him to you? He’s had an accident, and… No, nothing like that, but I think he may need some stitches. You will?” He covered the receiver. “He’s coming here, Tom.”
Tom nodded. “’ames ’ows ’ow ’oo ’et ’ere.”
“Okay.” He uncovered the receiver. “Okay, Dr. Rochester, we’ll … Is there anything I should so in the meantime? Okay. Yes, okay, that makes sense. We’ll see you in a little while, then. Thank you.”
“Ut ’id ’e ’ay?”
“What?”
Tom sighed and looked for the notepad he kept on his night stand. He frowned when he couldn’t find it, and muttered under his breath as he opened the draw and scrabbled through the stuff in there – a flashlight, an egg-shaped vibrator, a tube of Glide, a box of condoms, a vibrating cock ring. He finally found the notepad and a pencil, and he wrote something and handed it to Jack.
“Oh. ‘What did he say?’ He’ll be right here.” Jack was heading out of the bedroom.
“No…” Tom flinched and wrote again. He heard the icemaker on the freezer door being activated.
When Jack came back in, he had a towel in his hand. Tom shoved the paper at him.
“I mean what did he tell you to do?” Jack held out the towel. “He said ice it. There’s crushed ice in here. Put this on your mouth.” As soon as Tom took it, Jack stepped away from him.
Tom made a questioning sound.
“Don’t come close to me. I’m… I’ll hurt you again.” He avoided Tom’s eyes. “I should have known… I’m so much bigger than you…”
Oh, Jack. What have I done to you? He’d been so busy trying to protect himself… And why hadn’t the punch he’d thrown at Jack stopped him? He’d taken down men bigger than his friend with a blow like that. He decided he’d think about it another time. Meanwhile, Jack was looking like he’d lost his best friend. Tom would have laughed in sour amusement, but his mouth hurt too much.
He put down the ice and went to Jack and hugged him. “’orry, ’ack.”
“No, I’m sorry, Tom. I never wanted to hurt you. As soon as the doctor takes care of you, I’ll leave.”
“No.” Tom left his friend’s arms, wrote on the pad, then showed him the page. I’ve hurt you too, and that was the last thing I wanted. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.
“Why, babe? What did I do wrong?”
Nothing. You didn’t do anything, Jack. This isn’t your fault.
“Then why?”
Tom tried to look away, but Jack caught his chin with gentle fingers and wouldn’t let him. There was that stubborn look on his face that told Tom he wasn’t going to let it go.
The knock on the door saved him from having to confess his arrant cowardice: Jack had just gotten too close.
“I’ll get it.”
Tom nodded, then winced as the slight movement caused his mouth to throb. He picked up the ice and gave it a thoughtful glance. He’d been punched in the mouth before. How bad could the injury be? He walked into the bathroom, turned on the light, and flinched. Was part of his lip bisected ? No wonder why Jack had almost passed out. He was ready to pass out.
He covered it with the compress and went back into the bedroom.
Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day… The Mamas and The Papas
James was just walking in. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?” he asked over his shoulder.
“No, this is Tom’s blood.”
“Well…” He came to a halt as he took in Tom’s appearance. “Holy mother of god!”
“’ot a ’ood…” He made an impatient sound, set aside the ice, and scribbled on the notepad.
“‘Not a good reaction from one’s doctor’? Asshole. Get in the kitchen. The light should be better in there.”
“’es, ’octor.”
“And shut up. I have no patience trying to decipher what you’re trying to say. Sit.” He pointed Tom to a chair and rolled up his sleeves, then opened his medical bag and began to lay some items on the counter. Jack had already turned on the overhead light. “Thanks. So you’re Jack Sweet?
Tom nodded. “’ames ’ows ’ow ’oo ’et ’ere.”
“Okay.” He uncovered the receiver. “Okay, Dr. Rochester, we’ll … Is there anything I should so in the meantime? Okay. Yes, okay, that makes sense. We’ll see you in a little while, then. Thank you.”
“Ut ’id ’e ’ay?”
“What?”
Tom sighed and looked for the notepad he kept on his night stand. He frowned when he couldn’t find it, and muttered under his breath as he opened the draw and scrabbled through the stuff in there – a flashlight, an egg-shaped vibrator, a tube of Glide, a box of condoms, a vibrating cock ring. He finally found the notepad and a pencil, and he wrote something and handed it to Jack.
“Oh. ‘What did he say?’ He’ll be right here.” Jack was heading out of the bedroom.
“No…” Tom flinched and wrote again. He heard the icemaker on the freezer door being activated.
When Jack came back in, he had a towel in his hand. Tom shoved the paper at him.
“I mean what did he tell you to do?” Jack held out the towel. “He said ice it. There’s crushed ice in here. Put this on your mouth.” As soon as Tom took it, Jack stepped away from him.
Tom made a questioning sound.
“Don’t come close to me. I’m… I’ll hurt you again.” He avoided Tom’s eyes. “I should have known… I’m so much bigger than you…”
Oh, Jack. What have I done to you? He’d been so busy trying to protect himself… And why hadn’t the punch he’d thrown at Jack stopped him? He’d taken down men bigger than his friend with a blow like that. He decided he’d think about it another time. Meanwhile, Jack was looking like he’d lost his best friend. Tom would have laughed in sour amusement, but his mouth hurt too much.
He put down the ice and went to Jack and hugged him. “’orry, ’ack.”
“No, I’m sorry, Tom. I never wanted to hurt you. As soon as the doctor takes care of you, I’ll leave.”
“No.” Tom left his friend’s arms, wrote on the pad, then showed him the page. I’ve hurt you too, and that was the last thing I wanted. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.
“Why, babe? What did I do wrong?”
Nothing. You didn’t do anything, Jack. This isn’t your fault.
“Then why?”
Tom tried to look away, but Jack caught his chin with gentle fingers and wouldn’t let him. There was that stubborn look on his face that told Tom he wasn’t going to let it go.
The knock on the door saved him from having to confess his arrant cowardice: Jack had just gotten too close.
“I’ll get it.”
Tom nodded, then winced as the slight movement caused his mouth to throb. He picked up the ice and gave it a thoughtful glance. He’d been punched in the mouth before. How bad could the injury be? He walked into the bathroom, turned on the light, and flinched. Was part of his lip bisected ? No wonder why Jack had almost passed out. He was ready to pass out.
He covered it with the compress and went back into the bedroom.
Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day… The Mamas and The Papas
James was just walking in. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?” he asked over his shoulder.
“No, this is Tom’s blood.”
“Well…” He came to a halt as he took in Tom’s appearance. “Holy mother of god!”
“’ot a ’ood…” He made an impatient sound, set aside the ice, and scribbled on the notepad.
“‘Not a good reaction from one’s doctor’? Asshole. Get in the kitchen. The light should be better in there.”
“’es, ’octor.”
“And shut up. I have no patience trying to decipher what you’re trying to say. Sit.” He pointed Tom to a chair and rolled up his sleeves, then opened his medical bag and began to lay some items on the counter. Jack had already turned on the overhead light. “Thanks. So you’re Jack Sweet?
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