Kevin woke with a start, something ringing loudly and consistently near his ear. It took a couple of seconds before he realised that it was the telephone, and reaching out sleepily, he fumbled around until his hand collided with the receiver and he scooped it up, mumbling into the reciver, his voice clogged with sleep.
“Lo?”
“Is that Kevin McDaid?”
“Yeah, it is, who’s this?”
“Mr McDaid, it’s Nurse Matthews from Holles Street Hospital, I’m calling about a Mr. Feehily?”
Kevin was all of a sudden wide awake, something must be seriously wrong if they were calling in the middle of the night. Mark had been complaining of feeling funny all day, but the nurses told him it was just a stomach bug and that it would go away
“Sir? You still there?”
“Yes, sorry, what’s wrong with him?”
“An infection I’m afraid, in one of his wrists. We’re not sure how it got there, but it’s entered his blood stream and he’s going to need an operation to clean out the wound. He wanted us to call you before he went into theatre though, are you able to come down?”
“Yes, right, okay, I’ll be 20 minutes, tell him I’m on my way, oh and thanks for calling!”
He hung up and bolted for the bathroom, and really needed a shower, and come to think of it, he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days either.
20 minutes later
Kevin burst into the hospital and headed automatically for the elevator that would take him to Mark. He was impressed with what he had done in 20 minutes, showered, shaved and rung Marie to let her know what was happening and reassure her that he would ring straight away if there was any change, and that no, she didn’t need to come down, he could handle it.
He stopped outside Mark’s door and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down and not be afraid. Gently, he pushed the door open and peeked around it.
Mark looked up hopefully and sank back in pillows gratefully when Kevin’s head peeked around the door. All he wanted was a cuddle, to have someone love him and hold him close. Trying to ignore the pain, he held out his arms hopefully, reaching out to Kevin.
Kevin felt his heart melt, Mark was holding his arms out, wanting, needing a cuddle. And it was right then and there that he fell totally head over heels in love with Mark.
“Oh Mark,” he hurried over and sat on the bed, gathering Mark into his arms and holding him close, running his fingers through his hair and kissing his forehead softly.
Mark burrowed his head into Kevin’s chest, and to his horror, felt tears well up in his eyes.
It took Kevin a few seconds to realise that Mark was crying and when he did, it nearly broke his heart. The small, soft gulping noises Mark was making, with little sniffles every now and then almost had him in tears. Poor Mark was obviously in a lot of pain. Making sure he had a tight grip around Mark, Kevin started to gently rock him, soothing him softly, trying to ease the ache and the tears.
“Shh, it’s okay babes. I’m here, let it all it, it’s gonna be alright.”
He rubbed little circles on Mark’s back as he rocked him, and eventually, felt the tears stop.
Mark looked up at Kevin, his cheeks rosy red and streaked with tears, his eyes a deep blue, reflecting the pain and the hurt in them.
“Sorry Kev.”
Kevin looked confused, “What for?”
Mark looked down at the sheets, and shifted slightly, “For calling you in the middle of the night, and then crying all over you!”
Kevin chuckled, “It’s okay, I don’t mind. I’m more than happy to come and see you!”
He kissed Mark tenderly, and then pulled back, look hesitantly at him,
“Which wrist is it Mark?”
Mark pulled away from him and leant back into the pillows “Doesn’t matter,”
Kevin glared at him, “Yes, it does!”
Mark glared right back at him, “No, it doesn’t!”
Feeling hurt and frustrated, Kevin stood up abruptly from the bed and started to pace the room.
“Yes, Marcus, it does bloody well matter. It might not to you, but it does for me!
For Christ’s sake, I come here in the middle of the night to see you and comfort you, feeling somewhat proud that you have actually asked for me, and that maybe, just maybe you’re starting to feel more comfortable with us being boyfriends, only to arrive, help you feel better and then get shoved away!
I’m you’re boyfriend Mark, and I love you, so much, but please, can’t you just give me a chance?”
Mark looked up at him, fresh tears working their way down his cheeks, and slightly bewildered look on his face.
“Did you just say you love me?”
Kevin stopped pacing and looked Mark directly in the eye, “More than you’ll ever know!”
He crossed the room and sat back down on the bed, looking Mark back in the eyes,
“I love you, more than words can say, and I love you for you. Not because of who you are, not because you’re famous and can sing. But because you’re Mark Feehily, and to me, that person is incredibly special.”
Mark felt a smile take over his face, he wanted to so badly tell Kevin he felt the same way, but he couldn’t figure out the words to say it. So instead he shifted his left arm a bit, and told Kevin which wrist it was.
“The left one,”
Kevin look confused for a minute, before he figured it out. He hadn’t expected Mark to say anything back, but he felt better for what he said.
Very gently, he pulled back the blankets covering Mark’s left wrist, and felt tears fill his own eyes when he saw Mark’s wrist unbandage for the first time.
The cut stood out clearly, white against the infected red skin, stretching from one side of his wrist to the other.
The infected area was easily spotted, swollen and painful looking, it lurked under the skin like some type of poison.
Moving slowly, Kevin ran his fingers over the wrist, feeling the heat radiating off it. He moved his fingers in a feather light touch, running them gently over the skin, trying to sooth the pain.
“That’s really nice, keep going?”
Kevin obliged, and leant in to kiss Mark, taking his mind off the pain. The kiss turned passionate and Mark fell back against the pillows, taking Kevin with him.
How long they kissed for, neither Mark or Kevin knew, but it wasn’t long enough when a nurse cleared her throat from the doorway to the room, trying to get their attention.
She smiled when they finally parted,
“About time lads, I was just about to go and get a bucket of water!”
They both blushed, and Kevin slid of the bed, trying to discreetly adjust his pants.
“Alright love, it’s time to get going.”
She looked at Kevin, “You can help us wheel him as far as the operating theatre preparation room, but then I’m afraid you just have to wait!”
Kevin nodded, that was fine with him. He watched in fascination as Mark was unhooked from various machines and the sides of the bed raised, before the brakes where let off and the nurse guided Kevin to one side.
“Just push and keep up!”
Soon they were hurrying along the hospital hallways, into an elevator, down a level and then along even more hallways, until the nurse announced that they had arrived.
“Alright, I’ll go and get the doctor, you two say goodbye!”
Kevin smoothed back Mark’s hair and kissed him tenderly,
“It’ll be alright sweetie, just remember that I love you and I’ll be here waiting when you come out!”
Mark nodded and kissed him back, not wanting to stop, but the nurse had come back, with a doctor in tow.
“Right, let’s get you ready Mr. Feehily!”
Kevin stepped away and was about to let go of Mark’s hand, when the grip on his tightened.
“Kev?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you too.”