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Jonny woke up in the emergency room at Porter Medical Center with Katie beside him. Strangely he smelled gingerbread somewhere.
Tears streaked her cheeks as she hunched over her phone, texting. “Hey,” he said, his voice gravelly. “Don’t cry.”
“You’re okay!” She put the phone down and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Oh, Jonny, I was so worried. How do you feel?”
“Groggy. I want to sleep for the next twenty-four hours.”
A cheerful red-haired nurse came in then. “We’re ready to move you up to a room now.” She turned to Katie. “He’ll be zonked out until tomorrow. You should get some rest yourself.”
“I’ll call your parents and tell them you’re okay.” Katie kissed his cheek once more and the nurse pushed his gurney out of the emergency room and to the elevator. By the time she and an orderly had lifted him into his bed, he was ready to go back to sleep.
When he awoke again, it was already morning and someone had brought his breakfast. He was surprised to see his favorites—a ham and cheese omelet with hash browns and a side order of fresh fruit salad. Then he saw the breakfast menu tucked beneath the plate and recognized Katie’s handwriting.
He sat up to eat, and once he had food in his stomach he felt a lot better. He had a splint on his right leg, which was elevated in a sling. Someone must have washed him during the night because he felt fresh and clean in his hospital gown.
A bald, dark-skinned man in a white coat came in then and introduced himself as a hospitalist, there to manage Jonny’s care while he was at Porter. “It looks like you got away from this episode with very little damage, other than a clean break of your right fibula. You had a bit of frostbite when you were brought in, but an aloe vera gel rubbed into your fingers and toes twice a day, as well as some ibuprofen, should handle that, without any long-term damage.”
“How long before I can ski again?”
He laughed. “Well, let’s focus on get you walking first. You were lucky that you fractured the upper half of the bone, so you’ll heal more quickly. But it will be at least six weeks before you can bear weight on that leg.”
“But I’m a ski instructor,” he protested.
“You’ll have to figure out how to manage your instruction on crutches, then,” he said. “I’m waiting on the results of a few more tests, and if they turn out okay I can send you home later. I’ll be back.”
He didn’t even say it with a Terminator inflection. But Jonny figured he said something like that to patients a dozen times a day.
Jonny pushed aside the breakfast tray and turned on the TV. He tried to concentrate on a morning talk show, the hosts happy and cheerful as the ‘Innovation Insider’, a guy in an awful snowman sweater, demonstrated last-minute Christmas gadgets.
His holidays were going to suck big time. He had planned to spend all his free time skiing, but his broken leg had pushed those plans out the window.
Katie would be on Long Island with her family. His parents were in Florida, and he couldn’t afford a ticket to fly down there at the last minute. He’d be stuck in his cruddy apartment, staring at the four walls and going crazy.
It was ironic that just as he’d started to reach out for what he wanted, the universe had chosen to take it all away from him.
His eyes started to tear up with self-pity when a slim, handsome guy with bright blue eyes walked into his room.
“How are you doing?” the guy asked. He wore blue jeans and a white fisherman’s sweater, and there was something about his presence that was comforting and warm.
Jonny wiped his eyes. The man before him looked vaguely familiar. Was he someone from the Nordic Center, there to make sure he wouldn’t sue because he’d been stupid enough to go hiking when a storm was on the way?
“Pretty good. A little frostbite, but I’m not going to lose any fingers or toes. And I’ll have this splint on for a while.” He looked up at the man. “I’m sorry, you look so familiar, but I don’t recognize you.”
“Peter McGuire,” the man said, holding out his hand for Jonny to shake. “I’m the EMT who brought you in from the trail. I don’t want to disturb you but I thought I’d check and see how you’re doing.”
Jonny felt his eyes widening. “Now I recognize you.” He hesitated, then said, “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
He had some very weird dreams about the experience he’d had on the mountains, including a visit from a reindeer, but there was one part that stood out the most. “Did you kiss me?”
“I guess that wasn’t very professional of me,” Peter said. “Don’t tell anyone, okay? It’s just that you asked, and...well, you have a very kissable mouth.”
“Hey, don’t apologize,” Jonny said. “I had this series of weird dreams, and I thought the whole handsome-guy-kissing-me was part of it.”
Peter blushed. “So, do you think they’ll let you out of here soon?”
“As soon as the doctor comes by to discharge me. I have to phone a friend to come pick me up and take me home.”
“I can do that,” Peter said. “I’m off today.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Jonny said.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kiss you again,” Peter said.
“Not even if I ask?”
“Well then,” Peter began, but the door swung open and the doctor returned.
“I don’t see any reason why we have to keep you here,” the doctor said, in a rich baritone. “As long as you can follow some simple instructions at home.” He peered closely at Jonny. “Can you do that?”
“Tell me what they are, and I’ll tell you if I can obey them.”
“For the next three days, put ice or a cold pack on your lower leg for ten to twenty minutes at a time. Try to do this every one to two hours while you’re awake.”
“I have a cold pack. I can do that.”
“Good. Prop up your leg on pillows when you sit or lie down. Keep your leg higher than the level of your heart. This will help reduce swelling. And wiggle your toes often.”
“I’m an EMT, doctor,” Peter said. “I can help him with all that.”
Jonny tried to interrupt but the doctor continued. “Don’t put weight on your right leg until you get clearance from your regular doctor. You have one of those, don’t you?”
Jonny shook his head. “I went to student health at Middlebury while I was in school and I haven’t needed a doctor since then.” He paused. “But I have health insurance through my parents.”
“Excellent. Let me get you out of this sling, and I’ll send the nurse in with your discharge paperwork.”
Suddenly Jonny realized that recognizing Peter and remembering the kiss had given him a massive hard-on. Fortunately, the doctor didn’t seem to notice what was going on under the hospital gown as he let Peter’s leg down from the sling, or he was too professional to say anything.
After the doctor left, Jonny said, “You really don’t have to keep taking care of me, you know.”
“Even if I want to?”
Jonny swallowed hard. “Uh, well, just so you know there are no obligations. If you’re still willing to drive me home, I’m good to go. Just need to call the nurse in to help me get back into my clothes.” He motioned to a plastic bag of clothes on the chair by the bed.
“I can help with that.” Peter grabbed the bag and opened it up. The first thing he pulled out was a pair of thermal long johns. “There’s no way you’re getting these on over the splint. You mind going commando?”
His dick was still hard as iron. “That might be kind of embarrassing,” he said.
“Won’t be the first stiff dick I’ve seen, and hopefully won’t be the last,” Peter said, and Jonny couldn’t help giggling. “Here, swing your legs over the side of the bed, and I’ll scoot these ski pants up.”
“You really don’t have to do this,” Jonny said.
“If you’d rather have a nurse,” Peter began.
“God, no,” Jonny said. “At least not until I’ve had the chance to think about a hundred math problems.”
“I usually think about naked women with big, hanging boobs,” Peter said. “That cools me down pretty quickly.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Peter motioned with his hand. “Come on, let’s get this show on the road.”
Jonny pushed back the thin sheet that covered him and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the right one encased in a white splint. Peter got down on his knees and carefully slid the ski pants up over the cast, and Jonny’s good leg. He pushed up the hem of Jonny’s hospital gown to see that Jonny was still hard.
“Math problems not working out for you, I guess,” Peter said.
Jonny’s face felt bright red. Even though the door to Jonny’s private room was only closed, not locked, Peter gave a wicked smile and leaned down. He took a long swipe up the dick with his tongue, then backed away and moved the ski pants up.
Jonny groaned. “Dude, you don’t have to stop.”
“We have to get moving,” Peter said as he stood up. “You’re going to have to stand up now. Put your weight on the left leg and lean on me.”
Jonny did as he was told, and Peter was able to scoot the pants up to Jonny’s waist and snap them closed. “See, that wasn’t too bad,” Peter said. He turned and grabbed a pair of crutches that leaned against the wall. He got Jonny balanced on them, then turned him around and untied the gown.
He guided Jonny into slipping the gown off, and then slid Jonny’s thermal undershirt over his head. Jonny got into the ski jacket himself. Then he sat back on the bed, and Peter put on Jonny’s heavy wool socks. Then he slid on Jonny’s hiking boots and tied them up neatly.
The nurse came in then with a clipboard. “I see you’re ready to go. Just sign these forms.” She went over the same discharge protocol the doctor had, and then called an orderly to bring a wheelchair.
Jonny stood up, holding onto the bed frame, and Peter stepped into the wheelchair, sitting down hard on the seat. Peter took the crutches and followed the chair out into the hospital corridor.
Someone had strung red and green tinsel along the walls above holiday pictures crayoned by kids of Santas and snowmen. The smell of apple cider and hot chocolate filled the air, and the overhead speaker played a series of Christmas carols.
“Is this the first time you’ve broken something?” Peter asked, as they waited by the elevator.
“First time since high school. I was on the ski team high school, and I broke an arm going over a mogul. Skied for four years at Middlebury and I was lucky not to break anything.”
“What do you do now?”
“I’m a ski bum, or at least I have been for the last eighteen months. I pick up about twenty hours a week at the ski shop at the Snow Bowl, give lessons there in season, and I make extra cash by taking care of properties.”
“Sounds a lot like me,” Peter said. “The EMT gig is full-time, but I hit the slopes whenever I can.”
“I’ll bet you fly,” Jonny said, smiling. There had to be some basis in that wild reindeer dream he’d had.
There was something unreadable in Peter’s face, and Jonny puzzled over it.
Peter, Jonny and the orderly rode down in the elevator. At the door, Peter said, “My car’s in the back lot. I’ll be right back to pick you up.”
“This is really nice of you,” Jonny said.
“I’m sure you can find a way to pay me back.”
Jonny began imagining a few things they could do while he still had to favor his right leg, and when he looked at Peter’s face he realized the handsome EMT was thinking along the same lines.
He might be up for a lark, he thought. He didn’t know how long he could sustain himself as a ski bum, especially now that he had a busted leg, so he wasn’t looking for anything long-term. No romance, no falling in love and ending up with a broken heart when he had to move on.
But the feeling of Peter’s mouth on his dick, and the memory of that kiss—wow, they could lead to a hell of a fling.
A couple of minutes later, the orderly helped Jonny into the front seat of Peter’s SUV, with the crutches in the back. “Where to?” Peter asked.
“Head into downtown, and then take Pleasant Street north,” Jonny said. “I share a little apartment a couple of blocks from Chipman Hill Park.”
“Your own bedroom?” Peter asked. He gulped air and it looked like he was embarrassed. “I mean, do you have a roommate who can help you get around if you need?”
“I have my own room,” Jonny said. “King-sized bed, in case you’re curious. I’ve been sharing with my BFF, Katie. We’ve been friends since middle school, but she’s leaving town in the next couple of days. I have some money set aside to pay the full rent for a month or two, but then I’m going to have to find a roommate.”
The streets had been decked out for the holidays. The Middlebury Inn was festooned with blue ribbons and small green fir trees. The spire of the congregational church shone with white lights, and Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa banners hung from the light poles. Nearly every house they passed had decorations on the porch or in the front yard.
A kid in a snowsuit sat on a porch with a boombox playing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The holidays were about to kick off, and Jonny would be all alone. Boo hoo for him. Crimea Peninsula, as Katie said whenever he was feeling sorry for himself.
But maybe Peter would be a bright spot in the darkness of the empty holidays. He would wait to see if the handsome EMT came through on his promises, though. People had a habit of disappointing you if you wanted too much from them.
