He Made Me Stay

With a sharp hiss of breath, Kit comes hard. He rotates his hips as he climaxes, as though he can prolong the feeling that way. Eventually, his dick stops throbbing and he collapses on me.

I hug him tight, kissing his sweaty hair and thanking him over and over for making me stay.

“We need to get cleaned up and check your levels,” I remind him.

He groans in protest but rolls off me. I climb out of bed and set to cleaning him up. It’s a struggle, but I manage to help him put back on his underwear.

“You want to go watch a movie?” I ask as I slide on my boxers.

“No.”

“Okay. Maybe we could—”

“I’m fucking tired,” he snaps. “Can we just rest?”

“Let me check your readings.”

“I’m a grown-ass man.” His body trembles. “Let me go to sleep.”

“Kit—”

“I have a headache. Please, Jasper. Just be quiet and let me sleep it off.”

I throw on my clothes and then make my way to the kitchen. We have juice boxes I keep on hand now for Kit. I grab one and then a banana. Once I reach my room, I sit down next to him. He’s pallid and still sweaty. In the same position I left him.

“I think you need to eat. At least check and see.”

“I’m not hungry. I don’t feel good.” His words are fatigued as he mumbles them into the pillow.

“If you don’t check your levels, I’ll call your mom,” I threaten, hating that I have to be this way. “Now, Kit.”

No response.

“Kit.”

Panic swells up inside of me. Quickly, I call Leesa.

“Hello? Is Kit okay?” she demands in greeting.

“I, uh, he’s acting weird. I want him to check his levels and he refuses.” My body trembles with worry. “What do I do?”

“Let me talk to him.”

“Kit? Your mom wants to talk to you?” I pull the pillow away from him. His features are slack. “Kit!”

“What is it?” Leesa screeches.

“He’s…I think he’s unconscious. He can’t have fallen asleep that fast. Something’s wrong.”

“Tad,” she bellows. “Call nine-one-one. Jasper, honey, listen carefully. Is his bag nearby?”

I scramble off the bed to grab it. “I have it.”

“Unzip it. There’s a smaller bag that’s his glucagon emergency kit. I need you to find the vial of powder in there labeled glucagon. Flip off the seal of the vial.”

I root around until I find it. “Okay, I have it.”

“Remove the needle cover from one of his syringes in that pouch. Got it?” She waits for my confirmation to continue. “I want you to insert the needle into the rubber stopper, then inject the entire contents of the syringe into the powder vial. Remove the syringe and then swirl the vial around so it mixes up until it becomes clear like water.”

“It’s clear,” I say, my voice shaking.

“Now put the needle back into the vial. Turn it upside down and slowly withdraw all the liquid. Make sure to use one of the alcohol swabs to clean a site on his thigh.” She sighs heavily. “Now you need to inject him.”

“I’m afraid I’ll hurt him.”

“You won’t. I’ll walk you through it.”

Despite the terror roaring in my ears, I manage to follow her instructions, depressing the contents into his thigh.

“Please roll him over to his side now,” Leesa instructs. “If he vomits, I don’t want him to choke on it. Stay with him.”

“Is he going to die?” I croak out.

“No, sweetie. You acted fast. He’s going to be okay. I’ll be there in less than five minutes.”

She hangs up and I call my parents, waking them up. Mom assures me she’ll let Leesa and the EMTs in while Dad comes to clutch my shoulder and offer assistance. Now that help is on the way, I sag in relief, allowing the tears to fall.

I can’t lose him.

He saved me.

I sure hope I saved him too.

My smiley boyfriend—my once a thing but now my everything—doesn’t move or laugh or tease. He’s nearly gray and unmoving. I stroke his soft curls and promise him the world.

It feels like an eternity, but Leesa arrives, shooing me out of the way so she can take over. The EMTs arrive shortly after. I’m numb as they talk to him and try to rouse him.

They administer another dose of glucagon, a lot more skilled and efficient than when I did it.

After several minutes, Kit’s Jolly Rancher apple green eyes flutter open. His mom has the juice box ready and at his lips. He sips at it, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Is he going to be okay?” I ask, hating how they’re not moving to rush him to the hospital.

“He will be now.” Leesa smiles at me, tears in her eyes. “As soon as he’s feeling a little better, we’ll take him to the hospital to get checked out.”

Hours later and Kit is his normal cheesy self. He somehow knows every nurse at Mountain Grand Memorial. Even Eric’s mother Susan. Susan is one of his nurses and is charmed by my boyfriend. Everyone is. Kit has that effect on people.