Blood, Brains, and Rock N' Roll
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “Hello, I’m Dr. Honda.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> The two men in the waiting room jumped to their feet before the door to the ER had closed. They seemed an odd pair, one rather thin and gangly, with straw blonde hair and large glasses, the other dark and handsome, and I couldn’t help noticing that their hands were tightly clasped as I began to speak.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “The good news is, Feliciano is going to be fine,” I continued, “the bad news is, we’re still not sure what caused the seizure, and his medical records are a little vague. I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me?”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> The couple shot each other a meaningful glance.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “Alright, what do you need to know?” the blonde one asked finally. The Italian had a slight accent to it, but I couldn’t place it.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “First I’ll need to know your names and relationship to Feliciano,” I said, pulling off my surgical cap and shaking my hair free.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “I’m Eduard Von Bock, and this is Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. We’re Feliciano’s friends,” the blonde one said.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> I nodded.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “What does he do for work?”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “He’s… uh… unemployed…” Eduard said, with a quick glance at Antonio.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> I sighed impatiently.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “Look, if he was exposed to any kind of toxin in his work environment, I need to know
in order to treat him.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “I just told you, he-” Eduard began angrily, but Antonio cut him off.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “He’s a prostitute,” he said quietly, his big dark eyes boring into mine.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> I blinked, once, trying not to betray the shock I felt at the answer.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “I see,” I finally managed to get out, trying not to feel overwhelmed at the number of diseases and infections that could have triggered the young man’s seizure.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “Is there anything else you need to know?” Antonio asked politely.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “No, that’s all, gratzie,” I said politely. “We’ll need to keep Feliciano here until we’ve identified the cause of his seizure. Normally we would speak to his next of kin about medical decisions, but according to his file his parents are dead and he has no siblings. Is it alright to make one of you our contact in the event of anything changing?”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “Of course,” Eduard said. “We… ah… we live together, so it doesn’t really matter which of us you contact…”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> I nodded, unable to suppress a small smile. “I understand,” I said politely.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">
"Times New Roman"">---
"Times New Roman"">
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> Eduard and Antonio could have no idea just how much I understood. They both had foreign accents, I wondered if they had to leave their homes as well…
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> Stop it, I told myself firmly as I tied Feliciano’s hospital gown and helped him settle into his bed. Don’t think about that. You moved to Venice to get away, so leave those memories in Tokyo where they belong!
"Times New Roman""> "Times New Roman"">“So how long do you think I’ll be here?” Feliciano asked as he settled back against the pillows. The accent was flawless, the Italian a perfect Venetian dialect. He’d probably never left the Veneto in his entire life.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “Just until we can determine the cause of your seizure and treat it,” I answered. “We’ll have to run a few tests, and I’ll need to take a blood and a urine sample, but we’re going to do our best to identify the problem as quickly as possible.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> He nodded, looking down at his hands and taking a deep breath. His hair was a very different shade of brown from Antonio’s, shining almost auburn under the light. His eyes were wider and lighter, mesmerizing beneath long, thick eyelashes. He must have been very good at his job…
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> Clearing my throat, I tore my eyes away. This was exactly the kind of thing that got me into trouble in Japan. I wasn’t going to let this handsome young man ruin my life in Venice as well.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">
"Times New Roman"">---
"Times New Roman"">
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “You’re being an idiot,” Alfred scowled, gulping down his drink almost angrily.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “You’re not seriously telling me that it’s a good idea for me to pursue a patient that makes his living seducing people off the street?” I asked incredulously.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “But those aren’t the reasons you’re scared to even look at this guy,” Alfred countered impatiently, brushing a strand of dark blonde hair out of his eyes. “This is Italy, not Japan. You don’t have to suppress your feelings any more. No one’s gonna care if you like another guy. Take his friends for example. Eduard and Antonio. They claim they live together. In reality, they probably have sex every night. But any Italian here will tell you that’s between them and God. I
mean, there’s definitely a reason they’re not shouting it from the rooftops, but it’s legal, it’s ok. As long as they keep it quiet, everyone’s perfectly happy to look the other way. Look at me and Yong. In America, I could go to jail if we were caught. Same in Korea. Here, people would just tell me to go to confession and make their kids walk on the opposite side of the street.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “It’s not that simple and you know it,” I muttered. “Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it does anything for your reputation. Prostitution is legal as well, but I had to fight very hard to even have Feliciano admitted to the hospital.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> Alfred shrugged. “Well, it’s a Catholic country, what d’you expect? It sure beats jail time. Besides, you’re the master of secrecy. If anyone could pull off having a secret homosexual relationship, it’d be you.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “Yeah, I thought so in Tokyo, too,” I sighed. “And I had to leave the country.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">
"Times New Roman"">---
"Times New Roman"">
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “Good news,” I said, keeping my eyes determinedly on my clipboard as I entered the room. “You’re responding to treatment. It turns out it the infection can be easily avoided in the future by a little more attention to hygiene.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> Feliciano smiled. “You’re trying to say that it wasn’t sexually transmitted. Thank you.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> I blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness of the statement.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> He laughed.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “Don’t look so shocked. I know Eduard and Antonio told you what I do for a living. I’m not ashamed of what I do. I would have told you myself if I were conscious.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “Of- of course,” I stuttered, not sure what else to say.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “You and I, we aren’t so different, you know,” he said, his big, beautiful eyes never leaving my face, “we’re both healers. You heal bodies, I heal hearts. There are many unhappy men in Venice, unhappy because they’re afraid God will turn from them if they yield to their desires. I give them happiness. I fulfill their secret desires so that they can return to their wives happy and satisfied, and I play the seducer, the devil, so that they don’t feel like they initiated anything, they don’t feel responsible or guilty. I play the sinner, and that’s alright for me.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> He leaned forward in his earnest.
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> “But you know what they say,” he continued, “it takes one to know one. I know other sinners when I see them. If you too feel… unsatisfied, you can usually find me in Santoro’s.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> My breath caught in my throat, the heat blooming in my cheeks. I considered it for a moment, let myself imagine myself in bed with him. I imagined it risqué, dirty, forbidden, hard and rough in some dingy hotel, all sweat and sloppy kisses and his hardness inside me-
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:
JA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"> “Thank you for the offer, but I’m all set for the time being,” I smiled, giving him a slight bow. “These are your discharge papers, you’re free to go.”