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Freddie
Since becoming a registered nurse, Freddie had received many strange requests. During his internship working at an A & E, he’d seen everything from the bizarre to the hilarious to the horrifying. Nothing shocked him, not anymore, or so he thought.
Sunday had come rather early for him. Mornings always did on a farm. His grandfather had always loved to say, “There’s no rest for the wicked, or for farmers either.”
He hadn’t been awoken by his fathers, or cows, or anything related to the farm. His mobile had rung with a plea from Graham to return to the inn with anything to help with headaches, vomiting, and potential colds. He’d reminded the man that he wasn’t a doctor. It didn’t matter.
What on earth have they been doing?
As his curiosity got the better of him, Freddie left a note for his fathers, who were having a rare sleep-in. He snagged a scone and made a rushed cup of tea. He hoped to find a Tesco on the way over to grab a few supplies for the suffering men.
A sorry bunch of adults sat around the table in the kitchen at the inn waiting for him. BC managed a brief introduction of sorts. “Scottie, BC—wait that’s me—I mean, Caddock, you know Tens, and Remi—the Frenchie.” Well, they’re definitely hung-over. Freddie managed, only barely, to not bang around. It would’ve been cruel to add to their self-inflicted pain.
He thought about it, though.
He did.
“You are a god—a happy bunny sort of one.” Graham grabbed at the paracetamol, taking it before any of the other men could grab it. “I love you.”
“Plonker.” BC glared at the redhead before holding his hand out for medicine. “Please, sir, can I have some more?”
“Twmffats.” Freddie shook his head and started to dole out medicine where required. He checked temperatures as well as made sure they all hydrated sufficiently. “Aren’t you all old enough to know better?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
A chorus of groaned answers came from all over the kitchen. Freddie had to laugh at them. He glanced over the shoulder of one of them to find him perusing a tabloid article.
“Is that—” Freddie leaned forward to get a closer look. “Oh. My. God.”
“Shh.” Caddock held a finger to his lips. “Less with the loud, more with the relieving of pain.”
“As a member of the medical community, I feel it is my duty to warn you of the dangers of drinking to excess.” Freddie raised his voice slightly, hiding his smile at the winces and betrayed glances sent his way. “Also, do you know what hypothermia can do to your private parts? It’s not pretty.”
“Private parts? Who calls their cock a private part?” Scottie spoke up for the first time, his head still face down on the table, cushioned by his arms. “Are you twelve?”
“Says the grown adult who got himself in a newspaper with his arse hanging out for all to see?” Freddie whacked his hand on the table, sending all the men moaning and clutching their heads. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Are your heads still sensitive to sound?”
“Say you’re sorry for being an ungrateful arse.” Taine kicked Scottie’s chair. “He didn’t have to spend his Sunday helping us out. He could’ve left us to suffer.”
“Sorry.” Scottie sounded more pained than actually apologetic. “Can I have the fucking pain medication now?”
Freddie set the last of the paracetamol next to him. “Diawl bach.”
“I’m hazarding a guess that wasn’t a compliment.” Graham seemed to be peering at Freddie in a new light. “Any Halls in that bag? My throat’s gone all sore.”
Freddie plucked out several packs of Fisherman’s Friend from the Tesco bag. “Here. These always work better.”
“Don’t taste better.” Graham grimaced.
“And?” Freddie didn’t have much sympathy for any of them. He certainly wouldn’t put up with bad moods sent his direction. “It’ll help. Trust me.”
It took much grumbling, but all the men had finally medicated and hydrated themselves to improved moods. Freddie waved off their invitation to breakfast. He headed towards the door, intent to get back to Launceston before his dads had time to miss him.
They’d ask too many questions, assume too many things about him dashing out in the early hours to help a group of former rugby players. He could lie. They’d see through it, though; they always did.
“Frederick?”
Freddie paused at his full name—no one other than his angry dads called him anything other than Freddie. He paused by the front door to see Taine had caught up to him. “Yes?”
“Thank you, Frederick, for coming out to help us poor sods out.”
He had to clear his throat to respond. The man’s deep voice saying his name caused his stomach to flip and his lower region to rise in interest. He smiled through it. “I’m always happy to help.”
They stood awkwardly. Neither knew what to say. A loud thud was their only warning before a stumbling Scottie slammed into the back of Taine, which sent him into Freddie like a row of dominos tumbling to the floor.
Freddie groaned under the mass of muscle. He cringed inwardly when it dawned on him that Taine would now be able to feel his earlier piqued interest. “Could you get off me?”
“Want me to help you get off?” Taine’s murmured comment sent a shiver down his spine. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“No, I want you to help me get up before my ribs decide to cave in completely,” Freddie replied tartly, if a bit unsteadily. “What do they feed you rugby types?”
“He’s calling you fat, Tens,” Scottie teased from somewhere above them. Freddie couldn’t see him through the bulk of the man crushing him to the floor. “Up you two get, or I’ll start making assumptions that’ll have me blushing.”
The weight of Taine lifted off him, and a hand reached down to yank him up to his feet. Freddie frowned at Scottie, who hadn’t quite removed his fingers yet. The tall, muscled, blond man had an edge to him that was worrying.
“Scottie.” Taine shoved his friend down the hall away from them. “Go see Caddock.”
“Aye aye, Tens.”
“He’s—something.” Freddie chose to stick with his fathers’ advice to not be rude when it wasn’t necessary. He glanced up to find Taine’s intense gaze focused on him. “I should get going. My dads will wonder what happened.”
“Your dads?”
“My family is a modern one.” Freddie had no intention of explaining his family to a man he’d only recently gotten to know. “Was there anything else?”
Taine cocked his head to the side as if assessing Freddie. He slowly smiled—a wide, dangerous sort of grin, rather akin to a predator who had just caught his prey. “Can I have your number?”
Pardon?
Not the question I thought was coming.
“Why?” Freddie shook his head at himself. Do I care why an incredibly attractive man wants my number? He internally shrugged before holding his hand out. No, no I don’t care why. “Give your phone over—I’ll add it for you.”
The bemused expression on Taine’s face made the tingling in his spine at the brush of their fingers worth it. Freddie quickly entered his mobile number under the name Nurse Bunny. He imagined the man would have to go to great lengths to explain it to anyone who saw it.
“Enjoy your weekend with the lads.” Freddie started towards the door, tossing the phone over his shoulder. “Don’t get too drunk. I’m not making another emergency visit to cure hangovers.”
