His hands caressed down my shoulders calming me. “Babe, don’t cry.”
I furiously wiped tears away blubbering. “I can’t help it. You’re the best surprise out of coming here and I don’t want to go home.” The thought of leaving this little town made my stomach clench. It was like eating too many dirty water dogs from the street cart before your belly exploded in an angry rebuttal to something you already knew was bad for you, but you couldn’t help yourself from eating three of them anyway. Chase was my trifecta of dirty water dogs but I wanted him anyway.
“We don’t have to decide anything, let’s just be whatever we are and go from there.” He made it sound so simple and easy that I almost believed him. Almost.
25
Chase
I should have known feeling off all day that tonight would be terrible. I was too old to die of a heart attack, but I might have scarred poor Mrs. Fitzsimmons for life. I was riding the high of telling Winnie how I felt about her last night and now I was stuck on a date with a lovely woman old enough to be my grandmother and more handsy than my girlfriend.
“Now my Gerald had the same thing almost thirty years ago. I’m sure with modern technology you’ll be just fine.” Mrs. Fitzsimmons patted my hand and who knew I would be the one being comforted by a woman who preened about her sexual prowess some thirty decades earlier. “Unless they gotta stick one those tube things up your–”
Holding up a hand I interrupt her from discussing tubes and my dick in the same sentence. “Okay, I think I’ll just wait for the doctor.” The pain inside was sucking the life out of me and I really wished I had Winnie here or even my mom. I knew it was bad when I wanted my mom to hold my hand through this. Catherine Calloway wasn’t known for her warm and fuzzy feelings throwing the law book vigorously in her courtroom.
I leaned into the wall wafting the sting of antiseptic up my nose. The waiting room was filled with a cranky toddler, a drunk guy who was probably a regular and a teen boy dressed in athletic gear with his worried mom. I wondered if my pet patients felt a similar anxiety waiting to see me. I’d have to ask Sheila to make sure we kept extra treats on hand.
“Chase Calloway?” A surly male nurse called my name and I moved to stand up with Mrs. Fitzsimmons help.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine. Strapping young man like yourself.” She patted my hand again and I grimaced.
“Follow me please.” The nurse held the door open and we hobbled behind down a long corridor to a room with an open door.
I sweated through my dress shirt and felt my phone in my pocket. I’d wait to call a little longer.
The doctor, an ED internist looked me over. Mrs. Fitzsimmons busied herself in the corner not giving me a lick of privacy. He probably thought she was my grandmother. She clicked away on Candy Crush while I was poked and prodded.
He peeled off his gloves tossing them into a bin. “I’m going to order a CAT scan to clear you, but I’m certain you’ve got a kidney stone.”
Mrs. Fitzsimmons looked up from her phone. “I could have told you that. Poor dear will just have to piss it out.”
“Or blast. You could blast it out right?” I asked feeling the panic descend. My knee was a lost cause but if they could get rid of this stone I’d be fine.
“If it’s around the size I think it is, you’ll be alright to pass it with minimal pain meds.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Don’t be such a baby, Chase.” Mrs. Fitzsimmons chastised m
e.
“I’ll write up the scan and be back to check on you.” The doctor took his chart and left like there was free coffee and doughnuts in the hall with his name on them. Now I was waiting for a follow up CAT scan to clear me so I could pass this thing in peace or die trying. Death might have been a good option.
“Chase Calloway what the heck is going on.” I groaned like a baby rolling over into the pillow hearing my annoying baby sister calling my name from the hallway.
“You didn’t call anyone did you?” I asked my date who was obliterating peppermint candies on her screen.
She shrugged. “I texted instead.”
“Seriously?” I glared at Mrs. Fitzsimmons.
“You never said not to and I’d be a terrible date if something happened to you in my care.” She smiled and the game applauded her victory.
At this point I would have no dignity left. If I was lucky they might discharge me with some decent painkillers and I could ignore my sister who hopefully hadn’t called in the Calvary. Voices from the hallway confirmed my nightmare. It was too late. The Calvary had arrived and perfunctorily bayonetted my manhood in a billow of floral scents.
“Chase? Honey?” Christ on a cracker my mother was here. So much for wanting her to hold my hand. Judge Catherine Calloway was probably still wearing her robes from court. The way she said honey made me think I was in trouble for disrupting her evening instead of the concern I had wished for.
“Mom let him rest.”