He hated it. Just once, for fucking once, he’d like to be in good-enough condition to not need Ty to do things he shouldn’t have to do for him. This time, though … “Can you call an ambulance?” Morgan whispered to Ty.
“Mmm, I don’t have a phone,” Ty said, and—right, of course he didn’t. “I’ll get help. Stay here.”
Morgan managed a bitter little smile as he heard Ty get out of the boat and head quickly up the dock.
It wasn’t like he could go anywhere on his own right now.
***
There was no emergency room in town, but there was an urgent care, so after a brief conversation with the EMTs, thatwas where Morgan ended up. Then there were muscle relaxants, better-quality painkillers, and an in-person visit from Dr. Simpson, who apparently didn’t mind walking two blocks over from his office to make their appointment.
“Once we get the pain and swelling under control, your physical therapist will be able to work on ways to release the nerveandstrengthen the right muscles,” he said. “But I think that’s got to wait until you’re over the acute phase, so at least another few days.”
“Okay.” Morgan was almost ecstatic from how good it felt to be out of pain; he would have agreed to anything right then. “If you can recommend someone I can work with remotely, then—”
“Oh, son, no.” Dr. Simpson shook his bald head. “That’s not going to work, not in the short term, at least. Physical therapy goes way beyond rote exercise, and there are some very useful modalities that can only be done in person. You’re going to need to come in for visits.”
Fuck, not again.“I won’t be able to pilot the boat for that.”
“Then get Ty to bring you like he did today.” His doctor raised a brow. “Honestly, on these painkillers, you shouldn’t be behind the tiller of a boat anyway. The last thing you need is to get dumped back into the water when you accidentally run into a yacht.”
“He’s not going to want to spend so much time on me,” Morgan said a little desperately.
“You think? He’s in the waiting room right now.” Dr. Simpson stood up. “Why don’t we ask him?”
So he could say yes out of obligation? “I’ll ask him later,” Morgan insisted as he slowly pressed to his feet. His visit was done; the sooner he could fill his prescriptions and get back to the lighthouse to sleep, the better.
“If you say so.” They walked out into the waiting room together, where sure enough, Ty was sitting and lookingdistinctly uncomfortable under the bright fluorescent lights. He stood up the moment he saw Morgan.
“Are you all right?”
“I am. I will be,” he amended. “I just need to fill some prescriptions.”
“Let me take you.”
Dr. Simpson turned to look at Morgan as if to say,see?“We’ll meet again in a few weeks to discuss your progress,” he said. “The PT clinic will be expecting a call from you.” Then he left, and Moran was alone with Ty in this sterile, clinical space that didn’t suit him at all.
“What is PT?” Ty asked after a moment.
“Uh.” How did he not know this? “It’s physical therapy. Seeing someone to help me get my shoulder back to normal.”
“How often will you need it?”
“I don’t know yet. Look,” Morgan said as firmly as he could while a little loopy, “It’ll be fine. I’ll figure out a way to get here without—”
“Mmm, I’ll bring you.”
Morgan stopped trying to speak and just stared at Ty, who shifted on his feet but met his gaze without flinching. “Why?” he finally asked. “I don’t get it. I thought … you didn’t want to …”
Ty sighed. “Can I tell you at home?”
Yours or mine?But Morgan just nodded, and Ty took him by the hand and led him to the pharmacy, where he paid for more muscle relaxants and painkillers, then walked him back down to the dock, and damn, this place was really small, wasn’t it? He hadn’t realized before how very tiny and walkable it was.
They stopped at the restaurant where Ty brought a daily catch for lunch, and the lady behind the counter looked up as soon as they walked in and said, “Sothat’swhy you flew outta here in such a hurry this morning!”
“Hi, Donna.” Ty smiled at her, looking the most relaxed he’d been all day. “Sorry I couldn’t linger; I needed to get back to Morgan.”
What?
