟s easy for you to say. You weren‟t just accosted by over three hundred pounds of horniness.” Forrest rolled his eyes. “I‟m sure it wasn‟t that bad.” Dustin let out a loud gasp. “Are you kidding me? I haven‟t been buried under that amount of boobs since that time a drag queen fell off the stage and landed on top of me.” “Did that really happen?” One could never tell with Dustin since he lived to tell outlandish stories. “Yes, it did. At the last Motor City Pride parade. I think there are pictures of that embarrassing moment, too.” Dustin paused before narrowing his eyes. “That reminds me, what exactly are you planning on doing with the ones you took today?” “Hang them over your head so you‟ll be my slave for life,” Forrest replied in a matter of fact tone. In truth Forrest had already texted the picture to a few of his closest EMS friends. He‟d carefully cropped out Bertha‟s head, but left Dustin there, his humiliation front and center. Dustin wouldn‟t be living this incident down for a long time. 117

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Ten

W

hen Patrick finally got home, he practically ran up the sidewalk in his haste to get to Forrest. After replaying their encounter in his head for the last two hours, Patrick felt ready to spontaneously combust if he didn‟t get his hands on the sexy medic within the next sixty seconds. The front door flung open, showing he wasn‟t the only eager one. Patrick‟s feet barely touched the steps of the front door as he flew up them and into Forrest‟s arms. Forrest let out a hungry growling noise as Patrick pinned him to the wall and kissed him. “I‟ve been going crazy, waiting for you to get home,” Forrest declared between kisses. “You’ve been going crazy? Ever since you left the hospital, I‟ve been so jacked up I feel like my skin is going to split.” Patrick stepped away long enough to kick the door closed before he was on Forrest again, his hands slipping under the younger man‟s shirt so 118

High Flow

he could stroke the warm flesh underneath. They made out for a while before Forrest playfully shoved him away. Grabbing Patrick‟s hand, he led the way to the couch. Patrick nearly choked when he saw the bottle of lubricant and condom sitting on the end table. “We‟re going to do it right here?” Patrick asked stupidly. A wicked grin flashed over Forrest‟s face as he nodded. “It‟s been a fantasy of mine ever since that first night I came over.” He gave Patrick another push, this time forcing him to sit on the couch. Forrest stood over him, his gaze appraising. “You left your scrubs on for me.” “And you changed.” Patrick made a slight tsking noise. “Next time, you have to leave your uniform on. That‟s always been a kink of mine.” Forrest slid his t-shirt over his head before he took off his sweats and underpants. He kicked them to the side, then slowly stroked his own cock. Patrick swallowed hard. “Although, you look pretty good like this, too.” “Really? I‟ve been told that I‟m too skinny.” Forrest cocked his head to the side as he continued to pump his fist over his dick. Patrick allowed his gaze to travel slowly down Forrest‟s body. Tight muscles, slightly tanned skin, just a smattering of body hair…in other words, perfect. Patrick palmed his own cock as he 119

Stephani Hecht

slowly licked his lips. “Whoever told you that is a damn fool because you‟re hot.” “You‟re not half-bad yourself,” Forrest returned. He walked over and straddled Patrick‟s lap so they were facing each other. “I can‟t wait to feel you inside me. It‟s like I‟ve been waiting my whole life for this moment.” That was a sentiment Patrick could echo. It seemed as if every moment in his past had led up to this one. That he and Forrest were always meant to be together and now nothing could tear them apart. “I love you,” Patrick whispered, his heart swelling with emotion. “And I love you, too. “ Forrest reached over and grabbed the lube. Slapping the bottle into Patrick‟s hand, he said, “Now, fuck me.” Patrick opened the bottle and poured a good amount of the thick liquid onto his fingers before he began kissing Forrest. A soft sigh slipped from the younger man as he began to undulate against Patrick. Each pass made Forrest‟s hard cock rub against Patrick‟s stomach. The way Forrest moved should have been illegal, it was so sensual. His lithe, yet muscular body seemed to roll over Patrick as they continued to kiss. Never breaking contact, Patrick reached behind Forrest and slid one slicked finger up the man‟s tight opening. 120

High Flow

Forrest gasped, the sound slightly muffled against Patrick‟s lips. After sawing the digit in and out a few times, Patrick added a second and then a third, stretching Forrest so he could take in his cock. When he curled his fingers to brush against Forrest‟s prostate, the medic let out a sharp cry of pleasure. “Now, I need you inside me,” Forrest babbled. He got up on his knees so Patrick could slide down his scrub bottoms. Patrick grabbed the condom and quickly slipped it over his aching cock. “Okay, babe, you set the pace.” A sweet smile passed over Forrest‟s kiss-swollen lips before he grabbed Patrick‟s cock and lined it up. The way they were positioned, faces just inches apart, gazes locked, as their breaths mingled, felt so intimate that Patrick‟s chest grew tight with emotion. Patrick gritted his teeth as his erection began to press against the tight ring of muscle as Forrest slowly impaled himself. It took all the patience he had within him not to thrust up as Forrest carefully took him in, inch by inch. The younger man bit his bottom lip, a look of concentration on his sweat-dotted face. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime‟s worth of sweet torture, Patrick was fully inside. They both sucked in a breath, Forrest tipping 121

Stephani Hecht

his head back with a moan. Patrick‟s body tingled with pleasure. Forrest felt so tight, so hot and so perfect. While Patrick had always assumed the sex would be mind-blowing between them, he‟d never dreamed it would be this fan-fucking-tastic. Then Forrest began to move, slowly rocking at first, then thrusting down with hard, fast pumps as the pleasure built. The medic used one hand to stroke his own cock, the other to hold onto Patrick‟s shoulder. His fingers dug in almost painfully, but Patrick didn‟t give a damn. Not when everything else felt so damn good. A tingling sensation began to build up in Patrick‟s spine and he knew he wouldn‟t last much longer. He opened his mouth to call out a warning, but Forrest beat him to it. Letting out a loud cry of pleasure, Forrest came, his cock shooting off thin ropes of cum all over Patrick‟s top. Patrick grabbed onto Forrest‟s hips and thrust up a couple of times before his own orgasm slammed into him. Patrick came so hard, he actually saw stars as he filled the condom. Somewhere along the way, he may have yelled out Forrest‟s name, but he couldn‟t be for sure because the pleasure had robbed him of all rational thought. After the last wave of ecstasy rolled over his body, Patrick tipped his head up for a kiss. Forrest 122

High Flow

obliged before he rested his head on Patrick‟s shoulder. “Was it everything you hoped for?” Forrest asked, sounding very timid for someone who‟d just basically used his lover‟s body like a stripper pole. Patrick gave a satisfied hum. “It was much better. I already can‟t wait to do it again.” **** Forrest decided that he‟d be extremely daring and attempt to cook dinner. After having not one, but two mind-blowing bouts of sex, neither of them felt like going out and both of them were sick of pizza. He poked around the cabinets for several minutes, looking for something quick and easy. He‟d just settled on boxed macaroni and cheese when the doorbell rang. “Do you want me to get it?” he yelled to Patrick who was on the couch in front of the TV. “Would you? Somebody wore me out and I can‟t even get up right now,” Patrick called back. Forrest flashed a saucy look before he went to the front hallway. When he glanced through the peephole, he was delighted to see it was Kaleb and Dylan. Opening the door, he said, “Oh, my God. What are you two doing here?” All the good cheer fled his body when he 123

Stephani Hecht

spotted the solemn expressions on their faces. He swallowed a few times nervously before asking, “Is everything okay?” “We need to talk,” Kaleb said. The blond-haired, blue-eyed fireman looked serious and a bit angry. Forrest‟s stomach did a little flip as he stood to the side and gestured them to come in. He led them into the living room. “Hey, guys, this is my boyfriend, Patrick.” Patrick stood up and shook their hands, the uneasy expression on his face saying he was picking up the same vibes Forrest was. Forrest sighed before continuing, “This is Kaleb and Dylan. They‟re a couple of my really close friends who I used to work with up in Flint.” “It‟s really nice to meet you both. Forrest talks so fondly of you,” Patrick replied. Kaleb gave Forrest an uneasy smile. “I‟m afraid that we didn‟t come here for a social visit.” “I kind of gathered that,” Forrest said, a cold sweat breaking out over his body. “It‟s kind of personal,” Kaleb added, his gaze flicking questioningly toward Patrick. Forrest went over and grabbed his man‟s hand. “It doesn‟t matter. Whatever it is you can say it in front of Patrick.” “Okay.” Kaleb took a deep breath before plunging ahead, “Dylan was attacked outside of the bar a few nights ago.” 124

High Flow

The entire room began to spin as horror, shame and despair hit Forrest all at once. His mind went numb as he forgot to breathe. He must have let out some sound of distress because Patrick‟s arms were suddenly around him, the warmth of his embrace doing nothing to ease the shivers that started to rack Forrest‟s body. “What exactly happened?” Forrest demanded, his voice no more than a whisper. “We were all hanging out at the bar and I forgot my cell back in the car. I thought it‟d be safe for me to go out alone to get it since it was still daylight,” Dylan said. “But it wasn’t safe,” Forrest concluded dully. Dylan shook his head, “No, it wasn‟t. I‟d just reached my car when they surrounded me.” Forrest let out a soft sob as he clutched onto Patrick‟s arms. He knew all too well the fear and helplessness Dylan must have experienced. “Did they hurt you?” “Just a little, they‟d only managed to get in a couple of punches before Kaleb, Justin and Matt came out and discovered what was happening.” Dylan gave a sad smile. “Let‟s just say that after that, the bastards couldn‟t stand, let alone hurt me anymore.” That image should have given Forrest some pleasure, but the guilt over Dylan being attacked at all still hung heavy on his heart. Shit, if only I’d 125

Stephani Hecht

been brave enough to come forward. Then maybe none of that would have happened to Dylan. He got hurt and all because I was too much a wimp to tell the truth. What kind of friend am I? He closed his eyes and swallowed before asking the most damning question of all, his voice sounding broken and small, “Please tell me that Kaleb got there before they made you do…stuff to them.” Dylan‟s brows creased in confusion. “What do you mean?” No! There was no way Forrest could speak those words aloud. Not even while in the comfort of Patrick‟s arms so he took the coward‟s way out and just put his fingers to his lips to indicate what he meant. Dylan sucked in his breath, tears gathering in his eyes, while Kaleb cursed under his breath. Forrest let out another choked sob, terrified to glance up to see what Patrick‟s expression may be. He didn‟t think he could handle it if his lover was disgusted with him. Then Patrick gave him an extra squeeze and whispered, “It‟s okay, Forrest. You didn‟t do anything wrong.” Forrest allowed himself to sink into the comforting embrace. “I didn‟t want to do it, but they made me.” “Shhhhh…you don‟t have to do this,” Patrick soothed. 126

High Flow

But Forrest did. Now that he‟d opened up this memory, he wanted everything to come out. “They told me that if I bit them or refused to open up that they‟d kill me. I knew they meant it, too. After they‟d all had a turn, they finished beating me and then they left me to die in that parking lot.” Dylan stepped closer and put a comforting hand on Forrest‟s arm. “They never got that far with me. They only had me trapped for a couple of minutes before Kaleb rescued me.” “Thank God,” Forrest breathed, a tear trickling down his cheek. Kaleb cleared his throat. “It was Chad and his friends who hurt you, wasn‟t it?” Forrest began to cry harder as he simply nodded. “Who‟s Chad?” Patrick demanded. “He‟s a medic from our company,” Dylan explained. “He‟s also a homophobic asshole,” Kaleb added. Forrest buried his face into Patrick‟s chest for a few moments to gather himself before he glanced over at Dylan. “You must hate me.” “Oh, sweetie, why would you say that?” Dylan asked. “Because if I would have told the police who did this to me, then maybe Chad never would 127

Stephani Hecht

have had the chance to get to you.” “That thought never even occurred to me. I could never hate you.” “I wanted to tell, so bad, but Chad threatened me that if I did, he‟d kill me. Once I moved to Pontiac, I thought about going to the police anyway, but then he emailed me a picture of Todd and I realized that I couldn‟t take the risk.” “That bastard.” Patrick growled before asking Dylan, “Have they arrested Chad?” “Yeah, and they denied him bail, plus they‟re charging him with a hate crime,” Dylan said. “If he‟s convicted, he‟ll go away for a long time,” Kaleb added. “What do you mean if?” Patrick demanded, sharply, his grip tightening on Forrest. “The DA told us that there aren‟t any guarantees. That our case is good, but it‟s still my word against theirs,” Dylan explained in a soft tone. “Even though Kaleb and the others had to intervene?” “They‟re all claiming that it was a misunderstanding and that Kaleb overacted,” Dylan said. “That‟s where we need Forrest‟s help. If he can come forward, then the DA will be able to establish a pattern of behavior,” Kaleb added. Forrest clung to Patrick as his heart thudded 128

High Flow

with dread. The mere thought of telling his shame to the police was bad enough, but to go into a packed courtroom and testify? Did he really have the courage and strength to do it?” Then Patrick murmured in his ear, “Remember, you‟re not alone anymore. I‟ll be by your side every step of the way.” Forrest tilted his head up to meet Patrick‟s gaze. When he saw all the love, support and compassion written there, he realized that yeah, he could do it. Because when he was scared, Patrick would be there to hold him. When he felt weak, Patrick would lend his strength. When he felt lost, Patrick would be there to guide his way. Never breaking eye contact with his lover, Forrest nodded, “Okay, I‟ll do it. Let‟s nail those bastards.” Later on, after Kaleb and Dylan had left, Forrest cuddled up with Patrick on the couch. Wipeout was on again, but for once Forrest didn‟t find the show interesting. His mind whirled too much with all that‟d happened in the past couple weeks. “I‟ve been thinking about your offer to move in permanently,” he confessed as he linked their fingers together. “And what did you decide?” Patrick asked. “I want to do it. That is if the offer still stands.” Patrick cupped Forrest‟s chin and tilted his head up. Bringing their lips together, Patrick gave 129

Stephani Hecht

him a kiss so sensual and loving that it took Forrest‟s breath away. “Of course the offer still stands. Nothing would make me happier than to have you and Todd a part of my life,” Patrick replied. “There‟s one other thing,” Forrest hedged. “I want to go back to school. I‟ve always wanted to get a nursing degree, but I never had the chance because I was having to take care of everybody.” “I think that would be a great idea,” Patrick said as he rubbed his thumb over Forrest‟s bottom lip. “I still can‟t believe it.” Forrest shook his head. “Believe what?” “That I‟ve actually found my happily ever after. I‟m so lucky to have met you.” Patrick gave him another slow kiss. “You know what? I was just thinking the exact same thing to myself.” Forrest snuggled deeper into Patrick‟s arms, happy with the knowledge that he was safe, sound and most of all, loved.

130

About the Author Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all things about the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. You can usually find her snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next book. Contact her at: Email Address:[email protected] Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephaniHecht FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profil &id=1109353859 MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/stephanihecht Blog: http://stephanihechtauthor.blogspot.com