A Matter of Balance by Angie

The ambulance backed smoothly up to the emergency room doors and the paramedics leapt out. A stretcher was gently removed from the back and set on the concrete. A doctor and two nurses rushed out to take charge of the patient. Around his head, a thick, blood soaked bandage showed above the cervical collar on the backboard. An oxygen mask was covering his nose and mouth and two bags of IV fluid were handed off. The short trip down the hall to the trauma room was filled with the exchange of the patient’s vitals.

“License in the glove box says Vincent Tanner. Single vehicle MVA with roll over. Patient has yet to regain consciousness. Pupils equal and reactive, no response to stimulation. Blood pressure 80 over 55 and steady, resps …” the paramedic droned on as the nurse jotted it all down in hospital shorthand on the chart. She accepted the bloodstained license the paramedic had tucked into a biohazard bag and clipped it to the chart. The handsome face smiling out of the picture bore little resemblance to the battered and bloody features of the man on the gurney.

“Lila, see if we have an emergency contact for him. Tell them he’s on his way into surgery,” the doctor called over his shoulder.

+ + + + + + +

The phone rang and Chris snatched the receiver up before the sound ended. “Larabee.”

“Mr. Larabee, this is Lila Montgomery from Denver General. Vincent Tanner was brought in by ambulance and …” She never got to finish her sentence.

“We’re on our way!”

The big black Dodge screamed to a stop, parked diagonally across three spaces with the passenger front tire on the curb. Six men exploded from the cab and raced into the building. The metal detectors jangled wildly as they passed and the guard leapt from his stool in surprise. Even as he stood with his mouth hanging open, the men were stepping on an elevator.

Bursting out of the elevator, the team surged up the hall to the surgical waiting area. A nurse, recognizing the hazel-eyed hurricane, grabbed a chart and went to head them off.

“Agent Larabee, please go to the waiting room and have a seat. I’ll come and get you when he goes to recovery,” she said efficiently and firmly.

“How is he? What happened? Was he shot?”

“Apparently he had a car accident. He was found at the bottom of a ravine. He sustained a head injury. There was also a rather nasty gash in his leg that just missed an artery. He’s had several pints of blood and was stable when he went into the O.R. I’ll let you know as soon as he’s ready to be moved to recovery,” she said again.

Finding himself stymied in his attempt to get to his lover, Chris sagged against the wall. Buck caught him by the upper arm to keep him from going to the floor. At a glance, JD mumbled about coffee and disappeared. Nathan held out his hand and took the chart from the nurse while the others guided Chris into a chair. Josiah pulled his phone and called the police to see about getting a copy of the report on the accident.

Forty-five minutes, eleven cups of coffee and about twelve miles of pacing later, the nurse stuck her head into the room and motioned for Chris to follow her. The blond sprang from the chair and nearly shoved the woman in an effort to hurry her along. She opened the door to the recovery area and led him to Vin’s side. Her words of warning about Vin’s level of consciousness and being careful of the IV and catheter lines went in one ear and out of the other.

His stomach clenched at the sight that lay before him. Vin’s head was tightly wrapped in white gauze that resembled a turban. There were bruises along his forehead and on one cheek. His lips were swollen slightly, he assumed from the intubation they had done for the surgery. Chris slid his hand under the thick layer of thermal blankets and covered the sharpshooter’s hand. His other hand was tightly clenched on the bed rail as he willed the blue eyes to open. Several minutes later, the hand under his twitched slightly. A light came on instead of the usual audible alarm on the heart monitor and a nurse came to the side of the bed. She drew back the blankets and grasped Vin’s arm and hand.

“Mr. Tanner, can you open your eyes?” She looked at the blond and waited for him to add his encouragement. In a moment, he leaned down and called urgently.

“Vin, wake up for me, please? Come on, Cowboy, I need to see them baby blues.”

The eyes under the closed lids moved and Vin frowned. Both hands moved as he tried to push away the mask delivering the oxygen. Finding both hands restrained, he tried to turn his head. Sandbags had been put on either side of his head to prevent just such an action. A soft moan of pain passed his lips.

“It’s okay, Vin. I’m here. I’ve got you,” Chris comforted as he rubbed the hand he held. Finally, the blue eyes opened. Pain filled, they sought the face of his lover. When their eyes met, Vin relaxed, releasing the nurse’s hand. “Just relax. You’re gonna be fine.”

The nurse stayed close, knowing how badly Vin usually reacted to anesthetic. When he showed no sign of becoming sick to his stomach, she began to prepare him for a room. Chris stayed at his side, reassuring him with his touch until Vin went back to sleep. As the adrenaline began to wear off, the blond man’s knees began to shake and he smiled gratefully at the nurse as she nudged a stool at his legs.

An hour later, Vin was moved to a regular room. The team gathered around the bed to see him before taking up positions of repose around the room. Still later, Ezra slipped out to bring back supper for all of them. Chris had not left Vin’s side, he was still waiting for him to wake up again. Ezra returned with meals for all of them and Nathan convinced Chris to sit down long enough to eat. The nurse stood in the doorway at the end of visiting hours and waited for them to decide who was staying. Josiah volunteered to take the overnight shift with Chris. After each of the others had taken a moment to touch Vin lightly on the hand Chris wasn’t holding, they slipped out and went home.

It was nearly midnight before the pain drove him to wake up. Vin hesitantly opened his eyes and relaxed when he saw that the lights were dimmed. A familiar weight lay on his arm and warm fingers held snuggly to his. Swallowing to summon the moisture to speak, Vin whispered, “Hey Cowboy.”

The blond head lifted immediately, hazel eyes locking on the pain filled blues. A smile pulled at the corners of Chris’s mouth as he pulled himself out of the chair.

“About time you woke up. You need me to get the nurse?”

“Hurts, Chris, head hurts really bad. Can I have some water?”

“Not until the nurse says it’s okay. Let me hit the call button.”

As Chris leaned across Vin to press the button on the side of the bed, he came close to Vin’s face. By lifting his chin ever so slightly, the sharpshooter was able to graze the blond man’s cheek with his silky, albeit dry, lips. Chris allowed his nose to caress the tip of Vin’s in lieu of pressing his forehead to Vin’s forehead.

“Please?” Vin whispered. Chris could never deny his blue-eyed lover anything, so he licked his own lips before pressing a passion-filled kiss to Vin’s lips. He ignored the anesthetic taste that clung to the other man’s mouth as he gently mapped the warm cavern.

The nurse cleared her throat to announce her presence. Chris reluctantly pulled away and smiled shyly at the portly woman. She blushed slightly as she came close to the bed.

“I’ll bet you’re hurting, aren’t you, sweetie?” she asked as she checked the IV and other monitors. She brushed her hand gently across Vin’s forehead and smiled again. “I can’t give you anything too strong because of the concussion but I’ll be right back with something to take the edge off.”

“Can he have some water?” Chris asked before she left the room.

“Are you feeling nauseous?”

“No, Ma’am,” Vin answered quickly.

“Just a few sips at first.”

After the nurse returned with the pain medicine, Vin took several sips of water from his favorite source. Chris took the cold water in his mouth and gently pressed his lips to Vin’s to give him the water, finishing with a few strokes of his tongue. After the third ‘sip’ of water, Vin groaned.

“What?” Chris jerked back in panic.

“Catheter?” Vin whimpered.

“Yeah, sorry. You know the drill around here,” the blond comforted.

“Hate the damned things!”

“I know, I know. What can I do to take your mind off of it?”

“Hold me?” Vin asked. After a lot of careful maneuvering, Chris was able to cuddle up behind the Texan. He soothed Vin with his hands, rubbing his back gently and then rubbing circles on his stomach. As soon as the pain of moving around eased, Vin dropped into a deep, healing sleep. The nurse looked in on them a little later and clucked disapprovingly at the fact that her patient was laying on his side. When she moved closer to try to turn him on his back, she was surprised to find the blond man spooned behind him. She reached out to wake Chris and was stopped by a low, bass voice.

“Let them rest, they aren’t hurting anything,” Josiah said as he rose from the chair in the corner of the room.

“He needs to lay on his back, not his side,” the nurse countered.

“He never sleeps on his back. Right now, he’s in the most comfortable, natural position for him to sleep. His blood pressure is normal and his heart rate is steady, what more could you want?”

The nurse realized that the graying man was right. Vin’s vital signs were exactly where they needed to be and he seemed to be more comfortable. Nodding, she stared at Josiah.

“You’ll let me know if he needs anything? I’ll not bother him again until the end of my shift. I can read his vitals from the station.”

“Bless you,” Josiah said with a smile.

Two days later, Vin was released from the hospital. It would be several weeks before he would be allowed even light duty. Since he had been living at the ranch for the past few months, he was comfortable there. Chris was relieved that he wouldn’t have to worry about his lover falling on the stairs or getting trapped in the elevator in his old apartment building.

Their first night home from the hospital, Chris filled the hot tub and settled Vin in it for a long soak. His purpose was two fold, first to ease the sore muscles and second to get rid of the antiseptic hospital smell that clung to Vin’s skin. Nathan warned him that anything more strenuous than a hand job would probably be too much for a few days still. Chris took it in stride and turned on the electric blanket on the bed, knowing how Vin hated to be chilled. Grabbing two beach towels from the dryer, he went in to coax the Texan out of the tub.

“Vin? Come on, time to get out.”

“Hmm? Do I have to? This feels sooo good, Chris,” Vin said with a smile.

“Yes, you have to. Come on before the towels get cold,” Chris said as he held them close enough for Vin to feel that they were warm from the dryer. Immediately, Vin began to lift his body out of the water. As soon as both feet were on the floor, Chris wrapped him in one towel while using the other one to dry his shoulders, taking care to avoid the bandage covering the stitches behind Vin’s ear. When the shoulders were dry, he sank to his knees to dry Vin’s legs and feet.

This was his favorite side of Chris Larabee. Vin held the towel tightly as he watched the blond kneeling before him. If he told anyone who had ever seen the Larabee glare that the man would get on the floor and dry his feet, they would have him carted off to the funny farm. But this was Chris, his Chris, who would do whatever it took to ensure that the man he loved was happy and well. It had been so long since Vin had felt completely loved that he couldn’t hold back the smile that insisted on plastering itself across his face. He groaned softly as the still warm, incredibly soft towel came up his thigh. Letting his feet slide apart, he reveled in the firm and sure touch that dried the water from his legs. The towel receded and came up the other leg and Vin’s head lolled forward in lazy pleasure. When Chris began to pass the towel lightly over his groin, the Texan groaned.

“Please, Chris?” He remembered that the blond had said no intimacy between them tonight.

“You heard me, Vin. You have a concussion, for heaven’s sake! You’re in no condition for anything strenuous,” the blond said.

“Please, I’ll be still. Ez told me that orgasm causes your brain to release these natural pain killers, endorphins, that would make me feel real good.”

“Remind me to kill him the next time I see him.” Chris said as he tossed the towel aside. “Come on, let’s get you into bed.” The blond led Vin into the bedroom and sat him on the end of the bed. Picking up the long sleeved flannel pajama shirt, Chris coaxed Vin into it. When he knelt again to put on the bottoms, Vin refused to pick up his feet.

“Please Chris. It’s been a week,” Vin pleaded.

“It’s been four days. I took care of you the morning of the accident,” the blond corrected. Vin huffed. Chris stared up into the sad blue eyes. “You’ll let me take care of you and not strain yourself?”

“Promise.”

Chris sighed and nodded before coming to his feet and pulling Vin into his arms. Cupping the square jaw in his palms, he gently kissed Vin’s lips, nipping the lower lip with his teeth. His hands moved lightly over the flannel, thumbs finding and stimulating the nipples into pert buttons. Vin sighed, leaning into the touch until his budding erection rubbed against the denim clad thigh. Chris’s hand immediately dropped to surround the throbbing shaft and felt it harden against his palm.

“You need to lay down,” Chris murmured as his teeth nuzzled the tender flesh alongside of Vin’s Adam’s apple.

Settling the lanky, half dressed body on the bed, Chris snuggled up beside him. Vin’s hands fumbled with Chris’s belt and were promptly set aside.

“You said you would lay still and let me take care of you,” he warned.

“I jus’ wanna touch you,” Vin begged.

“Not this time. Just relax, I’m going to blow your mind.”

‘Blow your mind’ was Larabee code for a bone melting blowjob. Vin groaned in expected pleasure as more of his blood rushed to fill his aching, weeping shaft. He stretched his hands above his head and gripped the spindles of the headboard as he felt his thighs parted. Chris dragged a pillow down to support the leg that still had stitches in it. Vin could feel his heart beating on his eardrums as he panted. He felt the weight on the bed settle and knew it would begin in a moment.

Chris grinned evilly as he looked at his young lover. Vin’s eyes were closed and his chest was heaving with each breath. He could feel the taut expectation in every line of the sharpshooter’s body. Starting on the inner thigh near his knee, Chris rubbed the tip of his nose. Vin’s body twitched and a startled sound was released. Using only the tip of his nose, Chris ran the length of Vin’s inner thigh, stopping just short of his groin. He could see the glistening pearl at the apex of the shaft and almost reached out to taste it but held himself back. Going to the other thigh, he repeated the process. This time he heard an impatient groan.

“Something you wanted to say?”

“Just … please … suck me,” Vin gasped.

This wasn’t the gentle, tension relieving blowjob he’d intended for his lover, Chris realized and he was ashamed of himself. With one hand, he rubbed Vin’s thigh so as not to startle him when he took hold of his erection. With a firm stroke, he licked the trickle of moisture from the top of his shaft and then took him deeply into his mouth. The Texan’s whole body leapt convulsively as he cried out.

“God, yes!” Vin’s hands were sweating and his elbows were shaking because he was holding on so tightly to the headboard. He ground his head against the pillow, groaning inwardly at the pain he caused himself. Chris was stroking him in rhythm with the sucking motion of his mouth. Vin’s stomach muscles tightened as he fought to hold back his impending orgasm. The exquisite agony and pleasure were building to an almost unbearable peak. In a last effort to hold on to the delightful sensation, Vin clenched his ass and tried to pull back slightly from the mouth bent on swallowing him whole.

Feeling the body beneath him bunch and hearing the unintelligible sounds Vin was making, Chris knew he was close. Concentrating intently on letting his throat relax so he could take more of the shaft in his mouth, the blond made a purring sound. The vibration traveled the length of the shaft and exploded in the abdomen of the younger man, causing him to cry out hoarsely as his orgasm began. Chris continued to suck until Vin whimpered and flinched slightly, over stimulated. Letting the softening shaft slip from his mouth, he placed a ring of kisses around the base before shifting his body and nudging Vin’s leg so he could sprawl out next to him. Allowing Vin a few minutes to return to earth, Chris lay quietly. When he felt the vestiges of the orgasm fade, he reached up and began to massage circles on the lean stomach.

“Feel better, Cowboy?”

“Mm-hmm,” Vin mumbled.

Chris resituated his young love under the blankets and then cuddled up behind him. They slept until the middle of the next morning. The blond came awake as he heard a thump and a muffled curse. He rolled over to see Vin hanging on the bathroom door facing.

“Are you all right? Do you need help?” He called as he flipped the blankets back.

“Just a little dizzy, it’ll pass,” Vin said as he struggled to focus on the figure on the bed. “Well, maybe just a little help.”

Chris rushed across the room and slid one arm around Vin’s torso as he steadied him. He could feel the shaking as Vin leaned heavily into him. Vin sank gratefully into the bed and winced as his hand inadvertently touched the bandage covering his stitches. Chris immediately pulled the hand away.

“You sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine!” Vin asserted testily. “Just a little dizzy. Always happens after a concussion.”

Slipping one hand around under the long curly strands, Chris drew Vin’s forehead against his stomach. One of the sharpshooter’s arms came up to curl around the blond man’s hips, pulling into the comforting gesture.

“Let me get you a pain pill and then I’ll whip you up something light to eat, okay?” Seeing Vin nod, Chris guided him back to the pillow and hurried out of the room.

Fighting the churning in his stomach, Vin clenched his fist in the bedspread. He didn’t dare tell Chris that he was nauseous too, that would lead to a one-way trip back to the hospital. The pain in his head was intense but it was worse around his ear. The doctor figured that he must have made contact with the doorframe when the jeep rolled, causing a large gash in his scalp behind his left ear and fracturing the bone. He had just managed to gain control of his stomach when Chris returned with the pain pill and a cup of water. Not wanting to give his stomach too much ammunition, he only took a sip to wash the caplet down and handed the cup back.

“Will you be okay while I make breakfast?” Chris asked, worried because of the miniscule amount of water Vin had taken.

“Not too hungry right now. Can I just lay here and sleep a while longer?”

Chris pressed his wrist against Vin’s forehead, checking for a fever before nodding and tucking the blankets more securely around him. He stayed on the edge of the bed until Vin’s breathing deepened in sleep.

A couple of hours later, Chris looked at his watch. He had been mucking out the stalls and throwing down fresh hay for the horses and lost track of time. Hanging the hayfork on the wall in the tool room, he beat the worst of the hay and dust from his clothes before heading for the house. He peeked in on Vin before heading for the shower. Padding into the bedroom wearing only a towel around his slip hips, he heard a soft drawl.

“Don’t go putting on all them clothes! Come on over here and keep me company,” Vin called.

“How are you feeling now?”

“Like I could use some TLC.”

Chris smiled as his mind translated Tanner/Larabee Cuddling, always a precursor to wild monkey sex. He shook his head as he pulled the clean clothes from the dresser. He seriously doubted that Vin was up for that.

“How about something slow and easy instead?” He suggested. Vin nodded eagerly and lifted the blankets in invitation. Chris crawled into the warm nest and was enveloped by flannel-clad arms.

“Need you,” Vin whispered during a breathing break.

“You sure you can manage?”

“Damn sure intend to try.”

Chris rolled to his back and reached for the bottle on the nightstand. Vin held out his hand and the cool, clear gel was drizzled on his fingers. Chris drew up one knee and rolled slightly to his side to allow Vin access to his body without too much straining. When he felt the gel-coated fingertips stroke across his opening, his breath caught. The slick fingers gently penetrated, working slowly deeper as they massaged the tight sphincter muscle. Chris bore down on the intrusion and drew the digits in deeper. When Vin was sure the blond was ready, he withdrew his fingers and held his hand out again. Chris immediately squeezed another portion of the gel into his palm. Vin gasped slightly as the cool gel touched his heated flesh.

“Damn, we gotta do something about warming that stuff,” he grumbled as he slicked his shaft. Chris stroked himself as he waited for Vin. Finally, the Texan wiped his hand on the towel Chris had worn into the room and braced himself. Chris drew up both legs to open his body fully. With a groan of pure pleasure, Vin slid into the tight hole, stopping only when he met resistance.

“Damn, Vin! Give me a second, will ya?” Chris complained. It was always something of a shock when his younger lover impaled him so deeply on the first thrust.

“Sorry, did I hurt ya?”

“No, it’s all right. I’m ready for you now,” Chris said, seeing the worry in the pale blue eyes.

Vin braced himself between the spread legs and began to thrust, slowly at first and then gaining in speed. His heart was racing as he drove harder into Chris’s tight, hot channel. As he felt the tingle of his own climax, he also felt the room begin to spin slowly. Lowering his chest to Chris’s eased the dizziness, if he could just hang on a few seconds more.

The sweat covered chest descended to rest against his and Chris groaned as it increased the friction on his erection. Curling his hips, he met Vin stroke for stroke. He felt an instant of panic as he realized that Vin was slipping slightly and wrapped an arm around him to hold him steady. A shudder accompanied the staccato thrusts that announced Vin’s release. Chris shifted his arm lower to hold the lean body more tightly against him as he thrust through his own orgasm. As soon as he shifted his arm, Vin’s body began to list off to the side again.

“Vin? You okay?” Chris asked as he caught hold of the younger man.

“Yeah … just … wow, Cowboy. S-s-some wild ride,” Vin panted.

For the next two days, Chris watched Vin closely. He could tell that something was bothering him but couldn’t figure out what. He was off his feed and spent a lot of time in bed. When he wasn’t in bed, he didn’t stray too far from the couch or recliner. He moved along the walls whenever he went anywhere in the house. When the blond had to go in to work, he worried all throughout the day. Although he called home several times to make sure Vin was all right, the nagging worry wouldn’t stop.

Arriving home that night, he found Vin curled up on the couch, cocooned in several blankets with a blazing fire in the fireplace. He didn’t see the heating pad that was carefully concealed inside of the pillowslip the sharpshooter was lying on.

“Vin? You okay?” He asked as he knelt in front of the couch.

“M’ fine, jus’ let me alone,” he mumbled as he burrowed down into the blankets.

Concerned, Chris pressed his hand against Vin’s forehead. Drawing back in surprise, he jumped up and raced for the bathroom. Returning with a thermometer, he tapped a flushed cheek.

“Come on, Cowboy, open your mouth.”

“Not now, please?”

“Come on, Vin, open up for me,” Chris pleaded. Finally, the reluctant mouth opened and closed around the glass. Time seemed to crawl while he waited the recommended two minutes. When he withdrew the thermometer, alarm charged through him. “Damn, Vin, you’re burning up!” He declared of the 103.8 degrees he read on the thermometer.

“I’m cold, lemme be!” Vin growled.

Jumping to his feet, Chris grabbed the phone and speed dialed Nathan. After talking with the medic, he set about getting Vin on his feet.

“Come on, Vin. I’m taking you to the emergency room.”

“Don’t wanna go to the hospital. Jus’ a little fever, lemme alone,” Vin whined.

Chris grabbed the blankets and pulled them away before gathering his lover into his arms and carrying him to the bedroom. He set Vin on the side of the bed and turned to gather clothes for him. When he turned back, the sharpshooter was about to topple off of the bed.

“Vin? What’s wrong? Talk to me!” Chris cried in panic.

“Dizzy … so dizzy … jus’ lemme lay down,” Vin whimpered.

Forgoing changing him out of the sweat suit he was wearing, Chris gathered Vin into his arms and carried him back out to the living room. Straightening out the blankets, he pulled the sharpshooter into his arms and wrapped him up before sweeping him up again. He stopped when he heard the cry of pain.

“Vin? What is it?”

“Ear hurts … dizzy … make it … stop!” Vin sobbed as he tried to burrow into Chris’s neck.

“I got’cha, just hang on a little longer,” Chris soothed as he hurried out to the truck.

By the time he reached the hospital, the rest of the team had arrived and Nathan had taken care of the admission paperwork. They were shown directly to an examining room. As soon as he was settled on the bed, Vin rolled to his side, clutching his ear and whimpering pitifully. A nurse gently collected his vitals, working around the fact that he resisted any attempt to remove his hands from the side of his head. The doctor came in and reviewed the chart for a minute.

“Okay, Mr. Tanner, I need you to sit up so I can have a look at you,” he said as he approached the side of the bed. When the patient only moaned and curled up into a tighter ball, he became irritated. “Mr. Tanner, come now, you’re a grown man, sit up here and let me examine you.”

Not caring for the doctor’s tone of voice, Chris stepped in and growled menacingly. “He’s in a lot of pain. Don’t talk to him like that!” To Vin, he spoke softly. “Come on now, let me help you.” He managed to get Vin to sit up and pried his hands away from the side of his head. When he stepped back for the doctor, Vin immediately covered his ear again. With a sigh, Chris moved around behind the sharpshooter, pulled Vin firmly against his chest, and drew his hands down again. Securing both wrists in one hand, he caught Vin’s jaw and turned his head so that it was cradled against the side of his neck. The doctor cautiously approached and peered into Vin’s ear with a lighted scope.

“I’ve seen all I need to see. Mr. Tanner has a severe ear infection and is, even now, in danger of rupturing his eardrum. I’m going to call upstairs and see if the ENT doctor is available to give a consultation. In the mean time, I’m going to order an IV to alleviate the dehydration and something to break his fever. The nurse will be right in.”

“Can you give him something for the pain?” Chris asked before the doctor reached the door.

“Yes, I wrote an order for pain meds, the nurse will bring that too,” the doctor said before leaving the room.

Vin groaned in pain and tugged at his restrained hands. Chris released him and moved around the bed to take his love into his arms. He felt the shaking and hot tears that soaked into his shirt as Vin vented his pain. Running soothing hands up and down Vin’s back, Chris cursed himself for not realizing that he was in so much pain. It all made sense looking back. The not eating and wanting to sleep all the time, the stumbling gait and walking along the wall were all symptoms of the problem.

The nurse arrived and Chris coaxed Vin into lying back so she could start the IV. Shaking violently from the fever and pain, the Texan whimpered and flinched when the needle touched him. The nurse was kind and gentle as she taped the tubing in place before patting his shoulder reassuringly.

“I’ll bring you a hot water bottle in a minute, sweetie,” she said as she left the room. Chris tucked the blanket more closely around Vin and leaned close when they were alone. Pressing his forehead against Vin’s, he whispered comforting phrases. He didn’t like the waves of heat emanating from the lean body. The nurse returned with a hot pack wrapped in a soft cover. She handed it to Vin and watched the tension ease slightly as the heat penetrated. “This will help with the pain and then I’m going to give you something to try to break your fever,” she explained as she emptied a small syringe into the IV line.

“Is the other doctor coming down to see him?” Chris asked.

“Yes, the ENT will be down in an hour or so to do a surgical evaluation.”

“Surgery?” Vin groaned.

“Just to put a tube in to drain the fluid from your ear before the eardrum ruptures. It’s a simple procedure and only takes a few minutes. This may make you feel a little strange,” she warned of the second drug she added to the IV. Patting Vin’s shoulder again, she left the room.

As soon as they were alone, Vin rolled to his side and moaned pitifully. Chris rubbed his back and carded his fingers through the long silken tresses. A few minutes later, Nathan stuck his head in and asked if he could talk to Vin. Seeing the tiny hint of a nod, Chris motioned the medic into the room. Nathan reassured Vin that the procedure the doctor was suggesting was minor and he would most likely be able to come home the next day. The news that he would have to stay overnight brought the overwrought man to tears again. Chris nodded to Nathan, knowing he didn’t realize how much the news would upset Vin.

By the time the ENT arrived, Vin’s fever had started to come down and he was sleeping deeply as the painkiller had taken the sharp edges off of the pain. The boisterous doctor introduced himself to the blond and solicited his help in turning Vin so he could get a look at the troublesome ear. When Chris instructed him to roll over, Vin did, throwing his arm around the blond and snuggling to his stomach.

“Love you,” Vin mumbled as he rubbed his face in Chris’s shirt. The doctor didn’t look at all surprised or offended, he smiled warmly as he peered into the sharpshooter’s ear.

“Yep, gotta let the pressure off before he blows the drum. I’ll have the nurse come in with the sedative and we’ll get him right upstairs. It shouldn’t take more than a half hour if you want to grab a bite to eat. I’ll need to keep him overnight as a precaution, more because of the high temperature than the procedure. You can stay with him if you’d like,” the doctor explained as he wrote some quick notes on the chart.

An hour later, the team was gathered once again at the bedside of their sharpshooter. The doctor said he was able to relieve the pressure on the eardrum and had inserted a small tube that would fall out in a couple of months. Vin would need to be careful not to get water in that ear until the incision had healed but it wouldn’t impair his hearing in any way. Chris yawned and glanced at his watch, stunned to see that it was nearly midnight.

“Why don’t the rest of you go on home. I’ll be all right with him tonight,” the blond said.

Everyone filed out, promising to take care of things at the office the next day so he didn’t need to worry about it. Chris smiled in gratitude at them as they left. The surgeon returned a little while later. He checked the drainage still seeping from Vin’s ear and nodded in satisfaction.

“He’ll be fine when he wakes up. He’s lucky to have someone who cares for him the way you obviously do,” the doctor said.

“It really doesn’t bother you, about us?”

“No, my life partner was killed in a car accident a couple of years ago. I think it’s great that you have the love and support of your friends. That’s kind of rare in your line of work, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but we were all friends before Vin and I became lovers and they just seemed to accept it. Believe me, we know how fortunate we are,” Chris assured the doctor as he laced his fingers into Vin’s.

“I’ll stop by in the morning and check him again before he’s discharged. He’ll have some antibiotics specifically for the infection in his ear but he should be fine otherwise.”

“Thanks, doc, we appreciate it,” the blond said as he held out his other hand for the man to shake. After the doctor was gone, Chris sank into the chair beside the bed and studied Vin while he slept. When the nurse looked in on them next, Chris’s head lay on the pillow next to Vin’s and their hands were clasped together on the Texan’s chest.

Although the accident was attributed to poor road conditions, Vin admitted that he had been feeling dizzy off and on for several days before the accident. The jeep was totaled, much to the team’s relief. JD took advantage of the news and began searching the classified ads for another jeep. He took off for lunch and looked at a couple, finding the most promising pick for Vin to look at when he was allowed to drive. What he found was a camouflage green, 1999 model with both a hard top and a leather top because the previous owner liked the freedom of pulling off the leather when the weather permitted but preferred the hard top for the winter. The engine was in excellent condition and it purred like new when he test-drove it. Chris finally agreed to bring Vin to see the vehicle after the ENT had cleared him. On the way home from the doctor’s office visit, they stopped to see the jeep. Vin immediately fell in love with it and quickly made arrangements with the car lot to make payments. A pleased smile lifted his lips on the drive home.

“I do hope you’ll take better care of this one than you did the last one,” Chris chided.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You were always bad mouthing my old jeep!”

“Well, I hope you won’t drive this one when you have an ear infection!”

“That’s something I don’t ever want to do again. I never realized how important my sense of balance was until last week. Do you know that I couldn’t even walk across the bedroom? I had to crawl to get there and back!”

“I wish you’d told me,” Chris said as he reached across the cab and gripped Vin’s hand.

“Didn’t want ya worrin’ on me.”

“No one else I’d rather be worrying about, Cowboy. You’re all in the world to me,” the blond said as he turned up the driveway toward the ranch. Before Vin came into his life it was just the place where he lived, now it was home.

The End

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