by E. M. Leya
Tevon laughed. "Right to the point."
"Well, hell. It's just the most important part of my body." Randy grinned.
"I would argue that would be your heart or brain, but I guess we all have our own opinions." Tevon pulled the stool up and sat down beside the bed. "The shark bit a hole in your side about ten inches deep. You're lucky you aren't human. That kind of bite would have killed you. It tore your hipbone and a lot of your pelvis to pieces. One tooth took a chunk out of your penis." Tevon watched Randy pale. "I repaired it and I am sure you will be able to urinate, but as for how it responds to…" He swallowed hard. He never was good at talking to anyone about sex. "Stimulation will be another story. We just won't know until you heal more and are able to… shall we say, test it out."
Randy didn't look happy. He brushed his hand down his face and cleared his throat before he spoke. "And how long will it be before we can find out?"
Tevon sighed. "Probably at least a week. I'm going to have to keep you pretty numb down there for a while. I'm worried if you go hard too soon, it will cause the stitches and muscle to tear again. One of the reasons I want you to stay still for a few days. It's not just your hip, but your bowel was torn into and your urinary track was severed in several places."
"But we heal fast right? I should know soon?"
He read the fear in Randy's eyes. "Yes, we heal fast, and once we can get you into the water, it will help accelerate the healing. But with you, there was so much damage done to the bowel and the hip, I don't dare get you in the water too soon. Parts of the hipbone were missing. Our bodies regenerate bone, but it takes time. Right now, your pelvis is like a puzzle that is missing one or two pieces. It holds together, but any movement might just cause the whole puzzle to fall apart."
Randy rubbed his hand over his waist. "What about peeing?"
"When you are ready, and it will probably be soon with the amount of IV that we've pumped into you, I will help you with a urinal. I want to make sure everything works. With the way the wound on your arm has healed, I'm sure the stitches have already started to mend things together. I've never seen anyone heal the way you do."
"I never noticed it before, but then again, I've never really had a serious injury. A few scrapes and scratches are all." Randy tried to comb his fingers through his hair.
"You want me to help you wash the blood out? Might be a few days before you can do it yourself." Tevon reached up and lifted a matted clump of hair up. "Help you feel better?"
"I'm sure you have better things to do than wash my hair." Randy looked away, obviously uncomfortable with the idea.
"Listen, you are going to need help with a lot of things over the next few weeks. I know you are used to doing things on your own, but for the time being, take the help when it's offered. It's better than lying around with your hair in knots. As for better stuff to do, you are my only patient, I have read every medical manual I own, and other than sit and stare at the walls, I don't have anything pressing." Tevon arched a brow at Randy and smiled. "You'll be helping me as much as I you."
Randy sighed. "I'm going to be the worst patient you've ever had. I can't stand to stay still. Go ahead. I'm going to end up pulling it out if we don't wash it. I might not be able to feel shit below the waist, but my damn head itches like crazy."
Tevon turned to fill a large basin with water. "We'll find ways to keep you busy. I wish I could transfer you inland. At least there you could lie around all day watching football or something."
"Nah, not football for me. I'm a baseball man. I love watching the Padres when I can sneak over to Everest's or Sage's place."
"How come you decided to stay here on the island? When Heath changed the law and allowed those who wanted to live inland to leave, I thought for sure almost everyone would go." Tevon checked the water's temperature before setting the basin on a small stone table he hefted from the side of the room to place at Randy's head. It sat several inches lower than the bed and he knew from experience it was the perfect height for washing hair.
"Nothing much for me over there. Sure, the conveniences would be nice, but I love it here. With me training all the new guys once they shift for the first time, I'm trying to show them that being a merman isn't a bad thing. Some of that means I need to show them that living in the ocean isn't bad. That giving up some things inland might be hard, but there is so much here that you can't get there."
Tevon stood at the head of the bed and looked down at Randy, the basin of water between him and the bed. "I'm going to hook my arms under yours and pull you back a bit. Try not to let your hips twist. I want your head barely on the edge of the bed so I can have your hair hanging over the end into the water."
Randy nodded and closed his eyes as if preparing for pain.
There wouldn't be any pain. Tevon had him drugged up enough there was no way he would feel a thing. Hooking his hands under Randy's armpits, he tugged him up. Once he had him settled, he started to pour warm water over Randy's hair. "I can understand that. I remember when I first came here after I learned what I was. I was scared as hell. I was pissed off that they forced me to leave my mom and I wanted to kill my father for hiding all this from me for seventeen years. I don't envy you your job. You get them when they are raw and angry."
Randy kept his eyes closed as Tevon ran his fingers through the long strands, separating them with his fingers. Tevon examined the man's face as he massaged his scalp with his fingers to loosen the blood. He couldn't tell an exact age, but that was common with his people. None of them really looked over thirty and didn't start to age or go grey until they were well into their seventies. Randy's face was strong and attractive. His high cheekbones were from his father, all the brothers had them. His eyelashes were long, lying against his cheeks as he relaxed. He was pleased that Randy didn't appear to be stressing too hard on his injuries.
Randy opened his eyes and stared up at him. "I love my job. I've grown used to all the issues the boys have when they first come here. Not much I haven't seen. Have to admit it's been a lot easier since Heath replaced my father as king and we allow them to live on land. It surprises me how many are willing to come stay here and give this a try. If I would have had the option at eighteen, I would have never stayed here."
Tevon poured more warm water over his hair and reached for the shampoo. He squirted a good amount onto his palm and started to work it through Randy's hair. "You think this shark attack might make some of them change their mind?"
"I don't know. Shark attacks happen. Thankfully not often, but it's part of living underwater. I think it was a good lesson for them, but I hate that they had to witness me getting attacked. That couldn't have been easy for anyone." He let out a long breath and closed his eyes again. "You have no idea how good this feels."
The compliment touched Tevon in a way that was unprofessional for a patient and doctor. He enjoyed the fact that he was bringing Randy pleasure and wanted to bring him more. He frowned. No matter what, he needed to remain professional, couldn't let a slight attraction keep him from his job. He focused on scrubbing the blood from Randy's hair. They would be working together a lot over the next few weeks while he recovered and Tevon couldn't afford the distraction, and there would be one if he didn’t get his mind in focus.
"I'm going to need to wash it a couple times." Tevon rinsed the suds from his hair.
"That is just fine with me." Randy grinned up at him as he opened his eyes. "I could get used to being spoiled like this."
Tevon laughed. "You say that now, but once I start letting you move and make you start doing some therapy to help those torn muscles heal, I'll be your worst enemy."
"You just get me up and moving. I'm going to go crazy on my back."
"Not going to enjoy your vacation, huh?"
"Fuck that. If I was on vacation, I would be sitting inland at a bar, enjoying a cold beer somewhere near South America."
"Ah, the tropics. Better than hunting fish in Alaska."
Randy nodded, pulling his
hair against Tevon's hands. "Barron did that for a while. Crazy fool. You won't find me swimming in those cold waters without a reason."
"Me either. I was born here in California. I've never had the urge to change clans, but if I did it sure wouldn't be farther up north. I was over in Florida for a medical conference for all the clan doctors and really enjoyed it there, but I don't see me leaving here. It's home."
"Yeah, it is. With my brothers here, I don't see me leaving either."
"You still talk to your father?" Tevon hoped he wasn't treading into an area he shouldn't. Randy's father had been king of all mermen for over fifty years until he started to make some dangerous decisions and Randy and his brothers had him removed from leadership.
"No. He refuses to acknowledge that he even has sons. He has moved to live in Australia. Heath has a guard on him at all times. Sadly, we can't trust that he won't revolt against us for having him removed."
The sadness in Randy's voice tugged at his heart. "I'm sorry. I know that can't be easy."
Randy shrugged. "It is what it is. What about your father? He around here?"
"My father was with the Seattle clan. We do talk from time to time, but my mother was here. When I transitioned, I came here. They gave me the option to go there, but California is home." He reached for the conditioner. "I did my internship in Texas. That was enough of a break for me."
"That's right, you trained with the humans. I remember hearing about that."
"I did. I learned a lot, but have to admit, without all the fancy equipment, I've had to learn my own ways to handle things. The lack of electricity and technology is trying at times."
"Have you spoken to Heath about moving inland? Opening a clinic there?" Randy asked.
Tevon wrung the water from Randy's hair and then pushed the basin aside. "I've thought about it, but in cases like yours, there would be no way for them to get you to me. You were in merman form for one thing, and the distance is too far. You would have never lived if they had to take you that far."
"It's still something we should think about. Even if you just had an assistant to handle the one place when you are at the other, maybe even have someone else go train so we have two doctors."
"It's something to consider, especially since we have so many living inland now." He moved to the side. "Let me go get a brush and I will comb out your hair."
Randy turned his head, meeting his gaze. "Thanks for doing all this for me."
Tevon placed his hand softly on Randy's shoulder. "It's my job, but you are welcome." He pulled his hand back and quickly turned to leave the room. As he made the way to his own chamber to grab his brush, he once again warned himself not to allow the feelings that Randy seemed to arouse in him to grow. He was the doctor, Randy was the patient, and he needed to do all he could to make sure that was how it remained.
CHAPTER FIVE
Randy woke to blinding pain. Sweat dripped from his head as he bit down, trying to hold back a cry. His hip and stomach burned as if someone had set him on fire. He tried to shift his weight, but that only made the pain stronger.
"Anyone there?"
Silence answered him. He groaned as he fought back tears. Pain like he'd never felt before grew, and he struggled not to roll, remembering Tevon's warnings. He fisted his hands at his side as his breath came in uneven gasps. He focused on his breathing, trying to regulate it and take his mind off the fire building inside him.
"Please! Tevon!" His scream echoed off the chamber walls.
"Randy?" Tevon ran into the room and lit several candles. "What is it?"
"Pain." Randy grunted as he lost the fight and a single tear ran down his cheek.
He heard Tevon at the other side of the room and a few seconds later, the doctor was at his side and pushing some green fluid into his IV line. It took only a few moments before the burning faded and the pain slowly eased.
He took several deep breaths as he tried to calm himself. "Shit. That was worse than anything I have ever felt."
"I am so sorry. I should have been back sooner. I thought the last dose would have lasted you all night." He reached for his wrist and checked his pulse and then turned away to the sink and wet a washcloth before returning and placing it over Randy's head. "That helping?"
"Yeah, thanks." Randy blinked back the wetness from his eyes, embarrassed that he was crying in front of anyone. He reached up, wiping the tear from his cheek. "I think I'm starting to believe you about how bad it was. With the pain med, it doesn't seem like it's that severe."
Tevon took the wet cloth and gently washed Randy's face. "Your injuries are the worst I have ever seen anyone survive. I'm not lying when I tell you it will be a long road back, and that you may never be without some pain or signs of the injury."
Randy thought about what they talked about earlier. His cock. What would he do if it didn't work right? It was probably something so stupid to worry about when he looked at the big picture. It was a miracle he was alive, but the thought of never getting hard again, never finding any pleasure, scared the hell out of him. He could live with pain. The scars were nothing to him. His cock working on the other hand, well, that was something he didn't want to live without.
"You're thinking about what we talked about earlier?" Tevon's gaze traveled to his waist.
Randy nodded. "It's stupid. I should be happy to be alive, but the thought of never being able to find pleasure again." He shook his head. "Never mind, you must think it's stupid to worry about something like that."
Tevon set the washcloth down and moved the stool close to the bed. "I don't think it's stupid at all. It's something we take for granted. I honestly think you will be able to perform as always. Let me try to explain what happened. There are two columns that run along the sides of the penis called the Corpus cavernosum, they fill with blood and form the erection. One of those tubes was severed in half and torn. I did my best to repair it, but I've never done anything like that before. There is another spongy area, the Corpus spongiosum. This is in the center, it was also torn apart. I did everything I could to make sure it was repaired, but…" He sighed. "I don't want to scare you. I just want to be honest and prepare you for the things that you might have to face the next few weeks."
Randy didn't understand all the medical words, but he got the idea. It didn't help calm his nerves. He placed his hand over the bandage as if he could protect it from further damage. "I guess I should be glad I didn't lose the whole thing."
"Another inch and you would have. Only the fact that our bodies heal and regenerate tissue gives me hope. If you were human, there would have been almost no way that I know of to repair it. I'm not trained in this stuff. I can try to contact some of the human doctors I know once you are well enough and send you to see them, but I don't know if they can do more than I did."
"So, really all we can do is wait and see?" He was grateful to Tevon for his honesty, but he still found the whole thought of never getting hard again too painful to even think about as a possibility.
Tevon looked sadly at him. "Yes. I wish I could give you more, but until you heal, I won't know the outcome. I can always go back in and operate after you heal if things don't work. However, if we go that route, I would like to take you inland and do it there. Hopefully it won't even come down to that."
It wasn't a laughing matter, but still a laugh rolled through Randy's chest. "I've never wanted a hard-on more in my life than I do now."
"And I've never wanted to give someone one more." Tevon blushed and shook his head. "That wasn't what I meant." His face turned crimson as he bowed his head. "I meant medically. I want you to heal and…" He buried his face in his hands. "Maybe I should just shut up."
Randy enjoyed the doctor's embarrassment. The blush that worked up his cheeks and the embarrassment the doctor showed, actually brightened Randy's mood. "I understood what you meant, Doc."
Turning away and fidgeting with supplies on the table beside him, Tevon glanced back over his shoulder at Randy. "So how's the pa
in now?"
"I'm numb again. Much better than before. But you said I could pee, how am I supposed to know I need to since I am so numb down there?" Randy watched the doctor's back.
"We will give you a few more hours to heal and when I change the bandages, we will try. I might need to use a catheter for a day or two, but with as fast as you seem to heal, I hope we won't." Tevon didn't turn back to face him.
He wondered why he hadn't spoken to Tevon more in the past. With the two of them living so close for so many years, he had seen him around many times, even brought many of the younger men he trained in after they were injured, but he never took the time to really know him. As Tevon continued to mess with supplies, he was shocked their paths hadn't crossed more often. As clan doctor, Tevon should have been involved with the leadership of the clan, and Randy couldn't recall ever seeing him at meetings. The more the two of them talked, the more he liked Tevon.
"You don't go out much, do you? I don't recall you at any clan meetings or any of the king's gatherings."
Tevon turned around and shook his head. "I'm not one to involve myself in clan matters. I like to keep to myself. My passion is medicine."
"But being the clan's doctor, you have say in many decisions we make. You should involve yourself more."
"It's really not my thing. I talk to the king when there is something important, but I like being behind the scenes until I am needed."
That only made Randy wonder more about the doctor. He would talk to Heath about possibly involving Tevon more in the monthly meeting. It would be a good way to know what the medical needs of the clan were and how they could help Tevon make sure he had all the equipment possible.
Randy yawned, once again feeling the emotional stress of the day hit him. "What time is it?"
The doctor glanced over at a battery-operated clock on the wall. "A little after four in the morning. You feel like trying for a bit more sleep?"
"I'm tired, but I don't think I can sleep." He gestured to his hips. "I want off my back. I feel like I need to roll over to get comfortable."
