The Gray Man Ch. 43 - The Nurses

As TJ is wheeled into the Cardiac Emergency Suite of MedStar Emergency Department, the world around him blurs into a surreal tableau of urgency and efficiency. His senses swim in a disorienting whirlpool, grasping at fragmented impressions as nurses bustle around him with practiced grace.

With each gentle movement, he is lifted from the gurney to the safety of a bed, cocooned within the embrace of sterile linens. The rhythmic hum of medical equipment fills the air, a symphony of reassurance amidst the tumult of uncertainty.

Nurses swarm around him like guardian angels, their deft hands collecting vital signs with meticulous care. IV lines are changed with practiced precision, a lifeline tethering him to the realm of the living. Their eyes linger on the wound that mars his brow, a testament to the fragility of mortality.

Yet, for TJ, understanding remained elusive, a distant shore obscured by the mist of unconsciousness. Moments flicker in and out of focus, fleeting glimpses of clarity amidst the haze of confusion. He drifts on the ebb and flow of consciousness.

The fog of semi conscious confusion made the job difficult for the physicians and nurses doing their job as in his current state all that Gray wanted to do was escape. The horror of Post Traumatic memories mixed with the fog of his confusion pushed a fight or flight response that at the moment was mostly flight.

The attending physician, a short, curly haired trauma surgeon with a stunning smile and a commanding presence was frustrated by Gray's thrashing around. There were 6 people trying to hold him in place which gave little room for the medical staff to do what they needed to do. "Put him down, NOW!" came her voice over the chaos of the room.

A nurse grabbed a syringe, while another questioned the doctor's decision, "He has a head injury!"

The surgeon barked back, "What part of NOW are you all not understanding. We can not treat him when he's fighting us!"

For Gray, the warmth of the sedative flowed into his arm and within a few seconds, the fight had left him as he slipped into the warm embrace of sedation. As he relaxed the room calmed and the doctor started barking orders.

"We need a CT, and full blood work. Clean up his head and let's see what we are dealing with. Get those clothes off of him, he is soaked. Who is this guy anyway?"

The medic from the squad looked at the doc, "No ID, doc. I do have his phone, not sure if he has an emergency contact on it or not.

While the doctor's back was turned the trauma team started to carry out their duties. They cleaned the blood from his face and saw that the head trauma didn't look serious, just a laceration with a lot of blood - the CT would let them know if there was any brain damage. As they cut his sweat shirt off, the staff brought out some of the warm blankets to try to warm his body - his core temperature dropping and sending TJ into shock is not something they wanted to deal with along with everything else.

Blood was drawn and rushed to the lab. Radiology was on their way to take the 'John Doe' to get his CT as the nursing staff slipped the trauma shears into the seam of his joggers and cut them from first his right leg, then his left. As they rolled him to pull the wet sweat pants from under him, there was a gasp in the room as the length and girth of his more than impressive cock spilled into view. The nurse to his back gasped at something entirely different as she saw the wicked scars along his back. "What kind of animal could do this to another human being?"

There was a definite division in the room, depending on what you were seeing. Some appalled by the brutality of the scars, some impressed by the huge prick and heavy balls hanging between TJ's thighs.

Even the male paramedic who was looking over the surgeon's shoulders murmured, "Holy Shit."

At the gasp in the room, the doc had turned fearing that her patient had crashed. It took her a minute to absorb what she was looking at. A tall, athletic, male in maybe his early 40's with very little body fat and a long, thick penis that hung in front of a pair of heavy testicles. Finally, she regained her composure, "Let's get back to work, folks"

The nurse who had rolled TJ motioned to Dr. Lewis. "Doc, you may want to take a look at this."

The surgeon walked to Gray's side as the two nurses rolled him onto his side. With gifted and tender hands the surgeon traced the scars that criss crossed TJ's back. "These are not from a blade or an accident. These look intentional, and it is obvious they weren't treated for days, maybe weeks. How this man survived this, or even the infection that had to follow is beyond my understanding. Jesus."

The lead trauma nurse whispered to her partner, "I don't know what I want more, to wrap him up and tell him that he's safe now... or have him rearrange my guts."

The partner smirked, "Maybe both, mixed in with some wine and dancing."

The lead nurse sighed, "Ummm, yeah."

As the transport team entered the ER they knew that their simple job was to push the gurney and all of the attached IV bags and lines to the CT unit. The young girl doing the transport was momentarily captivated by the bulge laying against his left leg underneath the white shit. Her gaze lingered, prompting a sharp reprimand from the trauma nurse to refocus her attention.

Within 5 minutes Gray had been moved to radiology, transferred to the thin table, while both the transport specialist and the radiology tech admired his certain gifts and tried to not gag as they too saw his scars. As they pushed the button pushing Gray into the long tube his phone started to ring back in the trauma room in the Emergency Department.

Officer Trent Evans, of the Arlington County Police Department, who had responded to the scene to assist Fire/Rescue and the National Parks Police when the 911 call had come in intercepted the call, his voice a calming presence amidst Gretchen's rising panic.

Officer Evans' voice sounded in the E.D and in Gretchen's ear: "This is Officer Trent Evans of the Arlington County Police Department. May I ask who I am speaking to?"

Gretchen's heart raced when she heard the strangers voice, "What? Where is TJ? What's going on? Is he okay?"

Trent Evans' voice was calm, it was obvious that this was not his first rodeo, "Ma'am, I need to know who you are before I am authorized to release any information. What is your relationship to the patient?"

Gretchen tried to calm her racing heart, "He's my cousin. His name is TJ. Or, Thomas Patrick officially. What happened, Is he--"

Officer Evans took notes as he spoke, "Okay, he is Thomas, and your name ma'am?"

Gretchen's mouth had never felt more dry, "Gretchen... Gretchen Foster, I am an attorney in DC. Is TJ.." she wasn't able to finish as her voice caught in her throat and tears began to stream.

Trent Evans wrote down her name, "Alright, Gretchen. Take a breath. We're here with him in the Emergency Room. I'm going to hand his phone to Doctor Lewis, she is the attending surgeon here today."

Passing the phone to Dr. Lewis, Officer Evans radioed the dispatch center getting more information on their patient. Dr. Lewis' voice was as calm as Trent Evans, "Gretchen, this is Dr. Lewis. All we know at the moment is that your cousin was found unconscious at Arlington Cemetery. He was breathing, but unresponsive. An ambulance was dispatched from Arlington Fire and he arrived here about 20 minutes ago. He's currently getting a CT so we know more of what we are working with. He's stable for now, but we're running tests to determine what happened."

"Oh fuck," Gretchen whispered. "Which hospital doctor? Can I come and be with him?"

Dr. Evans ignored her question for now, "Do you know what he would have been doing this morning that brought him to Arlington?"

Gretchen sighed, "TJ is a runner, and a Retired Army Ranger. He has a few too many friends buried at Arlington. He normally runs along the Potomac, so it's not unheard of for him to head to the cemetery especially if it's near an anniversary of one of his buddies' deaths."

The doctor wrote her own notes, "Do you know if this is near one of the anniversary dates?"

Gretchen paused, "None that I know of, but honestly there were so many that he may not even fully remember. He has been under a ton of stress these last few weeks, personal and professional."

Doctor Lewis nodded, "Thank you, he is in the Emergency Department at MedStar. He was transported here directly. Usually in Arlington a patient would go to a closer hospital, but with light traffic on a Saturday morning they brought him directly here. It may be a while before you can see him, but you are welcome to come. Do you know where we are located?"

Gretchen assured the doctor that she knew where the hospital was. Ms. Gretchen Foster felt a strange peace as she pulled out of her garage and started to navigate the DC streets to the hospital. She had called Allen who voiced his concern. He also said that he would call Admiral Barnett. Her next call was to Davey who told her that he would meet her at the ER and that he would inform Olivia who could inform the Pelican Team.

Within 30 minutes both Gretchen and Davey Thompson sat in the MedStar Emergency Department waiting room, their minds awash with worry.. As the minutes stretched into eternity, the arrival of Dr. Lewis brought a glimmer of hope amidst the shadows of uncertainty.

Dr. Lewis checked with the clerk at the desk who pointed her to the waiting couple, "You must be Gretchen," she said softly, "I am Dr. Rachel Lewis, I'm the Attending Physician on duty this morning. Thank you for waiting, sorry it took so long but we have been waiting for lab results and for neurology to review the CT. I have an update on TJ's condition."

Gretchen's heart fluttered with apprehension as she leaned forward, desperate for any news about her cousin. She reached out and took Davey Thompson's hand.

Dr. Lewis spoke calmly, "The blood work came back clean--no signs of a heart attack. The CT scan also showed no indication of a stroke. In short, we don't know what happened. The Arlington County Police saw no indication of foul play."

Relief washed over Gretchen like a soothing wave, but her apprehension lingered as Dr. Lewis continued.

The doctor wrapped up her report, "The only real injury seems to be a laceration that required a couple of stitches and a possible concussion. We did give him something to relax him as he was fighting us pretty hard when he first arrived."

Gretchen's brow furrowed with concern, her thoughts racing as she processed the doctor's words. But before she could respond, Dr. Lewis broached a delicate topic.

Dr. Lewis leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, "Gretchen, I saw the scars on your cousin's back, and I need to ask, is it possible that TJ suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?"

Davey's anger flared at the suggestion, his voice sharp with indignation.

Davey: "Post Traumatic? Of course, he does! Any man who's been through what TJ has would have some fucked up memories!"

Gretchen placed a calming hand on Davey's arm, her voice steady as she addressed the doctor, "Doctor, TJ had an episode about a year ago. It was similar to what happened today, only we were sitting in his apartment. He just seemed to drift off to someplace far away. He never lost consciousness though."

Dr. Lewis nodded thoughtfully, her expression empathetic as she considered Gretchen's words before she spoke, "Thank you. You mentioned earlier that he has been under a lot of stress. When he came in today he was also pretty dehydrated, that could be from the run. All of those things together make me want to say he had an acute panic attack. For a bit his brain ran away with his body and the fatigue, stress, and dehydration pushed him over the edge. Based on that I'd like to keep him for a day or two for observation."

Gretchen sighed, "I'm not sure he's going to like that, but thank you Doctor."

Dr. Lewis stood, "If you two will follow me I will take you back to him while we get him a room."

Gretchen and Davey fell into step behind the doctor and followed her through the doors into the Emergency Department. TJ was just starting to come out of sedation, the IV's and the monitors still hooked. The bandage on his head hid the stitched up wound, but the bruising from the pavement had started to show.

TJ opened his eyes as Gretchen gripped his hand, "How ya doing, Teej?" she said with a smile.

He blinked, his gaze searching hers for answers to the questions swirling in his mind. "Gretchen... What happened?"

Gretchen's heart clenched at the vulnerability in his voice - her protector, the strong one who was always sure of the next move was searching his mind trying to remember as she gently questioned him about the events leading up to his collapse.

A nurse listened in from the laptop, typing notes into TJ's chart for the floor nurses. TJ's memories were fragmented, disjointed whispers lost in the void of his confusion. He remembered leaving for his run, he remembered crossing the bridge, the world around him a blur of motion and sensation. But beyond that, his memories dissolved into an impenetrable haze.

"It's okay, TJ. You're safe now," Gretchen reassured him, her voice a soothing balm to his fractured psyche. "Dr. Lewis believes you may have had a concussion, but she's ruled out a heart attack or stroke. She wants to keep you here for a couple of days to keep an eye on you." As Gretchen spoke, she watched the flicker of understanding dance across TJ's features, his brow furrowing with concern.

"I'm not staying here. Where are my clothes?" TJ's voice held a note of determined resignation, his gaze drifting to the sterile confines of the hospital room. TJ started to sit up as the nurse rushed to the bed. His entire head felt like it was going to explode as the nurse eased him back down, "Maybe that wasn't a good idea," he whispered.

The nurse smiled at him, "Ya think. Just slow things down cowboy, you'll be back in the rodeo in no time. For now though, you need to stay put."

Gretchen squeezed his hand in silent solidarity, her heart aching at the weight of his uncertainty. "Just for a couple of days, TJ. They want to keep an eye on you and make sure you're okay. I want to know that you are okay. You scared me."

TJ closed his eyes, "Mom and Dad?"

Gretchen squeezed his hand, "I will call them. I wanted to wait until I had answers so I didn't scare them. I'll do that when they move you up to your room."

TJ stirred in his hospital bed, the soft glow of the moon filtering through the curtains casting shadows across his chiseled features. It was the witching hour, a time when the world seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of the unknown. As consciousness danced at the edge of his mind, he became dimly aware of the soft footsteps approaching his bedside.

The door creaked open, and a figure emerged from the darkness, her silhouette bathed in the faint light of the corridor. She moved with a grace that belied the hour, her eyes alight with curiosity as she approached him.

"Good evening, Mr. James," she murmured, her voice a seductive melody that awakened a part of TJ that had been asleep for since the incident..

TJ blinked, his gaze focusing on the vision before him. The nurse was breathtaking, her beauty illuminated by the soft glow of the moonlight. He couldn't help but notice the way her uniform hugged her curves, accentuating every curve and contour.

TJ watched as his nurse moved quietly around the room. She leaned close as she checked the IV in his arm. She leaned in close to scan his temple with the thermometer, closer than was necessary. TJ felt her breath on his ear, which did not help the growing problem underneath the bed sheets.

The moonlight streamed into the room in such a way that the shaft of light highlighted his own shaft pressed against his belly under the sheets. The nurse reached out to him, her touch sending another wake up call coursing through his veins. "I just need to take your vitals, Mr. James," she purred, her voice dripping with innuendo.

TJ couldn't suppress the mischievous smirk that tugged at the corners of his lips. "Is there anything else you need, Nurse?" he asked, his green eyes twinkling with mischief.

The nurse's lips curved into a knowing smile, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Just your cooperation, Mr. James. You have been an outstanding patient, and sometimes I think that needs to be rewarded," she replied, her tone laden with promise.

Gray watched as the nurse moved to one of the hundreds of cabinets in the room and returned to his bedside to gather up her phone before she then disappeared into the bathroom. When she returned she had a towel over her arm, and the bedpan had been filled with warm water. The nurse smiled, "Need to be honest Mr. James, I read you came to us after a run and it's been a day now and you are rather ripe. I thought before the day shift came on we could get you cleaned up. Doc doesn't want you up and showering as you are still officially a fall risk."

TJ groaned as she slowly opened the ties on the hospital gown and pulled it over his head. Everything was completely professional. She wore gloves, used a gentle soap and sponge as she washed his shoulders, chest and down his torso. Like the others she gasped slightly when she had seen the scars on his back as she gently and thoroughly washed those as well.

The nurse used the towel to gently dry him off before she moved to his legs. She bunched the sheet up around his most private areas as if she were a massage therapist as she lathered, rinsed and then dried his feet and calves. TJ honestly thought she was finished as she took off her gloves.

With her gloves off, she put a finger to her lips indicating for him to be quiet. She fixed the blankets again around his feet, before she folded them down, exposing his semi hard cock. She whispered, "Our goal is to anticipate our patient's needs before they become an emergency. I think I see a growing need."

Her left hand lifted his prick as her right hand tried to wrap around it. She smirked again, "It seems to be as if this problem is quite large."

Gray had to stifle a moan as the nurse opened a package of lube that they use for all of the tubing. She blew on it in her hands to warm it up before she returned to his cock, using both hands to coat the now much more full length and girth of Gray's dick.

The nurse then began to lightly stroke Gray's penis with her right hand while cradling his balls with her left. Gray winked at her as she started to stroke the length of his prick. The nurse was a traveling nurse. Here for 6 months, there for 3. She was paid well and controlled her own schedule. Her contract was ending and she was going to head to warmer climates for the winter.

The first night when the rumors of the size of Mr. James cock flew through the nurses station, she knew how her last shit would end. To feel this well built middle aged man respond to her digital manipulations was more arousing than she dreamed of. She couldn't believe that his cock was still growing. How big would it get? she wondered. There was only one way to find out!

The nurse smirked as she redoubled her efforts, sliding her hand quickly up and down Gray's cock as she squeezed him a bit harder. She figured after the last few days that she would finish him quickly but she was not aware of the person she was with.

As she continued to stroke, the squishy sounds of the lube in her hands only mimicked Nancy's neglected young pussy was getting wetter as she continued to rub TJ's huge, now fully hard cock. cock. What a mammoth hunk of flesh he had! She was a nurse and had seen more than her share of penises but she had never experienced anything like this. She had seen porn of a woman holding a huge cock like a baseball bat. When she wrapped her second hand around the monster she almost giggled at how much was still visible. Not only was there length left, neither of her two fists could completely close around the girth.