Heal Me - Chapter One, Part Two

 

CHAPTER ONE, PART TWO

Severine’s voice woke him from a nightmare of drowning in his own blood as firefighters stood around his car watching. “Matt, your nurse is here.”

He opened his eyes, covered in sweat, and saw a woman in her sixties in a white dress and heavy duty pantyhose who looked like Mary Poppins. He sighed. “No.”

“Matthew.” Severine’s tone was disapproving. It warned him not to do this.

“Please go,” he said and closed his eyes again. Wasn’t he helpless and dependent enough without his fucking grandmother bed bathing him?

Once Severine had showed the nurse out, he called the agency again. “Look, she wasn’t suitable either.”

“Okay, sir.” The voice was smooth and unflappable. “Tell me what you want.”

The solution struck him then. It seemed obvious. “A man. Not too young, not too old. Strong enough to help me from bed.”

“Sure. We have one on our books.”

One? Well, shit, he’d have to like this one, and it was tough if he didn’t.

“James Hayden. I’ll email you his résumé and give him a call, see if he’s free.”

“Thanks.” Matt hung up. He used the remote to raise the back of the bed because he could hear Severine climbing the stairs with a rattling tray. Was hiring a man the best idea? A male nurse spelled one thing. Gay. Stereotypical of him, but surely true. None of the guys who’d looked after him in the hospital had been straight. Or had they? Matt wouldn’t label himself as homophobic in these times of equality, but gay men made him nervous. Why? He didn’t know. He was handsome with a superb body, or at least he used to be before he was broken to bits. He wasn’t sure he wanted some queer getting his rocks off while looking after Matt intimately. He knew it was a terrible way to think. And why should anyone, male or female, find him hot now?

Severine arrived in his room with a tray. She smiled, but the disapproval remained.

 

****

 

James Hayden was dozing in that time between sleep and full consciousness. Then his cell shrilled and he was wide awake. He groaned, snatched the phone off the nightstand, and sighed when he saw the caller’s name.

“Hi, James, it’s Paul.”

“Hi, what can I do for you?”

“Are you busy at the moment? I’ve got a client for you, might be a long job. He’s a rehab.”

“Go on. I’m free, but I’m feeling picky.”

Paul laughed. “You’ll want to be picky with this guy. He already fired two nurses before they even started.”

James huffed. “And yet you still recommended me?”

“Because I know difficult rich guys are your specialty.”

“How do you know he’s rich?”

“He lives in that massive white house on the cliff overlooking the beach. He runs a huge book company. He’s loaded.”

James yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Am I supposed to be impressed?”

“I know you like your luxurious working conditions.”

“I can take or leave the work, Paul, I earned plenty from the last job. You can tell me about him, but I doubt I’ll be interested.”

“Okay, he was in a serious car accident two weeks ago. He’s got numerous broken bones, and he had surgery. Nearly died by all accounts, and then he went and discharged himself from the hospital against medical advice.”

“You’re absolutely not selling him to me.”

“Listen, I spoke to him twice. I read between the lines. I know you think I’m just money orientated, James, but he sounds like he’s on the edge. He needs help.”

James sighed. “I’m not a fucking shrink.”

“Have a heart. Your patients always tell me how caring you are.”

“He sounds like an asshole. Some people you can’t help.”

“I know you don’t mean that.”

James bit his lip, staring at the ceiling. No, he didn’t and that was just his trouble. He cared too much. “How old is he?”

“Thirty-seven.”

He sighed. “Fine. I’ll see him tomorrow morning. I’m not promising anything.”

“Thanks, James. I can negotiate a higher fee for your trouble.”

“Good. Sounds like I’ll need it.”

 

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