Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2020 23:40:53 -0500
From: TL1205 <tl1205@ckt.net>
Subject: Trooper 51 part 4

This is FICTION mostly. It did happen up until the cop was looking in my
van.  Then the rest is totally bullshitting fiction. The part of the
story marked with (+) is where the fiction begins in part 1..  Consider
throwing Nifty $20.  This service is not free for them. By the way -- do
not fuck around with the law, entrapment is real and alive in many areas
and your life can be ruined. Terry

.............................................4

"Terry, Terry, I need for you to stay conscious." Tell me about
yourself, Terry? Who the fuck was that talking? "Terry, I need you to
stay with me, I have an oxygen supply on you and you are being treated
for trauma, you have an IV in your arm, so I need for you to lay still.
Are you allergic to any medications? Someone said. I tried to respond
that I was allergic to tetracycline, but the only thing that came out
was "tetra." Then the pain hit me, Holly guacamole, Batman! I felt like
I had been broken into two complete pieces. The voice questioned me.
"Tetra Max," "Tetrabenazine," "Tetracycline" at that point I nod my head
yes. And I was out again.

I was in a nice place for a while, there was no pain, the room was full
of light, the temperature was very comfortable as I lay there naked. The
room and started to spin very slowly, then it stopped. I tried to move
my head around and found that I could only move my eyes. I looked at the
ceiling and saw an IV pole. I move my eyes to the left and there was the
wall. I move my eyes to the right and I saw Trooper. He looked worse
than what I thought I was. I tried to fumble around for the nurse's call
button because I knew there had to be a call button if there was an IV
pole. That was probably the wrong thing to do. The pain shot through my
left arm. I made an auditable "ugh" sound. I noticed that there is a
male nurse, he came close and put his face in front of mine and said,
"You are in Labette Hospital in Parsons Kansas. I'm going to give you a
boost of morphine. You're on a morphine pump. You can push this little
button every six minutes, you cannot overdose on this machine because it
will not let you. If you take a nap it's okay, you need to rest." I
heard a "beep." Once again, I was out for the count.

I cannot remember the rest of that day, which is probably a very good
thing. I did wake up the next mid-morning, when I heard a lady's voice
say, "Terry, you have to eat some food."  I looked around and I was
being fed oatmeal with cinnamon.  Someone had raised the bed so that I
can look at a breakfast tray. My mind is starting to clear out the
drug-induced cobwebs.  I took a bite of the oatmeal and it really didn't
taste that great. I looked at the nurse and said, "eggs".  She turned to
me and said. "that a boy." She turned to the phone and called in the
ordered. Quickly the order arrived, or maybe the morphine knocked me out
again, I do not remember. Scrambled eggs with ketchup never tasted so
good. My nurse turned to me and said, "How about a piece of bacon on a
slice of toast?" I nodded my head yes and she folded the bacon into the
toast and gave me about a quarter of it to chew.  I looked over to the
bed next to me which was vacant. Evidently, there is a panic look that
went to the cross my face as I look back at hers.  "Your friend is in
surgery; he will join as shortly after he comes to out of recovery.
Both of you gave us a close call. We removed two pellets from your bicep
on your left arm. That will heal just fine with time, however, I bet it
will really hurt if you move your arm. We removed two pellets from your
hip. The gunshot wound to your stomach area lacerated the skin and
abdomen with very little damage to surrounding organs. That is why you
have bandages on your stomach."

My thought processes are starting to clear, and I asked what day it was.
"It's Tuesday." She said. There was a panic look on my face as I spit
out part of the food. I asked her if she could make a phone call to my
boss so that I would not get fired. I gave her the number of my
workplace and I tried to think of my manager's name and the only thing
that came out was "Bill".  She looked at me and said, "I'll make you a
deal, you eat this food right away and I will call your boss now." I
nodded yes.  She hit the call button, and another nurse came in.
"Continue to monitor his vitals and make sure that he eats all the
food," she said. As she exited the room there was no door except a large
one to the left, and it was then that I noticed that I was in the
intensive care. More pain wrecked my body. I heard her rustling
paperwork as she picked up the phone to call my boss. About 20 seconds
elapsed and I heard her ask for Bill.  She stated," Bill, my name is
Jolene Cochran, I am a nurse at Labette Hospital Intensive Care unit. We
have one of your employees who was injured with several gunshot wounds.
His name is Terry ______. and he will be our guest here for about a week
or longer as he recovers. He was shot in the abdomen; he was also shot
in the hip and left bicep. I did not hear anything past that, mostly
because another piece of bacon wrapped in toast was shoved into my mouth
with instructions to chew.  I was growing tired, I saw the nurse come
back in and she told, "I made the phone call for you -- and your boss
said to get well and don't worry you had plenty of sick leave. I mumbled
a gracious, "thank you," as another piece of bacon wrapped in toast was
shoved into my mouth.

All of a certain I felt a terrible pain in my left arm. The pain
radiated down from my upper bicep all the way to my fingernails. I
groaned and contorted in agony. The nurse tapped me on the face.
"Remember to you use your pain control device," she said. As I looked at
my left arm, I could see that the entire area from my armpit to my elbow
was bandaged. She held the button for the PCA in front of my face and
pressed the plunger. All it took was eight seconds, and then the pain
melted away. I looked at her, graduated was upon my face and said,
"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you." "You had two really nasty gunshot
wounds Terry, and it is going to take time to rebuild the muscle tissue
in your arm. Starting tomorrow you're going to have physical therapy,"
she said. At that particular time, the distinction between lucid thought
and unconsciousness danced in and out of my brain, synthetic morphine
kicked the higher thought processes to the side. Just the idea of trying
to chew food was not possible while on a morphine. A few minutes later I
again return to sub-vocal conscientiousness. Another few moments and I
was able to vocalize my thoughts coherently. I looked over at the bed
next to me and realized that the room and looked totally different than
where I was last night. I asked, "You moved me?", I asked. "Yes," the
nurse said, "you're no longer in intensive care, however, your friend is
still in intensive care, hopefully, he will be joining you in another
few hours. We had to perform a surgery on him because a pellet had
punctured his chest." I panicked and was very upset at the additional
information that was relayed to me. I had only known him for a few days
and it felt like someone had ripped the entire skin off my back when I
learned that he was still in intensive care. She noticed my distress,
"He'll be right with you, next to you, in just a few hours.  I realize
how close the two of you were when we read the police report. You are
lucky that either one of you was not killed," she said. There was panic
that flashed across my face. "Don't worry dear, my brother, whom I love
more than and life itself, is gay. I understand the inclination, but I
still prefer my husband's bed." She picked up a piece of pancakes and a
small piece of sausage and fed it to me. She was determined that I was
going to eat more. "You need the food when we start rehabilitation
tomorrow on your arm, and a few days they're going to take out a
fragment of bone or a pellet or two out of your hip, it's hard to tell
through the x-ray exactly if there is a tiny fragment or a pellet, that
I bet it hurts like holy heck," she said.

I asked her how long it would be before I could see my friend. She said,
"He's in recovery, he has to stabilize first, and then they have to make
sure that his breathing is stabilized and well enough for the surgical
floor. He will probably be in ICU for 12 more hours."  She grabbed
another spoonful of food and held it to my lips. I was growing weary.
"Honey, you need to eat just a little bit more. Okay?" She said.  I
heard the beep of the morphine pump being activated as I pushed the
button, and any lucid thought that I had was gone lost to slumber.

Over the next few hours, I dozed in and out of consciousness as my pain
level became increasingly bearable. Probably because I was now used to
the fact that I had three wounds. About 1:00 PM I woke up again and
there was another food tray in front of me. Except for this time, I had
regular food, not soft food. I may like man-milk; however, I detest
tapioca pudding. I found the call button with the other hand and pressed
it. In about 3 ½ minutes the male nurse that was tending to me last
night came in to ask for I needed. I told him that I would rather puke
then to eat the crap that they had on that tray. He reminded me of food
in high school where we had a slogan, "if it's blue it's Ragu if it's
green it's meat." Which may no sense to me now or then. So, he said that
he would take the tray away and gave me some "man" food. He returned a
few minutes later with an open-faced beef sandwich with gravy, mashed
potatoes, green beans, fruit salad. And for once I was hungry and it
looked appealing. I still needed a little bit of assistance with eating
and he was kind enough to assist me. I asked about my friend, Trooper.
The male nurse told me that he would be back in my room at about six
that evening. I breathed a sigh of relief which is probably the wrong
thing to do. When I did move my hip and the pain shot up to my brain.
He noticed the discomfort and asked if I wanted more morphine. I shook
my head no as it started to fade. I told him to remind me not to breathe
deep.


Another meal completed with the help of a nurse.  Well, that was
probably not a good idea with a superficial wound to my stomach. The
extra stress of the food causing more pain. The male nurse noticed my
grimace and said, "slow down their Bronco, I know that you had not eaten
willing in a few days but you need to pace yourself." That time I knew
exactly what he meant. Small meals, maybe five or six of the day, as I
regain my health. "Do you another boost of morphine?" he asked. I shook
my head no because now the pain was bearable somewhat.

As I relaxed in my bed, watching the nurse take away my half-eaten food
and checked my vitals, in walked physical therapy staff. I didn't know
the physical therapist; they all look like football jocks. Big grumbling
men with large hands and make you do things that you don't want to do no
matter what. He started, "Terry, this is a pulley device, I am going to
have you pull with your shoulders and arms against the rope." He picked
up the pulley device to the bed and anchored into the tail bedstead.
What you need to do he said it is too pull it toward you like you trying
to row a boat. I got the idea. However, I did not anticipate the second
pain in my arm as it hit my brain. Now, I know where they get the
expression that it hurt so hard that you could pee your pants. As I
pulled the rope toward me, I can feel the bicep on my left arm not to
cooperate. He looked at my consternation and told me, "That's to be
expected! They dug around in your bicep for the pellets. I repeated the
exercise five times. Then with his instruction holding the rope at the
edge of the bed, I pulled with my lateral muscles first one weight than
the other. Then the last exercise was trying to get up off the bed and
walk a bit. Sure, that is going to happen, and I'm going to fly up to
the ceiling on my own power. He strapped me in a harness on my chest, so
that if I do fall, he would catch me. And he walked me to the recliner 9
feet away." Good boy," he said. I looked at him and said, "Well shit,
Should I wag my tail and bark also? He shot me a dirty look. "Okay
Terry, I will refrain from using colloquialisms with you." I snapped
back, "my oh my you said a five-syllable word." To which he replied,
touché, now keep your Kester in this chair for a bit." I responded how
non-sequitur your speech can be."  He left the room hurriedly when there
were two beeps that came over his paging device.

There was a commotion in the hallway.  I noticed another nurse running
down the hallway in the direction that he was going. The main door to my
room folded back and they were bringing in another bed. There is a lot
of commotion in the room, the curtain was pulled so that I couldn't
exactly receive for was going on. More than four nurses were over there,
as one had been reached over and hooked up the oxygen to be used in the
bed next to me. They were still working on the person next to me for
about 20 minutes, his chart was coming next to mine on the divider
between the bed, the oxygen supply was going through a mechanism to
hydrate the air, his bed was being prepared, and then they drew back the
curtain.

As I turned to my left, I could see my darling Trooper!  He turned his
head to me, we locked eyes and he started to cry. Trooper was talking,
"I'm so sorry Terry, it was my fault that you ended up in the hospital
with me, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I did not mean anything like this to
happen." The nurses were around and reminded him to breathe normally,
talk slowly.  I wish that I could have gone over to his bed, however, I
knew that I couldn't.  He continued to sob. I nodded for the physical
therapist to come to get me and he assisted me in walking over to my
bed.  "It's not your fault," I said.  He asked the question if the
nursing staff knew about our predicament, and I told him it looks like
they know everything including what we were doing in the bedroom before
we were shot. His only reply was one word, "Shit!" I told him to live
life as "we" wanted to, don't worry about appearances.  Tammy one of the
floor nurses, told me there are gay people everywhere she said, "well
you two lovebirds are going to be roommates for about two weeks and I
don't want any hanky-panky in this room. I do not want any hasty
hanky-panky under the sheets at night either! When you go home that be
enough time for that. The entire nursing staff laughed. I was helped
back in my own bed, and I could look over and see my Trooper next to
me.  He adjusted his position in the bed and increase the tilt of the
head so that he can see me also.

That was enough for a while. Talk about being exhausted, I know I was,
and I can bet that Trooper was. The nurses walked out and told us that
they would be back in a few minutes and to stay in our own bed. He
leaned over toward me and said, "We will never ever live this down, will
we?" To which I replied. "Probably not, especially with this crew."

Trooper was given his morphine IV pump activation button and told to use
it sparingly. Trooper was also instructed that he must keep his head of
his bed elevated. I asked how serious the chest wound was. I was so
scared that they could not share confidential information with me.
Trooper said, "I'll give him forever any and all rights I need so that
the two of us can talk openly, that's my friend and my lover." Well,
that hit the fan like dog shit. One nurse chuckled, one nurse, shook her
head in disgust.  "Okay the two of you, we will bring both of your
important paperwork for you to sign for information to the exchange
between each other but don't burden us with extra work," Tammy said.

As everyone started to leave the room I looked over at Trooper and he
gave me a week single thumb up sign. That one single solitary gesture
was exactly what I needed at that moment.

As the nurses left, we settled into our bed for a rest.  About five
minutes after the nurses left and we were adjusted to relaxing together
in the same room there was a knock at the door. In walked another
trooper in full uniform with Sidearm. As I said, "Oh crap now what?" He
went to my bed and told me that he was Capt. Nelson. He would like to
ask us and would like to have a response that is truthful. I just nodded
affirmative and he went over to the far wall and drew up a chair between
the two beds. "Just a few questions guys are all I need; I need the
truth because this is an active criminal investigation. Where did you
guys meet and how long ago? Trooper was slow to answer so I spoke of
that we met on Friday and we met at a park which was not technically a
lie.  "What were you doing at the park?" Capt. Nelson said.  My Trooper
spoke, "I was looking at his brand-new StreetVan, I wanted to check out
the inside of the van to see if there was any customization."  Again, a
total truth was stated. So, what were you two boys doing for three days
by yourselves?  I knew that was a loaded question. My Trooper also knew
that it was a loaded question. My Trooper replied, "We were doing fag
things, you know, sucking cock, butt fucking each other silly, setting
poles in concrete, building a fence for the dog, stretching the chain
link fence, setting the polls for the gate in concrete, mixing the
concrete and the acceleratant in the wheelbarrow, digging holes, dining
out, you know, fag things." Capt. Nelson scratched his head with his
left hand and chuckled, he was taking down notes fast and furious, he
paused for about 15 or 20 seconds and said, "I know of no other gay men
that set polls in concrete and build fencing when there together. Most
of those tasks do not sound like a list of fag thing, however, the other
stuff well.... So, you two just met on Friday?" We both said yes. I can
feel my blood pressure rise as my skin temperature increase. What we
said was totally true. "To the best of my knowledge I knew no other gay
men that put up fencing together," Nelson repeated.

Capt. Nelson continued, "What vehicle did you take?"  I spoke up and
said, "my new Street Van." "Did you have a ride in the highway patrol
vehicle?" Capt. Nelson inquired. I looked at him and told him that I had
never been inside a police vehicle of any kind. Then I had a puzzled
look on my face. I asked the trooper, "Where's my Van?" He looked at me
and winced, then looked at my Trooper, "Well... that's a problem. The Mrs.
tried to get away, she had no idea how exactly to operate the stick
shift, so right now there is an investigation as to the damage that she
caused on the driver side and property damage to the neighbors house. It
will be repaired and there may be a co-pay, we found your insurance and
the dealer that you bought the van from helped to file a claim, but it
is being fixed now. My Trooper cleared his throat and asked about his
wife.  Capt. Nelson scratched his head again, slowly he looked at
Trooper and then back at me and then back at Trooper and said, "Well...,
"There was a long pause. "She is currently incarcerated for a list of
crimes;
-criminal assault with a firearm times two
-attempted second degree murder times two
-discharging a firearm within city limits times five
-domestic violence
-evading arrest
-criminal damage to property.

The judge was not kind to her at all and the court set bail at $300,000.
At the current time, she is in jail at the Oswego jail. We didn't want
her close to Parsons. She will be moved shortly to the Montgomery County
Detention Center. I don't think you have $30,000 for bail money to bail
her out do you?"  All Trooper did was to shake his head no.  Capt.
Nelson continued, "You know Bradford, I don't think you're in a trouble
at all, and your friend is probably in the clear also. Fornication
happens, there is a law against it, but if we enforce that law almost
everyone in the county would be behind bars. You and I have dealt with a
lot of stuff in the past where sex happens in relationship to a crime.
Tammy here in the building as a liaison with the gay community with her
brother, I'm not condoning what you did in the privacy of your own
bedroom, but, then again, if I had to listen to your wife go on and on
and on and on about you, the way that she did when we took her into
custody, I would've put a big piece of duct tape over her mouth just to
get a little bit of silence. She complained, ranted and raved for 1 hour
and 45 minutes nonstop saying that she should have finished the job. I
think your marriage was less than an ideal situation for you. Your
actions on the job, however, proved otherwise to me. You have been an
exemplary law-enforcement agent, decorated at least three times that I
can remember. I am explicitly seeing that the department will not have a
problem with you when you get back. And if they do, you can see me
because I can work that out. All I want from you now is to get better
Bradford. And that goes for your friend too." Capt. Nelson shook my
Trooper's hand, then leaned over my bed to shake my hand, then he gave
his orders to mind the nurses because they would take good care of us.

I was getting tired, I was starting to hurt, and Capt. Nelson understood
that by the expression on my face. I reached over for the pain control
apparatus button and pressed it. I wished him well and I was out like a
light.

I do not know what is about hospitals. You're there to rest and
recuperate. And they do everything in their power to wake you up at 4
o'clock in the morning to see if you're still alive.  The next morning,
we had breakfast & coffee is 7:30 AM. I was starting to hate hospital
food.  Trooper next-door to me devoured his like a condemned man eating
a cube steak. Of course, he had just had a liquid diet for 2 days. At
about 8:30 AM Dr. Remi came with his entourage. First, he addressed
Trooper telling Trooper he must've been living right, a half an inch up
from the chest wound and it would have nicked his heart. A little bit to
the right and it would have punctured his lung. The little bit lower and
with hit his diaphragm. The pellets in his leg had to be removed much
like the pellet my arm. No bone damage for either him or me. As for me,
the stomach wound, it would need to be redressed twice a day and if
necessary, sutures reapplied if needed, and there would be a drainage
tube installed, they would have to look of my bicep again in two days. I
may need a skin graft. We were given instructions to start physical
training in earnest if we want to go home at the end of this week or
next week. And he reminded this no hanky-panky, you're trying to
recover! We both looked at him and said, "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."

That is when the really intense physical therapy started. I had used the
morphine pump for two days more than two times a day. However, after
physical therapy, it was badly needed.  Trooper looked over at me as I
depressed the plunger for the second time. Flexing the bicep. "Darling,
you doing okay?" He said. I just grunted. About four seconds later I
heard his morphine pump go beep as he pressed the plunger for himself.
My last train of thought for that hour was `I bet Troopers chest when
was really hurting.'  We were both trying to sleep off the effects of
the medication.

About 40 minutes later I woke up and looked across to the bed next to
me. There was Trooper sleeping, good grief he looked so handsome! His
chest rose and fell with each breath. His dense chest hair that was not
shaved off, which stood perpendicular to his chest, was begging for me
to caress it, to lick his nipples to make them stand at attention. I had
to figure out how to stop thinking about him in sexually while we were
in the hospital. Mostly because my erection was pointing at the ceiling.
That's all I needed to be busted in the hospital with an erection by a
big shot nurse while ogling my gay lover. A few minutes later here came
dinner. They awakened Trooper, and his reaction was to fight back at
whoever was trying to wake him up. After they calmed him down and left
the room I asked, "Darling, that was quite the reaction you had it when
they woke you up?"  He said, "It's an old habit, that will probably
never die, however, when you live with my wife you learn that she's
probably going to cause mental or physical anguish because your resting
so well and she is not." I tried to take in the information and
processes it. Why would she not allow him to rest peacefully?  A man
does have a few comforts left such as sleep that's not interrupted, I
thought.

Two hours after dinner here came physical therapy again. More painful
exercising, more grunting and sweating on our part. Trooper had his PT
person and I had mine. I asked my very cute physical therapists if, "He
was related to the Marquis de Sade?" After they responded, "Marquis
who?"  Trooper turned toward me and said, "Darling, I don't think they
studied that." Two things happen then, that was the first time that he
called me "Darling" in from someone else and he conveyed information
that they could not understand. I turned to him and said, "Darling,
you're probably right, we may have to educate them on the proper use of
whips and chains and safe words."  Both of the physical therapist
blushed and looked terrified at each other then turned to me and said,
"Do us a favor please - don't call each other darling."  I turned to
Trooper and said, "Hey my snookums honey bear, after they leave, could
you give me a massage on my lower back and legs please My Trooper Stud
Muffin?" Trooper turned to me and smiled, "you know they won't let us
have any proper lube in this entire hospital for each other, so we may
have to make do with hospitals soap."  Troopers physical therapist, who
was next to me said, "you gay guys are pathetic - absolutely pathetic,
and if I'm not mistaken, church boy over here (pointing to me) has an
erection." Trooper turned his head to me and said, "Honey Pooh Snookins,
Baby Darling, you have to stroke that out by yourself, however, I can at
least watch you shoot your wad."  One physical therapist turned to the
other and said," Let's get out of here before they start Macking on each
other." As they left the room Trooper and I had the best laugh in the
last few days, even though it hurt.

We were eating our evening meal and watching Fantasy Island on the
television and into our room came Tammy and a gentleman that was
identified as Mr. Reynolds, patient service director. They came in and
turned off or TV in the middle of the show, and Mr. Reynolds turned to
us and said, "Gentleman we need to have a talk." He didn't wait for us
to acknowledge his statement he just launched into policy. "What
happened here today with the physical therapist is against hospital
policy. We understand that you two are lovers. We're not going to stand
idly and either patronize or criticize your choice of lifestyle.  But
when the physical therapist and nurses are in your room performing their
duties, you will not use and abuse the staff by calling each other..." He
took out a piece of paper to read from it. "Snookins, bear, stud muffin,
honey pie, or any other terms of endearment. You will not act out or
draw attention when the other one has an erection, you are not engaging
in sexual activity while in the hospital, you will not make any advances
toward any of the staff male or female, and if you breaking me of the
rules we would dismiss you and send to another hospital miles away. Do I
make myself perfectly clear?"  Trooper and I looked at each other, and
we understood that someone complained. I stated, "We will be good
hospital patients from now on."  Trooper looked at Mr. Reynolds and ask,
"I have gotten into a habit of calling Terry `Darling,' and he has
gotten into the habit of calling me `Trooper or Darling', is it still
okay?" Mr. Reynolds looked at us both and said, "That's all you're
allowed to say in the presence of hospital staff, understand?" He turned
around almost military style and walked out the door. Tammy looked at
both of us and shook her finger. Tammy spoke, "Well guys, you been in
the room almost 2 days and embarrassed physical therapy staff, just be
nice okay, we're trying to make you well." Both of us apologize to
Tammy, and I felt my face turn beet red with embarrassment. "On the flip
side of this," she said, "I can see that the two of you're feeling
better." As she walked out the door, we promise to be good little
hospital patients with staff in the room one more time.  After she exits
into the hallway, and we turned back on Fantasy Island, trooper and I
looked at each other and just giggled.  Trooper leaned over a bit and
said, "I wonder which one at the physical therapy guys got pissed off
the most?" I just shrugged my shoulders, "turning to Trooper, I said, "I
know what I want, why don't you hit the nurse call button please." Tammy
came back into the room in about a minute, saying, "yes?"  I asked Tammy
very nicely for two bowls of ice cream. "Well I can see that you're
getting your appetites back because you're hungry for things you really
should have, and to tell you the truth this `Darling' thing was the best
fun had at the nurse's station that we've had in the last five years.
Especially when the guys from physical therapy repeated that you're
calling each other terms of affection. I tell you what," she paused, "I
know where there are two Carmel Sundaes in the freezer, would you boys
like those?"  We both shook her head, yes, and she left the fetch them.
I turned it to Trooper, "A Carmel Sundae in the hospital, how
delicious." I could tell the Trooper was starting to get really tired
when Tammy came back and gave us our food. We watched the remainder of
Fantasy Island and ate our Carmel sundae's until it was time to get the
bed.  It was sure nice just to look over at the bed next to me to see
Trooper already asleep.  Before sleeping I prayed a thank you to God
that Trooper was still with me.


The next morning, I really hated waking up in the hospital, Trooper was
already up and channel surfing then here came our morning breakfast at
7:45 AM. "Well at least they feed us well here," Trooper commented. I
lifted the cover on my entrée to find scrambled, eggs, bacon, an English
muffin, and prunes. Yep, just what I needed in the hospital, prunes!
After breakfast, more physical therapy. This time we were as polite as
possible. The only comment that was slightly off-color was when I was
flexing my bicep, Trooper commented, "That's really good Darling, keep
it up!"  The physical therapist just kind of brushed that off, thank
God!  We were sitting in getting ready for our shower which here
occurred in the early afternoon because we were at the end of the
rotation.  All of a sudden there was a knock on our door and in walked
my boss Bill. "Well, you certainly get yourself it is pickle here don't
ya!"  I explained to Trooper this is my boss from where I work and
introduced Bill.  Bill said, "I just need to check up on you in person
to make sure that you're okay and that you are coming back to work.
Everyone's asking about you. I am certainly glad that you look okay even
though that arm and stomach wound looks hideous. I got a copy of the
police report and there's really no issues here since everything
happened off work time and off work property. I do have a question or
two that I need to be answered. How long have you guys known each
other?"  I responded, "Exactly 3 days before the incident was when I met
my friend." Bill scratched his head, "okay.... Do you think that you will
be returning to work within three or 3 1/2 weeks, because that's all the
vacation & sick leave that you have, and I don't want to put in a
request for you to be AWOL? I stated, "I think I should be back about
two or three weeks, although I might need some donated leave."  Bill
said, "I will work on that when I get back to the office." I also
stated, Bill, trying to type is going to be a little bit difficult with
one arm in a sling, but maybe we can work around that. Bill responded,
"Good deal buddy, I will tell the staff that you be back in about two or
three weeks. Take your time. Don't push things too fast. Then he did
something that totally shocked me in the two years that I have known
him. He came toward my bed and gave me a hug. Bill stated, "I have to
get back to the shop, we're processing personnel transactions for the
new Wal-Mart this week and it's going to be an absolute freaking mess
without you." He wished me the best of luck and a speedy recovery and
left me the get-well cards from every single person at the office I work
at. As he walked out the door Trooper said, "That was relatively nice, I
didn't expect that to go down like that.

One thing about hospital stays, the days roll on and on and on. One-day
bleeds into the other, as you bleed into the bandages. One day you
feeling okay and then they increase the weight that you're lifting by 5
pounds and it hurts like a royal pain in your posterior.  As time went
on Trooper's physical therapy was in the physical therapy unit while
mine was still in my room. Toward the end of my stay, as I grew
stronger, I also grew closer to Trooper. We had a little table in the
room. And with one of the bouquets of flowers that had been arriving
almost daily, we use that as our dining area. That way we can eat
together and hold hands and be semi-intimate.  The dining staff, God
Bless them, was always mindful that this was our intimate time.  As much
as there could be an intimate time in a hospital. The always brought
some small flowers for us every third day and twice a week a clean
tablecloth.  I do not know why they did that; they just did.

The second week of the hospital stay turned into a real bitch, more
physical therapy for both of us.  Trooper had another surgery, and I had
a skin graft surgery on my arm.  Trooper and I were giving the physical
therapy everything that we could muster. Then as the two of us were
eating dinner at our little table in walked Dr. Remi with his medical
students, walked up to trooper and put his hand on Troopers shoulder.
Dr., Remi spoke., "Guys, I am glad to report that Terry will be released
in about 2 days and can return to work at halftime the next week after
that.  Halftime Terry, that is 2 hours a day for a week and then 4 hours
a day for two weeks, then 6 hours a day for two weeks, provided you
complete physical therapy in Pittsburg."  Bradford will have to stay
another few days with us and maybe up to a week, and then he can return
to part-time desk duty 2 hours a day for a week and then 4 hours a week
for three weeks, then 6 hours a day for two weeks.  I will want to see
you both in two weeks after discharge and then again in two weeks from
then."  Dr., Remi left and I looked at Trooper and there were tears
flowing down his face. That was the only time that I saw him flat out
cry not because of pain. I reached out my hand to his. I held his hand,
as the doctor and his entourage left our room.  Trooper asked, "Is this
going to be goodbye?" I told him this is not a goodbye; this is just a
good night because I could not imagine living without him.  For once, I
have found something that I claim is my own, because I love the man that
he is, and the man that he will be." I told him, "You're not getting
away from me that easy big guy, I've got designs on you and plans with
you.  And you better follow through with them, or I will kick your ass.
Remember, my legs weren't injured, so I can kick your rather fabulous
derrière any day I feel like, plus, I know for you live." As I looked
up, tears were rolling down faster. Trooper said, "I really don't give a
rat's ass about my job or anything except you!  I will have to move
because I can't stand to be married to my wife any longer!"  I wish that
I could kiss him.  I wish that we were in enough physical shape so that
I can at least cuddle with him.  And I know that I couldn't do that
here.  I held his hand, and softly said, "You're not getting away
Mister, do you understand?"  Trooper nodded his head yes as he took his
right arm and I wiped away the tears from his face. About that time
Tammy came to the doorway, she took one look at me, and another look at
the tearful Trooper, then back to me. Tammy put her arm around Trooper
and said, "You know guys, I have a $250 bet that the two of you will end
up together for the long haul.  And you better do that, because I hate
to pay on a bet that I could win so, so easily.  At least that a smile
for a moment to his face.


The rest of the evening was one with more physical therapy, and the two
of us settled in to watch more TV together.  As we turned in for the
nighttime, I turned to Trooper and said something I hadn't said ever.  I
got his attention before it was time to trip the light, "I love you
Darling," I said.  Trooper looked my way and replied, "How I wish I
could have you in my arms tonight." For the first time in a few days in
the hospital, Trooper said his prayers and I replied with Amen!

.........