“Have you tried?” Carol regretted the question as soon as she asked it. What was wrong with her? She seemed to be on pins and needles around him.
“I need a little more strength in my hands to be able to grip the push rim. Gotta lose weight too. I’m mostly solid muscle, but muscle that can’t move is just added weight.” He gestured to his legs. “I still hope to walk someday, but I’m not holding my breath.”
“Neither am I.” Carol placed one scoop of ice cream on his dessert, and one on hers. “Thanks for having me over.”
“I’m glad you called.” He moved himself to the table and batted one of the spoons around while trying to slip it into the opening of his Velcro tool strap.
Carol bit her tongue and pretended she didn’t notice. He hadn’t asked for help, so she wouldn’t offer. It took several tries, but when he got the end of the spoon in place, he grinned. “You didn’t have to wait for me.”
“I wanted to. We should taste this at the same time.” She waited for him to grab a piece of the dessert before eating a piece. “Mmm … this is the best. I love it.”
“It’s pretty good. Wish I could say I made it.”
“You made it possible.” She relished the crisp and buttery crust and the cinnamon-flavored apple inside.
“I’m glad you came,” Jason said. He then commanded a voice control unit to play soft jazz, dim the lights, and turn on the heat.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” Jason asked after they’d both finished their dessert. “I can stream anything you want.”
“Sure. I’d love to.” Carol automatically cleared the table and loaded the plates and silverware into the dishwasher.
“What would you like to see? Something funny? Drama? Musicals?”
“Whatever you like. Science fiction.” It was always a good choice with men.
“X-Men then,” he readily agreed. “I wish my disability were a special ability. How cool would that be?”
“It would be more than cool.” Carol transferred herself from her wheelchair to the couch before realizing that maybe she should have stayed in her chair.
“I might be able to pull that trick too,” Jason said. “I have strong lats.”
Oh goodness. Now he was going to prove that he could get out of his chair. What would she do if he fell and couldn’t get back in?
Before she could say anything, Jason unstrapped his chest support and tumbled head first onto the large sectional sofa. He moved what he could of his arms and rolled partially onto his back.
“Help me sit up.” He propped his elbows on the sofa back and pushed forward.
Carol grabbed him before he flopped over. She steadied his torso and plumped a pillow behind his head.
“Is this comfortable?” she asked as she adjusted his legs in front of him.
“Thanks.” Jason used voice controls to turn on the TV and selected the movie he wanted to stream.
“You’ve really got everything set up here,” she said. “It’s nice.”
“It would be even nicer if you’d sit closer.” He picked up his arm and placed it on her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.
“Of course.” Carol put her hand over Jason’s and rested her face on his chest. It felt good to cuddle with a man after such a long drought. Maybe after the movie she’d give him a kiss.
Maybe this time, there’d be sparks, and she could forget about dangerous guys like Nick who’d sweep her off her wheels only to dump her as soon as a pretty face with legs that worked caught his attention.
Seventeen
“You’re seriously going to stay in Friday night?” Sam handed Nick the dishtowel after dinner.
The two brothers always did the dishes together. Sam washed and Nick dried, and it was just like when they were boys back home. Sam was the oldest and Nick the second, only a year apart.
“Too tired. I’m exhausted with having children sitting in my lap. They tug my beard to see if it comes off. It does. Then whisper in my ear loud enough to bust my eardrums. Scream in delight when I give them a candy cane, and slobber germs onto my already germy beard.”
“You’re a natural at this Santa thing. Serves you right for being a Nick.”
“I’d quit if I didn’t need the money.”
“I’m telling you, Police Academy.”
Nick sighed as he dried the plates. “That’s your dream, dude. Me? I’m just glad my brother’s a cop.”
“You sound like such a pussy.” Sam mocked him with a girly voice. “My greatest dream is world peace and everyone to love each other. You need to get off your butt and do something.”
“Isn’t working for Wheelympics doing something?”
“It is, but it’s another one of your phases. You need something permanent.”
“I don’t know about that.” Nick was getting tired of Sam trying to run his life. “You were always about schedules and life plans. High school all-star. Degree in criminal justice. Police Academy. Marriage. Baby on the way. Maybe my life is a series of phases. I’m not you.”
“You’re not.” Sam handed him the dripping cups and glasses. “But if you’re going to drift, then drift with all you’ve got. That goes for women, too.”
“Whoa, wait. Where did that come in?” These brother-on-brother talks were getting weird.
“You give up too easily.”
“I thought you told me not to stalk Carol.” Nick stuffed the dishrag into the glass and set it down.
“I did. But I didn’t say you shouldn’t send her a note and apologize.”
“For what? I didn’t hurt her or anything. Okay, maybe I was annoying, but it’s only because she’s so stubborn.”
Sam slapped a wet rag at Nick’s bicep and winked. “Trust me. Women love apologies. They love groveling even more.”
He was asleep.
Carol smiled to herself as she turned off the movie. Sure, the X-Men made it seem as if disability or being differently-abled were a blessing. But then they had superpowers to compensate. She did love Professor X’s character the best. He didn’t rely on any superpower other than brains and leadership. Okay, sure, he had that psionic telepathic power, but physically, he was still confined to a wheelchair. Besides, this young version was hot.
Jason was out. His snore rumbled through his chest, and he was pleasantly warm. She should have asked him when his night attendant would arrive. Maybe he’d delayed the guy because of the “date” with her.
She picked up the remote and flipped through several channels before settling on a Marvel series. More superheroes, people with special abilities who were viewed as dangerous by society. If only the bionics featured in these stories were true. She could see herself wearing implants in her spine that communicated with her brain to command and control her legs.
Her phone vibrated on the coffee table. Carol wasn’t expecting any calls from work, but she picked it up and frowned.
Nick was calling her?
She moved her finger to ignore, but somehow, it went right instead of left, and he was on the line. Her heart stuttered and she glanced at Jason. Still asleep. His right arm hung heavily over her shoulder and his hand dangled by her side.
“Hello?” she practically whispered, afraid to disturb the sleeping firefighter.
“Hey, it’s Nick.” He sounded stuffed up and subdued. “I’m so glad I got you on the line. How are you doing?”
“Good. I mean fine.” Part of her was melting already that the bad boy called, but the sensible, rational half of her brain stiffened her upper lip. She waited to see what else he would say and prepared herself to say “no.”
“Hey, so I’m kinda sorry, you know, for …”
“Kinda sorry?” She cupped the phone, hoping he couldn’t hear Jason’s buzzsaw snores. “Someone put you up to apologizing?”
“Something like that. But before you hang up, I am truly sorry we didn’t get off to a good start.”
“Me too. Things were kind of crazy with my work.” She held the phone in front of her
face and gaped. How had she so readily agreed with him?
“You okay now?” Nick continued.
“We got everything done and so far the customer trials are going well. Hopefully, everything is validated and we can hit our ship day after the holidays.” The dead weight of Jason’s arm was still pressing her down, and his snores were steady.
“So, what are you doing right now?” Nick’s voice took on a suggestive tone. Either the man couldn’t help it, or everything he said rubbed Carol the right way, bothering her hot and dirty.
“Hanging out.” More like an arm was hanging over her.
“Cool. Just you and your cat?”
“Cat? I don’t have a cat. I’m watching TV.”
“Then what’s that purring sound I hear?” Nick asked.
“Nothing. Just the TV.” Carol tried to move to a more comfortable position, but Jason’s head rolled to the side and his leg twitched. The arm he laid across Carol’s shoulders felt like dead weight, but she couldn’t dislodge herself without disturbing him.
“You okay?” she asked Jason, but he took a deep breath and smiled. His eyeballs moved under his eyelids, and he seemed to be dreaming.
“I’m okay,” Nick said. “Getting over a cold.”
“Oops. I mean, hope it’s not too bad.”
“Nah, I’m kicking it. I thought I’d let you know I’m interviewing with Patricia for that trainer position at Wheelympics. The kids seemed to like me.”
Carol sat up straighter, all senses on alert. “I didn’t know you were interested in working with disabled people.”
“Of course I would. I’m a personal trainer.”
For rich women. Carol bit her tongue. As long as she kept a friendly distance from him, he wouldn’t bother her. After all, it wasn’t his fault he oozed sexuality. It was plain old biology that made her feel more alive around him than she dared to believe possible. She would have to watch herself like a hawk, but she couldn’t deny him the opportunity to find a job he was obviously good at.
Jason’s leg jerked and rattled, breaking his snore. He moaned and hugged Carol tighter. His deep voice vibrated through his chest, and he breathed hard.
He seemed agitated, but his eyeballs were still roving beneath his eyelids. Was he having a nightmare or a spasm attack?
“Listen, I have to go,” Carol whispered into the phone. “I’m sure you’ll be good at the job. Best of all luck on the interview.”
“Ohhh … my … uh, uh, uh.” Jason writhed in his sleep and slumped onto Carol, pinning her beneath his large body.
“Uhh … uhhn.” Carol grunted, trying to dislodge herself. She pushed and she wriggled, but Jason was too heavy.
“What’s going on over there?” Nick sounded concerned.
“I love you, too,” Jason mumbled.
“What? Are you in bed with someone?” Nick growled over the phone.
“No, he’s having a dream. It must be.” Carol’s heart and stomach swapped places with a panic attack. “I can’t get him off of me. I can’t breathe.”
“Can’t breathe. Is someone hurting you? Where are you?”
“Jason. Jason, wake up.” Carol pushed and pulled at the big man’s shoulders. She jiggled his face. His skin was hot, forehead drenched with sweat, and his eyes rolled around, half closed.
“You’re with Jason? Where?”
“At his apartment.” Carol managed to squeak. “He’s having a seizure of some kind. He’s burning up, and I can’t wake him.”
“I’ll be right over,” Nick said. “Don’t move.”
“You know where I am?” Her pulse skyrocketed as warning bells clamored in her inner ear.
But of course. He was a stalker. He must have known where she was the entire time.
“I know where Jason lives, if you’re at his apartment.”
“How would you know?”
“I was just there yesterday,” Nick explained. “I interviewed to be his night helper.”
“You? Are you the one who’s supposed to come put him to bed?”
“No, he’s still counting on friends, but they’ve become unreliable. I’ll be over in a second. He has voice controls. Ask his Genie to unlock the door.”
“Sure, thanks.”
“You okay?”
“Yes, I can still breathe, but it’s very uncomfortable. I’m more worried about Jason.”
“Maybe you better call nine-one-one. Is he at all responsive?”
“He’s still breathing”
“I’m on the way. Tell Genie to unlock the door when I or the paramedics get there.”
Carol heard voices talking in the background and then shuffling sounds before the phone call ended.
“Genie?”
A mechanical voice said, “Yes?”
“Unlock the front door,” Carol said.
“Front door unlocked,” the mechanical female voice said. “Lock rearming in sixty seconds.”
“Genie, call nine-one-one.”
“Are you sure you want to call emergency services?”
“Yes.”
“Calling nine-one-one, stay on the line,” Genie said.
Carol described the situation, begging them to hurry. “He’s a quadriplegic and he’s burning up. Still breathing, but unable to move.”
They dispatched an ambulance and told Carol to stay on the line. “Try to wake him if you can,” the operator said. “Are you in a position to perform CPR?”
“No, I’m trapped underneath him. But I’ll try to wake him.”
Carol gently slapped Jason’s face. “Wake up. Wake up.”
His eyes opened, but his gaze was unfocused.
“Jason. Are you all right?”
“Don’t kill yourself. Promise me you won’t,” he muttered, breathing harshly. “Doesn’t my love mean anything?”
“It does. It means a lot,” Carol said, wondering who he was thinking about.
“What happened was not your fault. Stop blaming yourself.”
His face was drenched with sweat and his skin was flushed. She’d bet his heart rate and blood pressure were sky high. Something was causing his body to go haywire.
Carol had narrowly escaped having autonomic dysreflexia because her break was below T6. She couldn’t recall exactly what to do if someone was in this condition. Certainly she should be able to help by lowering his blood pressure.
She caressed his neck and shoulders where she knew he still had feeling and beamed at him with as much care and concern as she could.
His eyes pinpointed her. “Don’t blame yourself, Carolyn. It’s not your fault.”
Carolyn? Who was Carolyn?
“I don’t blame myself,” Carol answered for the mysterious Carolyn.
“Good. Good. Then marry me. Marry me like we were supposed to. Please marry me.”
“Paramedics.” Bang. Bang. Bang. Someone pounded on the door.
Instead of answering for Carolyn, Carol shouted, “Genie, unlock the front door.”
Eighteen
Coughing into his sleeve, Nick raced down the corridor to Jason’s apartment. He should have asked Carol to stay on the line. Was help on the way? Was she still breathing? What about Jason? What if he’d had a heart attack or worse?
Were they having sex before something went wrong? He didn’t want to think about it. Suppressed the images in his mind. It wasn’t his business, although it would mean he’d lost Carol to another man.
The thought pierced his heart, and he almost staggered to his knees, but he pushed forward and rounded the corner. Emergency workers were pounding on the door.
The lock unclicked, and everyone ran in.
“Over here.” Carol’s voice piped from the living room.
The paramedics lowered the stretcher and lifted the paralyzed man from Carol. Nick rushed to her side.
“Check his blood pressure,” Carol said. “He’s a C5 quadriplegic, probably autonomic dysreflexia. He passed out. I thought he was sleeping, but he’s hallucinating and has seizures.”<
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Even as she spoke, Jason trembled and his legs and arms jerked. His head lolled back and he moaned. “Carolyn, don’t do it. Don’t do it. Carolyn.”
Nick helped Carol sit up. “Are you okay? Who’s Carolyn? What happened?”
He touched her arms and legs, checking for broken bones and noted the pallor of her skin. She could have internal injuries from being crushed, or lost circulation to her vital organs.
At least she was fully clothed.
Nick kicked himself for his thoughts going there. She was on a date with a man she was obviously attracted to, and he had no room to be jealous.
Carol tugged on his arm. “I texted and called my sister, but she hasn’t picked up. She went out clubbing. Can you put me in my chair?”
Nick scooped Carol into his arms and carried her to her chair. The paramedics had moved it to the side when they brought in the stretcher.
Carol wheeled herself to the group gathered around Jason. “He was hospitalized recently. I don’t know the reason. We need to find his doctor.”
“He has a medical alert tag,” one of the workers said. “We’re calling his doctor.”
“Is there anything else I can do?”
“Yes, maybe answer some questions,” the worker said. “Has he taken any medication for erectile dysfunction?”
Carol shook her head. “I have no idea. We had dessert and then we watched a movie. He fell asleep and at first I thought he was okay. Then he started shaking and seizing.”
They elevated Jason into a sitting position. He was semi responsive, nodding and shaking his head to their questions.
“Jason, are you okay?” Carol asked, positioning herself near his head.
The paramedics had loosened Jason’s clothes and pulled his pants down, exposing his catheter.
“I’m sorry.” Jason’s voice slurred.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Carol grasped his hand, rubbing it. “I had a wonderful time. Thank you for the Apple Charlotte and the movie.”
“Yeah, right.” His eyes darted toward Nick briefly. “Thanks for coming.”
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