“It’ll be fine. I’m sure the docs have seen it all.” I doubted Fallon was the first guy to get a cock ring stuck.
Fallon shifted uncomfortably and smoothed down the jacket he’d laid over his lap. “Fuck. I hate hospitals. If they want to put me in a coma again, I’m not doing it.”
I shuffled forward in my chair and touched his hand, which was clutched in Vail’s. “That won’t happen this time. It’s a cock ring, tater tot. It’ll be fine, I swear.” I always hated promising something that I didn’t know for sure, but I had faith in God that this would all work out.
This wasn’t punishment for me sinning with a second man. At least, that’s what I had to tell myself. Maybe I needed to visit Father Shay later this afternoon when this was all over. Confessing my sins was what gave me the redemption I needed.
Fallon flashed me a brave smile, though it was wobbly, and my heart broke. It wasn’t often that I saw Fallon this afraid. “Thanks.”
I didn’t know if I’d actually comforted him or if he was placatingme, but he settled onto the bed anyway. Vail gave Fallon his phone because Fallon had left his at home, and Fallon began to play games to distract himself. Vail, being Vail, started to tell us facts he deemed we needed to know about life in general.
“I learned a lot about Australia yesterday. One of the kids I tutored has an Australian dad. Did you know that ninety percent of Australia’s population lives on the coast? I think that’s really interesting, but I can see why. Their beaches seem nice.” He sighed. “I would like to go to Australia one day.”
“We’ll take ye there for a wee holiday, sweet pea. I’ve been there once. Sloan has allies there,” I murmured.
“Really?” Vail’s mouth popped open in surprise. “I love that! I want to go. Anyway, I was talking to this Australian dad, I don’t remember his name, but he said that they have a feral camel issue. Can you believe that?” He wriggled where he sat, clearly excited by the new information. “CamelsinAustralia.”
He continued to give us random facts about the country.
I slumped in the chair and closed my eyes, resting my gaze from the sharp lights of the ER. Like Fallon, I’d always hated the hospital, but I’d seen the inside of it more than I cared for. The one thing I absolutely detested was the brightness. The sound of Fallon playing a game on Vail’s phone, along with Vail’s jovial voice, calmed the panic in my brain. This was going to be okay. The fear of Fallon being hurt had created a knot in my chest, and I couldn’t quite get rid of it, no matter how much I relaxed.
I cared for him.
About ten minutes later, the doctor finally opened the door and came through the curtain, tugging it closed behind himself. He wasn’t someone I’d seen before, but that wasn’t surprising. The Hamptons were bigger than people expected—nowhere near the size of New York City, though. This bloke didn’t look old enough to be a doctor. He barely appeared older than Fallon, with big blue eyes and fluffy blond hair. He had a giant smile across a slim pixie face, and a splatter of light freckles dotted dimpled cheeks and a thin nose.
“Good morning, I’m Dr. Darby O’Halloran, and I’m going to help you today.” He stared down at the tablet in his hands briefly. “You have a....” His blond eyebrows furrowed. “A ring stuck around your penis?” He glanced back up at Fallon, a pinch of pink darkening his rounded cheeks.
Fallon’s face turned a bright red again and he groaned.
My heart hurt for him, and I rushed to break the embarrassing moment. “Ye Irish, doc? O’Halloran gives ye away.”
The doctor’s gaze darted to me, as though he hadn’t realized Vail and I were here. He offered me a wide grin. “Yes, Irish and German. My grandfather’s the one who came over from Ireland. I don’t have to ask where you’re from.”
I laughed. “Aye. Irish born and bred. Came over from Dundalk.”
“I wish I knew where that was, but I don’t. There isn’t much I know about Ireland to be honest. My grandfather passed when I was a baby.” He turned his attention back to Fallon and gave him a genuine smile. “I will need to look at the ring, if you please?”
Fallon’s eyes narrowed. “Are you old enough?”
“Fallon,” Vail murmured, stealing his hand from mine to pat Fallon’s thigh. “Be nice. I know you’re embarrassed, but he’s here to help. We’re right here, too, and we’re not going anywhere.” He spoke that last bit louder, almost like he was informing the doc of what was going on. It was cute to see Vail getting all protective.
“He’s spending too much time around Cillian,” I murmured, hoping to lighten the mood. It didn’t work.
Fallon’s entire face and neck were a deep red and his distraught expression made my stomach turn into a washing machine, churning my insides into mush. I hated that there wasn’t a bloody thing I could do to help him.
Dr. O’Halloran laid the tablet at the end of the bed near Fallon’s feet and walked up toward his head. He clasped his hands in front of himself, a calming gesture that had Fallon’s shoulders relaxing. “I’m not here to judge you, Fallon. Can I call you Fallon?”
Fallon nodded.
He cleared his throat. “I need to have a look. Can you let me?”
Fallon took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling, and finally, he nodded again. He didn’t say a word, but apparently that was all the doc needed because he slowly picked up the jacket. Vail and Fallon worked off Fallon’s trousers while being mindful of the insulin pump, leaving him naked from the waist down.
Dr. O’Halloran hummed thoughtfully. “I’m going to touch your penis, Fallon. I’m sorry. I know it’s uncomfortable, but I need to get a closer look and make sure it’s still warm. We’ll need more speed than finesse if it’s cold.”
Fallon’s face burned a bright pink and he looked at me helplessly, which made the feelings sloshing inside me worse. There was not a bloody thing I could do to rid him of the shame, even though I wished I could.
He muttered, “Yeah. Go ahead.”
