A red tainted Silence by Carolyn Gray Read Free Book Online

on, oblivious to having taken over the bed, but I didn’t mind. Not when looking at his face and how comfortably he slept.
    “He looks so peaceful,” I said, brushing my fingers across his cheek. I gently lifted his chin and kissed him without waking him, then blushed, my gaze flicking to the nurse.
    “Sorry.”
    “Don’t mind me. You have a right to be happy. He definitely made a turn for the better yesterday. I’m going to take out his catheter now.” I looked at the nurse in surprise. “Now?”
    She nodded. “I leave at six. I think he’d rather I do it than --”
    “Than Nurse Ratched.”

    28 Carolyn Gray
    She turned to a tray that I just then noticed and slipped on a pair of gloves. “Exactly.” She winked.
    “Do you want me to leave?”
    “Not necessary. This will take just a minute.”
    “Shouldn’t you wake him up?” I asked as she pulled back the cover. I concentrated on the clock on the wall -- I really didn’t want to see this.
    “No. He won’t feel a thing, believe me. He’s a little sedated anyway.”
    “Oh. Good.” I gulped, my gaze drawn back to what she was doing. First she pulled the cover up a little further and checked the wound that had nearly killed Nicholas. The puckered arc across his stomach and around his side made me wince, but her pleased hum reassured me like nothing else could’ve.
    “Looks really good,” she said.
    “It does?”
    She looked up at me and smiled. “Absolutely. It will scar, and badly, but no one but you and he will notice. And somehow, I don’t think he’ll mind you seeing it.” She winked at me again and I felt my face heat. Then she walked around the bed and checked my stitches, too, her hands cool and light on my skin. “Good, very good. You’ll both be getting your stitches out today, I suspect.” She smiled at my frown. “Don’t worry, Mr. Ashwood. Your doctor prefers handling that herself.”
    “You sure I shouldn’t leave?”
    “You’re fine. Close your eyes if you’d like.”
    She emptied the bag and pulled off the tape that held the catheter tubing in place to Nick’s thigh. Despite myself, I watched, fascinated, as she gently pulled the catheter out.
    “Is that it?” I said as she put the used catheter in a plastic bag and sealed it.
    “That’s it.” Nicholas hadn’t moved. Hadn’t even twitched. “He’s a free man now.” I chuckled. “He’ll be damn glad that thing’s out.” She cleaned him up a little, then pulled the cover back in place. “Tell him it may be a little while before he can go again, and there may be a little pinkish tinge when he first voids. Maybe a little discomfort. Any more than that, he should tell the nurse on duty.”
    “Nurse Godzilla.”
    She grinned. “You boys take care. I’ll see you tonight.”
    “Thanks. And thanks for caring so much.”
    “It’s my pleasure, Mr. Ashwood.” She smiled fondly at Nicholas. “He’s a pleasure to help. Patients like you boys are why I do what I do.” Then we were alone. Nicholas sighed in his sleep and smiled -- maybe he sensed the offending dick monster, as he’d called it more than once, was gone. I realized then that I needed to visit the boy’s room myself. Taking care not to wake him, I eased out of the bed, A Red-Tainted Silence
    29

    grabbed my crutches, and took care of business. Then, despite the ridiculously early hour, I found my gaze drawn to my laptop, and my fingers began to itch.
    The hard times were approaching -- the first parts of our lives together that I dreaded writing about. But it had to be done.
    With a sigh of longing directed at the bed and Nicholas -- it would be nice to climb back in beside him, cramped bed or no -- I returned to my chair, revved up the laptop, and got back to work. If I was lucky, I’d be able to get in a few pages before Nurse Barracuda chased me out of the room.

    * * * * *
California -- The Past
    A couple more days passed before I felt well enough to get dressed in something other than boxers