“That’s what the doctor said too,” Tyler says. “I’ll look into getting one when I’m home.”
“Do you live alone?” I ask. When Tyler doesn’t answer, I explain further. “I want to make sure someone is around to check up on you. Otherwise, I will be making sure you actually use that number I gave you months ago.”
He mumbles something that I don’t catch. I’m about to cross a line, to fit my finger under his chin and lift his head so he’s meeting my eyes, but the door opens and the doctor comes in once more.
“Alright, looks like everything is good to go. We’re ready to get you out of here, Tyler. You have an appointment with your doctor next week to do more blood work so please make that appointment. We’ve sent the prescription to the pharmacy already. You can start taking that tomorrow. Today, rest and stay hydrated with water, okay? And no skipping meals.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” The doctor hands over a stack of papers to me before walking back out. I look at Tyler, not letting his mumbling go. “I live with my parents, so I’ll have someone at the house with me. I called my mom earlier and she’s taking off work tomorrow and my dad will be home already when I get there today.”
“Good. That number still works, though, if you start feeling any weird side effects or have questions. Please use it, okay?” I realize how pushy that sounds so I try to lighten the mood. “I need to make sure I’m getting the best breakfast sandwiches each morning.”
“I’m glad I’m good for something for you,” Tyler says with a small laugh. My eyes go wide for a second before we’re both laughing. “That came out wrong. I appreciate that you like the sandwiches I make.”
“Alright, let’s get you out of here, okay? I will have to take you down in a wheelchair, but once we’re outside and Remington brings the car around, you’re good to go.”
“Sounds good. Thank you, for everything.”
We go through the discharge papers once more before I grab a wheelchair and we head downstairs. We make a pitstop for his medication. Remington already has the car parked and he steps out to help Tyler into the backseat. I notice that he buckles him in as well. It’s very caring, if maybe a little strange for his boss’s boyfriend. I don’t know their dynamic though, so I refrain from any more judgement.
“Thanks again, Brandt.” Austin says from the passenger seat. “We’ll see you at the shop. I already gave him tomorrow and Wednesday off.”
For selfish reasons, that makes me feel better. I know that these feelings aren’t professional and if Tyler comes back in, it’ll be best for someone else to be his nurse. I find him attractive and I enjoy our brief talks in the mornings. Giving him my personal cell number was already a stretch.
I wave to them as Remington pulls away.
I only have an hour left on my shift and I spend it at the nurses’ station. I give the evening shift nurse the rundown on my patients before I clock out and head home.
My apartment isn’t the biggest. It’s nice, but definitely not designed for more than one or two people. A couple, seeing as there is only one bedroom. I have Sir Fluffikins, my orange tabby. My niece named him when we went to the animal shelter two years ago. After she named him, I knew I had to adoptthe little guy. He was just a kitten then, but now he’s a lovable furball.
“Hey, Fluff.” He meows when I say his nickname. He rubs against my leg and then weaves between my feet. A minute later, he lets out a much more urgent meow, the one to tell me that he’s been starving all day and I need to feed him now. “Okay, okay. I swear, you’re more demanding than some of my patients.”
I put my stuff down on the small kitchen table and open the pantry door. His food is locked up tight because he’s way too smart for his own good and will eat until he physically can’t move. I grab the bag out of the plastic container and move to his bowl. His water is still half full so I don’t bother with it.
I check my phone once more, smiling at the previous texts from Tyler. He did text me to let me know Remington got him home safely and he is just laying in bed. His mom was on the verge of panic when he got back but he’s since told her he needs to rest. Still, he’s timed her and she peeks her head in every twenty minutes.
There isn’t anything new from him and I focus on making myself dinner. Well, reheating last night’s dinner I didn’t finish. Chicken curry. I love my spicy foods.
“What shall we watch tonight, Fluff?” I ask as I walk past his nearly empty bowl and to the living room. I get comfortable in my favorite spot and turn on the TV. I have two of the many streaming services and bounce between both.
Unlike a lot of my co-workers, I love the hospital shows. They’re certainly not accurate, but I still enjoy the storylines. I’m debating between two different shows when my phone buzzes on the table next to me. It’s a call and I see Tyler’s name.
“Tyler? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. I’m sorry for calling. Just– Please don’t judge me, but can you tell my mom that everything is going to be okay? I’ll put you on speaker phone.”
I want to chuckle at those words, but I hold it in. I hear a commotion before a woman’s voice becomes clear.
“...forbid a mother to be worried about her child when he comes home from the hospital after fainting.” She sounds a lot like my own mom. A tad overbearing, but obviously means well.
“I don’t know everything there is to know about Addison’s, but if Tyler sticks to the regimen we outlined and avoids stressful situations, he’ll be okay.” I hear rustling of papers and then some low muttering before Tyler’s voice comes through clear. “I’m sorry about that. She read the whole ‘you can die from a crisis thing’ and freaked out when I got home. She wouldn’t stop asking me questions and it was starting to get a bit much.”
“I’m off on Thursday if you need a buffer,” I say before I can think that through. I definitely should not be offering to have a patient come over and hang out. But I’ve already said if he comes back in, I’ll let them know I can’t be the one to treat him. The thought of taking care of him fills my mind. Not only can I keep an eye on him if he’s here, but I can show him the reputable sites to look up information and make him food that is good for keeping symptoms at bay. There’s silence on the phone and I’m about to say nevermind when Tyler speaks.
“Are you always off on Thursdays?” That question catches me off guard. “I ask because you always come in with that group on Thursdays. If you don’t work, why are you awake so early?”
I smile at those words. I move my bowl of curry to the coffee table and shift on the couch to get more comfortable. “I do work most Thursdays, but this week I switched with another nurse because she has a wedding to go to over the weekend. So she took my shift and I’ll take hers on Saturday.”
There’s another brief pause where I can hear mumbling but not make out the words. Tyler comes back a few seconds later with a long sigh. “I swear, it’s like she forgets I’m twenty now. I might have to take you up on that offer just to get some quiet.I’m planning on going to work on Thursday though. A day in the hospital is sure to push me back a good buck, even with my insurance.”
