Ouch

Brian was sitting at the table when Justin walked into the loft. He had a pear on a dish and was slicing off pieces and eating them.

"You're home early," Justin said to him.

"Yeah," Brian answered, "I had a meeting out of the office and when it was over, I just came home instead of going back there.

"I guess you had this big need to see me," Justin joked. "Why else would I come back here instead of going to the office?" Brian smiled at him.

Brian's knife slipped out of his hand and bounced on the floor a few feet away from him. "Would you get my knife for me, Sunshine?" he asked Justin. Justin wondered about that request since the knife was much closer to Brian than it was to him, but he was glad to comply. He thought maybe Brian was up to something but all he did was take back the knife and slice another piece off the pear. That set Justin to thinking.

Justin went to the bedroom, showered and changed his clothes, and came out to find Brian still seated at the table. "Do you want to go out tonight, Honey?" he asked Brian. "I don't think so," Brian replied, "I'll just sit here and watch you prepare dinner. Any old thing you want to make will be fine."

Now Justin was smart and he knew Brian. Something was not right in this scene; he was sure of that but he wasn't sure of what. "Brian, Honey," he asked, "Would you do me a great big favor?"

"Of course, if I can." Brian assured him, "What do you want?"

"I want you to get out of that chair and walk out to the kitchen." Justin told him. "Why the hell do you want me to do that?" Brian wanted to know.

"Because I think you are glued to that chair." Justin informed him.

"OK, Sherlock, you win." Brian admitted, "I twisted my ankle coming out of the Frick Building and I'm not walking so well. I tripped on a step and fell."

"Let me see it," Justin ordered, moving toward Brian. "Now don't make a great big thing about a little sprain. It will be fine tomorrow," Brian protested.

"Oh my God, Brian" Justin exclaimed after thoroughly examining Brian's ankle, "That could be broken. Look how it's swollen. Did you put ice on it?"

"It's just a sprain. I'm a big man. I can handle this," Brian bragged. "Well you're acting like a child. We're going to get this x-rayed right away," Justin demanded.

"I don't want to get it x-rayed," Brian maintained, "It will heal itself. That's what I told security at the Frick Building, and that's what I'm telling you."

"The people at the Frick Building are not in love with you and taking care of you is not their business." Justin insisted, "You're lucky you have me around. We are going to get that ankle x-rayed whether you want to or not. And that's that."

"I may as well have gone back to the office," Brian grouched.

"Brian Sweetie," Justin smiled at Brian, "I am not hurt that you didn't come back here from your meeting just to see me, like you said, but I am damned insulted that you were more afraid of Cynthia than you were of me."

"But I'm supposed to be the boss around here and I say no x-ray. Brian Kinney does not go to the doctor." Brian told Justin.

"You certainly are the boss around here," Justin responded, "But even the United States Constitution calls for the Vice-President to take over for the President when he is incapacitated. And Brian Kinney is going to get that ankle x-rayed."

"This ankle does not incapacitate me," Brian stated. Justin laughed as he told Brian "You may not be physically incapacitated, but I think I can make a case for mentally incapacitated."

"You can't make me go," Brian stood up for himself, "What are you going to do if I won't go?"

"I am going to nag at you for fifteen minutes," Justin warned him, "And if that doesn't work, I am going to call Mikey. He will come rushing over here and whine at you while I am nagging. If you don't get the x-ray, I'm pretty sure you will wish you had."

"Do I have to?" Brian whimpered. "Yes you do," Justin answered. So they went off to the emergency room. Justin caught Dr. Marshall by phone still at the hospital and he promised to meet them and read the x-ray. Justin knew Dr. Marshall would be on his side.

Later that evening, Brian and Justin were sitting together watching the fake flames flickering in the fireplace. They usually sat on the floor with their backs against the couch but tonight they sat on the couch in deference to Brian's ankle brace and cane. Brian insisted he could sit on the floor but Justin was afraid he wouldn't be able to get back up

"Well, Mr. Know-It-All" Brian crowed, "I told you it wasn't broken and it wasn't broken. I was right."

"It had to be checked, Brian," Justin maintained, "I'm very glad it wasn't broken but Dr. Marshall wrapped it for you and told you how to take care of it so the trip was worth it. And we know now for sure that it isn't broken. So we were both right."

"But I was the one who was really right," Brian insisted.

"Don't push me, Brian," Justin told him through a broad smile, "You can get away with a lot when we're snuggled together in front of the fireplace and you've got your arm around me but there still might be a limit.

You were right though. I'll admit you were right, but next time you get an ankle like that you are still going to get x-rayed."

"You never give up, do you?" Brian pretended to grumble at Justin.

"Guess not," Justin admitted, "But if I gave up, would we be sitting here together watching our fireplace or would you be at Babylon looking for a trick while I was I don't know where doing I don't know what?"

"Well," Brian concluded, "As long as you admit I was right about the ankle business, I guess it's safe for me to tell you that you were right, really right, about something you said this afternoon."

Justin looked puzzled and asked Brian what he was talking about. "When was I so right?" he asked..

"When you said I was lucky to have you around," Brian told him.

"I don't remember saying that," Justin replied.

"Well, it's a good thing one of us remembered." Brian said as he ruffled Justin's hair, "Because it's true and I want you to know that I know it's true."

Justin snuggled up closer to Brian and told him: "But I was wrong just a minute ago. There is no limit on what you can get away with."

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