Another One Bites the Dust (9 page)

She looked at me and her wrinkled face spread into a wide smile.  She reminded me of my mom with her smile lines and crow’s feet.  She lived a good life, and it showed.  “Do you know Mr. Low Rise Sweats with a wife beater that shows you every single ridge and valley?”

“That’s him.”  I said distractedly.

I was currently taking the newest edition’s vitals.  She was a perfect little baby with a ton of crazy brown hair covering her head.  I combed it down with the soft baby brush, pasted on the tiny little bow with a dot of KY Jelly, and then wrapped her up in a tight swaddle.  All the while, I felt Max’s eyes on me like a hot brand.  He watched every single move I made, and didn’t miss one single thing. 

Not even when I reassured myself that the ID bracelet that had a tracking device attached to it.  The monitor tracked the baby’s movement while they were in the maternity ward.  When the baby’s got too close to the elevator doors or a stair well, the maternity ward would go on lock down.  Doors wouldn’t open unless you had the special ID tag all of the nurses wore. 

I got the baby placed into the bassinet, and then wheeled her down the hall to her new parents.  Mom was sleeping as I entered the room, but dad was more than excited to take over baby duty.  Once the ID tags were checked, I left the doting dad with his new daughter, checked mom’s vitals, and then left the room. 

Max was now in one of the rolling chairs that surrounded the nurse’s station being doted on by Laura.  She’d gotten him a Styrofoam cup complete with bendy straw, a chocolate chip cookie, and a warm blanket.  Max, the lush that he is, soaked up the attention and preened at the attention he was getting.  Alpha laid at his feet, blanketing his sock covered feet.

The picture that he made was so funny that I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.  I loved the man, and it broke a little piece of my heart to know that he didn’t remember me.  Although, that wouldn’t stop me from trying to make him remember.  The man had said that he loved me a little over three days ago.  I know he’d hung up before I had a chance to say it back, but if he’d waited only a few more seconds he would have heard me return the sentiment.

I walked up behind him and leaned up against the back of his chair.  My breasts hit him in the middle of the head, and he leaned back into me, rubbing his head back and forth against them.  My nipples pebbled, and I knew then that that had been his original intention.  He had to have felt them with his first pass, and he’d continued to do it repeatedly until I held his head forcing him to stop.

“What are you doing out of bed?”  I asked.

He leaned his head back more until he could make eye contact.  “Nurse Jenny tried to check my catheter again.  I decided a little walk was called for after that.” 

I growled, and his smile stretched wide.

“If you’re able to get up, you don’t even need a stinkin’ catheter.”  I said hotly.

“Precisely the reason I’m here.”

The silence ensued, and finally I broke it.  “You don’t even remember me, Max.”

My voice cracked when I said his name, and he wrapped me up in his arms tightly.

“I could never forget you for a second.  I had a brain fart.  I remember everything.  It only took you leaving for it to hit me like a fucking sledgehammer.  I remember the way you part your hair, the smell of the lotion you use, the tiny freckles on the swells of your breasts, and even the fucking tattoo that you thought you hid, but didn’t.”

“Eek.”  I squeaked.

I thought I’d gotten that little thing by him.  Obviously, I didn’t though. 

When I was eighteen and rebellious, I walked into the first tattoo parlor in the phone book, and told them what I wanted.  I was lucky that I wasn’t infected with something.  I didn’t do any research at all, and this place left little to be desired.  The one good thing I could say about the whole situation is that I loved the tattoo.  It was embarrassing as hell, but it’s so totally me.

“What the hell were you thinking?”  He asked before he burst out laughing.

“Oh, how original.  Couldn’t you have thought of something else to say about it?”  I said blandly.

“You do know that he’s a fictional character, right?”  He teased.

I slapped my hand over his mouth and hissed, “Shhhh.  He’ll kick your ass if you don’t believe in him.”

He looked up at the ceiling as if praying for patience, and then returned his eyes to mine.  “Him and what army?”

“Chuck Norris once pissed in a semi truck’s gas tank as a joke, that truck is now known as Optimus Prime.”  I said with as straight of a face as I could manage.

He blinked, and then blinked again.  “Was that supposed to be funny?”

“Chuck Norris doesn’t sleep with a gun under his pillow; he sleeps with a pillow under his gun.”

“Are you done?”  He demanded.

I could go all day.  Chuck Norris was my hero.  I used to watch episodes of Walker Texas Ranger every day.  It devastated me when they stopped showing it on television.  Now I have every single season they ever aired on DVD. 

When I was contemplating the tattoo, I knew it would have to be something I loved, that I would never regret getting.  To this day, I still love it just as much as I did then.  On my lower right shoulder blade, I sported Chuck Norris in his tight jeans, gold star badge, and a tight western shirt doing a round house kick in the air.  It was purely awesome. 

“Oh my God, you aren’t human!”  I yelled since he still refused to crack a smile.

Thoroughly disgusted, I turned and stomped to the bathroom.  I wasn’t really mad.  It was rare to find someone that understood how awesome Chuck Norris was.  I tried to lock the bathroom door, but a slippered foot poked its way inside before I could close the door all the way.

“Will you take this thing out of me already?”  Max pleaded while gesturing to his groin.

I took pity on him.  “Drop your pants.”

Taking the syringe out of my pocket, I dropped to my knees and started the process of removing the catheter.  His cock lengthened, but I ignored it and went about what I was doing.

“Fuck me.”  Max gritted out from above me.

I just laughed and removed the catheter the rest of the way before standing up and throwing it into the biohazard bag that was in the corner of the bathroom.  Once I turned, Max’s arms circled around me and caged me in against the wall.  His pants were still below his penis, the waistband pushing his balls and cock up, which was now rubbing against me suggestively.

“Am I allowed to have sex?”  Max questioned.

“I don’t know; I’m not your doctor.  What I do know is that I’m not having sex at work, big boy.”  I said before giving him a quick peck on the lips and exiting the bathroom to his aggravated growl.

“Do I need to leave this IV in, or can I take it off?  This pulling shit around with me is annoying.  If I don’t get you to do it, I’ll just rip it out, then where will we be?”  Max grumbled from behind me.

“Come sit down in your chair.  I’ll grab a band aid and take it out.”  I called over my shoulder.

I didn’t want him messing anything up.  Most likely, I should have his doctor’s permission first, but I knew he was serious about doing it himself.

When I got back, all of the nurses were crowded around Max laughing about something.  Once I got within hearing distance, I understood what they were carrying on about; apparently, Max felt it necessary to show everyone my drawing.  Shithead.

The rest of the night went swiftly.  I was in love with my job.  Getting to hold babies was the most rewarding type of nursing there was.  This was the purest form of life.  These babies were just starting out, their innocence intact, nothing there to mar their existence or taint it in any way.  They were all beautiful in their own way, and almost every time the parents were over the moon about having them in their lives.  Some of the women tried for years and years to have a baby, and when it finally happened, they became their mommy’s little miracle.  Others had them by accident, but their love for them still shined through. 

Max flirted with every single mother on the floor that night, even holding their babies, chatting, and genuinely interested in my job.  Even Tammy explained her job as the charge nurse, and let him bug her about anything and everything under the moon.

It was apparent to me that Max was a ladies man, but I wasn’t worried.  I was secure in our relationship and myself.  This was just the type of person he was, and I knew he probably didn’t meet a single stranger that he couldn’t strike up a conversation with about something.

Max went back to his room around six that morning, spending nearly my entire shift on the floor with me.  I went to his room after my shift was over to find him waiting for me to get there so we could leave together.  He’d convinced the doctor that he had a private nurse, and that she would take care of his every need. 

I guess that meant that I was spending my next three days off taking care of him.  This wasn’t my favorite thing to do.  Men had a way about them when they were hurt or sick.  They over dramatized everything.  Where something wouldn’t even affect a woman, a man acted like the earth was coming to an end.

I’d had my share of male patients over the last two years of nursing school.  On top of that, my brother and father are nearly just as bad.  You would think with two big men like themselves could handle a teeny tiny cold.  You’d be wrong.  Unfortunately, the old saying is true.  The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and I had a feeling the next three days would blow.

Chapter 6

Life isn’t Burger King.  You can’t always have it your way.

-T-shirt

Payton

“What’s his problem?”  Cheyenne asked me.

We were all out on the Max’s front porch.  Cheyenne and Ember sat in lawn chairs beside me.  We’d been banished from the house because Max didn’t like us talking during the movie.  We were talking about the upcoming Thanksgiving parade set for two days from today.  Max had requested we “shut the fuck up” numerous times before we were asked to leave.

He was in a super pissy mood.  The doctor had informed him that sex wasn’t an option until his checkup, and I made him stick to it.  I wasn’t one of those women that broke at the first sign of neediness from a man.  I wasn’t risking Max’s health for an orgasm.  I mean sure, it would blow my mind at first, but if I broke him in some way, it would only be that much longer before I could have him full time again.

Moreover, he was mad that I refused to move in with him.  I wasn’t ready to move in yet.  I wanted to move in for the right reasons, not because he was hurt and wanted me there.  He hadn’t repeated the “L” word yet, and I didn’t want to push him into anything.  I wanted him to come into this knowing all the facts.

“He’s mad because I won’t move in with him.”  I explained.

“Well, why won’t you?”  Ember asked.

I took a pull on the chocolate milkshake I was drinking, and answered, “Well, I want him to love me first.  I don’t want to let my apartment go, only to be without somewhere to live in a few months when he gets tired of me.” 

“Max has never ever asked anyone to move in with him.  I’ve only met his girlfriend’s accidentally.  He’s never even brought a woman back since I moved in with Gabe.  In fact, I haven’t even heard about him seeing someone since he met you, now that I think about it.”  She said before belching like a linebacker.

“Six.”  I said as I rated her.

“That was clearly a nine.  You’re a cheater.”

“Don’t be a sore loser, Ember.  It’s not becoming.”  Cheyenne said before turning back to me, “She’s also right though, Payton.  Maxiepoo hasn’t had any ass since he was injured.  Sam said it wasn’t what he was looking for anymore.  He told Sam that he wanted kids, and he wasn’t going to get them if he kept looking for easy p-u-s-s-y.”

Cheyenne spelled the word out of habit.  Just last week Pru had told Sam that she was going to “have his balls” if he didn’t get her a snack right that instant.  After Sam recovered from the statement, he immediately sent Pru to Cheyenne to tell her what she’d just said.  Pru then proceeded to tell Cheyenne that she had a “fat ass.”

I’d been lucky enough to witness that part of the statement, and I about died laughing.  Sam and Cheyenne hadn’t found it as funny as me, but I also wasn’t her parent.  I was allowed to howl in hilarity and roll around the living room. 

Cheyenne and Sam’s kids are all a hoot.  The oldest, Pru and Piper are twins.  They were followed closely by their younger sister, Phoebe.  Cheyenne has curbed her mouth significantly; however, Sam sadly has not.  He’d grown up with a motorcycle gang as a family, and then followed that up with ten years in the army.  He says some things are just so ingrained that you don’t fix them over night.

The first few notes of “MMMBop” by Hanson broke the quiet of the night, and I reached for my phone to answer it.  My brother Bennett’s smile lit up the phone, and I laughed when I saw he changed the picture again.  In this one he was wearing his ‘Welcome to the Gun Show’ shirt, flexing.  He had my mom take pictures of him a few times a week, and then he’d send them to me reminding me that I loved him.  He’d then call me and ask me for favors.  Most of the time it was for me to bring him lunch to school.

I loved that boy with all my heart.  “What do you need this time?”

“PP.”  Bennett said softly.

Straightaway I knew something was wrong.  Bennett was a ball of sunshine.  He could make anyone’s bad day better.  He didn’t even have to know you, all he had to do was smile at you, and you’d walk away with a smile on your face.  Therefore, for him to call me and have such a devastated tone to his voice, I knew something really bad had happened.

“What is it, Benny?”  I asked alertly.

Alpha’s ears perked up beside me, and he went from his head resting gingerly between his front paws to all fours, watching me attentively. 
“I went to a party tonight, and someone was hurt.  Bad.  She won’t let me take her to a hospital, and I can’t take her home.  She won’t let me, nor will she tell me where she lives.  What do I do?”  Bennett asked.