It was the ringing of his cell phone that woke AJ from his sleep. There was no gradual waking. One minute he was asleep, the next awake, his mind instantly on alert. He reached into his pocket and pulled his cell phone out, not bothering to even open his eyes, or to move from his position on the bed. He recognized the ringtone and to whom it belonged. “How is he, Kevin?”
“AJ, he’s fine.” Those two words were thrown like a lifeline. AJ latched on to them. They centered his mind to hear the rest of it. “They’ve had him on medicine all night and now they’re saying it looks like the infections gone. His fever broke and he’s awake again. Surprisingly he seems to be feeling great, all things considered. He teased me about the bags under my eyes.” There was wonder in Kevin’s voice at the very end.
AJ was already moving. He disentangled himself from Howie and climbed out of the bed. “I’m on my way.” He didn’t wait for Kevin to say anything else. He simply hung the phone up and put it on the dresser as he shifted through for clean clothes. He felt Howie’s eyes on him, and Nick’s as well. The two had stayed with him all night. They’d laid there, the three of them, until all of AJ’s tears were spent. Then they’d stayed. He appreciated, more than they could ever know, not having to sleep alone.
“The infections gone, Kev said. His fever broke, and he’s awake and joking.” AJ explained. He paused, holding a clean shirt in his hands, and simply bowed his head. His lover was going to be ok.
Looking out the window, he realized that the sun was high. In surprise he checked his phone. Holy cow. It was already 2 in the afternoon!
He ignored his friends as he hurried to change his clothes. He wanted to get to Brian, and fast.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brian sat on the edge of his bed, smiling at the elderly nurse in front of him. Though his chest hurt, he knew that was to be expected. Having done this once before had prepared him for what this would feel like. The pain medication that they’d put in his IV was a nice cushion against the soreness and slight burn in his incision.
He knew what was expected of him. The guidelines that they had for his recovery. They were forever burned into his brain; a memory that would always be there. He used them now to help himself. He knew his body. Knew how far he could push it, and the warning signs of going too far. They had already had him sit on the edge of the bed. Now, with the help of Cameron, a male nurse, he was going to move to the chair directly beside the bed.
He didn’t grab hold of Cameron’s arm, though he wanted to. Cameron was there to steady him if need be, to see if there was any dizziness from the pain medication. Aside from that it was up to Brian to do this. But he had to remember how to do it without pushing or pulling with his arms. That was one thing they stressed for quite a while. Until the sternum had a chance to heal, you weren’t supposed to push or pull with your arms to move yourself anywhere, nor were you allowed to life more than ten pounds once you were home.
Very carefully he let his feet slide to the floor and added his weight to them. He didn’t move away from the edge of the bed, but allowed his weight to rest against the edge of it as his head swirled for a second. Pain medication did that to him sometimes. But it cleared quickly, and Cameron made an approving noise at his side. “Very good, Mr. Littrell. Do you feel steady? What’s your pain level?”
“Steady enough.” Brian responded. “And I’d say about a 5, maybe a 6.” They tested your pain on a scale of one to ten. One being ok. Ten being the worst pain imaginable. At the moment he was on a slightly higher end than he wanted to be, or admit to, but there was one thing he knew very clearly. In the hospital, with the staff, you never try to make your pain seem less than it is. To do so could end up hurting you in more ways than one in the long run.
Sitting in the chair was the hardest part. To sit down without using his hands to brace his weight was a tricky thing. Luckily enough the chair they had for him wasn’t low to the ground. He used his leg muscles, and Cameron was behind him bracing his back at he sat. A stool was brought over that Brian put his legs up on. Once he was settled he took a few calming breaths, trying to control his breathing and relax.
Once that was under control and the pain had abated slightly, thanks to Cameron adjusting the medication in his IV, Brian looked wryly at his legs. “Could I at least have a blanket before someone gets here?” he joked.
As if the words had summoned him, AJ’s voice called from the doorway. “But they’re such sexy legs, Rok.”
Warmth spread through Brian that had nothing to do with medication. He looked over to the doorway and saw AJ leaning against the door frame, dressed in hospital scrubs. At least this time he was minus a mask. His grin was a mile wide and his eyes were practically glowing with the love in them. “Alex.” It was all he could say. All he needed to say.
Cameron took a blanket from the bed and spread it over Brian’s legs before silently. Then he moved to the other side of the bed to take a seat by the sink and the machinery. With the skill of someone who had worked in the CVICU for years, he picked up a book and effectively granted them as much privacy as possible.
Brian barely noticed. He only had eyes for the man that was walking toward him. His love moved to the chair next to Brian’s and took a seat, curling his legs up almost underneath him. “Good to see you more alert this time.” AJ said softly.
“I feel better than I did last time I saw you.” Brian admitted with a grin. “I hear the Doc sent you home to sleep. Looks like you got some.”
“After a fashion.” A smile curved AJ’s lips. He tipped his head to the side, just looking. Under that steady gaze Brian found himself blushing. That only made AJ’s smile wider. “I love you, Brian Thomas Littrell.”
“I love you, Alexander James Mclean.”
“Good. Just so we’re clear on that.” AJ winked at him and Brian had to restrain the urge to chuckle. Laughter was not the bed thing in the world at the moment. Just sitting in the chair and talking was almost more tiring than he wanted to admit. He wouldn’t be able to sit here for very long, no matter how much the thought frustrated him.
Something of it must have shown on his face, because AJ winced and instantly apologized. “Sorry. Two minutes in here and I already forgot what Dr. Lorry told me. I won’t make you laugh again, I promise.”
“Impossible. You always make me chuckle, Alex.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I may have to stay away for a while.” Even as he said it they both knew he wouldn’t. Brian moved his arm on the arm rest, reaching his hand to AJ. His love took it, and they sat there in silence, holding hands, until it Brian felt himself growing tired. Without saying anything to Cameron he moved and rose slowly to his feet.
Very quickly his nurse was there, ready to assist if need be. He let Brian get back into bed on his own before adjusting the pillows behind him and the blankets over him. He checked the clock and the monitors and charted what he saw before going back over to his chair.
To his surprise, Brian found himself starting to drift. Even as he was falling asleep, he felt AJ’s hand in his again. He fell asleep with a smile curving his lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the fifth day after his surgery, Brian was climbing gently from the car to stand and stare at his house. He brought a hand up, placing it directly underneath his scar, resting it gently on his skin. Using it as a guide he took a few steady breaths before starting the walk to the house.
Though he could walk much more now, he still had to watch his movements and his breathing, as well as his heart rate. There were so many things that he had to watch, but that were becoming instinctive to do. Whether it was because he was well prepared, or his body and mind remembered how things had gone before, he was doing well at his exercise without taxing his heart too much. The doctors were surprised at how well he was doing.
No sign of the infection had come back. Everything was progressing the way that it should, at the rate that it should.
For a moment he stood and stared at his house. So much had changed since he’d originally bought it. He had thought it a wonderful house when he’d first seen it. There had been something missing from it, something that made him feel as if he was waiting. Then AJ had come into his life, and then the problems with his heart cropped up.
Who would have guessed that coming here to deal with his heart would have shown him what had been missing from the house? With AJ here, it felt like a home now. There wasn’t any sense of waiting anymore. There wasn’t that missing piece. Everything was together and right.
AJ’s hand laced with his. Neither of them spoke as they stared up at the place that had become their home. They knew, without a doubt in their minds, that this was where they would live together. This is where they would live, and love, and fight, cry, and celebrate. This is where they would grow old together.
With a small smile, AJ stepped toward the house, Brian by his side. The younger man opened the door, holding his free hand out. “Welcome home, Brian.”
Welcome home, indeed.