A Journey Rarely Taken (kissing)
Chapter 25
The sound of footsteps filters into Elijah's consciousness, then a light touch is felt on his left arm. It draws his eyes slowly open as fingertips graze over his forearm, making him aware that there is something attached to his skin. Still very much asleep, Elijah stares at the ceiling, then his unfocused eyes slowly drift shut once again.
Sleep tugs at his alertness while his body makes him aware of terrible aching from the waist down. The fingers move away, then can be felt again closer to his wrist. It is then that Elijah realises that the back of his hand is bandaged. With this realisation it all comes flooding back into his mind and he whimpers softly with the memory. The pain begins to intensify, turning his expression sour as sleep still claims him.
Vaguely aware that someone is in the room with them, Micheal's eyes flutter under their lids. He feels Elijah's warm body next to his, his head still laying half on Elijah and half on the pillow he brought with him from his bed.
Micheal wonders if whoever has entered the room will insist he move. His half asleep mind considers what he will say if they try to wake him. But it is Elijah's whimper that causes him to stir. Micheal opens his eyes and sees the nurse looking down at Elijah.
The nurse notices Micheal is awake and smiles before whispering, “It's time for his medication.”
Micheal lifts his head, looking up at Elijah as Lij grimaces in his sleep. Micheal's hand comes to his lover's face, wiping away a light sheen of sweat that has accumulated on Lij's brow.
“I thought once the procedure was done he'd be in less pain,” Micheal whispers to the nurse. His brows creases when Elijah's bottom lip quivers when he breathes in.
“He'll need a couple of days to recover from the Dilation & Curettage. His tiny frame will result in more pain afterward, but once the bleeding stops, he'll not be in as much pain,” the nurse says while adjusting the flow rate of the IV unit.
Micheal slowly shifts so he can see the time and glance out the window between their beds. It's almost six am, Wednesday morning, the twenty-seventh of November. So much has happened since Elijah's arrival last Saturday. A week ago Micheal never would have guessed he'd be waking next to Elijah, or that he would feel so utterly lost when not by Elijah's side.
The night had gone slowly until Micheal gained enough courage to put down the bed rail on Elijah's bed and climb in next to his lover. Only then was he able to close his eyes and drift off. No one would be able to touch Lij without Micheal knowing. Nor would they be able to wheel Elijah away if he did fall into a deep sleep.
“Dr. Foley wanted me to tell Elijah that his mother will be arriving sometime this morning. She's been trying to get a flight since Dr. Foley called her yesterday. The poor woman has been worried sick, she's been calling the nurse's station every couple of hours to check on Elijah's condition. I think she wishes she could have been here while he was in the OR...”
Micheal listens to the nurse, then nods in agreement, turning back to Elijah. He leans down on his side, then brushes back Elijah's hair as he thinks.
He had talked to Debra for several hours while Elijah was in surgery and recovery the day before. It seems their relationship would be forged during this crisis. Micheal told her everything that had happened, only sparing the personal details between him and Elijah as a couple. Debra made it clear to Micheal just how thankful she was that he was there to make sure Lij was being cared for.
Though he could tell that she was wary of how quickly things have developed with them, then she admitted to talking to Dr. Foley concerning their new relationship. Micheal was relieved to hear that Dr. Foley suggested that everyone around them keep an open mind.
She also told Debra that no one should try to separate them, which lead to Debra asking why Dr. Foley would assume she would want to do this? Micheal was at a loss for words at first, all he could do was replay Debra's last statement over and over again in his head. She would never try to tear them apart.
It being a constant fear in Micheal's mind, he couldn't help his tearful voice when he told Debra that one nurse had already tried to separate them, and at a time when Lij needed him the most. It was hard telling Debra about such a personal thing as her son needing Micheal there while he was being examined, but hearing it did help her understand just how dependant Elijah has become on Micheal during this difficult time.
“You should get some more rest, Micheal. You've hardly slept at all last night. He'll be sleeping more sound once the medication kicks in again,” the nurse says as she walks around to the other side of Elijah's bed where Micheal is. Then she hands him a cup of water and his morning meds.
Micheal hesitantly sits back up beside Lij, taking the cup and his hormone medication before looking up at her to say, “I can't sleep in my own bed. Every sound he makes has me getting up to check up on him.”
Her eyes soften as Micheal sheepishly looks away, then he takes his pills. She takes the cup and empty pill container, then she says, “You were sleeping sound when I came in. I think as long as you stay on this side of his bed and away from the IV...you'll both probably sleep better.”
Micheal lifts his head, his eyes exposing how close he is to tears. He reaches for her hand, giving it a squeeze before whispering, “I'm really glad you're our new nurse. I don't think I could have handled nurse Walling's attitude towards us much longer.”
Nurse Chambers nods, then walks back to her cart where she throws away the used cup and pill container. She checks off Elijah and Micheal from her chart, then comes back over to the bed and lightly pushes Micheal back so he's laying next to Lij.
“Nurse Walling is old school, Micheal. Things with her can only be done by the book. Honestly? I think she would be happier on a different ward in the main section of the hospital. A nurse needs an open mind when working in this ward. I hope they transfer her, but that's between you and me.”
Micheal shifts back onto his side facing Lij while she talks. He turns his head to smile at her as she pulls the covers back up over them both, then she pulls the bed rail up as Micheal says, “Will you make sure I'm awake before Lij's Mom gets here? I don't think she is quite ready to see us sharing a bed.”
“I'll be sure to wake you by eleven. Her flight is landing around twelve, so that should give you plenty of time to shower and help me make Elijah presentable,” the nurse says, giving Micheal a little wink before going to her chart and pushing it out of the room.
Micheal watches her until the door closes and the room slips back into the blue dusk of a winter morning. The street light outside flickers, casting shadows in the room as it always does.
Micheal lays his head down on Elijah's shoulder, then he slips his hand under the pajama shirt that the nurses put on Lij yesterday evening. He watches Elijah's eyes move under their lids and wonders if he feels the touch. His fingers lightly caress the tiny mound beneath his hand, marveling at the slight change he can feel spanning out from Lij's nipple - how the tissue beneath feels softer and molds into his palm when he cups the surface more firmly.
Micheal's hand stills when Elijah's head begins to move. Elijah's chin comes to rest against Micheal's brow, then Lij breathes out a sigh. The soft sound is music to Micheal's ears. There's no pain in this sigh, only contentment and a hint of pleasure.
Slowly, Micheal tilts his head up towards Elijah's face. He studies Lij's eyelids, holding his breath when they begin to flutter. Then he lets it out slowly when long lashes settle back down onto Elijah's cheeks.
Elijah's lips part to release another peaceful sigh and it is more then Micheal can stand. He inches closer to his lover's face, then tenderly caresses Elijah's lower lip with his mouth. Micheal's eyes begin to flutter as Elijah's lips respond, returning the kiss lazily in his sleep.
Micheal wonders if he should pull away. It's clear that Elijah isn't awake, yet his mouth moves as if he just might not be as asleep as Micheal suspected.
The kiss begins to deepen and it is Elijah that is pushing his tongue past Micheal's lips. It's a surreal sensation; Elijah is tasting him as if he is deciding whether or not to devour the fruit that he has been given.
Micheal lets out a moan into Elijah's mouth, then breathlessly whispers, “Fuck, Elijah...are you awake?”
His words are swallowed by Elijah as Lij lifts the hand that has the IV and brings it to the side of Micheal's head. Elijah's eyelids open slightly as his lips suckle on Micheal's tongue, watching Micheal's eyes as they flutter, then focus on him.
Lij sleepily sets his lover's tongue free, then murmurs, “Mmm, pain is gone... nipple is sensitive...”
Micheal pulls back far enough to watch Elijah's lips move, then he smiles wide as Elijah's hand moves down from his head to his chest where Micheal's hand is still cupping his left breast. Lij's hand comes to rest over the night shirt where Micheal's hand is and Micheal gently slides his hand over until his thumb can graze that very sensitive nipple. Then he whispers,”I'm glad the pain is gone. The nurse was in and gave you more medication.”
“Mmmikey...Ooo too much,”Elijah hisses out, his head presses back into the pillow until the stimulation is gone and the burning quickly fades. “Oh, it's not the good kind of sensitive I guess.”
Micheal's hand slips out from under Lij's night shirt and moves up to Elijah face. His brows furrow when he speaks, “I'm sorry, baby. They must be reflecting how the rest of you feels.”
It is then that Elijah opens his eyes fully and looks directly at Micheal.
No words are said at first, Micheal can see that Lij is trying to gather his memories, trying to work out all that has happened. If only Lij didn't have to remember the painful things.
Micheal combs his fingers through Elijah's hair as he begins to say, “It's all right, Lij. They had to sedate you after your panic attack. You probably don't remember much after that.”
“Panic...I was scared and they wanted to tell me everything...” Elijah's eyes look right through Micheal as he recalls how he felt in those moments. “I didn't wanna know...” Elijah's eyes refocus as he looks at Micheal with wide frightened eyes. He asks, “What happened? What's wrong with me?”
“Shh, baby. You don't have to be scared,” Micheal quickly says, then continues, “You had cysts on your cervix. They've already had you in surgery and removed them.”
“Cysts? What...was it cancer?” Lij asks, closing his eyes as he turns to press his face into Micheal's hand, swallowing back tears.
“No, Lij. These things were only...well I went online to look them up and from what I read they sound like overgrown pimples. I guess--” Micheal's words are cut off when Lij blurts out.
“I had pimples in my cunt??” Elijah makes a face that even Debra would find hard to love. His scrunched up face relaxes when Micheal drops his head and begins to giggle into Elijah's armpit.
Lij lays his head back and eyes Micheal before murmuring, “Why can't I be like normal people and get pimples on my face? Hell, pimples on my ass would be better then this shit.”