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DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of fiction and fantasy. No part of it is based on true events, and any similarity to any person, living or dead, is coincidental. It contains descriptions of homosexual activities between consenting adults. If you are not over 18 years of age, or if you find this type of story offensive, or viewing this material is illegal where you are, then please DO NOT READ IT! If you choose to read it, then - I hope you enjoy it!
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When You Least Expect By Josh Blake
Chapter 12
"Joshua Patterson?" the officer spoke.
"Yes sir. That's me."
"I'm Officer Williams with the state police. I'm sorry to tell you there's been an accident."
"Oh my God. Is it Braden? Please tell me he's alive!"
"Josh, are you okay, what's going on?" Tammy from across the street asked as she walked up the driveway.
"Ma'am, are you family?" the officer asked.
"Right now I am, now tell me what the fuck is going on!" Tammy said.
"Sir, is it okay to divulge information in the presence of this lady?"
I sobbed and nodded yes. I couldn't form words.
"There has been an accident. The young man you referred to as Braden was jogging approximately a mile from here when a vehicle ran a stop sign and struck him. He's alive, but he's bad off. He's been taken to the hospital. They will more than likely air lift him to Grady over in Atlanta. That's the closest trauma center. He listed you as the emergency contact in his phone. Is he your brother or something?"
I was hearing everything the officer was saying, but I couldn't register form complete sentences.
"Brother?" I said, almost incoherently.
"Yes, is he your brother?" the officer said.
Tammy stepped in and handled the situation. "No, he's not his brother. He's his fiancé, for fuck sake."
"I see," said the officer. "I'm very sorry. I assure you I meant no disrespect. I just didn't think about it that way. You're in my prayers."
The officer walked back to his car and left. I was an emotional mess. I couldn't stop crying long enough to call Mark and Bonnie. I was supposed to go to work tomorrow. No one at work knows I'm gay, except Devin. How am I going to handle this situation? Thankfully, Tammy was there to take charge.
"Come on, Josh. Let's go inside and make some calls. We are going to pack you a bag, then we're going over to my house to pack one for me. Then I'm driving you to Grady. I used to work there, so I still know some of the people there. They won't want to let us in because of Covid, but I think I can get us in," Tammy said.
When we got in the house, I called Bonnie's phone, but I couldn't stop sobbing long enough to explain what had happened. Thankfully, Tammy was there and took the phone and explained the whole situation. Within just a few minutes, Bonnie, Mark, and Austin were in my living room. We were all hugging and crying. We all needed to get to Atlanta, but none of us were in any shape to drive. Thankfully, Tammy came to the rescue and informed us all that she was driving us all over in her Tahoe. There would be plenty of room for all of us.
After about half an hour on the road, I finally got myself calmed down enough to make some calls for myself. I was riding in the middle row with Bonnie and Mark. Austin was up front with Tammy.
The first call I made was to Devin. He was the only one who could be trusted with the whole story, for now, anyway. I explained to him what had happened and that I wouldn't be at work for a while. He assured me that he would take care of everything at school and would simply tell everyone that I was dealing with a family emergency. In order to back up the claim, I texted Anita, my secretary, and informed her that I was dealing with a family emergency and would be out for at least the rest of the week. Then, I made the call that I dreaded most.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Dr. Turner. This is Josh Patterson. I apologize for calling so late."
"Josh, what can I do for you? You sound upset. Is everything okay?"
"No, sir. It's not. I am headed to Atlanta right now to be with my, ummm....a friend who was in an accident. He was hit by a car while he was out jogging and had to be airlifted. It's serious, sir. I may be out of work for a few days."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Josh. This must be someone very special to you. Please take care of your friend. Don't worry about school."
"Thank you, sir. I've already spoken with Mr. Anderson. He and Ms. Rogers and Ms. Swann can handle anything that comes up."
"I'm sure they can, Josh. Thanks for letting me know what is going on."
"Thank you, sir."
"Oh and Josh, one more thing. I know more than you think I know. I really am sorry, and I'm praying for you and your friend. Please keep me updated on his condition," Dr. Turner said.
"Yes sir," I said, my voice cracking. "I'll keep you updated."
As I hung up the phone, I totally lost it. I cried into Bonnie's shoulder, while Mark rubbed my back. The two of them weren't doing much better.
"We're here," Tammy announced, pulling into the parking deck. It was not nearly as crowded as it might have been had COVID-19 not been an issue. Of course, it was also going on midnight in Georgia, so that also contributed to the lack of people around.
"Okay, when we go in, let me do the talking," Tammy said. "It's going to be a challenge, but I think I can get us in."
We walked into the hospital and immediately got stopped by a security guard.
"You all can't be up in here right now," the security guard said. She was a hefty, middle-aged woman. Her name tag read LaDonna.' "We ain't lettin' nobody in on account of the rona virus."
"I understand that," Tammy spoke, calmly, "But we are actually here to see Dr. Menendez. I'm a coworker." Tammy flashed her hospital badge quickly so as to not give LaDonna time to register where it was from.
"Oh, alright then. Let me just call upstairs and let Dr. Menendez know you all is..."
"No, don't do that," Tammy said. "It's a Code Purple. Dr. Menendez knows we are coming, but no one else can."
"Oh, my. Well go on up then, darling."
"Thank you! Come on, team. We haven't much time," Tammy said as she lead us through the double glass doors into the hospital.
"What's a Code Purple?" Austin asked.
"No clue. She didn't know either. But it sounded official enough to get us in. But Dr. Menendez is the trauma surgeon who, with any luck, will be assigned to Braden. I worked with her when I worked here, and I still text her sometimes. If she's here, we'll be good."
As we approached the elevator, I realized that I had no clue where we were going. Luckily, Tammy knew her way around Grady Memorial Hospital.
"Trauma is on the sixth floor," Tammy said, pressing the button. The elevator doors closed. After what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened on the sixth floor. We stepped out of the elevator and headed toward the nurse's station. We were promptly confronted by a rather unpleasant nurse.
"Hold up. What in the hell is you all doing up in my hospital? I know good and damn well LaDonna ain't let y'all in!"
"Relax, Nurse...Trisha," Tammy said, reading the nurse's badge. "We are just here to see Dr. Menendez."
"You don't just walk up on my floor and tell me who you here to see," Nurse Trisha bellowed. "Don't y'all know we are in the middle of a pandemic up in here?!"
"Bitch, I ain't got time to fuck with your ass. I have serious business to attend to with Dr. Menendez, and unless you move your fat ass over to that desk and page her right now, I'm about to choke you with that bleached out blonde shit you call hair!" Tammy yelled. I had never seen this side of Tammy before.
"Tammy? Tammy Hendrix?"
"Dr. Andrea Menendez! Thank God you're here!" Tammy said.
"Doctor, these people..." Nurse Trisha started.
"Trisha, go check on the patient in 606. I'll take care of this." Nurse Trisha walked way in a huff.
"Tammy, what on Earth are you doing here? And who are your friends?" Dr. Menendez asked.
"Doc, this is my neighbor Josh. Josh's fiancé is a young man named Braden. He was in an accident and flown here. These are Braden's parents and his brother. We need to know how he is, and if possible, see him."
"Oh, yes, please come into the waiting area so we can talk," Dr. Menendez said.
"Dr. Menendez, is Braden going to be okay," I asked as we walked into the waiting area. I was holding hands with Mark and Bonnie. Tammy had her arm around Austin's shoulder.
"Yes, Braden is going to be okay," the doctor spoke.
"Oh thank God!" Bonnie said. We all sighed in relief with the news that Braden would be okay.
"But, I didn't say it's not serious. Braden came to us with a broken left femur, multiple cuts and abrasions to his body, and several broken ribs. He also presented with a concussion. All of his wounds will heal in time, but he will be in a great deal of pain for sometime. We have him sedated at the moment so he can rest. We obviously will keep him here for several days. His leg will require surgery, but there's no reason it won't heal completely in a few months. He will require some therapy for it to heal properly. But the really good news is that we are almost positive that there is no internal bleeding and no damage to his brain. It's really a miracle that he is in the condition that he's in."
"Can we see him?" I asked.
"I'd rather you didn't right now," Dr. Menendez said. "As I said, he's sedated. His appearance right now might also have a negative impact on you all. I can assure you that it looks much worse than he is. He will be taken in for surgery on this leg tomorrow morning. You can see him after that. But, you'll have to call ahead and speak to me so I can get you into the hospital. Only one of you will be allowed in. No more of that funny business or those threats, Tammy."
"I'm sorry, Andrea. I know I shouldn't have flexed like that to get in," Tammy said, "But I just had to get Josh in here to see Braden."
"I know. And it's okay. But you could have just called me," Dr. Menendez said. "Why don't you folks go get some rest. Tammy, call me on my cell phone in the morning and we'll discuss getting Josh back in to see Braden."
"Thank you, Dr. Menendez," I said. "I feel so good knowing that you are taking care of my man!"
"You got it, Josh. I promise you he's going to be fine."
We left the hospital and returned to Tammy's Tahoe to decide what to do next. We thought about just driving home, but Tammy really wasn't up to the task of driving two and half hours home tonight, and we all wanted to be close to the hospital just in case we needed to go back. We decided to find a hotel for the night so we could hopefully get a little sleep. Mark insisted on paying for the rooms. To save a little money, we decided we could make do with two rooms. Bonnie and Tammy shared a room with double beds, while Mark, Austin, and I shared another double room. Austin and Mark shared a bed, leaving one for me. None of us really expected to get much sleep. I guess I was really exhausted, physically, and mentally, as the next thing I knew it was morning. I woke up to several texts from Anita, Devin, and even Dr. Turner. I quickly texted each of them back, accounting for the level of information I wanted each of them to have. Devin got the full story, as he knew all about my personal life. He assured me that everything at school was under control. I had forgotten that I had scheduled several teacher interviews for later in the afternoon. Not wanting to cancel the interviews, I asked Devin and Alexis to conduct the interviews and make a decision together on who to hire.
About 8:00, we headed back to the hospital. Tammy had called ahead and spoken to the doctor, so we knew that Braden's surgery was scheduled for 10:00. Dr. Menendez told Tammy that if I could get there by 9:00, they would let me see him for a few minutes before the surgery. True to her word, Dr. Menendez met me at the nurse's station, and after checking my temperature and making sure that I had a face mask on, lead me to Braden's bedside.
Braden was awake and made eye contact with me as soon as I walked in the room. I couldn't hold back my tears as I dropped to my knees beside his bed. I took his hand and wept like a baby.
"Shhhh. Don't cry. I'm fine," Braden said. He sounded weak.
"I thought I had lost you! I don't think I could go on living if something ever happened to you!" I cried.
"You're not going to get rid of me that easy," Braden said. "A little ol' car ain't no match for me."
I snickered a little despite the tears that were still coming out of my eyes. About that time, a nurse appeared at the door.
"Well, there's our trooper!" the perky nurse announced. I already liked her better than Nurse Trisha from last night.
"I'm Tabitha, and I'm going to be your nurse for today! Now, it's time to get you ready for your surgery, so I'm afraid I'll have to ask your friend here to go, if that's okay."
"Yes, that's fine," I said. "If I give you my phone number, will you call me with updates?"
"I sure will! Now after his surgery, you won't be able to see him again because of the COVID-19 protocols, but I can Face Time with you so you can see that he's alright!"
"I understand. We just want him to get better," I said.
"Of course we do! Now, let me just program your contact information into my iPad. What is your relationship to the patient, sir?"
"He's my fiancé," Braden spoke up.
"Oh, how adorable! You two make such a cute couple!" Nurse Tabitha said with a smile. Braden and I both said "thank you" in unison.
"Baby, I love you, you are going to be just fine and that leg will be better in no time!" I said, while holding Braden's hand.
"I love you too, Joshie," Braden said, using the pet name for me that he usually only used in private.
"You two are just too cute! Oh my goodness!" Nurse Tabitha said.
I blushed a little with the attention that we were getting. It wasn't often that we received such positive attention as a couple. While most people were not outright disrespectful these days, we were usually just treated with indifference or ignored completely.
After being assured once more by Nurse Tabitha that Braden was in good hands, I left the room and headed back downstairs to meet the rest of the family. I was in much higher spirits after seeing for myself that Braden was okay, and my description of the situation made everyone else feel better, too. We had booked one more night at the hotel, so we all piled back into Tammy's Tahoe to go get some rest. The hotel was only a few minutes from the hospital, so we could easily get back if we needed to.
Braden's surgery was estimated to last about two hours. The doctor had explained that she would be placing a metal rod and screws to repair the broken bone. Over time, bone would grow over the screws. The doctor said that while he might walk with a slight limp for the rest of his life, there was no reason that with time, and the appropriate therapy, that Braden wouldn't regain complete use of his leg and even be able to resume running in time.
Shortly after 1:00, my phone buzzed. I had an incoming Face Time request.
"Hello Mr. Patterson!" Nurse Tabitha spoke into the iPad. "I'm here with our favorite guy!" Braden was in the background. He was obviously groggy and didn't completely know what was going on.
"Braden, can you hear me?" I asked. Bonnie, Mark, Austin, and Tammy had crowded behind me to see.
"Joooshhh...this is some good shit they got me on." Braden slurred. He tried to raise his hand to wave, but was not successful in his attempt.
"He's still feeling the effects of the anesthesia pretty good, but that will wear off in a few hours," Nurse Tabitha assured me. She spent some time explaining the success of the surgery and said that the goal for Braden was for him to rest comfortably the rest of the day and that night. If all went as planned, he'd spend one more day and night in the hospital, and then be discharged. Since today was Tuesday, that meant that he would be discharged on Thursday.
Nurse Tabitha assured me that she'd Face Time me again later, after Braden was more alert. Since we would not be allowed back into the hospital, and since Face Time works from anywhere, we decided to head home. Tammy had to go to work on Wednesday, so she needed to get some sleep before working her shift. We all thanked Tammy profusely for being there for us and for taking charge of the situation. Mark even tried to pay her for driving us to Atlanta, but she wouldn't even consider it.
"Josh has been like family to me since I moved in a couple years ago," Tammy said. "And now Braden is family, too. Which makes you all like my family. You know, they say you can't pick your family, but I disagree. I think you can pick whoever the hell you want to be family!"
We made it home in a couple hours. Traffic was fairly light. We made it out of town and home well before the evening rush hour. As soon as we pulled into Tammy's driveway, we all said our goodbyes. Tammy went in to get some rest, and Mark, Bonnie, and Austin got in their car and went home to do the same. That left me alone in the house with my thoughts. I pulled out my laptop to take care of answering emails and to do some work. I went ahead and arranged to be off work through the end of the week. I knew that even if I went to school, I wouldn't be able to focus on anything. I would work from home and meet with my team virtually through Zoom if I needed to.
It was going on 6:30 when I got a text from Bonnie.
"Hey, come eat supper with us."
"Can't turn down your food. On my way!"
Even though I wasn't really hungry, I didn't want to be alone anymore. The house was too quiet without Braden. Just as I walked in the door at their house, I got a Face Time alert from Nurse Tabitha.
"Hey Josh! My shift is almost over, and I wanted to make sure you got to see this guy before I left!"
"There's my handsome lover!" Braden said. He was obviously feeling better.
"Hey Baby! I just walked into your parents' house. Say hello to everyone!" Everyone took turns saying hello to Braden and telling him how much they missed him and how much they loved him.
"Are you feeling okay? Are you in any pain?" Bonnie asked.
"No, mom, I'm okay. They have me on a good bit of pain meds to make sure I don't feel any pain. I've been sleeping a lot. I just finished dinner. It was nowhere near as good as your food, but it's not bad considering I hadn't eaten anything in a whole day!"
We finished talking to Braden and said our goodbyes, then sat down at the table to eat. Bonnie had put together a simple, but wholesome meal of baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, and a garden salad with fresh tomatoes out of her garden. After dinner, I wondered out onto the deck by myself. I had just sat down when I heard the door open. I looked up to see Bonnie coming outside.
"Mind if I sit with you?" she asked.
"Not at all. I'd like that," I said.
"It's been a crazy twenty-four hours, hasn't it?" Bonnie said.
"That's not the word for it..." Despite my best efforts to avoid it, I felt a tear break loose and roll down my cheek. Bonnie reached over and took my hand.
"What if I lost him? How would I be supposed to live again without him?" I was sobbing now.
"I know, hun. I know. But we didn't lose him. He's going to be fine," Bonnie said.
"But what if he wasn't? I keep playing over and over again how I opened the door to find that cop standing there. The blue lights flashing from his car. Him just telling me matter of fact that there was an accident."
"That's his job, honey. He was just doing what he got paid to do."
"I know, but...I don't want to waste anymore time. I want to make every day count. As soon as Braden is able, we are going to get married. I'm not waiting anymore. Because one day, there might not be any time left for waiting," I said.
"I think that's a wonderful idea," Bonnie said with a smile. I smiled through my tears. Bonnie put her arm around my shoulder and we just sat there, quietly debating all that had occurred and all that Braden would endure on his road to recovery.
The next day I got frequent updates from Nurse Tabitha about Braden's recovery. He was making great progress, and Dr. Menendez said there was no reason he couldn't come home on Thursday as planned. After talking to Mark and Bonnie, it was decided that Braden would go home to their house to recover. I had to return to work next week, and it made more sense for him to spend time at their house were one of them would always be there to take care of him.
Tammy volunteered to drive me to Atlanta to pick Braden up. There was plenty of room in her Tahoe for him to stretch his leg out without causing any issues. Mark and Bonnie stayed home to get the house ready for Braden's return.
Braden was not thrilled to learn that he would be back in his old bedroom. He had just assumed that he would be coming home to our house. After I explained to him that his parents and Austin would be with him all the time to take care of him, he understood.
"But how will we have any alone time," Braden asked.
"Well, with your leg like it is, plus your ribs that are still healing, I don't think we are going to have any of that for a while," I said.
"I don't like that. I don't like that at all," Braden said, somewhat reminding me of a small child upset for not getting their way.
"Me either, baby, but we have to get you all healed up!" I said.
When we got to the house, I carried Braden up the stairs to his room. We got him settled in bed, got him the tv remote, and then everyone else went back downstairs to start dinner. Tammy had agreed to stay for dinner, but only if she got to help. Bonnie was happy to oblige.
"Josh?"
"Yeah, babe. What is it? Do you need anything?"
"I need you. I know we can't do anything really right now, but will you just hold my hand?" Braden asked. I moved over to his bed and took his hand. We looked into each other's eyes. No words had to be spoken. I was looking into his soul and he was looking into mine.
"Josh, promise me you'll never leave me. I don't ever want to live without you."
"I'll never leave you, baby. I love you," I said.
"Even when we get old. I still want to be right beside you. You'll be 90 and I'll be 78. Even if we are in a nursing home, I want to be right there with you, holding your hand. Promise me, Josh."
"I promise you, Braden. As long as I live, you'll never be without me."
"I spoke to Dorothy today," I said.
"Dorothy from the bed and breakfast in Chattanooga?" Braden asked.
"Yeah, that Dorothy. I told her about your accident. She sends her love, and so does Rose. They hope you get better soon. But that's not why I called them. I called to discuss our wedding."
"Our wedding?" Braden said. "But we said we wanted to wait."
"That was before. Before I thought I'd lost you. Sweetheart, I don't want to wait. I want to be with you forever. And I want forever to start now. As soon as you can walk and get around okay, we are going to Chattanooga and we are getting married," I said.
"Oh Josh. I love you so much. I really didn't want to wait! But I thought we had to. I can't wait to marry you!"
"Well, then we have to get you back on your feet! I may have booked the bed and breakfast for October 16."
"That's not far off! That's what, 9 or 10 weeks?" Braden said.
"It's 10 weeks. I think you'll be up and walking way before that!" I said.
"Well, let's hope so! Because I'm going to walk down that aisle and meet my husband!" Braden said.
The next chapter in this series will be published soon!
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