Nursed

Copyright 2013 TG STONE

Sometimes in life, everything comes to a sudden halt, and all your choices are taken away. You don't plan it, something just comes along and puts you on your back. In Josh's case, that meant literally.

He stared up at the ceiling of his private room. His friends had visited him today, and stuck a big poster of a gleaming black motorbike up there, 'To give him something decent to look at.' Oh, and a hot blonde babe was draped over the bike too. He kinda guessed which nurse may well frown at its presence, and it might 'Accidentally' fall down in the night, never to be seen again.

At least now he knew it was coming up to night. Thanks to a slight infection in one of his many operation lesions, he was in a room on his own...with a window. He could see it was getting dark out there now; the constant electric light of the main ward wasn't screwing his timescale up anymore. Time is pretty meaningless in hospital - days yawn out identically, only punctuated by the routines. Same meal times, same drugs rounds, same cocky doctors dropping by for 2 minutes tops. Josh had been on his back in hospital so long, that before his fortunate move into here he didn't even know what the season was doing; whether it was sunny, or cold, or what time darkness really fell.

He'd started this hiatus in the middle of August, this putting his life into deep freeze. It was October now. He and a buddy were out on their bikes in the countryside, sweeping through the lush scenery. He was on his 1000cc Honda, his friend was out on his new Triumph. Josh was leading, aware he was on roads he had never ridden, so taking it pretty easy. A bend came up, and he leaned into it, eyes glued to where the turn would exit - that way you didn't even have to think about steering it. Half way round, the bend sharpened up meanly.....just to be safe Josh scrubbed off some speed by pressing on the back brake. Mistake. That set the Honda up straight, and on right into the front of the van coming round the other way.

His friend behind had to watch all this. He almost set his new bike on it's nose in stopping, and ran over to Josh lying in the road. Josh was wearing all the right stuff; full-face helmet, leather racing suit with body armour, Kevlar boots....but he wasn't moving. His friend got his phone out of his inner jacket pocket and tapped the emergency services number fast, trying to make sense to them. Then Josh moved his arm, and as his head cleared more, he started to try and get up. His friend held him down, screaming at him 'You might have broke your fucking neck dickhead, lie down still!!'

Ambulance, eventually police. Road closed to investigate the crash. Josh's expensive racing suit was cut off him by the paramedics. Flashing blue lights, phoning ahead to intensive care. Josh wasn't critical....but his body was clearly fucked up.

Quick run down of what was wrong – fractured C7 bone in his neck, dislocated right elbow, broken right forearm, 'open book' break of his pelvis, extensive knee damage including a bust cruciate ligament in both legs.

This basically adds up to a long stay in hospital. Josh was about as capable as a new born.

There was a knock at his door, and in came Lucy. Josh relaxed, and thought 'Ohh, thank god it's her tonight.' Smiling Lucy, a complete change to that sour dominatrix who'd sadly been on his night time watch for the last 3 days. Y'see, nurses are around 24/7, but you don't get the same one at the same time every day. It's shifts, they gotta vary the patterns to give people a break. And Lucy was back...at least he could have some fun with her, and no stern face or tedious lectures.

'Ok biker boy, let's check you over....caused yourself anymore dumb time-wasting accidents?' Lucy's bedside manner was tuned to each patient, and she knew that Josh - with his tattoos and stubble - didn't want to be babied.

Josh sighed. 'It was god's will Lucy, you know that. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met you, and you'd be sentenced to a life of only knowing shit men.'

'Ha! Tell that to my Dad, he'd kick your ass....which admittedly at the moment, would be pretty easy.' She walked up to the bed. 'My cat could kick your ass right now biker boy. How's the pain?'

Josh realised she had business to attend to. He'd not been good after they repaired his pelvis last week. He now had some more shiny titanium inside him, and he'd had to spend longer on morphine after that operation.

'It's better. It doesn't feel like someone's twisting a sword inside me today.'

'Good. You want the super strength pills, or just strong?'

'Strong,' he murmured, 'I kinda like being able to.....well, you know'

'Have A Movement!' she exclaimed. 'That's the medical term Josh, and us nurses think every guy that comes in here is just so damn hilarious. Football injury or crushed by a construction crane, at first we'll give you every painkilling drug we have available....and you're like kids, scooping up handfuls. Then 4 days later, you're crying like babies because you can't shit, yeah?'

As you can work out, Lucy really did tune her approach to each patient.

'Fair enough, you live and learn Lucy. It's just it was the first time I'd been offered free drugs, y'know.' They both laughed at that. 'So only the normal strong please....and can I get a sleeping pill? I just end up looking out the window all night now, wondering what's happening out there....'

Lucy picked up his notes and flicked through until she got to a detailed bit. 'Okay, that won't mess with any of your medicines. You sure Josh, they're pretty powerful?'

'Yeah....I wanna sleep Luce.'

She smiled. 'That's Miss Luce to you, biker boy.'

She stared down at him for a second, then picked up his control unit and dimmed the lights. 'You want to know the latest on what's going on out there? Your sister called earlier, and she's running your business as best she can, not doing too bad by the sound of it. She doesn't understand your accounts system, so you have lots of paperwork waiting for you. Your dog is with your mum; your Alsatian is in love with her Labrador it seems. It's all ok.'

Josh blew out his cheeks, exhaling for a long time. 'Zeus. Damn, I really miss him Lucy.'

She let a beat go. 'Er, that name for a dog. I know he's probably a big scary animal, but 'King of the Gods?' Come on boy, that's just a little too masculine. I always wanted to call a dog 'Woof,' cos then when they bark, you'd call their name! And people would get a bit confused......y'know?' Lucy grinned at him.

Josh chortled, and looked up into her pony-tailed face. 'You have a great take on the world Lucy....but Zeus is not scary at all. He'd probably lick a burglar's hand, then show them where all the good stuff was.'

Smiling, Lucy padded out to the locked drug trolley. After some key rattling and assorted admin sounds, she returned with his cup of pills. '3 Codeine and a knock out tab hun, you want some juice with that?'

'You got any 30 year old Scotch?'

'Yeah!' she snorted. 'But that's for when I get out of here. Sorry but you sad saps just get orange and mango.' She poured him a drink from the supplies on his bedside cabinet. 'Take the pills and sip up, I gotta record that you swallowed, not me.' Josh grinned wide and looked up into her eyes. 'Don't go there mister, grow up,' she chided, and lightly slapped his wrist. Nodding upwards she said 'Oh and Carmen The Barbarian is on at 5 am, so your lady up there on the bike may not make it through, sorry. You ok for a while, and I'll look in later?'

'Sure......thank you Lucy. Glad you're back. None of the other sour-faces like to talk much.' With his good arm, he threw the pills down his throat, and chased them with some juice.

'No problem hun, have a good night.' She started to leave, then Josh offered up 'Hey Miss Luce, do you wanna see my pelvis staples?'

She stopped and turned, silhouetted in the light from the hall. 'You know when you come back from an operation in a gown? But you wake up in your jogging shorts? I've already seen every inch of you Josh....Night.'

Slowly he drifted off, smiling.

If you prioritize, the main issue now was his legs. To go home, which is the only thing that kept Josh going, he needed to be mobile.

Josh had done such a good job wrecking his knees, that each of his legs were in 2 half casts; thigh to above the knee, and below the knee to his ankle. A pair of tough plastic struts joined the top cast to the bottom, designed to allow the knee to bend, but never be anything other than straight in line. Combined with the pelvis repair, his body hadn't been able to raise and take weight for a long while.

He slept right through til Carmen woke him, clattering and banging draws. She frowned a 'Good Morning' at him. He looked up at a bare ceiling.

The day dragged out, but eventually the sun dipped away, and Lucy knocked again. 'Hey gorgeous, how you doing? I got you normal strength again plus a sleeper, your usual.'

'A lot better now you're here Lucy.'

'Oh hush, you know I'm spoken for.' She hustled in.

'Oh right, the lovely Neil. How's that going?' Josh said.....and instantly knew it was maybe a little too personal. They had talked a lot in the last few months.

Lucy went quiet, and looked down. After a moment she came and perched on the edge of his bed.

'Well....you know.'

He floundered for a second. 'Luce, sorry, maybe I over stepped the mark there.'

All that came out was 'Phewwwwww.' She just picked at the quilt for a while, then looked at Josh and smiled a false smile.

'Not great. I don't think he's that interested anymore. Maybe the shifts get to him. Half the time I'm getting in and he's going out. It was our anniversary the other day, and.......'

She went silent.

'.....And what?'

'Fuck, I shouldn't be saying this,' she muttered. A pause stretched out. 'We work, y'know? We're busy? So when we can be together, especially when it's an occasion, I do stuff....'

'Um, if you're gonna get freaky here, should I pretend to fall asleep now?'

She laughed lightly, and continued a little lower. 'No, I mean – try and make it special? Shower, shave all the bits that need shaving......nylons, nice dress, lipstick. Nice dinner, wine? Get it?'

'Hell, course I do Luce.'

'Right...but, if at the end of the night......if someone says they're tired....it kinda.....kinda kicks you in the stomach, you know?'

Josh said nothing for a while. Lucy kept up with the quilt picking.

'So.......you're shaved right now?'

Her eyes flicked up to his. 'You are such a fucking asshole' she whispered, and slapped his thigh cast.

While the pain echoed around his knee for a moment, Josh gathered himself. 'Perhaps what I meant to say was, I don't understand that.' His voice dropped a little, but was still very clear. 'I think you're gorgeous Lucy, and though it sounds a little....you know, lame; you're a beautiful person. If it were me I'd put you on a pedestal.....'

That pretty much shut the room up for quite a while. Occasionally a set of car headlights traced across the walls.

'Seriously though, you're shaved?'

This time there was no violence. Lucy just smiled at him and shook her head. 'Why do we waste our lives expecting boys to grow up? No Biker boy, not totally. Landing strip.'

Josh let out a groan. 'Aaaawww fuck. You had to go for the jugular didn't you? It's gonna be a very hard night now Luce.'

She stood up and leant over him. Hovering over his face she whispered 'I don't know about the jugular biker boy, but how about this vein?' She clasped her hand around his crotch, squeezed once, and turned to leave.

Laughing as she exited she said 'Sweet dreams Josh. Oh, and wish me luck for tomorrow.'

He had problems concentrating on what she'd just said. 'Sorry, er, what Luce?'

'Wish me luck for tomorrow.'

'Right. Of course....good luck for tomorrow Luce.'

With a giggle, she closed the door, and the room went silent.

Josh stared at the blank ceiling for quite a while that night. Sleeping pill or not, it didn't make much difference.

Josh spent most of the next day doing physio on the bed. As soon as he was given the ok to move about, that's all he wanted to do. He knew that getting able was his ticket out; back to home and his dog and normality. He could raise himself up, swivel his legs across the bed so they hung off the edge. He was sitting up on his own, and that felt good. He could barely move his feet, let alone lift his legs. Walking was gonna be like being a 1 year old again, his thighs had shrunk so much. It was coming closer to November now. Dark at 6.

After the light faded, Lucy knocked on the door. She put her head round, not entering, just flashing her beaming face at him. 'Biker boy! How's my favourite patient??'

'Um, ok Luce. You drunk?'

'Aww man, I will be later. I've had a great day.'

'Yep, me too....I managed 10 leg lifts each side – ok, more like flexes than lifts, but it's a start hey?'

'Ohh hun, that's brilliant. Good for you!' She was still at the door, smiling madly. Tonight seemed like it might be a little different.

'Luce, you actually gonna come in?'

She chuckled, and finally entered, shutting the door. 'How ya feeling...need anything?'

'Well, my normal nursey girl back might be nice. I truly think you've been at happy hour. What's up?'

Lucy sat down on his bed, pushing his leg over. 'You know you don't need these casts now yeah? Your doctor said in a case meeting last night, they're getting in your way now.'

'Freaking great news, but why so wild eyed Luce?'

She looked up, and beamed the biggest smile. After a moment she cried out 'I got the job!!'

'Oh.....so that is this what all that 'Luck' thing was about? Good for you Luce, congrats.'

'It's all really sudden. You know the private hospital across town? They need to start up a critical facilities wing, so they want an emergency nursing manager fast. And I got it!' She ducked her head and her voice...'Double the money!' She shined at him.

'Aww, brilliant Luce, you deserve it.' he said, smiling back. 'I'm really glad for you.'

At that, her face lost it's animation. She looked away. Eventually she composed herself, and talked quiet, still not facing him. 'When you came in, I thought I'd be here to wave you goodbye Josh. You kinda commit to some cases, yeah? You're not old, the injuries were ok in our scheme of things. I wanted to see you walk out.'

'Yeah, well I promise you I will walk out of here Lucy. Soonish. C'mon, why the sad face?'

She exhaled under her breath. 'Tonight is my 3rd night on yeah? You know I'm on a break after this. But it's a real instant appointment, and this place has given me leave to start there without notice.'

Josh faltered for a moment. 'So, you'll be going over there, like....?'

'I won't be coming back Josh. Tonight is the last night I'll nurse you.'

Silence came down like fog.

'Oh.' He couldn't help the deflated tone in his voice. Nothingness rang out for a while.

'Yeah, ok, from my point of view that's a pisser Luce. But this isn't about me....You've pretty much kept me sane in here. You've done a great job on me.'

Josh left it at that. After a while he almost thought he glimpsed her smiling.

He had to summon up a question he didn't want to ask. 'Just wondering, how's Neil about it?'

'Uh....' she murmured. 'Haven't told him yet.'

He coughed. 'So.....tonight is your last chance for hot sex with the invalid?'

Lucy flipped her face to his. It was a mix of humour and intrigue; 'Oh fuck off, you won't be an invalid soon.'

'Yeah, but tonight, you could actually do some real rehabilitation work for once? Your armpits still smooth, yeah?'

She snorted again. 'Yeah. What's that gotta do with it?'

'And the landing strip? Still ok?'

Lucy just raised her eyebrows disdainfully.

'How about, imagine that your anniversary efforts weren't wasted?' He smirked up at her. 'I most certainly wouldn't fall asleep on you Luce.'

She looked at him seriously. 'You're lying there, screwed up knees, casts on, 40 staples in a newly put back together pelvis....and you wanna get rude with me?'

He raised himself up on his elbows so he was level with her eyes. 'Yes Lucy. I would truly love that.'

She regarded him for a long while. 'Boys.'

He just smiled at her.

'So I couldn't get away with a quick hand job on you?'

'Naa, I've just about got the hang of doing that myself Luce. Your brain flips certain functions over to the other arm pretty quick.'

At length, she stood up, and went to the door. She hesitated, then looked round. You can't lock a patient room, from outside or in. She saw a sturdy wooden chair, and dragged it to the door. She wedged it at an angle under the handle. That would give them a minute, if the unexpected happened.

Lucy turned, staring at him. She came back to the edge of the bed, and reached up behind her head. Slowly she pulled her hair band free, then shook her head so her tresses fell over her shoulders. 'Biker boy, you know this is going to be tricky, yeah? I love being on top, but I can't put any weight on you......cos, that would...'

'That would fuck up my injuries Luce.' He laughed, 'Yeah, but firstly, I trust you. And second, we're a long way off that yet. Could you please lose the hospital issue nurse pants please? I need to see this landing strip.'

She rolled her eyes, and looked at him once more. She quietly kicked off her ward shoes, lifted the tunic a little, and drew her hands together to attend to the waist fastening. Once that was loosened, she hooked her fingers into both her panties and the trousers, and in one movement slid everything down and off her legs. She took a step nearer the bed, and presented her middle to Josh's gaze.

At first, he simply stared. Then his lips curled into a broad smile. 'Miss Luce, you have a truly, truly beautiful......' He was dumb now.

'I believe the young folk call it a pussy, these days hun.'

His good arm uncurled from the bed, and beckoned her closer. After 2 slight steps, he reached out to brush his fingers over her knee. Then he glided the back of his fingers up her thigh, hardly touching the flesh. He reached up to her hip bone, which protruded slightly, and stroked it. He traced across the hem of her tunic, across her stomach. She flinched a little. Slowly, his finger tips roamed down her belly, until his touch felt her trimmed hairs. The inch wide track of dark soft down was delicious. Barely audible, he mumbled 'Luce, you look amazing.' Tracing his fingers down through her cropped bush, close to her sex, she caught his hand.

His eyes jolted up, worried he'd gone too far. 'I think Biker boy, that one of us is wearing a little more clothing than the other. Let's sort that out.'

She reached out to the waistband of his thick cotton running shorts, and started to pull them down. Lucy had to be careful, she had to guide the material up over the still-tender wound running across his midriff. He tried to help by raising his ass a little, and soon the pants were down to the top of the thigh cast. A little tugging and hustling, and Josh's shorts were off over his toes. She cast them aside, and gazed down at his growing cock.

Smirking at it, Lucy whispered at him in a dirty rasp, 'You know, us nurses see everything in here. And I'll confess to you now Josh, that when a patient is unconscious, and one of us see's something nice, we call the other girls in. When you came back from your first procedure, sleeping like a baby, we all got called in to look at your dick.'

Josh raised his eyebrows at her. 'But, I don't think I'm....'

'Oh it wasn't that you're some sort of freak. The girls just agreed it was....the most handsome we'd seen in a while.'

He nearly tried to say something, then Lucy added, 'And 2 of them took photos.'