The story below is a work of fiction, set in the format of reality. Any resemblances to real people, alive or in the hereafter, is entirely coincidental in nature. It is not meant to accurately reflect upon persons, in towns, cities, countries, nor governmental areas, which the story is staged. If a sexual scene involving male-to-male relationships offends you, then you should not read this story. Additionally, if you are under 18 years of age, in most state and countries, you are not allowed to read this story, by law. Check with your local laws regarding such. % Sexual safety matters. Remember guys, this is fiction. In real life, use protection.
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MARCH Meltdown 03 wriTten by T. Chase McPhee
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"Um Tino, don't you have any `sick boys', I mean patients," Jean-Claude made the intentional flaw in his speech, "to attend to?"
"I suppose I could seek out and find some," Tino mentions, as he picks up the clipboard he half-leaned on while in a relaxed pose, looking at and taking in the scene as it unfolds with the nineteen and twenty year old's and his former `close' friend.
"Why don't you do that?"
After Dr. Filipidis takes leave, Jean-Claude turns his attention once more to Emre Temel, the twenty year old taking up residence, bedside, his ass sitting on the cushy bed about where Kevin's knees end. "Hmm," Jean-Claude ponders, wondering where Emre's hand is sitting between Kevin's legs. Is it resting on Kevin's calf, knee, or higher? Skipping over the matter of Emre's hand, Jean-Claude opens up with, "So! Want to give me a sneak preview of what happened?"
Emre made no attempt so Kevin replies, "Well I had gotten off the train in Penn station and transferred to the subway. There wasn't the usual crowds and, minding my own business I found several spaces to sit, took off my backpack and sat it on my lap. The car took off down the tracks and things were pretty much uneventful."
"Then I got on at the next station," Emre furnishes an important fact of the matter. Realistically he had other reasons for sitting across from Kevin, but stated, "I sat down almost across from Kevin."
"Not really across, but on a diagonal?" Kevin asks Jean-Claude if he knows what he means. Out of habit, Kevin moved the sore arm and then changed to the other one to draw a line of vision in the air.
"I get the picture. So? Next?"
Both Emre and Kevin started in at the same time.
"You go," Kevin addressed Emre.
"It is okay. You," Emre replies.
"No. If you want to tell?"
But Emre is insistent, "You tell it. Your english is better."
Along with admiring Emre's `Greek God' looks, Jean-Claude was having no problem deciphering the meaning of his words. Yet, he returned his attention to Kevin.
"Okay. So this is how it goes," Kevin got down to the nitty gritty details. "Next stop these three seedy characters get on. Other than Emre and I there wasn't anyone except some old man sitting there. The subway started moving. At first I didn't take notice of anybody except Emre sitting there...."
Jean-Claude sarcastically wondered `why'?
"But then the three guys, maybe in their early twenties begin talking louder. Once in a while one would say something and the other two would look at Emre. I knew right away something was up."
Emre interjects thought, "They look like thug'? Dresses in black, you know?" He didn't mean dresses', but `dressed'.
"Um, yeah," Jean-Claude replied to Emre, adding a tiny smile, "I'm starting to form a picture here."
Stealing the next line, Kevin tells, "Well to make a long story short, the three came over to Emre and started casually telling him they didn't think Emre belonged in this country, whereas soldiers are fighting for `his' people..."
Setting the record straight, Emre adds, "I am not even Iraqi! I am Greek." And then as an afterthought, "With a little other mix. I think you call `mutt'?"
It took a temporary break from the seriousness of the matter, then dived back in.
"Anyway," Kevin cuts in, "what I didn't like was how they were talking to him. Made me kind of edgy. Then when Emre didn't answer them..."
"I keep my mouth shut. I think what I say might not help me." Then logically, "No matter what I say I think they think I am not who I am."
Jean-Claude got it, even though Kevin wasn't sure.
"Anyway," Kevin continues, "when Emre didn't speak, one of the thugs slaps him in the head."
"It so hard, I fall to one side," Emre says, depicting the scene, falling to one side as if he is listening to Kevin's knee!
Kevin keeps on, "Then one of the others grabs Emre right in the middle," he bunches up his own hospital gown with his fist, "and pulls him back into a seated position."
Listening intently, Jean-Claude is getting a more clear, high-defined picture. Something more about Kevin, his emotions he shares with others when in a high-strung environment, drawing him to others, a strong trait he hadn't know or perceived before.
"While doing that I spot the third dude's hand in his pocket, withdrawing something. I see a partial view of the object. Metal."
Breaking the tension, Emre reports, "It was a knife!"
"Yeah," Kevin jumps back in with, "and when he pulled it out, he flicked a button or something and it opened up, a long blade coming out."
As if fear filling him, the moment Emre's eyes spotted the knife, the dim lights of the subway car reflecting off of it, "I was scared so much shit!"
"He means he was scared shit," Kevin sets it straight. "Anyway, I don't know what possessed me J-C, but I couldn't sit there and let them carve Emre up. Fortunately we were coming into the station. Not my stop, but was glad it was anywhere. The guy with the knife, I threw my backpack at his legs. He buckled and fell to the side. I helped the three of them lose balance, shoving the guy with the knife into the other two..."
Intensely, Emre tells, "Then Kevin grab me like this," he uses his own hand to ball up the front of his buttoned down, white shirt and pull me out of my seat." He jumps off the bed, then hops back on.
"All I knew is I had to get us out of there, so I dragged Emre out the door, hoping it would close before the bad guys followed."
"I take it you made a clean getaway then?"
"Right," Kevin replies. "But it's not until we got halfway up the station stairway I realize the cut to my arm..."
"His jacket was slash," Emre describes. "Blood is coming everywhere!"
"Yeah, strange to think I didn't feel anything at the time, but most likely somewhere in the struggle the evil dude's knife must've caught me on my arm. I can't show it to you now, but it was enough to require more than a few stitches."
"Kevin, he weak, but save me. Kevin is a hero!"
"I'll say," Jean-Claude replies, his demeanor changing from serious to a more cheerful disposition. "The important thing is you both are safe."
"I owe Kevin my life," Emre puts it.
Observing the body language, Jean-Claude sees the two lock eyes, Emre's hand in action, rubbing up and down the sheet, massaging Kevin's calf. Both retain soft smiles.
Shoving off the glory, Kevin replies, "Ah, it was nothing. Just doing my citizen-duty."
Wondering if it was more, Jean-Claude observes Kevin spider-walk his `good hand' down the bed to Emre's, the two locking fingers.
"Well, I guess you are in good hands...."
"Yeah," Kevin makes light of them holding hands.
Jean-Claude giggled.
A slow reaction, Emre responds, "Oh I see. `Good hands'," he too moves his hand around, dragging Kevin's digits. "You make a funny joke," Emre smiles.
"Apparently," Jean-Claude announces as he gets up, "Denny's new friend has a cousin who lives down the block," he throws his thumb over his shoulder, pointing nowhere, "and has set me up with accomodations," which he was dreading, the uneasy feeling returning, "so I guess I will head over there and come back tomorrow morning?"
Right away Kevin thinks, "It's Monday morning. Don't you have to work?"
"I've instructed Denny to open the office and let the staff in. I'll contact him later to see if there is anything needing my attention." And it did occur to him, "And what about you Emre? Where do you live?"
"I live with my brother in apartment."
Kevin interrupts, "I thought maybe after I get out of the hospital, maybe Emre could save some rent money. Would it be alright if he came and stayed with me J-C?"
Things were moving fast here, but at least Jean-Claude was getting the gist of what the hero and the victim meant to each other. He forced a smile, saying, "It's your decision Kev."
"I know, but I figured since you were footing the bill for the hotel room I'd better ask."
Emre followed the conversation, wondering if Jean-Claude meant more to Kevin than `friends'. He tested the ice, "Maybe it not good?"
"Nonsense," Jean-Claude shot back with. Totally cool, but a bit of sadness flooding his soul, he rendered, "I think it's a great idea. By the way Emre, where is it you are employed?"
Kevin and Emre exchanged glances, Kevin shares, being candidly frank, "Emre has a shit-job downtown working in some office. He's already told me he thinks they are taking advantage of him."
Breaking out of his sad silence, Emre tells, "I am like Kevin. I get donuts and coffee. Really, it not a bad job."
"Well," Jean-Claude heads for the door, "sometimes life is just not fair. However, I think I can help you out there."
Probably Kevin and Emre have shared much of their lives already with each other. So Jean-Claude assumes, Kevin mentioning to Emre how he set Kevin up in a good job, making good money, enough to get by on.
"If you can do something for him, J-C, it'd be great for us."
There it was. Us'. The answer in the search to find out how far the two had melded. At this point Jean-Claude was regarding their association as friends, with no chance of the two developing anything more. Yet, he wasn't totally surprised, Kevin already pointing out to him, two tops' doesn't work in a relationship. Maybe Jean-Claude had a difference of opinion, thinking if two guys loved each other it would not matter. But on the other hand he thought of Kevin as immature at such matters and maybe it best he seek out his own life. "I'm sure I can help you two out," he replies.
Then sensing something in Jean-Claudes personality, a change perhaps, Kevin mentions, "We can still be friends, you know J-C?"
"I know." Bidding Kevin farewell, he bends over the bed to give him a kiss on the cheek.
Kevin turns his head, hastily diverting Jean-Claude's lips to his.
So as not to keep Emre in the dark, if he has had any reservations, Jean-Claude directs to him, "We're good friends."
"Oh. I know. Kevin explain it to me."
Leaving with a quaint smile on his lips, Jean-Claude dropped the `it-doesn't-bother-me' act, the smiley lips upturning. His hand still on the knob, his back plastered to the wooden door, he exhaled deeply. With immediate thoughts of spending the night at Denny's beau's cousin's apartment he said in hardly an audible tone, "Next chapter of my life!"
Once again he bumped into his old friend, Dr. Filipidis, "On your way out J-C?"
Without a word, Jean-Claude smiles and adds a giggle.
"What?"
"I see you had a good time this morning, Tino," he says, pointing out the unbuttoned white shirt, re-buttoned unevely. "Tell me, who was the lucky nurse you cornered in the supply closet?"
Looking down upon himself, Tino undid the wrong.
Replying to the visual, the thirty year old's hairy chest, Jean-Claude responds, "Mmmmm.."
"Anytime you know? We can pick up where we left off?" Tino replies, reading Jean-Claude's thoughts.
"What? And have you cheat on me everytime you go out of the house Tino?"
"Sorry," Tino replies as if still apologizing for a few years back when Jean-Claude caught him in the back room of the deli they both frequented, in Asbury Park.
"Still apologizing, Tino? It's over. Remember?"
"I know. I really messed up a good thing." After a short pause, Tino wondering if something, even a smidgeon of hope remained, he gave up. "By the way, there's this tall, hot guy out at the front desk asking for you..."
"Tall? Hot?"
"Yeah. Says he was sent to pick up you and take you home?"
"Hmm," Jean-Claude analyses the situation, rubbing a hand over his 12 o'clock shadow. Then snapping his fingers, "Oh right! I bet that's AJ's doing."
"Oh? Juggling two guys J-C?"
"Me? Yeah right, Tino. One is all I can handle at a time." Then thinking about his lust and lost for Kevin, "Then again would be nice if I can get one and keep one!"
A last hope, Tino replies, "How about..."
"Nah," Jean-Claude replies. "I think when we called it quits, it meant for all time." Yet, there was a flicker of dying ember in Jean-Claude's eyes as he stared.
"Yes?" Tino still hoped.
"I better get going," he broke out of his reverie.
"O....kay..." Tino replied in a disappointed manner.
Feeling a little sorry for him, Jean-Claude looked about then stepped into Tino's presence, taking the back of the doctor's neck in hand and planting a kiss on his lips. "Hey, thanks for the favor!"
Tino's reply? "I'm not washing my face for the rest of the week!"
"Yeah, well do your teeth so they don't fall out." But thinking of something wicked, Jean-Claude tells, "Then again, without the teeth I bet you could give an awesome blowjob Tino!"
"Ewe!" Is all the doctor could think of. "You're gross, J-C!"
Winking, he walked to the elevator and pressed the button. In no time the carrier's doors opened and he was on his way to the lobby. Traversing the short hallway Jean-Claude came upon the entrance. "Wow!" he said to himself, the crowd assembled. And then to himself he thought How am I supposed to find?' But then he spotted a tall guy standing across the way. He smiled. The guy got up and headed towards Jean-Claude. OMG!' he thought to himself. `Was Tino ever right!'
But when the guy approached Jean-Claude he said, "Excuse me, please?"
"Oh sure," Jean-Claude replied, realizing he was blocking the only counter space for admissions.
He felt especially bad when the hot hunk turned to the crowd and yelled, "Honey, they need your insurance card again?"
Seeing the pregnant wife, Jean-Claude could tell he shook his head in a negative manner upon thinking, `What a damn shame!'
Shaken from his disposition, he heard his name spoken.
"Jean-Claude Lomberiou?"
Shifting around to his right, he came face-to-face with hunk number two. "I'm Jean-Claude."
"Hey. AJ said you would probably need a lift?"
"Sure," Jean-Claude replied. So what if he was going to AJ's cousin's house now. So what if he would be staying with some fat bear. At least he would have a nice ride with a hot, hunky valet!
"Here, let me take that for you. You must be tired."
"I am a little," Jean-Claude replied even though `now' he was all perked up!
When they left the hospital, walked to the parking garage, the whole time their conversation covered AJ, until they came upon the valet's vehicle.
"Oh, but this is AJ's SUV," Jean-Claude said of the dark green colored van.
"Right." Then in a different manner, the valet reaches out his hand, saying, "I don't know where my manners are." Offering a hand, "I'm Aldo Barbagallo, AJ's cousin?"
Stopped, frozen in place, this wasn't turning out to how Jean-Claude thought or pictured it.
"You know," Aldo responds to Jean-Claude, "you're staying at my place tonight?"
"Um. Yeah," he offers, still sketchy on finding out AJ's cousin is not a beefy bear, but a tall, swimmer's build dude, light brown hair, a brown-eyed beauty.
"Unless you don't care to, Jean-Claude, I could drop you at a hotel in town?"
"Um. No." In a total switch around, he tells, "On the contrary, Aldo. It's very hospitable of you to open your home to me."
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Copyright 2009 T. Chase McPhee
This story may not be sold, nor made part of any collection, without prior consent from the author.
The more you stretch, the more you can fit in... 'spread' happiness! TCMcP.....