The Fifth Step

The hospital gossip mill was running at full speed as word spread quickly that Anthony Massey, considered one of Chicago's most eligible bachelors was indeed a fag. Not only that, but you should see the two gorgeous men who have been holding round the clock court at Mr. Massey's bedside. One of them, the little blonde one couldn't be more than twenty years old. Justin leaned over, and softly kissed his lover on the mouth. "Hummmmm." He teased his tongue forward, and wiggled its way inside. Justin eased his hand underneath the pressed white sheet, up the path of warm thigh, until he located his prize. Like magic it began to swell in his hand.

"For Christ sake, leave him alone before you kill him." Brian entered the room.

"I was just checking to make sure that everything was ok," Justin said innocently.

"He was checking my pulse." Tony smiled.

"Oh, I'll bet he was." Brian pulled Justin's hand from underneath the covers, and gave his mischievous boy a kiss. He then leaned over, and gave Tony a kiss as well. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ready to get the hell out of here." Tony said. "Did you see Dr. Sharma on your way in?"

"He's making rounds. He should be here shortly." Brian took a seat on the edge of Tony's bed, next to Justin. "What's for lunch?" he asked.

Tony lifted the top off of his tray. "I can't eat this shit." He pushed it away.

Justin pushed the tray back in front of him. "You have to eat so you can build your strength back up," he said.

Brian lifted up the bread on Tony's sandwich. "Humm, let's see what we have here. Turkey on whole wheat, extra dry, with no taste. Oh look, skim milk, carrot salad, and my personal favorite, green Jello! Yum!" Brian exclaimed.

"Knock yourself out." Tony pushed his tray over toward Brian.

"No thanks, I'm still stuffed from the steak & eggs we had for breakfast this morning." Brian rubbed his belly.

"Good morning, good morning, good morning!" Dr. Sharma entered the room. "And how is my favorite patient today?"

"I'll bet he says that to all the girls," Brian uttered close to Justin's ear.

"Brian, shhh!" Justin whispered.

"I hope you're coming in with good news ,Dr. Sharma," Tony said.

"Are you ready to go home, Tony?" The doctor smiled.

Tony looked pass Dr. Sharma at yet another hospital employee who happened to sneak a peek inside his room as she walked pass his door. "Are you kidding? I can't wait to get out of here. This is like living in a fishbowl," he said.

"Don't pay any attention to the staff. It's not often that we get a celebrity in here," Dr. Sharma said.

"I'm not a celebrity," Tony begged to differ.

"You are to the ladies." Dr. Sharma smiled.

"Oh I'll bet," Brian mumbled.

"Brian, shhh!" Justin whispered again.

"I've just gone over your labs. Everything appears to be fine. I've written your discharge orders, and your medications are waiting to be picked up at the pharmacy. I want to see you in my office in two weeks to check your incision line, and give you a general going over just to make sure that things are still ok. If everything is fine then, I'll see you in another four weeks. At that time we'll talk about some cardiac rehab for you," Dr. Sharma said.

"When can I go back to work?" Tony asked.

"Most people are able to return to light duties in about six weeks," Dr. Sharma said.

"What do you mean by light duties?" Tony needed clarification.

"Half days at the office, a business meeting or two, you can resume driving, going for short walks, you can even go out with friends if you like…"

"What about sex?" Brian asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Most people are able to return to a normal sex life at that time as well," Dr. Sharma said.

"Really?" Justin smiled.

"Down boy." Brian placed his hand on Justin's shoulder. "What do you call normal, doc?"

"Well, I like to tell my patients to listen to their body. If they begin to feel winded, or if they start experiencing chest pain they should stop," the good doctor said.

"That's easier said than done." Brian pointed out, much to the dismay of Tony's cardiologist.

Dr. Sharma looked at Brian, then over at Justin, before turning to his patient. "Tony, listen to me," he began. "Of course what you do in the privacy of your own bedroom is your own business, but I want you to remember that your body has just been through a lot of trauma. It needs time to heal itself, especially the bone in the center of your chest, the sternum. We had to open your sternum during surgery. While you may feel better in six weeks, it's going to take at least twelve weeks for that bone to heal. During which time it's very important not to put any stress on your chest that could cause re-breakage that could result in possible re-injury to the heart, or infection."

"Do you hear that, you little tomcat? No climbing on him." Brian nudged Justin.

"I heard him." Justin nudged him back.

Dr. Sharma's face blushed to a glowing red. "Tony, do you understand what I'm trying to say to you?" He sincerely hoped.

"Yes, I understand." Tony smiled.

"Does EVERYONE understand?" Dr. Sharma turned to Brian and Justin.

"Yes doctor." Tony's handsome boys answered in unison.

Justin waited until Dr. Sharma had left the room. "See what you did, you scared the doctor away." He punched Brian.

"What did I do?" Brian rubbed his shoulder.

"No climbing on him. What kind of thing is that to say?" Justin hit Brian again.

"Excuse me, but can we take this up in the car? I'm ready to get the hell out of here," Tony announced.

After ten days of being poked and prodded, shitting in bedpans, and having catheters shoved up his dick, maintaining what was left of his dignity had become a top priority on Tony's list. Tony rejected the offer of a wheelchair, insisting instead on walking out of the hospital upright, and on his own power. He was briefly greeted by his driver before easing into the backseat of the limo next to Justin. "Tony, are you alright?" The observant young man noticed the wince on his lover's face.

"Sure, I'm fine ,princess." Tony forced a smile, and braced one arm across his chest. Maybe he should have taken the nurse up on her offer for one last shot of Demerol before hitting the road. Just that slight bend forward to get into the car felt as if his suture line was tearing open.

Brian hopped into the seat on the other side of Tony. "Let's get home, and get naked," he teased, then leaned over to give Tony a kiss.

"MR. MASSEY…..MR. KINNEY, HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! JUSTIN! JUSTIN, LOOK THIS WAY PLEASE ……….!" Without warning the car was swarmed with paparazzi.

"Shit!" Justin shielded his eyes from the flashing lights of their cameras.

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Brian reached for the car door handle.

"DRIVE!" Tony ordered his driver.

Justin turned, and looked at the photographers through the rear window. "What the hell was that all about?" he asked.

"Fucking vultures, you should have let me take care of them," Brian growled.

"Relax Precious, it's not worth it." Tony closed his eyes, and rested his head on the leather headrest behind him. His chest was killing him.

"Tony, are you sure you're ok?" Justin asked again.

"I'm just tired, Princess." Tony assured him. "I want to get home, and into my own bed."

"Why do you think they were taking pictures of us?" Justin wondered out loud.

"Breeders are always digging for dirt to bury someone with. It's their evil nature," Brian said. "If Tony wasn't all the way "out" before, he certainly will be now."

Tony opened his eyes, and looked over at Brian. "I've never hidden who I am. It's just that nobody's ever asked me," he said.

"Generally speaking, if you agree to be featured in the bachelor of the month section of "Cosmopolitan Magazine" it's kind of implied that you're straight," Justin said.

"Why do you think Cosmo never called me?" Brian said smugly.

"I assumed they were starting with the MOST handsome men, and working their way down from the top, in which case they would have eventually gotten to you," Tony started.

"Is that right?" Brian begged to differ.

"Yeah, that's right." Tony smiled.

Justin sat quietly looking out the window as Brian and Tony went on and on about which one was the most beautiful. Brian boasted of having perfected the most come hither look that no man could resist. While Tony relied heavily on his silver fox hair, and his dimples. Justin smiled to himself. It was good to hear them both laughing. What a happy ending to a long fairy tale. Now if only he could find a way to explain it all to Jennifer. Everything Justin had learned about love, and relationships had been patterned after traditional Judeo-Christian values. One man and one woman, or in Justin's case, one man and one man. It was bad enough that he asked his mother to accept his sexual orientation. What was she going to think of this gay version of polygamy?

"We'll let Justin decide. Baby, which one of your men is the hottest?" Brian interrupted Justin's thoughts.

"You're both beautiful, and I love you both equally. My two princes." Justin smiled.

Mary made one final inspection of the house before Tony's arrival. The hospital bed she ordered was all set up in the downstairs study, and the hand picked agency nurse she selected was on her way. Every high cholesterol food, and beverage in the refrigerator had been cleared out, as had Tony's liquor cabinet, with the exception of the white wine coolers that Dr. Sharma had approved of. With Tony home, no doubt Justin and Brian would be staying at the house as well. Mary changed the linen on the bed in Justin's room, and placed fresh towels in its adjoining bathroom. It was going to be nice to have Justin around again, but she still didn't quite trust that Brian.

Tony's housekeeper watched from the front door window as the familiar, mint conditioned, midnight blue, 1979 Lincoln Continental limousine rounded the gate, and proceeded along the long driveway of the Massey estate. How many times had she laughed at that old thing, and suggested an upgrade more befitting a man of Tony's stature. But Tony wouldn't hear of it. He had fallen in love with the 79 Lincoln when he was 19, and vowed that whenever he became successful he would own one. To this day the Lincoln continued to be his preferred way of travel. Mary smiled, and stepped out onto the front stoop. She had never been so happy to see that old Lincoln before.

Tony's driver pulled up in front of the house, and opened the passenger door. Brian was the first to exit the backseat, followed by a very slow moving Tony. Mary tried not to appear startled. God, he looked so pale, and he must have lost at least twenty pounds. Tony's housekeeper/surrogate mom put on her brightest smile. "Welcome home, Tony." She hugged him.

"Thank you princess." Tony kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey, I thought I was your princess!" Justin climbed out of the car.

"You are, you both are." Tony smiled.

"Maybe you'll have to upgrade one of them to queen," Brian suggested.

Mary's eyes quickly darted over at Brian. "Hello, Brian," she said dryly. "Justin, baby your room is all ready, and I don't want to hear anything about you staying anywhere else now that Tony is home. It's bad enough that you spent the last eight days at that dreadful hospital."

"We didn't want to be any trouble to you, Mary," Justin said.

"You know you're never any trouble," she said.

Tony stepped through his front door, and looked around. "It's good to be home," he sighed.

"You all must be hungry. I've got lunch prepared. Justin your room is ready. You and Brian can go freshen up if you like while I set the table. Tony, I had a hospital bed set up for you in the study, and your nurse will be here later this afternoon," Mary informed him.

"A hospital bed, what the hell am I going to do with a hospital bed? And I DON'T need a nurse," Tony protested.

"Let's not be hasty. What does he look like?" Brian asked.

"Be quiet you!" Tony barked at Brian, then turned back to Mary. "What do you think I am, a goddamn hospice patient? I didn't come home to die. I've come home to live. I'll sleep in my own bed, thank you very much!"

"Tony, no one is calling you a hospice patient." Justin attempted to reason with his irate lover. "Mary just wanted to make sure that everything was convenient for you, and that someone was around, just in case."

"Just in case of what?" Tony growled.

"In case you can't make it up the stairs," Brian blurted out.

"Fuck you, Brian!" Tony walked over to the bottom of the steps, and looked up the tall staircase at his bedroom door. Funny, it never seemed quite so far away before. The determined man placed one hand on the railing, and took the first step, then the second, then a third, and finally a forth before he stopped. Justin, and Mary held their breaths as Tony failed in his attempt to take the fifth step. They were about to rush to his aid when Brian gently pulled them back.

"Are you having trouble, old man?" Brian called over to him, but Tony didn't answer. Instead he braced one arm across his chest, held on tighter to the railing, and attempted to take the fifth step again.

Brian walked over and placed his arm around Tony's waist. "Come on," he uttered.

Tony looked at Brian. "I've got your old man hanging low, on my left thigh." He winced in pain.

"Yeah, I'll bet you do." Brian chuckled as the two slowly ascended the rest of the steps together.

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NEXT WEEK: A Fly On The Wall

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