Love From
The Ashes
Chapter 13
Broken
Jamie is on
a call for a structure fire. He's six
feet from the entrance when he takes a step and trips. He manages to catch himself, but he also
breaks his left arm in the process. It's
his radius and ulna that have broken.
He's in a lot of pain. He also
knows that his boyfriend is going to freak out. Cameron always worries about Jamie getting
hurt on a call. Now that it's happened,
he doesn't know how Cam will handle this, but he's expecting the worse. He believes this because of how Cameron
reacted when they talked about the possibility of Jamie getting hurt, and he
doesn't expect him to react any differently this time. He was going to hand over his phone to
another fire-fighter. Instead, he's held on to it. He hands his phone over to one of the EMTs
and asks them to call his boyfriend.
Jamie is in pain, so he does not want to really use that hand.
***
Jamie tells
the EMTs what he wants to say, and then the EMT types it up on his phone. The message is as follows:
"I'm on my
way to the hospital. I'm going to St.
Eve's Hospital."
When Cameron
sees the text come across his phone, his anxiety picks up slightly. He tries to remember what they've discussed
about the possibility of Jamie getting hurt at a fire. Jamie has never been injured in the short
time that Cameron has been with the firefighter. Cam knows that the broken arm isn't the worst
thing that could have happened to his boyfriend. Sadly, he's at work when the text appears on
his phone. He's trying his best to
contain his anxiety, but it's not easy.
Everyone in the office that can see him knows that his mind is someplace
else at the moment. Courtney has her
eyes on him, and she knows she needs to speak with him.
***
Courtney
quickly pulls her employee into one of the exam rooms. She needs him at peak performance, and this
isn't Cameron at his peak.
"Cameron, I
can tell something is wrong, so what is going on, my friend? You have me a little worried."
She knows
something is wrong, but she doesn't know what.
"Jamie's
been hurt, but he has a broken arm. I
know it's just a broken arm but I need to be there."
Courtney
can't keep him at the pet hospital, not now that his boyfriend is at the
hospital. She would want to be there for
her husband if something happened to him.
"Do you know
the hospital that he's at?"
Cameron
smiles at her.
"Yes, he's
going to St. Eve's."
She smiles
as she places a hand on his shoulder.
"I want you
to head to the hospital."
She can't
count anything against him. After all, Cameron is practically family.
"Thank you,
Courtney!"
The vet tech
is grateful to have such a fantastic friend and boss.
"You're
welcome, my friend. Now go ahead and
leave. Go find out about Jamie, and call
me when you find out what's going on with him.
Jamie says
goodbye and then heads out to see his boyfriend. When he reaches the hospital, Cameron rushes
inside and asks the lady at the desk about his boyfriend. Luckily, she knows Jamie, so she directs
Cameron straight into the emergency room waiting room. Cameron doesn't know that Jamie has already
told the staff that his husband is on his way to the hospital. Cameron sits in the emergency room waiting
room. He pulls out his phone and texts
his boyfriend.
"I'm here,
Babe. I'm in the emergency room waiting
room."
There is
nothing from Jamie at all. An hour
later, a hospital worker comes out of the emergency room.
"Is there a
Cameron Lockhart in the waiting room?"
Cameron
stands up and heads toward the worker.
"I'm Cameron
Lockhart."
He can't
wait to hear what she has to say to him.
He knows that what she has to say will be all about his boyfriend.
"Hi! Your husband has a broken his left
foreman. The doctors'
are trying to reset it. They plan to set
it, cast it, and then send him on his way.
If it doesn't heal the way they want it to, they will have to do
surgery."
Until the
mention of surgery, all the other news put a smile on Cameron's face.
"Are you
providing a way home for him?"
She asks
Cameron.
"Yes, I am."
She smiles
again at him.
"Thank
you! I'm going to head back to the
doctor and the patient. I will be back
out if I have anything else to add."
Cameron nods
his head at her.
"Sounds
good!"
Cameron
watches as she heads back to where she came from; if there are more updates,
she can give them. About two and half
hours later, the nurse walks out of the emergency room with the most handsome
man following her.
"Jamie, it's
good to see you."
Cameron says
as he looks at his boyfriend. The left
arm is in a cast to help heal the bones.
"It's good
to see you too, Babe."
Jamie's use
of the word "babe" draws some attention from others in the room, making Cameron
feel uncomfortable. The hospital worker
hands over some papers to Jamie.
"These
papers are all you need to be dismissed. It contains prescriptions, care for the cast,
and notes for setting up other appointments."
Jamie hands
the papers over to Cameron, who smiles at the nurse.
"Is he good
to go?"
Cameron asks
the nurse before Jamie, and he can head out.
"Yes, he can
go."
She says to
the guys standing in front of her.
"Thank you!"
Jamie tells
her.
"Goodbye!"
She says to
Jamie. Jamie is glad that Cameron is
here with him. He's happy that they can
go home.
****
Outside of
the hospital, Cameron has gone quiet, so silent that Jamie knows that his guy
is upset about something.
"Cam, what
is going on?"
Jamie asks,
but his boyfriend is quiet.
`Okay, so
he's mad about something. Maybe, he's
upset that I got hurt on the job.'
Jamie thinks
to himself. Cameron still hasn't said
anything to him. He isn't quite ready to
speak with Jamie just yet.
"You
seriously aren't going to speak with me?"
Jamie asks
again. This time, the question manages
to get a response.
"I know
we've talked about you getting hurt at work and how it's just a part of your
job, and I get it. I guess...I worry, that
is all. It could have been worse, and I
know that. It just has me worrying. You know how I get."
Cameron
answers his boyfriend's question. Jamie
does know how his boyfriend can get.
"Cameron, I
know you're worried that my accident could have been worse, but it wasn't, and
I just need to let my bones heal."
Jamie looks
down at his arm in the cast. He doesn't
like that he won't be working for a while.
Still, it bugs him that Cameron is allowing his injury to cause him to
worry. When they get home, Jamie lays
down on the couch. Cameron saw that the
pup was outside to use the bathroom.
Jamie does make one quick phone call.
He calls his brother, Richard, to pick up his car from the
firehouse. His brother quickly agrees to
pick up the vehicle. Richard calls his
girlfriend and lets her know that he's going to pick her up so that she can
drive his car.
***
It's the
next day, and Jamie has been put on sick leave for his injury. He's already been to the hospital that the
fire station uses for his injury. He'll
be paid for any time that he's laid up with his broken arm. Cam's mind is running wild as he sits down
beside his boyfriend.
"Are you
still overthinking my broken arm?"
Cameron
doesn't look happy. He doesn't like that
Jamie can sit there and be okay with the injury.
"Look,
Cameron, I tripped and fell, and that is all there is to it. Sure, I tripped in a burning building, but I
was safe. I'm fine, Babe. Really, I am fine."
He still
thinks that Jamie's job is much too dangerous.
"Jamie, I'll
be honest. I know that we discussed the
issues with you getting hurt at work. I
just feel a little anxious over it. I
admit that I felt horrid over your job, but I'm doing better with it. I still feel so anxious about it. I don't know what to think."
Jamie wants
to wrap his arms around Cameron and comfort him, but that isn't possible with
only one hand. Still, he can at least
give him a kiss. He leans in and gives
his boyfriend a kiss.
"I know you
worry, but please don't. Accidents
happen, Babe. I can't tell you anything
that's going to calm your nerves. I can
only tell you that I'll do everything I can to keep myself safe from harm, but
I can't make promises, and I am not quitting my job. I don't know what else to say."
Jamie
cuddles up next to his love.
"Don't say
anything!"
Cameron
tells his love. Cam cuddles up next to
him as well. Jamie just doesn't know
what to do or say that will quiet Cam's fears.
***
Jamie isn't
sure what to tell Cameron that will ease his fear that hasn't already been
said. They've already discussed this
quite a bit, and now they are revisiting this again. Jamie takes his good hand and wraps it around
his boyfriend.
"Cameron, I
love you. I don't know what else to say
other than to tell you that I will do everything I can to stay by your side."
Cameron
smiles at Jamie and gives him a kiss.
"I know that
you love me. You don't need to say
anything to me. I'll be by your side
too. I never want to leave your side."
Glancing
down at his watch, he notices that he must head out to work.
"I'm sorry,
Jamie, but I need to get going. Courtney
will be expecting me."
Cameron
gives his boyfriend a kiss, and then he gets up to get ready for work. Jamie gives him a kiss and watches as his
boyfriend stands up so he can get ready for work. Fifteen minutes later, Cameron leaves for
work.
***
While in one
of the exam rooms, Courtney and Cameron are having a discussion about their
lives. Suddenly the conversation shifts
to talking about Jamie and even Cameron's anxiety.
"How is
Jamie doing?"
Courtney
asks her vet tech.
"He's doing
okay. I just wish I was doing okay."
Cameron's
response makes her wonder what's happening, and now she is worried about him.
"What do you
mean by that?"
She asks
about his comment. Cameron looks at the
ground as if he has done something wrong.
"A few
months back, Jamie and I had an argument about my fear of him getting hurt on
the job or worse. He told me it was a
part of his job. He was so casual about
it. I get it, I do, but I still worry,
and now that he's been hurt in a fire, some of that fear and anxiety has reared
its head again. I get it, it's his job,
but I can't escape the fear."
She looks
into his eyes and takes his hand into hers.
"This may
not be what you want to hear right now, but there are risks involved with any
job. Jamie knows the risks, and I'm sure
he's discussed that with you, right?"
Anyway, I understand your fear.
You know better than I do that we see the K9s for the police department,
and I promise you that the wives and husbands of the police officers worry
every time their loved ones start their shifts.
I think you have to have faith that he'll be okay and then just let it
go."
Cameron
doesn't say a thing to her. Cameron
stays frozen for a second as he lets her words sink in, then smiles at her.
"Thanks,
Courtney! I hope he's not mad at me."
Courtney
hates to see her employees struggling in any way, in any form.
"You're
welcome! You are on break. Go call him
and talk to him!"
With that,
Courtney walks out of the exam room.
***
Courtney
left Cameron to call home and check on Jamie.
Cameron left the exam room and entered the break room to get his
phone. Cam sits down to reach his
boyfriend. The phone rings and goes
straight into voicemail. One or two
things have happened either Jamie has turned off his phone, or he is talking to
someone. Either way, he's missed out on
an opportunity to speak with Jamie. Nothing he can do now, so he goes back to
work. He doesn't put his phone away this
time. It's a good thing he didn't put it
away because Jamie texts him back twenty minutes later.
"Sory Cameron, I was on the phone with my mom. Is everything okay?"
Cameron
looks at Courtney and holds up his phone.
She nods and smiles, and then he disappears again into the break
room. He calls Jamie again. Jamie answers the phone.
"Hey
Cameron, what's going on?"
Jamie
answers the phone.
"Are you mad
at me?"
Cameron asks
his boyfriend.
"Why would I
be upset with you?"
Jamie is a
little worried about Cameron's question.
"Because of
our discussion earlier over my fears about you getting hurt."
Jamie gets
it; he really does.
"Babe, I
would be a fool for telling you that you can't be afraid of that. I'm sorry if I made you feel bad. I just don't want you to worry about each and
every call. It's okay to worry. Promise me that you won't let it eat at
you. I don't want you sick. I love you, Babe, and no, I am not mad at
you."
Jamie's
words mean a lot to Cameron. They are a
reminder of just how much Jamie cares about his guy.
"Jamie, I
have to go. Thanks for understanding."
Cameron has
a way of melting Jamie's heart even without trying. Sometimes, it's just the sound of his voice
or the tone of this voice, and that is all it takes to melt Jamie's heart.
"Bye Cam, I
love you!"
These two guys couldn't be more different,
but their love for each other could move mountains.
***
We are going
to take a step back in time and join Jamie as he carries on a conversation with
his mom.
"Hi Jamie,
how are you doing?"
Jamie is a
little bored at the moment.
"I'm sitting
at home with Princess feeling bored, and I thought I would call you; and I
really need to speak with you about something that happened the other day."
Jamie
included his mother in the text about his accident, so she already knows about
his broken arm.
"Well, I'm
glad you called."
His mother
said.
"Mom, I
think Cameron is suffering a bit from anxiety.
He brought up his fear of me getting hurt on the job again. I don't want to reignite all of that because
it's in our past. I want to move on, and
I like to believe that he does as well. He is doing better with it, but I don't want
this to be a stumbling block in our relationship."
His mom
understands how Cameron feels because she feels the same way. Every time she hears a fire truck, her heart
stops for just a second. She knows the
risk that her son takes on every call he goes to, and it's not just physical
risks either. There have been some calls
that have hurt his psyche.
"Jamie, he
will worry every time you get sent to a fire.
You want to know how; I know this because I do too. I don't let it worry me sick, but I fret a
bit when I hear the sirens. It's
perfectly normal to worry about the ones you love. I know he loves you, so let him worry about
kiddo."
Jamie knows
that Cam loves him. It didn't take him
long to figure that out.
`Maybe,
she is right. I just need to chill and
take his anxiety as a sign that he cares for me. I just need to wrap my heart around him and give
him a few extra snuggles after coming home from a fire.'
Jamie thinks
to himself.
"So what your saying is, is that after a fire, I need to
shower him snuggles and kisses?"
He asks a
question to his mom. Jamie can hear the
beeps of an incoming call, but he ignores it, so he can talk to his mom because
this is important.
"That
wouldn't be bad, but you need to tell him and show him that you love him every
day, and don't forget to tell him that you love him. Find time to be romantic!"
His mom
answers his question. His ears take in
her words.
`Even
though I know all of this, it hit differently today.'
He'll have to
find a way to implement all of this in their lives and not because he has to,
but because he loves his boyfriend with all his heart.
"Mom, I need
to go because I think that Cameron just called me. I love you!"
She loves
her son.
"Go,
Jamie! I love you too!"
He ends the
call. Suddenly, a text comes through
from his boyfriend.
"Are you mad
at me?"
A part of
him sinks to a new depth. Nothing that
Cameron has done could have made Jamie angry at him. This text hit his heart. Now, we return to the present day and time.
***
Cam finally
is home after being gone for 8 hours.
All Cam wants is to lay down next to his man and cuddle. Cam doesn't see his boyfriend when he first
enters the house.
"Jamie!"
He says out
loud, hoping that Jamie will hear him.
Princess hears her other owner call out for her best friend. Her barks lead Cam to her original
owner. Jamie is resting in the bed with
Princess lying next to him. Jamie pats
the empty space on the bed next to him upon seeing Cameron.
"Joining
me?"
Jamie asks.
"I'm going
to shower first."
Cameron
tells his boyfriend. Jamie gets a wicked
grin on his face.
"Can I join
you?"
He says to
Cam, who is gathering his change of clothes.
"How about
you let me shower while you put Princess away, and then we can relax together
in the bed?"
Cameron
moves towards the door of the main bedroom towards the master bathroom.
"Sounds good
to me!"
Jamie says
as he gets up to put the pup away. After
the dog is put away, Jamie climbs back into bed, where he waits for his
boyfriend. About twenty minutes later,
Cameron walks out of the bathroom dressed in his hottest black mesh briefs and
joins Jamie on the bed.
"Feels so
good to have you here."
The guys hug
each other, snuggling up in bed, partially covered by their blanket.
"I missed
you, Babe!"
Jamie tells
his boyfriend as he places a kiss on his boyfriend's lips. They fall asleep for a little while, only
waking up in time to make dinner.
***
Cooking
dinner together is one of their favorite things in the evening. Tonight, they are making taking tacos. They divide up the tasks involved in making
their meal. Jamie is browning the ground
beef and adding the spice blend from their cupboard, and he is also in charge
of chopping the onions. Cameron is in
charge of shredding the lettuce, chopping the black olives, chopping the green
bell peppers, and getting the tortillas warmed up. Jamie also opens up the grated cheese. Jamie gets the table set, and the guys are
eating pretty soon. After dinner, they
immediately wash all the dishes used to prepare and eat dinner.
***
As Cameron
looks at his boyfriend, he is overcome with a desire to spoil Jamie. Maybe, it's the fact that Jamie is in the
cast. Course, it could be because
Cameron loves his Babe; whatever it is causing him to want to spoil Jamie, it's
a good thing. Cameron sets out to spoil
his boyfriend. Plans were not made right
away on exactly how to go about spoiling him.
It doesn't matter how he does it or when he does it. What matters the most is that Jamie enjoys
the spoiling. He'll do whatever he can
to treat his babe right.
***
Jamie is still on leave, so he gets up to
take Princess outside while Cameron showers.
He's excited to see what happens once Princess has been outside and his
Babe is done in the shower. Jamie
allowed Princess to use the bathroom, and then they walked down the street to
allow her to wear off some energy.
Chances are Princess will spend a good portion of the night in her
kennel, all depending on what they get up to tonight. Jamie and Princess spend a good fifteen
minutes out and about before returning home to relax. After returning home, Jamie lets the dog play
a little before putting her away for the night.
Jamie and Cameron go to bed and don't get up until six.
***
In the
morning, Cameron gets ready for work. As
he is getting ready, someone else is also waking up and carefully preparing to
spend the day at the house. Jamie is up
and moving around. They exchange a kiss
goodbye as Cameron leaves for work. An
hour later, Jamie is up and about when there is a knock at the door.
"Hello?"
Jamie asks
whoever is on the other side of the door.
Immediately, he gets his answer.
"Brayden,
are you naked, or can I come inside?"
The front
door is opened, and Jamie welcomes him into the house.
"Hey
Brayden, how are you doing?"
Jamie says
as he smiles at his friend.
"I'm doing
good, but how are you?"
Jamie gets
still for a second before responding to his friend's question.
"I'm good
too, despite this stupid arm, but honestly, I miss being able to go to work."
"How is it
doing?"
Brayden asks
his friend as he looks at the casted arm.
"It's broken,
that is for sure."
Now Brayden
gets a little serious for a second or two.
He wants to know how Cameron is doing.
"How has
Cameron been?"
Jamie
doesn't want to speak ill of his boyfriend, but he also wants to be honest with
his friend.
"When he
first found out about the fall and the broken arm, he was anxious and
worried. Once he found out that I would
be okay, he relaxed a little bit, but honestly, I think he still worries. But he's been super sweet to me since it
happened, so I think he's spoiling me a bit."
Brayden has
to admit that it sounds like things are okay, which is good because he would hate
to see what would happen if the guys were back to arguing about Jamie's job and
Cameron's fear. His girlfriend has grown
to really like Cameron, and Brayden knows losing Cameron would break his buddy.
"You know,
I'm glad to hear that he's better about the whole injury. Now would you like to grab brunch and grab an
early lunch? It's on me, buddy."
Jamie
doesn't have to think twice. It will be
nice to get out of the house for a little bit.
The guys head out for lunch, and then after visiting for a little bit,
Brayden heads out to go to the station for a meeting.
***
Courtney has
been worried about Cameron's reaction to his boyfriend's injury. He's been okay on the job, but she wants to
be sure. She decides to take a chance
and call Jamie. She heads to her office
and sits so she can speak with him. When
Jamie sees Courtney's name on his phone's display, he worries that something
might have happened to Cameron. It's
funny how their minds race like this; he's never worried about someone like
this before, and it strangely feels nice.
"Is Cameron
okay?"
Courtney is
a bit surprised by his question.
"Cameron is
fine. I talked to him about you, and he
said you were fine. When I asked him how
he was doing, he was quiet and just returned to work. So I am going to ask
you, how is he doing?"
Jamie
doesn't think that his boyfriend is doing all that bad, unlike the first time
they talked about the issue. He doesn't
understand why everyone is so concerned about Cameron unless there is something
that he hasn't shared with Jamie.
"He's doing
fine."
He is fine,
and that should have been all that needed to be said. Jamie explains a bit more about his comment.
"He seems to
be doing much better than he was earlier in our relationship. I know he was anxious when he first heard
about my injury, but he seems to be doing much better with it over the last 24
hours."
Jamie tells
his boyfriend's boss. She is happy to
hear those words.
"I guess
I'll let you go. Thanks for your time!"
She ends the
call, and Jamie goes back to relaxing.
***
A little
later in the day, Jamie wakes up from a nap he took, and he gets up to look for
his dog. He didn't look at the time and
wasn't expecting his boyfriend to be home.
When he enters the living room, Jamie finds Cameron playing with
Princess.
"Looks like
Princess found her papa."
Jamie says
as he sits next to the dog and his boyfriend.
He gives his Babe a kiss and then pets the dog on her head.
"She did
find me, and she has been giving kisses, and we've been playing."
Jamie lies
on the floor, playing with the dog and speaking with Cameron. Cameron is doing so good with the
injury. Spending time together helps
them relax. Relaxing helps them wind
down for the evening.
***
After
spending a half-hour on the ground playing with Princess and just talking,
Jamie and Cameron end up in bed. Sleep
has not been easy for Jamie with the cast, but he's getting used to it. Cameron has had to adapt a little bit to it
as well. All in all, it feels good to
have each other in bed. Jamie has dreams
of himself and Cameron with a family.
While Cameron's dream is more risqué, they don't last long, nor do their
effects. Apart from their dreams and
some occasional readjustment to stay comfortable, they slept comfortably until
the phone rang around 5 in the morning.
***
The phone
rings pretty early in the morning, and Cam is getting the phone call. Sadly, it woke both of the guys up from their
slumber. Cameron checks the display on
his phone. It's Courtney. He answers it immediately.
"Hey
Courtney, what's going on?"
Cameron is
getting a surprise from her today. He's
going to like it too.
"I just
wanted to call you and say that my husband and I talked, and we are giving you
the day off. Enjoy being with Jamie and
just soak in love."
Cameron
isn't used to this, but he'll definitely take it.
"Thanks,
Courtney, but are you sure?"
She is quiet
for a second or two, warning Cameron not to push it.
"If you
would like, you can work a double today?"
Jamie can
hear the conversation, and he gives him a glance that just says, "Don't you
even think about doing it, and Cameron gets the message.
"No, no,
I'll stay home. Thank you!"
Cameron says
to his boss.
"You're
welcome! Now, I will let you go and get
back to getting ready for work. I'll see
you tomorrow."
Courtney is
smiling as she finishes speaking with her employee.
"Bye,
Cameron!"
Cameron is
actually kind of happy.
"Bye,
Courtney, take care!"
With that
call ended, Cameron looked at his boyfriend and kissed him.
"I'm going
back to bed."
Cam says to
Jamie, who is also lying back down in bed.
***
It doesn't
take them long to fall asleep, and they sleep well until Princess wakes
up. She is barking for her daddy to get
up, feed, and water her. Jamie gets up
and heads toward the kennel to release her.
Cameron gets up and heads for the kitchen.
"Cameron,
can you get Princess outside to use the restroom?"
Princess is running
around in the kitchen while Papa Cameron grabs her leash. With leash in hand, Cameron attaches the
leash to the collar, and together they walk to the front door. Princess's tail wags like crazy as she waits
for the front door to open.
"Ready,
girl?"
Cameron asks
the pup as he unlocks the door. He opens
the door, and together they head out to the front yard. In Cameron's right hand, he has a bag and a
small shovel to aid in cleaning up after the dog. After fifteen minutes outside, Cameron and
the dog return to the house, but he drops the bag into the garbage before
entering the house. When they get
inside, Jamie has made scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese in them, and it's
already plated out, waiting for Jamie and him.
"Go wash
your hands, Babe, and then we can eat."
Cameron
smiles at his boyfriend and heads to the bathroom to wash his hands. When he returns to the dining room, Jamie sits
down to eat breakfast.