“The drugs have worn off,” he groaned.
“Do you want me to get the doctor?” She stood quickly and was about to leave.
Othello shook his head. “Not yet. I can deal with the discomfort for a bit. I want to spend some time with you.”
“Even lying there in bed in pain, you try to sweet talk me. Let’s get your pain taken care of. I won’t be going anywhere.”
She pressed the call button, and the hospital staff arrived quicker than expected. Othello wasn’t sure why he was expecting the doctor from earlier instead of a nurse showing up.
“Hello, Mister Moor, I’m Chloe. What can I do for you?”
“He’s in pain,” Maria rushed out before he could speak.
Not affected by Maria’s words, Chole picked up his record and looked at it. “Okay, we’ll take care of it. Also, Doctor Ellington left instructions for additional tests. You were sleeping when we came to get you, so we’ll get that done.”
“Is that his doctor? This Ellington?” Maria asked.
“Yes, he’s the attending doctor and the one who operated on Mister Moor.”
“Then where is he? Shouldn’t he be here to take care of my son?” Maria had slipped completely into mama-bear mode, and Othello felt sorry for the poor nurse.
“Doctor Ellington has gone home for the night, but other doctors are available if anything happens.”
“Mama, I’m in pain,” he said softly before Maria could utter another word. The nurse looked at him, and he saw the relief in her eyes.
“I’ll get you those meds. I’ll also have some broth sent up for you.”
“Thank you,” Othello said.
“She seems nice,” Maria said when the nurse left them alone. “Very pretty, too.”
“Mama,” he groaned. “You remember I’m gay, right?”
Othello had come out to Alessandro and Maria when he was sixteen, and although he’d been scared out of his mind, he couldn’t live in a box and was ready for them to kick him out if they were against it. Although they lived in an open society with male carriers, there were still some assholes who had issues withsame-sex couples. But to his relief, they accepted him. Iago, on the other hand, had a hard time with him being gay, and it put a slight fracture in their relationship for a few months.
According to Iago, he felt betrayed by Othello’s homosexuality and couldn’t understand why everyone was so accepting of his lifestyle. He argued that Othello needed to find the right girl so he would know that he was straight. Othello grew insulted by Iago’s words and got sick and tired of being unable to explain things to him so his friend would understand that he was born the way he was and it wouldn’t change. It wasn’t as if he found women disgusting. He could appreciate beauty when he saw it; he just wasn’t attracted to them sexually. So, he simply stopped talking to him.
They’d argued and had drag-out fistfights for the first time in their friendship.
Othello had thought everything they had built was over, until one day, Iago apologized and told him that although he didn’t understand the whole gay thing, he wouldn’t lose his brother over it. He wouldn’t lie and say that it hadn’t taken a long time for them to build back the trust they have now.
“Of course I do. But if one day you find a lover who is not a carrier and you two decide to give me grandchildren, she’s a choice for a surrogate.”
Othello rolled his eyes. “Didn't you just find out you’re about to be a grandmother? Don’t give me that.”
“I wished Iago had married the girl first,” Maria pouted. “Maybe you should talk to him.”
“Her name is Emilia, and they will when they are ready.”
“I know what her name is,” Maria huffed and agitatedly fixed his bed covers, grumbling about Emilia. “She’s a sweet girl, and I hate what Iago has been doing to her, but I promise not to interfere in your love lives. As long as he is happy, I will support him.”
At the beginning of the relationship, his mama disliked Emilia a little until she learned of Iago’s cheating habits. As much as Maria tried to stay out of it, she couldn’t stop herself from berating Iago and telling Emilia to break things off with him. Hearing those words must have done something to Iago because he promised to remain faithful to Emilia if she forgave him. However, Othello knew his brother and knew that he was keeping a mistress or two on the side, much to Othello’s disappointment, and he’d told him to stop being an idiot. Othello thought Emilia was perfect for Iago. He could see how much she loved his friend and wished he had someone as devoted to him as Emilia was to Iago.
During her fussing, Nurse Chloe came in with his medication, and he was fucking thankful. Not long after, the broth came up, and as hungry as he was, he couldn’t manage but a few spoonfuls.
Fuck, I need to get better quickly so that I can get the fuck out of here.
Othello had never told anyone, but he hated hospitals. He couldn’t recall many details about his parents’ deaths, but he vividly remembered the hospital’s smell and the overwhelming emotions it brought. Even though he was an adult and Maria had been by his side the entire time, with each passing moment he was awake, he could feel those very emotions, and it was fucking with him far more than it should. A couple of hours later, he wastaken for tests and then back to his room, where Alessandro had joined Maria.
