Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 16:37:11 -0700 From: chipdyp@hotmail.com Subject: Jason & Taylor V The following program contains material suited for a mature audience. If you are not over 18 you should be leaving now. Of course I can't control you and neither can anyone else really. This story is entirely false except for the true parts. This is the fifth segment of this story and I highly recommend reading the first four segments which can be found in the Nifty Archive. And now for our feature presentation. Viewer Discretion is advised... I want to apologise for the time that it took getting this segment out. I didn't anticipate it taking this long but I got really busy at work and at school and didn't have as much time as I would like to write. Hopefully Jason & Taylor VI will be out by the end of November, but of course that is completely dependent on my work schedule. In completely unrelated news, I now have my own web site. The address is http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/2898. Jason & Taylor- Segment V by: Chip Dyp (chipdyp@hotmail.com) CHAPTER 14 I sat in the bed disbelieving what I had heard. I didn't care that I might have been infected, my only thoughts were for Jason. "Where's Jason?" "He's downstairs, but Taylor..." I wasn't listening anymore as I slid out of bed and headed for the door. I was stopped before I made it halfway across the room as Mr. Rawlings grabbed my arm tightly. "Taylor, you have to take some responsibility for your possible infection too. You could've said that you wanted to wear a condom." I looked at Mr. Rawlings dumbly. "I don't care if Jason infected me. I want to know that he's all right." Mr. Rawlings looked at me strangely for a moment before speaking quietly. "I'm sorry Taylor. I guess I thought you'd be angry at Jason for possibly infecting you." "Jason is the best thing that has ever happened to me Mr. Rawlings," I said as I threw my arms around him, "I want him to be healthy and happy. That's my only concern." Mr. Rawlings stood motionless for a few moments and then wrapped his arms around me. "You might want to put some clothes on before you go downstairs, Taylor." I blushed bright red as I realised that I was nude while hugging Mr. Rawlings. Thank God I didn't have an erection! That would've been embarrassing. A quick scan of the room located a pair of my sweats and I walked over to them. A quick tug on the material and my legs, and more importantly my cock and balls, were covered. As I left the room, I began to feel queasy and dizzy. I walked the few feet to the stairs where I was overcome by vertigo. I lost all sense of balance and tumbled down the stairs head first. My head struck several stairs as I rolled head over heels towards the main level. I hit the landing and my momentum was great enough that my head slammed into the wall at the bottom of the stairs. I fell back, hitting my head once more as it fell to the floor, and finally lost consciousness. I came to a short time later in pain. My head was pounding, and my back felt like someone had used me for batting practice. I opened my eyes and struggled to focus on the shapes above me. I realised I couldn't hear anything. Suddenly, my eyes focused and the voices that belonged to the faces leaning over me became audible. Taylor, are you all right?" Jason asked. His eyes were red and threatening to overflow. I felt his hand on my forehead, as he moved to comfort me. I tried to raise my hand to his face to reassure him but I found that Mr. Rawlings was holding me down. "Taylor, lie still. The ambulance will be here in a minute." "I don't need an ambulance," I mumbled incomprehensibly. "Shhh, Taylor. Don't talk." I looked up at Jason... and then looked past him to see my mother standing there. "Mommy," I mumbled as I reached up with my arms. Again, Mr. Rawlings grabbed my arms and held them at my sides as my mother was sucked into the floor. I closed my eyes once again and slipped back into unconsciousness. It was several hours before I was again conscious and coherent. When I awoke, I was lying in a hospital bed. The room was dark, the only light came streaming through the cracks between the door and the door frame. My eyes adjusted to the light and I quickly realised I wasn't alone. Sitting at my left side was Jason, his head resting on his arms crossed on the mattress. I reached out and gently touched his head. He was quite warm and, judging from his breathing, I knew him to be asleep. Resting my hand on his head, I gently stroked his hair. Jason groaned softly and then sat up. He looked towards my face and saw that I was awake and looking at him. He scooted the chair closer and put his hand on my forehead. "Oh God, Taylor. You had me so scared." "I'm all right, Jason. No need to worry now." I sat up slightly and wrapped my arms around Jason. I heard him crying, his body becoming wracked with sobbing. I held onto Jason, letting him cry on my shoulder until he was all cried out. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a big hug. I released my hold on Jason, and he released his, as I eased my body back onto the bed. "It's all right," I told Jason as I looked into his eyes. The innocence of youth, the very lustre his eyes once contained, seemed to have been replaced with a pall of worry and depression. "No, it's not all right," Jason whispered, "You might have an infection that will kill you and it's all my fault. You were so worried about it that you fell down the stairs. Oh God, Taylor, I'm so sorry." "Jason, settle down. For starters, I don't believe for a second that you are infected. It's just a feeling I have. Secondly, my not wearing a condom, or not making you wear a condom, is just as much my fault as it is yours. Protection works both ways. Third, I didn't fall down the stairs 'cause I was worried that I may have been infected. I fell down the stairs 'cause I got very dizzy. It had nothing to do with the 'Hepatitis C' thing. I want you to take a deep breath and relax a little bit. From the way you look, I'd say you've been beating yourself up inside ever since you found out. I want you to stop worrying." "But Taylor," Jason began before I savagely cut him off. "Jason, cool it right now! There is absolutely no point in mind-fucking yourself over something that may not have even happened!" I looked at Jason and noticed that his face had gotten ashen and he looked like he was about to start crying again. "Aw baby, I'm sorry. I had no right to be so sharp with you. You've sat at my bedside more times in the past two months than anyone ever has. I want you to know that I am so thankful to have you and your dad watching over me. I don't know what I'd do without you here with me." "Probably chase after the male nurses," Jason said as a slight smile began to form on his face. "Hey, you were the one who thought he was cute, not me." "Oh, come on. You were drooling over him every time he came into the room," Jason said as the mood began to lighten in the room. "Besides, certain parts of your anatomy perked up every time he came to check on you." I just smiled and rolled my eyes. The nurse had been cute. A nice firm ass and a fairly large basket. He wasn't my type though. I wasn't into big, hairy, muscular men. "Yeah well, he doesn't compare to you, Jason. Why don't you go home and get a good night's sleep. I'll tell the nurse to let you in to see me tomorrow morning when you get back." "Are you sure?" Jason asked uncertainly. "Positive. You are starting to look like a raccoon and there is nowhere near enough room in this bed for both you and me." Jason walked over to his coat, which had been draped over a chair in the corner of the room. He slipped his arms into the sleeves and walked towards the door. He stopped and took another look at me, unsure as to whether or not he should go. "Go, Jason. I'll be here in the morning, honest." Jason smiled and nodded before opening the door and walking into the well lit hallway. I flinched as the room lit up. The door slowly closed behind Jason and the room darkened once again. I myself in the bed, attemptingto get comfortable. I felt like someone's idea of a science project, with EEG leads taped to my head, an IV tube in my arm, and a catheter... you know where. In spite of all that, it was only a few minutes until I drifted back to sleep. A glarinly bright light was trying to pierce my eyelids. I squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to block the light, but was unsuccessful. I opened my eyes slightly to find out where the bright light was coming from but when my eyes opened the the light wasn't there. It was dark and moist and there was a familiar smell, but I had no idea where I was. A loud crack ripped through the air, rumbling off to silence. A second clap of sound quickly followed, and then there was silence once more. A tingling sensation enveloped my body, followed by a burning sensation in my fingers. I lifted my hand into a sliver of light and screamed. My hand was covered by ants in a feeding frenzy. I could see the mandibles of each individual ant moving wildly as they sunk into my skin. I shook my hand,trying to dislodge them, but it was no use. And then they were simply gone. A spotlight illuminated me from above. I was no longer in a bed, but a chair. My legs and arms were firmly strapped to the chair and I couldn't move my body at all. I tried to speak out but I was quickly gagged. My head was snapped back against the chair and my eyes opened wide. Images from my past flowed onto a screen in front of me as everything that I ever regretted played back at incredible speeds. I cringed at some of the images and tried to get free. Then the images stopped. The screen showed Jason, secured as I was. The view changed so that I was peering over his shoulder. A screen showing his regrets began playing at supernatural speed. The images slowed as an image of me walked onto the screen. Did Jason regret being with me? I blinked my eyes and the screen and it's images were gone. I was still strapped to my chair, but there was a figure standing before me. I blinked again and recognised Adolf Hitler. Another quick blink and it was Darth Vader. With every blink the image changed, sometimes people I recognised, sometimes people I didn't. The figure then changed to my mother. "So you think you're better than us." "Mom?" The figure delivered a quick backhand to my cheek. I screamed as pain began radiating out from the point of impact. "I'm not your mother," the figure said as it stepped into the shadows, "though your mother does hate you." "You're lying." The figure stepped out of the shadows opposite from where it had been before. It was still my mother. I could hear her voice, as she walked towards me. "If I loved you would I do this?" The mother figure asked as she drove a knife into my arm and and slashed it from my biceps to my wrist. I began screaming wildly as pain quickly overtook me. I was horrified by the sight of my blood spurting out over the chair and me, and of my muscles twitching spasmodically as I struggled to escape my bonds and the terrible pain. Abruptly, the pain was gone. My arm was all right. I turned my head towards the figure and was shocked to see Jason. "Oh, God, Jason. You have to release me before they get back." Jason walked around me, slowly, menacingly. His hand snapped out as he grabbed my testicles and squeezed. I began thrashing wildly as I felt the pressure increase on my precious orbs. And then I stopped as I felt the hand clench even tighter, causing them to burst. There was no pain, only depression. Mr. Rawlings' hand clenched my throat, holding my head steady, as Jason held my right eye open and pierced the eyeball with an electric drill. My eyes closed and darkness enveloped me. I sat bolt upright in the bed sweating profusely. Jason was sitting by the bed and he quickly moved to comfort me. I shied away, not sure if I was hallucinating, or if I was still in some twisted nightmare. Jason moved his hand to my chest and gently pushed me back into bed. He slowly began rubbing my chest. The gentle massage wascalming and my heart eventually slowed to normal. "How are you doing today?" "What day is it? I thought I told you to go home and get some sleep." "It's the third of January. You did tell me to go home and get some sleep, and I did. I got almost 6 hours sleep. So, now that we are up to date, how are you feeling?" "There's a slight buzzing in my head, almost like a bumble bee is flying around the room." "No headache though?" "Not really. Can I get a kiss?" "I don't know. Can you?" I sat up in the bed and grabbed Jason's head and brought our lips together. I felt his tongue enter my mouth and could taste his minty toothpaste. I broke off the kiss and leaned back in the bed, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. Jason looked at me with a shocked expression on his face, before he quickly smiled. "And I thought I'd have to go easy on the old fart. You're incorrigable!" Jason said with a chuckle as his fingers began probing my ticklish spots. I began giggling and rolling in an attempt to avoid his probing fingers. "See. I told you he must be feeling better. I'm sure if we waited five minutes we would have found them naked in the hospital bed," I heard Jennifer say to Dan as they walked into the hospital room. "I hardly think so," I shot back, "If we were going to have sex in the hospital we'd do it in the MRI machine." I looked over at Jason, expecting to see a smile on his face. His eyes were closed and it looked like he was going to break into tears at any moment. I was confused for a moment until I remembered Jason was still worried that he may have been infected. Jason got up and quickly excused himself from the room, claiming a need to use the washroom. Jen and Dan looked at each other for a few seconds, unsure as to what had transpired. I motioned them over to the bed. "So how are you feeling, Taylor?" "As well as can be expected. But, uh, what are you two doing here?" "We called Jason's house to talk to you this morning and he told us that you had fallen down the stairs and ended up in the hospital," Dan began as he looked across the bed at Jen. "And knowing how much you like visitors and hate hospital food we picked you up a Whopper and onion rings for you to eat while we visit with you," Jen finished as she dug a Burger Bag out of her oversized purse. My eyes lit up as I saw the Burger King Bag. I was so hungry. I quickly dug into the bag and started inhaling the Whopper before a nurse or doctor could come in and have a cow. "Thanks, you guys," I said with my mouth full of grilled burger goodness, "I was so hungry." "No, really?" Jen asked with a sarcastic laugh as she watched me destroy the burger. I was just finishing the burger when the nurse walked in. She immediately walked over to the bed and attempted to prevent me from eating the last little bit of the burger, when I pushed the remainder into my mouth. The nurse gave me a foul look as I tried chewing with my mouth packed to capacity. Eventually I was able to rip the food apart enough that I could swallow it. The nurse stuck a thermometer into my mouth before she went to work checking my IV and my catheter bag. She pulled the thermometer out of my mouth and looked at it before shaking it. "You're normal," the nurse informed me in a deadpan tone, utterly devoid of human warmth. "I beg to differ," I replied with a grin. Jen and Dan started laughing at my little joke but the nurse just scowled at me. "No more outside food," Nurse Ratchet said, as she walked out the door. I waited 'til she was well out of hearing range before I provided my opinion of her. "What a bitch." Jen just smiled and rolled her eyes. I told them to pull up chairs and have a seat. Dan grabbed a couple of chairs, dragged them over to the bed, and we started talking about our Christmas holidays. Dan had spent his holiday at home in Regina with his parents. All of his relatives had converged at his parents' and his grandparents' house for one big family shindig. Jen had spent her holiday at home in Prince Albert. It'd been a quiet Christmas for her. With her family dead, she'd spent the holidays with friends. Jason walked into the room just as Jen finished telling me about her Christmas. His eyes were red from crying and he looked rather drawn. I waved him over to the bed so he could join the conversation. Jason sat down at my side glancing hesitantly across at Jen and Dan. I think Jen knew something was up, but she didn't say anything. Dan asked about my Christmas and I began my story. "Well, let's see. I said good bye to Jason and started towards Winnipeg at a little after 9 am. I got to Winnipeg as the family was sitting down to supper. My parents started in on me about what classes I am taking and how they aren't going to be of any help to me on the farm and such and they refused to even listen to me when I told them I wasn't going to be living on the farm. I just couldn't take it any more, so I blew up and ended up coming out to my family. To avoid a long and unpleasant scene, I ran out of the house, got into my car and started back to Saskatoon. About 20 miles from here the car died, so I had to get towed into town. I got home, to the University, at about 3 am. The next day Jason and his Dad insisted that I spend Christmas with them and, ensure that I complied with their wishes, Jason's dad picked me up. I spent Christmas with Jason and his family and had the best Christmas of my life," As I spoke to Jen and Dad of my wonderful Christmas, I gazed lovingly at Jason, delicately tracing the line of his strong jaw with my finger-tips. "So, what's happened with your parents, Taylor?" Dan asked quietly. "Nothing, I guess. If they want to talk to me they have my phone number. But I haven't heard a word from them so far." Jen nodded as she sat quietly in the chair taking in the news. She kept glancing over at Jason as he sat looking at the bed. "Anyway, Jason and I went to a fabulous New Year's Eve Party thrown by Jason's Dad's company. Thomas Anderson from res was there and he basically said that he was going to out me in res on tomorrow. I told him I don't care, and surprisingly, I don't. He can tell the whole world if he wants to." "Are you sure, Taylor? I can speak to him and encourage him to keep his mouth shut if you'd like." "Don't bother, Dan. I'm sick of being in the closet. This will just make coming out easier." "If you're sure," Dan replied as he put his hand on Jen's thigh. "I'm sure. Thanks for offering, though." The conversation reached a natural lull as we all sat quietly. Jen broke the silence by asking Jason a question. "So, how was your Christmas, Jason? Was Taylor here a rowdy house guest?" Jason looked startled that he had been asked a question. He mumbled out a quiet answer, about how he really enjoyed having me stay at his place, before returning his gaze to the sheets on the bed. Jen, Dan, and I continued making small talk while Jason sat quietly on the side of my bed. We tried numerous times to get him to join the conversation, but he would mumble out a one or two word answer before returning his attention to the bed. Finally Jen and Dan announced they had to go home. I gave Jen a kiss on the cheek and shook Dan's hand and told them to come back anytime. I waved as my friends left the room and then turned my attention to Jason. I tried to run my hand through Jason's hair but he jerked his head away from me. I sat quietly for a few seconds before speaking. "What's wrong, Jason?" "Nothing," Jason replied quietly. "Right. I'm sorry about that MRI comment. I just wasn't thinking." Jason looked up at me with a puzzled look on his face. His eyes were bright red from crying and his face was blotchy. "The MRI comment didn't bother me, Taylor." "Then what's wrong, love?" I asked as I moved my hand to the side of Jason's face. Jason sat quietly, just looking at me lying in the hospital bed. "Why did you tell Jen and Dan that I had Hepatitis C?" I scrunched my face up a little. "I didn't tell them anything of the sort. We don't know for sure that you have it for starters and it's really none of their business anyway. "Then why were they acting strange when I got back to the room?" "I think they were just wondering why you suddenly left the room when they arrived. That's all." I traced my hand along the contours of Jason face, pausing to brush a tear off his cheek with my thumb. Jason just looked at me for a moment before he forced a smile onto his face. I smiled back and gently drew him towards me. Our lips met and we kissed. Jason's smooth red lips sealed themselves to my own chapped lips and Jason's tongue quickly darted into my mouth to spar with mine. We sat quietly, just enjoying each other and the moment until I opened my eyes and noticed Doctor Warner standing at the door watching us. I had met Doctor Warner after my car crash. He was the neurosurgeon who had treated me. I closed my eyes for another second before gently breaking off the kiss. Jason leaned back on the bed and sighed, still not realising that there was someone else in the room. "Hi Dr. Warner," I said with a big smile on my face, "Did you enjoy the show?" Jason spun around quickly to face the doctor. His face turned bright red as he realised that we had had an audience. "So how's my favourite smart ass patient doing today?" Doctor Warner asked as he walked into the room and over to the bed, "Good to see you again, Jason." "I'm fine, Doc. So, what's the good word? When do I get to leave this place of death and despair?" "We want to run you through the MRI and do another CAT Scan, just to make sure you haven't done any major damage. Assuming they turn up clear, you should be able to go home tomorrow." "Excellent," I said with a smile. I looked over at Jason and noticed that he was smiling widely. I was even happier knowing that he was happy. "Jason, would you mind leaving the room for a second so I can speak to Taylor?" Doctor Warner asked as he finished reading the chart. Jason looked at me for a few seconds before replying. "Sure, I'll just be in the hallway." Jason walked out the door, pulling it closed behind him. Doctor Warner sat down on the bed and started going over some details on my chart. "So, what happened, Taylor? Why did you fall down the stairs?" "I got really dizzy and then lost my balance, Doc." "That happen often?" "Nope," I replied casually. I told him about some of the other problems that I had been having and he prescribed some medication for me. "Here's my card, Taylor," Dr. Warner said as he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a card for me, "I want you to call me if you experience any side effects from the medication or any occurrences of the nature you just described." "All right," I said. I hesitated a moment deciding if I wanted to ask the next question. "What do you think the MRI will show?" "I don't know, Taylor. I honestly don't know." I nodded silently. I was hoping that he would at least make an attempt to make me feel good but he didn't. "When am I scheduled to go in?" "Tomorrow, 6 am. Did you want Jason to sit in the control room?" "No, I don't want him to see it." "Okay, it's your decision. I'll just tell him we don't allow unauthorised people in the room. "Thanks." Doctor Warner walked to the door and let Jason back in. "Don't let your boyfriend near anymore stairs Jason. My diagnosis is that he's a bit of a klutz," Doctor Warner said with a wink. I smiled as Jason assured Doctor Warner that he wouldn't let me anywhere near the stairs without a safety harness. Jason sat down on the bed. He took my hand into my own and gently started kneading it. I lied back in the bed, looking at Jason, taking in his features. He was so beautiful. I knew I wanted to be with him for every moment of my life. I curled my fingers gently rubbing them against the palm of his hand. Jason released his grip on my hand and let it drop to the bed. I was about to kiss him again when Mr. Rawlings walked into the room. "Morning you two. How are you feeling today, Taylor?" "Better. They might be releasing me tomorrow depending on the results of my CAT Scan and MRI." "That's good to hear. Did you want us to pick you up tomorrow if they let you out?" "That would be great if you could. I have to pick up my stuff at your house and then get back to res for the first day of classes the next day." "Or you could spend the night at the house, and move your stuff after your classes," Mr. Rawlings replied. Jason threw a dirty look at his dad before he looked back at me. I was troubled. I didn't want to stay at the Rawlings' house if it was going to make Jason uncomfortable. "I'd better go back to res tomorrow night. I have a few things that I need to do there before I start classes." "Oh, okay. Jason, we had better get going. Your appointment is in 30 minutes and it's downtown." "Appointment?" I asked. "At the planned parenthood clinic. I am having my blood tests done today. They said I should have the results by the beginning of next week," Jason replied tensely. "Oh. Don't worry. I know for a fact that the results on the tests are all going to be negative." "I wish I was as confident as you," Jason replied as he stood and trudged out of the room. Mr. Rawlings hung back a little bit, waiting for his son to be far enough away that he could talk to me in private. "I'm glad you are supporting Jason, Taylor. But if he does turn up positive? Then what are you going to do?" "The same thing that I do now. Love him with all my heart." Mr. Rawlings smiled as he mussed my hair. I smiled and moved my head to avoid his hand. Jason poked his head back into the room and asked if his dad was coming. "Yeah, let's go. We'll see you later, Taylor. Behave." "I always behave," I said with a wink before Mr. Rawlings turned toward his son. I wished I could go with Jason and be with him as the nurse took his blood for the most important test of his life. When Doctor Warner came in later that day, I asked him if he could run a blood panel for me. I knew Jason was clean - a gut feeling - but I wanted to be sure that I was clean. Dr. Warner took my blood and told me that he'd have my results by the end of the week. CHAPTER 15 It was just after ten o'clock on a crisp January morning. My MRI and my CAT Scan were compared to the tests taken in November and there was no difference. I was as well as I could be. When I got back to the hospital room, I found Jason waiting for me. He hadn't come back to the hospital after his blood test the day before, but I hadn't minded. I knew I'd see him today. The doctor had removed my IV and catheter the day before so I was fairly mobile. Even so, they still wanted me to ride around in a wheel chair. I didn't care. The orderly and I had a nice chat on the way back from the imaging wing. As I was wheeled into the room, Jason's face broke out into a radiant smile. He fairly leapt from his chair and flew the short distance to the wheel chair. The orderly brought the chair to a stop and let Jason take control. He pushed the chair the remaining few feet to the bed, before coming around the chair and giving me a peck on the cheek. "Is that all I get? A peck on the cheek?" I asked playfully. "You'll get something else later today," Jason whispered in my ear. I carefully stood up and walked to the bathroom. Jason gave a loud wolf whistle at my exposed backside before I closed the door. I completed my morning's business and washed my hands. I opened the door to the bathroom and was surprised to find Jason talking to Dr. Warner. "Hey, Taylor," Jason said as he saw me walking towards the bed, "I was just asking Dr. Warner where we could get you some of those wonderful hospital gowns with the slit all the way up the back-- easy access and all that." I sat down on the bed and gave Jason a playful cuff. "Like we need easy access gowns. You're always naked you little stud." I looked over at Dr. Warner and noticed that his face was getting quite red. "It looks like we're embarrassing Dr. Warner, Jason. We'd better behave now." "Kids," Dr. Warner laughed as he shook his head, "Well Taylor, like I said earlier, there's no reason to keep you here. I want you to keep taking your medicine as the instructions say and if you have any problems make an appointment with my office. So, I'll have the nurse bring you your discharge papers if you want to get ready to go." "Thanks Doc," I said with a smile, "Hopefully, I won't see you again." Doctor Warner just nodded and left the room. I stood and walked over to the cupboard that was in the room. I opened the door and found nothing. I frowned slightly and looked around the room. Where the hell did the nurse put my clothes? "What's wrong, Taylor?" "I can't find my clothes." "Oh yeah. I guess I'll have to call dad and have him bring some clothes for you to wear." "What happened to the clothes that I was wearing when I came to the hospital?" "You were wearing a pair of sweats and that's it babe. They cut them off of you 'cause they thought you may have a spinal injury." "Oh." "Come sit down, Taylor. We should talk." With some trepidation at his tone of voice, I sat down on the bed, preparing myself for the worst. I wasn't sure what Jason was going to tell me, but I felt it could only be bad. Jason looked at his watch and reached for the telephone located in the room. I watched as he dialled his house and asked his dad to bring me some clothes as well as my winter parka and a toque. When he had finished his conversation with his dad, he hung up the phone and looked at me. I grew increasingly uncomfortable under Jason's unwavering stare. I averted my eyes and looked at my uncovered thigh. The dressing gowns that the hospital used were designed not only to provide easy access to the physicians but to make the patients extremely uncomfortable, I was sure. I pulled the dressing gown down a little and glanced up at Jason. He was still staring at me and I was starting to get upset. "What?" I finally asked in a timid voice. "I heard what you said to my father the other day, you know, before I went for my appointment. Did you really mean what you said? That if I had the disease that you would stand by me and continue to love me?" As my heart started beating normally again, put my hand to the back of Jason's neck and gently pulled him towards me. "Always," I breathed before our lips met in a soft but passionate kiss. We stayed like that, locked together in a passionate embrace, for several minutes, punctuated only by our brief gasps for air. Finally, Jason broke the kiss and pulled back. His body was surrounded by a surreal glow and his eyes were sparkling. I blinked twice, then three times in an attempt to clear my vision. But the glow remained. We chatted quietly in the room, about Jason's trip to the planned parenthood clinic. I was hesitant to tell him about the nightmare that I had had, but, in the end, I did. I recounted the tale as Jason massaged my chest firmly. The contact relaxed me and I was glad that I told Jason about my dream, although he was a little disturbed at the idea that I thought that he regretted meeting me. I assured him that it was a dream and that it likely meant nothing. Just some drug induced hallucination with no basis in fact. The nurse and Mr. Rawlings arrived at the same time, with Mr. Rawlings following her into the room. She had me sign a few forms and then told me to stop at the desk to inform her when I had vacated the room so they could ready it for another patient as soon as I had left. I walked over to the bathroom and quickly dressed in the clothes that Mr. Rawlings had brought for me. There was a sweater, jeans, a t-shirt, underwear, socks, and my winter boots. As I walked back into the room, Jason held out my coat and helped me into it. He then directed me to the waiting wheel chair. I rolled my eyes and sat down in the chair. Mr. Rawlings went out ahead of us to get the car and bring it to the entrance. Jason slowly walked me down the hallways, stopping only to allow me to inform the nurse that she could have the room back. He was humming a tune that I could not place but that I was sure I had heard before. I thought nothing of it and rode in silence. Mr. Rawlings drove his Mercedes up the circular driveway of the hospital and Jason and I quickly slid into the rapidly warming vehicle for the trip home. There was no conversation on the way home as we listened to the radio play the latest and greatest coming out of the American and Canadian recording studios. I sat quietly beside Jason in the back seat while his father sat alone in the front. Jason slid his warm, soft hand into my own and smiled at me. I looked back at him and mouthed the words 'I love you' to him. Jason just smiled and blushed. Just as the car was getting nice and warm, we arrived at the Rawling's house. Jason and I both hurried up the driveway and into the waiting house. Mr. Rawlings was a little more casual as he took a good look around the neighbourhood from his driveway before finally ascending the stairs into his home. Jason took my hand and fairly dragged me up the stairs to his room. Once in the privacy of his room Jason wasted little time. He quickly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace. I could feel Jason's erection start to grow as he slowly ground his crotch against my own. "Are you always hard, babe?" I asked playfully. "Just about," Jason replied mischievously, "You want to try something I learned at the planned parenthood clinic?" "And what might that be?" "Well besides the fact that you can't get pregnant, there is something we can do while waiting for my blood work to get back, and for you to get your blood work done." "It'll be done on Friday. Dr. Warner took a sample the day you got yours done." "Oh," Jason replied as he loosened his grip on me, "Well, shall I show you what we can do? "Can I have a quick shower first? I kinda stink." "Uh, uh. I can't wait." Jason slowly began undressing me. He eased my blue knit sweater over my head carefully, before he reached into my jeans and pulled my t-shirt out. I could feel Jason's breath on my chest as he slowly pulled my t-shirt up. I stood in the middle of his room with my arms in the air as he slowly planted kiss after kiss on my chest. I moaned softly as I felt his smooth lips caress my skin. His tongue raked across my left nipple gently giving it a flick, before Jason turned his attention to my right nipple. I felt him gently nibble on the tender skin, sucking in it forcefully. Jason blew a breath of cool air across the wet nipple, before he finally completely removed my t-shirt. Jason continued dragging his fingertips across my naked skin, arousing me and giving me goose bumps. I moved to remove Jason's t-shirt but was quickly rebuffed. "Not yet," Jason growled in a deep husky voice, "I'm not finished with you." I placed my arms by my side as Jason continued undressing me. He quickly removed my pants and socks, before he gently started squeezing my engorged cock. I moaned loudly and then jumped as Jason squeezed my balls. Jason saw my instant reaction and quickly moved his hand to my chest where he began caressing it gently. "You know I could never do what you dreamed I did, don't you Taylor? I could never hurt you." "I know," replied quietly, "I'm sorry I flinched." "Shh. It's okay. How about you undress me now?" I stood before Jason, my erection straining towards him through my briefs. "You don't want to finish undressing me?" Jason laughed a little as he slid his hand into my underwear. Gently he caressed my cock, before he slid his hands around to cup my cheeks. Then as quickly as he could he dragged my underwear down, allowing them to fall to the floor. I felt Jason draw his right hand along my stomach while his left arm wrapped itself around my back. Jason slowly lowered his hand allowing it to teasingly brush along my penis, causing it to bounce in anticipation. He slowly moved his hand lower until he reached my balls, which he cradled gently. I tensed up for a moment and then relaxed as Jason's fingers danced up and down my back. Jason was very gentle with my sperm filled orbs, never squeezing them, just cupping them in his soft warm hand and rolling them around in my tightening sac. I was breathing heavier than normal, no longer with trepidation, but with passion. Jason released my testicles and then gently traced the nail of his forefinger around the glans of my dick. A soft moan of pleasure erupted from deep in my throat. Jason's touch was electric, and he had become a master electrician!. I reached out to Jason and gently eased his t-shirt over his chest. I moved close and began leaving a trail of kisses down his treasure trail. Jason spread his arms wide and allowed me full access to his body. I took his right nipple and then his left into my mouth sucking gently and playfully nipping with my teeth. I moved up to his left shoulder and began kissing and licking my way down his arm. Once I had reached the fingertips, I kissed my way back up the arm and to the neck. Moving behind Jason I slowly began kissing the nape of his neck. I nipped at his ears gently before I kissed my way down his right arm. I pulled Jason close to me and kissed him passionately, frantically. The short time that we'd been apart had seemed so long. I unbuttoned his jeans and ripped the front flap open, allowing them to fall to the floor. Jason kept kissing me as he stepped out of his jeans which had fallen around his ankles. I reached into Jason's underwear and cupped his beautiful butt, grinding his pelvis into mine. I moved my hands off of the creamy smooth skin and quickly yanked his underwear down, allowing them to drop to the floor. I finally broke off the kiss and spoke softly into Jason's ear. "So what is it you wanted to show me." Jason traced a finger down the centre of my chest stopping at my belly button. "It's called frottage," he whispered. I frowned momentarily. I had never heard of frottage. "What is that?" I asked innocently as I placed a kiss in the middle of Jason's forehead. "It's when you get off by rubbing against another person. Like I did when I was humping your leg." I smiled and pushed Jason down on the bed. He pulled me down on top of him and then rolled me over so he was on top. We kissed on the bed, forcefully grinding our genitals into the other. Jason was doing most of the work from the top but I was trying to thrust my hips to increase the amount of pleasure we were both feeling. I cupped Jason's cheeks firmly in my hand and squeezed them roughly. Jason let out a little yelp and I eased the pressure. I pulled Jason into me harder. I could feel his cock as it slid over my pubes and against my belly. The lubrication of our mixed precum was all I needed, as my cock began sliding between our bodies. I groaned loudly and shot my load between us. The added lubrication from my climax was enough to push Jason into the bliss that orgasm brought and he shot his load. Jason quickly rolled off of me and just as quickly wiped of our torsos with a towel. "Well that was quick," Jason replied as he rolled off of me and on to the bed, "And no where near as satisfying as real sex." "Yeah," I replied with a sigh, "It was still nice to get off though." "Yeah. Taylor, what are we going to do if my tests come back positive?" I looked over at Jason. I could see the fear in his eyes. I rolled onto my side and gently began stroking his chest in an effort to reassure him. "Well, I know for a fact that you aren't infected. But if you were, I'd find you the best doctors in the world, in an effort to make you better." "You keep saying that," Jason exploded angrily, "How can you be so calm. I may have infected you with an incurable disease and you keep spouting off that you know that I am not infected. How the fuck do you know?" I looked at Jason with surprise, stunned by such an uncharacteristic outburst. "You probably don't even believe that line of bullshit yourself. You just keep saying it trying to make me feel better." "I believe it, Jason. I know you aren't infected," I replied forcefully. "Prove it," Jason countered. I stopped rubbing Jason's chest and raised my legs allowing Jason access to my hole. "You wanted proof. I want you to fuck me right now, as hard as you can without a condom." "Not a fucking chance." "Come on you little wimp. You wanted the proof. I'm willing to give it to you." Jason just looked at me like he'd been slapped. "Get out," he said quietly, but forcefully. "What?" I asked. "Get the fuck out of my bedroom," Jason cried loudly as he got out of the bed. "Fine" I quickly got dressed in the clothes that I had worn home from the hospital. My remaining stuff was quickly packed into my suitcase and my duffel bag. I turned to face Jason, in an attempt to reason with him. I didn't know what I had done to make him so mad. I wanted to apologise, hoping that would calm the situation. "Jason I--" "Fuck off and die, Taylor. I never want to see you again." I just stood in the middle of the room looking at Jason as he sat curled in the middle of the sofa. I nearly broke down crying, but I wouldn't give Jason that satisfaction. I quietly walked to the door of the room and left. I bumped into Mr. Rawlings at the foot of the stairs. He looked at me curiously for a moment before he spoke. "Is something wrong, Taylor?" "No, nothing's wrong," I said as I slid on my boots and my parka, "I'm just going home." "I heard yelling. Are you sure everything's all right?" "Everything's fine, Mr. Rawlings. I want to thank you and your family for being so kind to me. 'Til we meet again." "Taylor, what's" Mr. Rawlings started but I didn't hear the rest. I just ignored everything he said and rushed out to my car. I quickly loaded my suitcase into the trunk and started the car. It was fairly cold outside but the car had been plugged in so it turned over easily. The car was really cold but I pulled on the pair of gloves that I had in the car and backed out of the driveway. I didn't want to wait the ten minutes that it was going to take the car to warm up. I quickly drove home as my eyes began filling with tears. I unloaded my car at the res entrance before driving over to the residence parking lot. I walked through the main doors of the residence and walked down the hallway to my room. I was nearly there when I saw Thomas Anderson leaving his room with a couple of fellow rezzies. "If it isn't the faggot himself. So where is your little faggot boyfriend?" I lost it. I grabbed Thom's head and slammed the back of it through the plasterboard wall. I pulled him from the wall and began throwing lefts and rights, taking out my anger on this piece of homophobic trash. His friends quickly pulled me off of Thom and pushed me away. The resident assistant came out of his room and surveyed the situation in the hallway. "What the fuck is going on?" he asked as he checked out Thom for any major injuries. I just ignored the RA and walked over to my door. I quickly unlocked the door and walked into my room. "Taylor, I asked--" the RA began, but I didn't hear him after I shut and locked my door. I put my suitcase down on the floor, and lied down on my bed. I had let my anger get the best of me, and I knew that I would have to face the consequences. There was no way I could explain my way out of this. Thomas had two witnesses that saw me take the first punch, so to speak. Thomas hadn't even gotten a punch off. I shut the light off and waited. I knew that soon I would have to explain myself to either the RA, or to Campus Security, or to the Saskatoon City Police. I just didn't care anymore. Jason wanted me to fuck off and die, I thought to myself. Maybe I should do just that. I stayed on my bed for over an hour, calming down as I watched the minutes tick by on my alarm clock. I heard a knock at my door and I knew that it was time to answer for my actions. I rolled out of bed and turned on the lights. I didn't look through the peep hole, I just opened the door and turned back to my bed. When I sat down and looked at who it was I was surprised. It was Dan. "Can I come in?" "Yeah, come in." "So what's up?" Dan asked. "Why did you slam Thomas' head through the wall. I know he deserved it and everything, but you normally don't do that sort of thing." "He didn't deserve it. No one ever deserves getting beaten." "You're probably right, Taylor. So, why did you do it?" I just shook my head. I didn't know. "How's Jason?" Dan asked changing the subject. "He's mad at me. He told me he never wanted to see me again, and I don't know why." "Oh," Dan replied with surprise, "Did you want to talk about it?" "No, I just want to be alone until the cops come." "Oh, the cops won't be coming. Thomas would be booted along with you for uttering that wonderful little remark. He said that you two were just playing around, and that the hole in the wall is his fault." "Why is he claiming responsibility for the hole in the wall?" "'Cause he knows that if you report him, he could still get tossed. He thinks that you may be able to sweet talk your way out of being expelled." "Oh," I said quietly. "Yeah. You got lucky this time. Next time just make a hole in the wall." I sat quietly on the bed. Dan just looked at me for a moment then rose to leave. "I'll tell Jen not to bug you 'til tomorrow. Are you sure you want to be alone?" I nodded my head and just continued looking at the carpet. I heard the door close and glanced up at the click. My door was locked. I pulled off my t-shirt and my pants and looked at my clock. It was only two pm and as far as I was concerned my day was over. I unpacked my Powerbook and reconnected my modem line. I spent the remainder of the afternoon browsing web sites, reading and composing email and generally wasting time. My stomach started growling as the supper hour rolled around. I walked over to my closet and pulled out a couple of granola bars and a couple of chocolate pop tarts. I slowly munched on my healthy supper as I looked around my room for something to do. I looked at my bookshelf and pulled down Microserfs. I hadn't finished reading it and I couldn't quite remember what happened at the beginning so I started reading from page one. When I finished the book it was after ten pm and the sounds of returning students was filtering into my room. I could hear Thomas laugh occasionally, but I paid it no heed. I walked over to my closet and pulled out a pair of ear plugs. Once I had blocked out the outside noise, I pulled off my cum encrusted underwear. I walked over to my bed and slowly lowered myself into the cool sheets. Without much effort I was able to close my eyes and fall asleep. CHAPTER 16 The next week of school bordered on the inane. We had the usual introductory lectures where we were told which hundred dollar text books that we were required to buy and which weren't required but were advised to buy. I spent two hours in line with Jen and Dan waiting to get into the bookstore to buy my second term text books. We stood chatting casually, talking about which classes were going to be bears and which classes were going to be super easy. Jen never did ask about Jason. I don't know if Dan told her to leave me alone for a while, or if she made the decision on her own. I didn't care either way. I was just glad that she was leaving the subject alone. After we bought our text books, Jen suggested that we go out for supper. I wasn't really in the mood, but Jen kept pestering me until I said that I would go. We walked out to my car and drove off to Moxie's in search of some decent food. After we had been seated and had placed our drink orders, Jen announced that she and Dan had something to tell me. "What?" I asked cautiously. "Dan and I are getting married," Jen announced. My eyes just bugged out. Married! My best friends were getting married. My mouth hung open for a few seconds as Jen and Dan laughed at my goofy expression. "Are you serious?" I asked skepitically. "You're getting married?" Jen held out her hand and showed me the engagement ring that Dan had given her. It was a beautiful family heirloom that had been passed down to Dan. "Wow. You guys are so young and you're getting married? Congratulations! Wow. Jeez, I just don't know what to say. I'm speechless." The waiter came around and asked if we were ready to order. We all ordered burgers and fries and then returned to the discussions of their engagement. "So, what did your parents say?" I asked as I took a sip of my margarita. "Uh, well... actually, you're the first person we've told," Dan replied as he picked nervously at the label on his bottle of beer, "My mom knows that I have the, uh, engagement ring, but she just thinks that I'm getting it appraised for insurance reasons." "Yeah, so don't tell anyone," Jen added as she finished the last bit of her vodka special, "We get to tell everyone about the wedding." "I won't tell anyone," I replied with a slight giggle. "Your secret will follow me to my grave," I added dramatically. Our attention was drawn to a nearby table as the Moxie's staff carried out a cupcake with a lit sparkler and started singing happy birthday to a fortyish looking woman who was sitting with her friends. When the singing was done, we all clapped and turned our attention back to our table. "So when's the wedding?" I asked when the excitement had subsided. "The second weekend in July, here in Saskatoon. We have it pretty much planned out. We just have to set things into motion," Jen replied as she flagged down our waiter to order another drink. I watched the waiter depart taking special note of his butt as he walked away from our table. "Cool. So, uh... why the, uh... you know, um... sudden decision to get married?" I asked as I turned my attention back to Jen and Dan. "I'm not pregnant if that's what your asking," Jen said flatly, "You know I wouldn't get married just 'cause I was pregnant." "That's not what I was asking," I shot back mischievously, "I'm much more direct than that. I would've asked if you had a bun in the oven." We all started laughing. Dan took Jen's hand and looked into her eyes as he answered my question. "We are getting married because we want to be together forever." And with his pronouncement of his love for Jen, he kissed her. I sat quietly watching my best friends kiss. Finally, Jen broke off the kiss. "Besides, he's really good in bed," She quipped starting another round of laughter. The waiter came around with our burgers. He was really cute. He had shoulder length blond hair and appeared to be about 15, but I knew that he had to be at least 19 to be able to serve alcohol. He had blue eyes that seemed to sparkle and I thought I would faint when he smiled at me. We began devouring our burgers with zeal. Jen and Dan ordered another drink while I ordered a rootbeer, seeing as I was doing the driving. We made small talk while we ate our burgers, and our waiter came back frequently to ensure that everything was okay. With our empty plates removed, the waiter brought out the dessert menu and asked if anyone was interested in having something for dessert. Looking at the menu, we each ordered a slice of Amaretto Cheesecake and an espresso. The waiter quickly brought our desserts and left the bill. I quickly grabbed the bill off the table and opened it up to take a look. Inside there was a note from our waiter, Rob, which gave a phone number 'for the guy in the green sweater.' It took me a moment to realize that I was wearing that 'green sweater.' He wanted me to give him a call sometime for drinks. I looked up and noticed the waiter smiling at me from across the restaurant. I smiled back and then turned my attention to the cheesecake. I noticed Jen and Dan taking surreptitious glances at me while they slowly ate their cheese cake. "What?" "Nothing," Jen replied, "I have something that I'd like to ask you." "Oh? What's that?" "Taylor, would you give me away?" Jen asked. I simply sat looking at both Jen and Dan for a moment. "Give you away? Um, wow, uh, I'm honoured but don't you have an uncle or someone older who can give you away?" "No, Taylor. I do have an uncle, but I don't want him to give me away. I want you to give me away. I want you to walk me down the aisle of the church and give me away." "Jen, I don't--, I paused for a moment and looked across the table. Jen was looking at me, the disappointment evident on her face. I didn't want to tell her the reason I was reticent to take on the duties of giving her away, but I didn't want to disappoint her either. "Jen, I can't tell you how much it pleases me to know you want me to do this for you, and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it would be my great honour to do so." Jen's face lit up at my little announcement and she leaned over the table to give me a kiss. As she moved to sit down she grabbed the bill out of my hand and took a look at the inside. "Back in circulation for less than a week and already you have men falling for you. Must be nice." I sat pensively in my seat. I didn't know how to respond. Was I really back in circulation? Was it really over between me and Jason, or was there some hope that we could get back together. I still loved Jason, but if he didn't love me... there was no point in waiting for him. I reached across the table and snatched the bill back. "Finish up," I said with a smile, closing off that line of thought, "I want to take a look at that lab we have tomorrow." "Ugh," Jen exclaimed, "I hate Friday labs." "Yeah, well, like we had a choice." "I know, I know," Jen said as she finished the last mouthful of cheese cake. "I've got the bill," I exclaimed as I threw a ten dollar bill on the table for a tip and headed for the cash register, "I'll meet you guys outside." "Hey, Taylor," Dan started but I didn't hear anything else he said as I walked to the till. The waiter that had served us quickly appeared and asked how the meal was. "Very good," I replied with a small grin. "I get off at midnight," Rob said as he ran my Mastercard through the machine, "I should be home by twelve thirty." "Um, I'm very flattered Rob," I started. "But you aren't gay?" Rob finished worriedly. "Oh no, I'm gay. It's just that, um well, I'm in the middle of a serious relationship right now." "Oh, well, um, if you ever want to talk or go out for drinks, just as friends, give me a call." "I'll do that," I said with a smile. Rob handed me the credit card receipt and had me sign it. I quickly scrawled my signature and said good night to the handsome stud who had served us. The ride back to the university was quiet. Jen sat in the back seat humming to the song on the radio while Dan gazed out the side window at the night sky. I kept my eyes on the road, trying not to think of Jason. It was just so hard. I didn't want to call him just in case it was over, but if he were to call I'd apologise in an instant. I came to the turn for the residence parking lot and pulled into a vacant spot. The three of us crossed the busy city street, and walked back onto the campus, and then separated, each going our separate ways. I awoke the next morning with an anvil strapped to my head. The bottle of my headache cure of choice was, of course, empty. I wrote myself a reminder to buy some Extra Strength Tylenol, just in case I forgot. After a quick shower, I got dressed and walked over to the residence dining room. It was a cold breakfast morning, so I poured my self a bowl of Fruit Loops and tramped into the dining room itself. Jen waved me over to a table that she and Dan had procured. The breakfast conversation was blessedly light and dealt mainly with current events. I was pleased because I wasn't up for a big Computer Science discussion at breakfast. "So, what are you doing his weekend, Taylor?" Jen asked as she swallowed a mouthful of Rice Krispies. I shrugged. I really had no plans. I would have done something with Jason normally, but that didn't appear to be an option. Jen just looked across the table as I continued to shovel the Fruit Loops into my mouth. I paused for a second, and when I had finished swallowing I asked Jen and Dan what they were doing this weekend. Jen told me that she and Dan planned on going to see Dan's parents right after class to tell them about the wedding. Unfortunately, Jen's parents wouldn't be attending the wedding. Her family had died in a house fire the day after she had returned to university for her second year of classes. I wondered how well she would be able to handle the emotions the wedding was likely to engender. It just seemed that seeing all of Dan's family around and none of her own would be depressing. We finished our breakfast and looked at the clock. It was twenty after eight and our first classes started at 8:30. We put our trays on the conveyor belt leading to the dish room and walked down the stairs leading to the tunnels under the University. The tunnels are one of the best features of the university. They allowed access to most of the buildings without forcing one to brave the cold for which Saskatchewan winter's are famous. Dan walked up the stairs to the Fine Arts section of the Arts building for his class in advanced photography while Jen and I continued through the tunnels to our first class. Our first class of the day was in the Thorvaldson Building, which is home to the Chemistry department. The old stone walls of the building had been marinated in the chemical smells of countless experiments over the years, but it was still the coolest building on campus. Jen and I walked into the new portion of the building and took our seats amidst our now familiar classmates in the small classroom. The computer science department was one of the smaller departments on campus, which allowed us to get to know just about everyone in our classes on a first name basis. The professor walked in right behind us and began his lecture on advanced artificial intelligence. The lecture was interesting, but I was having trouble keeping my mind on the topic at hand. I took my own little notes and looked to see that Jen was making an audio tape of the lecture. I relaxed a little as I saw the little wheels turning in the microcassette recorder indicating that indeed this lecture was being recorded for study purposes. My mind started wandering until my attention was abruptly drawn back to the lecture at hand by the loud crack of a wooden pointer striking a desk. "Mr. Matheson, what are the major differences between second and third generation artificial intelligence?" The gears in my brain whirled, seeking purchase, when suddenly they caught and I found I knew the answer to the prof's question. I explained the major differences between second and third generation AI as coolly as I could, not allowing any emotion to enter my voice. The prof nodded as I finished and then turned back to his lecture. Jen bumped my elbow and pointed to a note that she had written on the top of her note pad. I simply nodded my head, agreeing with Jen's assessment that I had gotten lucky. I was glad that I had read through the text book segment that the lecture was based on. The class finally ended and we walked over to our final class of the day. The lecture there was blissfully short, although I continued to have trouble paying attention. My mind kept fixating on Jason. I kept thinking about him and what he had said to me. By the end of the class I was furious with Jason. I was ready to admit that it was over between the two of us and I decided to give Rob a call to see if he still wanted to go for drinks with me. That would be the easiest way to get over Jason, I figured. Have a few drinks with someone new and maybe see what develops. Suddenly, I remembered that I still hadn't called Dr. Warner to see if my blood work was clean. I'd have to do that before I made any plans with Rob. When our final class of the day ended, Jen and I headed back into the tunnels making our way up to the residence building. Jen asked if she could come over to my room for a minute to borrow one of my reference books. "Sure, can we talk for a bit though?" I asked hesitantly. "Something in particular on your mind?" Jen asked as we rounded the corner leading to my room. Sitting on the floor in front of my door was Jason. He had his knees held against his chest and his chin was resting on his knees. When he heard us walk around the corner he glanced up at us and then quickly struggled to his feet. "Hi Taylor. Hi Jen." "What the fuck do you want," I shot back. Jason just stood in the hallway looking at me. He hadn't been expecting me to respond as I had. Jen just stood in the hallway [looking back and forth between me and Jason. "Taylor, I..." Jason began before I cut him off. I had absolutely no desire to hear what he had to say. "What makes you think I want to hear anything you have to say Jason?" "Taylor I want to apologise for..." "I don't accept your apology, now leave me alone." "Taylor give me a chance. I..." "Are you dense, Jason? I told you to leave me alone. How much clearer do I have..." "Taylor, I love you. I said some things that I shouldn't have said and..." I had heard enough. "Jason, fuck off. I don't ever want to see you again." "So much for loving me regardless what the test results were," Jason shot back, "I always knew you were lying, you bastard." For the second time in a week I snapped. I quickly closed the distance between Jason and I and wrapped my hands around his neck. I was so mad at Jason, I wanted him dead. Jen quickly moved to break the two of us up, pushing me away from Jason and holding him against the door so he didn't get any ideas about retaliating. "Give me your keys, Taylor," Jen said loudly looking at me with fire in her eyes. "Why?" "'Cause I said so." I handed Jen my key ring and watched as she opened the door to my room. She pushed Jason into the room and directed him to sit in the chair by the computer. "Get in here," she said to me as she walked in the door. I followed Jen in obediently. I'd only seen her this angry once and I knew from the experience that you didn't argue. "On the bed," she directed me as she moved to the centre of the room. "Now what the fuck is going on with you two? One minute you are madly in love and the next minute you are yelling and screaming and carrying on?" Jason and I both sat quietly in our respective seats looking at the floor. Jen stood in the middle of the room waiting for the answer to her question. She looked towards me, then towards Jason before finally speaking again. "Jason, why were you apologising to Taylor and what test results were you referring to?" "I was apologising to Taylor for making him leave my house on Tuesday. He hurt me and I overreacted and told him to fuck off and die. I didn't realize until after I calmed down that his having hurt me was unintentional. I... I love you so much Taylor, the past three days have been hell for me between waiting for the results, and hoping that you would call. I didn't want to call you, just in case you'd reject me." That's why I came here this morning, I was hoping I could get a chance to talk to you in person and patch things up." As his explanation came to an end, I could see that he was just barely holding back his tears. Jen looked at me for a moment before she turned her attention back to Jason. "To what test results were you referring, Jason?" Jason lowered his head into his hands before starting his explanation. "I got a letter from Saskatchewan Health the day Taylor fell down the stairs. It told me that there was a chance that I was infected with Hepatitis C during a blood transfusion. It can be transmitted sexually, and is incurable. I am waiting for results to find out if I have been infected." Jen pierced me with a nasty glare as she went over to comfort Jason. I sat impudently on the bed, awaiting my turn at the inqusition. The wait was interminable as Jen focused her attention on Jason. Jen picked up my phone and made a quick call. I didn't hear what was said but was surprised when Jen helped Jason up and led him towards the door. I moved to get up but Jen threw me an angry scowl and told me to sit down. I watched as Jen led Jason out of the room, pulling the door closed behind them. I walked over toward my desk, and leaned against the sturdy metal frame. The grinding of metal on metal alerted me to the opening of the door. I looked up in time to see a very pissed off Jennifer walk into the room. "What kind of a fucking bastard are you?" She started as the door closed. "What are you going to do next, rip his heart out?" "Excuse me, why don't you get the full fucking story before you start screaming at me." "And what story is that? She asked sarcastically. The one where he gets a little angry with you and then you try to strangle him? Or maybe it's the one where he needs your support and you don't give it to him? He came and visited you every day that you were in the hospital after the car accident and after you fell down the stairs, and you can't even try to comfort him while he waits. You're one hell of a friend." "Get the fuck out," I said quietly. "Going to run away from your problems, Taylor? Pretty soon you're going to run away from the only people who love you, and then what are you going to do?. You can't talk to your family..." "Shut the fuck up and leave me alone." "...You've alienated your boyfriend..." "I said shut up." "...You're alienating your friends..." "Leave me alone," I screamed as I picked up my Powerbook and flung it across the room. The laptop hit the painted cement brick wall and shattered into dozens of pieces before it fell to the floor, "You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. You come in here thinking you know everything about me, and about Jason, and about what happened and what is still happening and you don't have a fucking clue. You don't know me, you don't know my parents. What gives you the right to judge me or my actions. Now get the fuck out of my room right now." Jen looked at me with a shocked look on her face. She bowed her head and opened the door. She took one last glance at me before she left the room and I used that opportunity to scream get out one last time. I slipped down to the floor and sat with my knees pulled up to my chest and my body leaning against my desk. What if Jen was right? She and Dan were my only real friends and Jason likely wouldn't have anything to do with me anymore. I had no family, I had no one that I could talk to. I had no one. I sat alone in my thought, quietly sobbing, until I heard the phone ring. I took a glance at the name and number display and saw that it was Dr. Warner's office. I knew instantly that my test results were in. I wiped my eyes, cleared my throat, and picked up the phone. "Hello?" "Hello, Taylor, it's Dr. Warner speaking. We got your test results back and they are all negative. You are clean." "Thanks for calling, Dr. Warner. I really appreciate it." "Not a problem. It's always nice to give patients some good news for a change." "I guess." "Is there something wrong, Taylor?" "Huh, oh uh, no I was just watching a sad movie. I guess I'm just a sentimental old fool." "Well then, I'll let you get back to your movie. Don't hesitate to call if you have any problems or concerns." "I won't. Have a good day, Dr. Warner." I hung up the phone and sat back against my desk. I was clean. I had known that I would be, but hearing it confirmed felt good. I thought for a moment and then dialled Jason's home number. I heard the phone ring a couple times, then heard the click as the answering machine picked up. I listened to the outgoing message and waited for the beep. "Hi, Jason, it's Taylor, I just wanted you to know that I got my test results back and they were all negative. I hope yours are too." I leaned against the desk again. I had really managed to mess up my life in fairly short order, distancing myself from the only people who cared about me. I had no reason to continue on for what was left of my life. I placed my head against my knees and started weeping softly. I tuned out the outside world and began looking toward the inside, toward myself. I was startled when I felt a hand on my right shoulder. I jerked my head up and looked to the right. Jason yanked his hand back, as if he had touched a hot stove element and tensed up as if he expected me to attack him. "I'm sorry," I croaked, "I shouldn't have grabbed your throat." "It's all right..." "No it's not all right. Since I left your house after the arguement I have beaten on a guy, tried to choke you and destroyed my laptop." Jason sat down beside me and took my right hand in his, holding it tightly. "You're right. It's not all right, but I forgive you." "Thanks," I replied as I looked across the room and noticed all the accumulated dust bunnies underneath my dresser. "Taylor, I want to apologise to you. I understand now that you were just trying to make me feel better." "What did I do?" "Huh?" Jason asked quizzically. "What did I do that made you so mad. I couldn't figure out why you were so angry with me." "Taylor, you called me a wimp 'cause I wouldn't fuck you. Regardless of what you think, you know I couldn't live with myself if I knew that I had infected you when I knew that I might be a carrier. That hurt me a lot, Taylor. I felt like you thought that it was one big joke." I turned my head and looked at Jason. His beautiful eyes were still a bit puffy, and his cheeks were a ruddy colour from his extended crying. 'I didn't know. God, if I had known I would never have done or said that. Why didn't you call me though? Why didn't you tell me that? I would've understood." "Why didn't you call me?" Jason asked defiantly. "I didn't call you because you told me to fuck off and die and that you never wanted to see me again. To me that means, don't call us, we'll call you." Suddenly, a giggle burbled up out of Jason and I found a smile breaking out on my face as well. The tension that had built up between us dissipated as we sat together. I removed my hand from Jason's grasp and placed it on his thigh. Jason and I turned to gaze at each other and hesitantly kissed. Jason broke off the kiss after a few seconds and looked at me seriously. "Taylor, I love you." I wrapped my arm around Jason's shoulders and pulled him close to me. "I love you, too." CHAPTER 17 I was tied to a bed in a dark, cool cavern. There was no sound, no smell. A beam of light ripped down from the ceiling, the full light of the beam focusing on my face. I squinted in an attempt to see what was going on, but the light was too bright and I was blinded by it. And then the light vanished. The setting changed. I was still in a cavern but there was a source of light shining from directly behind me. I could make out the stalactites, and the dark walls of the cave. "We've been waiting for you for a long time," a menacing voice said from my left. I looked and saw a featureless man standing over me in a white lab coat. He drew a large knife from behind him and drove it into my chest. I screamed as the knife pierced my body. "You won't be needing your heart for long. No one loves you. You are going to die alone. We should give your heart to someone who deserves it." I rolled in the bonds, trying to avoid the knife, but it was hopeless. I couldn't move. The man in the lab coat removed my heart and left me choking on my own blood on the table. The man in the lab coat looked at me for a moment then turned around. "There's no need for you to suffer, Taylor. You can end it whenever you want. Just say the word." The man in the lab coat turned around. He was holding an executioner's ax in his hands. He brought the ax up and as he brought it down, I felt something on my chest. My eyes snapped open and I heard Jason trying to calm me down by repeating "It's just a dream, Taylor, it's just a dream," as he held onto me tightly. I rolled to face Jason and placed my head against his warm, smooth chest. My heart slowed, and my body slowly cooled. Jason held my head against his chest as he rubbed my back and kept murmuring reassurance to me. "Are you all right, Taylor?" Jason whispered. "Yeah, I'm sorry I woke you again tonight," I replied, the shame very plain in my voice. "It's all right. I just wish you wouldn't kick so hard." "I'll try to remember not to kick anymore." "Well, let's go back to sleep, all right love?" I nodded my head and wrapped my free arm over Jason, holding onto to him tightly. Within moments I heard Jason's rhythmic breathing as he fell asleep. It had been almost three weeks since the big fight and things were just now starting to get back to normal. Jason's blood work had come back negative, but we didn't sleep together again for another two weeks after Jason had gotten the results. I needed the time to look at my life, and decide what was going on. I couldn't keep going on rampages when things didn't go right. I found that I was losing control of my temper. It wasn't until I believed that I had my volatile temper under control again that we again made love. The first few times were tentative as we got back into the groove, but soon enough, things were moving like clockwork and the sex was as good as ever. I listened to Jason's breathing and felt his chest expand and contract. These nightmares were beginning to be a problem. I had been having them every night. Jason was be really good about it, holding onto me when the thrashing starts, but I hated not being able to control this aspect of my life. Perhaps I needed to talk to someone, I thought as I closed my eyes and let the warmth of Jason's body envelope me as I finally drifted off to sleep again. The shrill, electronic buzz of my alarm clock woke me early the next morning. I went to reach for the clock, but Jason got there first. He quickly shut off the alarm, and kissed me on the forehead. "Morning, luv," Jason said as he stifled a yawn. "Mmmmorning. Sorry I left the alarm on," I said as I nuzzled against Jason's chest. "You didn't leave the alarm on. I set it. I have a surprise for you." "A surprise for me. Mmmm, I like surprises." I wrapped my arm around the small of Jason's back, pulling him a little closer. His semi-hard cock grazed my thigh and bounced slightly as our bodies drew closer together. Jason giggled merrily and pulled away. "We don't have time for that. We have to go shower and get dressed. Can we use your car?" "Sure," I replied as I began licking Jason's left nipple. Jason moaned, and goose bumps appeared on his skin. "You like making me unbearably horny don't you?" "You betcha." I gently began nibbling on his now hard nipple. Jason twitched and then pushed my head away. "We don't have time for this. We have to go get your surprise." I looked up at Jason with an exaggerated frown on my face. Reaching down he grasped my chin and tilted my head back. He bent his neck and gently kissed me. "Okay. Taylor, you go shower. I'm going to make sure your surprise is ready. Don't forget to take your meds." "Yes, mommy." I rolled out of the narrow single bed. I hadn't planned on having Jason spend the night, but he had come over after his last exam and we had celebrated several times. I walked across the room to my dresser, grabbed my shower kit and pulled on my robe. A quick shower would do me good. I was just about to walk out the door when I heard Jason clear his throat. "Yes?" Jason held up a pill bottle. "Take your medication." I took my pills, and walked out of the room. I quickly showered and walked back to my dorm room. Jason was sitting at my desk wearing his underwear from the day before. He looked up at me when I walked into the room, and smiled. I walked over to Jason and pulled him to a standing position and began kissing him. "Mmmm, you animal," Jason mumbled as he kissed me back. I could feel his hands groping me all over, and then suddenly they stopped. "Taylor, we have to get going. Can I borrow a towel and your shampoo?" I grabbed Jason a dry towel and handed him my shower kit. Jason pulled my robe off of me and wrapped it around his lovely frame. I wanted to take Jason right where he stood, making him moan and scream in ecstasy. Instead, I turned away and began drying myself more thoroughly. I heard the door open and then close. I walked over to the dresser and grabbed some clothes. I quickly dressed, ensuring that I looked halfway decent, when I heard the door open. Jason walked into the room, dressed in my robe. He quickly pushed the door shut, and let the robe fall to the floor. My heart almost stopped as a naked Jason stood before me with a shy smile on his face. My eyes traveled up his glistening body, drinking in his beauty, lingering momentarily on his cute cock and balls and finally settling on his angelic face. I was speechless. Jason walked over to my dresser and opened my underwear drawer. He pulled out a pair of white briefs and slowly, seductively pulled them on. Jason winked at me and slowly pulled on one of my t-shirts and his own jeans. He stood in front of the mirror adjusting his hair when I came up behind him and grabbed him by the hips. Jason looked at me in the mirror and giggled. "You are a horny little devil, aren't you?" Jason asked as he turned to look at me. "Yeppers." "Well, keep it in your pants for the rest of the morning and we'll see what we can do about it later." "Promise?" "I promise." We pulled on our coats and I gave Jason my keys. We walked out of the overheated entrance of the residence into the frigid winter air, our coats securely fastened and our hands encased in mittens. My car was parked at the far end of the residence parking lot, and the cold winter air made the hike to it seem like an arctic expedition. I stood patiently while Jason unlocked the driver side door, and then hit the power door locks to open mine. I quickly slid into the freezing car and sat in the hard seat with my teeth chattering. Jason turned the key and the car groaned as it slowly turned over. We sat shivering in the car, not saying a word, in an attempt to conserve body heat while we waited for the car to warm up. It took fifteen minutes, but finally the temperature gauge had moved towards the middle and the car heaters were finally blowing enough heat to warm the car up. Jason looked over his shoulder out the back window and began backing out when he stopped. He pulled off his toque and reached over yanked my hood back and pulled his toque down over my head. "Hey, what are you doing?" "I want this to be a surprise, Taylor. I know how much you hate wearing toques, but I want you to keep your eyes covered so you can't see where we are going." "Okay, can I just adjust it before we start moving again?" "Sure." I adjusted the toque making it a little more comfortable on my head, while still making sure that I couldn't see. I wanted to make everything perfect for Jason, even when he was surprising me. We drove around the city for a long time. I don't know if Jason was trying to confuse me, which wouldn't take much, or if he was lost, or if he was just looking for a parking spot. I heard him open the windows and talk to a parking garage attendant. Jason drove the car through the enclosed structure slowly. I felt him turn and come to a stop. The clicking sound of the parking brake attracted my attention and I looked to my left. "We're here," Jason announced "Yes, but where is here?" I asked. "Why, that's the surprise," Jason said cheerfully, "Now you keep the toque on. I'll come over to that side of the car and give you my arm to hold onto while we go inside." I sat patiently waiting for Jason as he got out of the car and locked his door. I heard the passenger door open and I tentatively put a foot out the door. Jason took my hand and I reluctantly left the warm cocoon of the car. We walked across the garage briskly, until Jason stopped. I heard theding of an elevator door opening and we walked into what had to be an elevator. There was no muzak playing in the elevator, which I thought was kind of odd. It seemed that every elevator that I had ever been on had that horrible music. I heard Jason tapping his foot on the floor of the elevator. He always tapped his foot rapidly when he was nervous. The door opened and Jason took hold of my arm again and led me out of the elevator. We entered a really warm hallway, but there was no sound, apart from the sound of our footsteps and the rustle of the nylon coverings of our winter jackets. Jason opened a door and I could hear a phone ringing and the sound of a TV playing but I still didn't recognise where we were. And then I heard something that enraged me. "Hello, Dr. Warner's office, please hold." I yanked the toque off my head and spun to face Jason. The waiting room was empty, but it hardly mattered. "What are we doing here?" I asked loudly. "I feel fine." "Taylor, I want you to see the doctor. You haven't been yourself since you fell down the stairs." "Oh really. And what makes you qualified to make that judgment? I yelled. "I am fine. There is nothing wrong with me." "Taylor, you haven't been able to control your temper since you fell down the stairs. Maybe you are having a reaction to your medication. I talked to Dr. Warner and that's what he thinks it may be." "Maybe it's just being around you," I shot back, "Maybe it's you that keeps setting me off." Jason looked at me like he'd been slapped. He turned around and ran out the door of the doctor's office. I stood motionless in the middle of the waiting room with the receptionist just staring at me. My body became weak as I realised what I had done again. My knees buckled as I neared one of the chairs and I fell into the chair and put my head in my hands. How could I keep screwing things up so badly. Maybe the figure in my dream was right. Maybe I should end it. Maybe I should end it all. I started crying quietly to myself. A few minutes passed before I heard the door to the office open and close again. There was a stillness in the room. A hand came to rest on my shoulder and I looked over to my right and into the eyes of Dr. Warner. "Come on, Taylor. Let's go into one of my offices before any other patients come in." "I've got to go find Jason," I said quietly, "I have to apologise to him." "Don't worry about Jason, Taylor. I ran into him in the hallway and had him wait in one of Dr. Franklin's exam rooms." I let Dr. Warner lead me into an office where he had me sit down on a paper covered exam table. He sat opposite of me in his chair and just looked at me. "Taylor, Jason tells me you've been having nightmares and have been having major mood swings. Why didn't you tell me? Those are some of the possible side effects of the medication I have you on. Had you told me, I could have changed your medication, and there wouldn't have been a problem." "I didn't think it was a major problem. I just thought..." "Taylor, I know you don't want anyone to know anything's wrong, but from now on I want to see you weekly. It's the only way I can make sure that you are okay." I bowed my head and then nodded. "I thought I could do this on my own, I thought I didn't need help, I..." "It's all right Taylor," Dr. Warner said as he comforted me, "It's all right. We all need a little help now and then." Dr. Warner comforted me for a few more moments before he gave me a quick check up. He asked me a bunch of questions and made me promise that I would come in for my weekly appointments.. He changed my prescription to something that shouldn't have any side effects, but which was about double the price of my other medication. I took the prescription and sat quietly on the table. "What's wrong, Taylor?" "I think I've fucked things up with Jason, maybe permanently this time." "Taylor, I'm no expert in love, but I'd say that Jason still loves you. Have you ever had a young puppy?" "Yeah, a long time ago." "Well, Jason is like a young puppy. He trusts you completely. Then you lashed out at him and hurt him. Now he's a little scared of you. But he still loves you. All you have to do is apologise and things should go back to normal. You also have to make sure that you aren't having adverse reactions to your medications, but that's why you are going to come see me weekly, right?" "Right." "Good. I'll go get Jason. You wait here. I'll let you two work things out in here before you go out again, but I don't want you guys to have sex in here. All right?" I smiled up at Dr. Warner. I knew he was just joking about the sex part, but I was grateful that he was going to let Jason and I work things out in here. "All right" I dropped to the floor and looked at some of the posters that Dr. Warner had up in the room. I heard the door open again and saw Jason standing in the doorway. I rushed over to him, but Jason just held his hand in front of himself, keeping me from wrapping him in my arms. He walked a little further into the room and closed the door behind himself. "I'm..." "Stop, Taylor. Don't say another word." I bowed my head and waited for Jason to tear a strip off of me. Instead he lifted my chin and kissed me. "Taylor, I talked to Dr. Warner. I know that your medication was probably causing your mood swings. I love you so much Taylor. What you said hurt me, but as long as you're willing to see Dr. Warner weekly, then I will forgive you right now." "I will. I will see Dr. Warner weekly." "Good. Then there is no problem. Let's go get some lunch and then I want to give you the second part of your surprise." "Another surprise?" I asked cautiously. "I can hardly wait." Jason gave me a little smack on the stomach and then began pulling on his coat. I followed suit pulling on my winter parka. We walked out of the doctor's office, with our arms wrapped around each other's waist, like the young couple in love that we were. When we reached my car I waited as Jason opened the doors, before I slid into the car and pulled the toque down over my eyes. I turned my head towards Jason and he started laughing at me. "What?" "You don't need to wear the toque, where we are going isn't part of the surprise." "Oh," I replied as I pulled the toque off my head and readjusted my hair in the mirror, "So where are we going for lunch?" "How about Kelsey's?" I nodded my head in agreement. "Sounds good to me." We sat silently in the car listening to the radio as Jason maneuvred the car through downtown Saskatoon. I thought about all that I had put Jason through in our relationship. I couldn't fathom why he still put up with me. I looked down at the floor mats of the car and tried picking a piece on lint of off my jeans, to no avail. Jason turned and looked at me for a moment before he returned his eyes to the road. "Do I want to know what you are thinking, Taylor?" "Probably not," I replied after a moments thought. "Then quit thinking about it, and start thinking about something good." "Like?" "Like you crawling into a nice warm bed with me and cuddling with me all night." "Mmmmmm... I like that thought." I took a look at the clock on my dash and realised that I had skipped all of my classes. I was just thankful that the afternoon lab that I had on Fridays was only every second week and that this week was our week off. "Did you have anything planned for this afternoon?" "No, why?" "Did you want to try and change that thought into reality after lunch?" Jason looked at me with an arched eyebrow before he quickly turned the car into the drive thru of Burger King. "On second thought, let's just pick up a quick lunch and then go right home." "I like that idea." We ordered our food and quickly drove ahead to the window to pick it up. Jason pulled out his wallet and paid for both of our meals before I had a chance to pay. Jason drove out of the lot and started driving towards his house before I stopped him. "Back to the University." "Why?" "'Cause I want to pick up some clean clothes and my toiletries kit." Jason pulled the car up to the residence building and I told him to stay in the car while I went and got my stuff. My room was a little bit of a mess, but I ran around it like a man possessed, tossing everything I thought I'd need into a duffel bag. Assured that I had gotten everything I needed, I pulled the door shut and ran back towards the car where Jason was sitting, waiting. "You get everything?" "Yeppers, let's go." Jason turned the car around and drove through town like a madman in an attempt to get home as quickly as possible. We pulled into the driveway, and jumped out of the car once Jason had brought it to a complete stop. Jason led the way to the front door, quickly unlocking it and throwing open the door. We fairly ran up the stairs to his bedroom, where we devoured our food. Jason was finished first and the minute he was done he got up and began undressing. "All right," I said jokingly, "A floor show while I eat!" "Smartass. Finish up. I want to warm up those sheets with you, but first I have to give you your surprise." I shoved the rest of the Whopper into my mouth and quickly chewed and swallowed it while I pulled off my clothes. Jason was already completely naked and sitting on the bed waiting for me. Once I had removed all my clothes, I walked over to the bed and slid under the sheets with Jason. The cotton sheets were cool to the touch and I could feel the heat radiating from Jason's body as I slid closer to him. Jason wrapped his arm around my lower back and pulled himself towards me. I moved to kiss Jason, but he put up his hand and told me to wait. "What?" "I have to give you your surprise." "Well, what is it?" "What are you doing for Spring Break?" "Nothing. I am staying in Saskatoon and probably studying and spending a little time with you." "Only a little time with me?" "Actually, probably every waking second if I get my way, and every sleeping second too," I said as I placed a gentle kiss on Jason's cheek. "Well, actually, I won't be here. Dad and I are going skiing at Whistler, and I want you to come with us." "Jason, I..." "Don't even start, Taylor. I talked to dad about this a long time ago and he said that he'd love to have you come with us." "But..." "No buts about it. We leave on the Saturday after classes end. We fly out on an AirBC flight that morning and Uncle Robert will meet us at the airport and take us to the hotel." "But..." "No buts, Taylor." "Fine," I said with an exasperated smile, "How much do I owe for the tickets and the hotel room?" "Nothing, Taylor. My dad's paying for it." "Jason, I can't let your dad pay for it all. I wouldn't feel right." "Well, consider it a birthday gift, from him." I lay in silence beside Jason. I nodded my head slowly and Jason let out a whoop. "That means you'll come, right?" "I always cum. But, yeah, I will go to Whistler with you." "Pervert, but that's why I love you." "I love you too babe. I love you too."