The Best Medicine chapter two

[jillmariej]

 

“You know him?” the man with Jared asked but Jensen ignored him.

Retrieving his light from his pocket, he gently brushed blood soaked strands of hair off Jared's face and shined the light in Jared's eyes. He turned to Jared's companion and asked, “What happened?”

“Bar fight. He got clocked pretty good. Chick hit him upside the head with a glass beer pitcher.”

“Jensen?”

Jared's voice was weak, but Jensen gave him a carefree smile as he crouched in front of him. “Hey, buddy. We're going to take you into an exam room, clean you up and take care of you, okay?” He used the same doctor voice he used to calm anxious parents, hiding his own concern.

Jared grabbed Jensen's wrist and pleaded, “You will? You'll take care of me yourself, Jensen?”

Ignoring the feelings twisting inside him, Jensen nodded. “Of course.” He stood and turned to Jared's companion. “You can join us if it's alright with Jared. Or you can get started on the paperwork we'll need at the desk.”   

Jensen pushed Jared into the exam room not waiting to see if the other man followed them. He pressed a button on the room's phone and Genevieve joined them as he was getting Jared onto the exam table. “What have we got?” she asked pulling on gloves and handing a pair to Jensen.

“Severe laceration on the right side of his head. Probable concussion.”

“Jensen?” Jared began then hissed in pain when Jensen moved his arm.

“Sorry, Jared, but Genevieve has got to get your blood pressure. Did you do something to hurt your arm as well?”

Genevieve shot him a concerned look and mouthed, “Jared?”

Jensen pursed his lips. He needed to concentrate on Jared as a patient not as a friend.

“Yeah, I, I don't know,” Jared mumbled. “It hurts.”

Jensen and Genevieve both leaned back to look at him. “His shoulder.” Genevieve pointed.

“Dislocated,” they said in unison.

Jensen looked around the room and noticed that Jared's friend hadn't joined them. “Jared. Your friend, the guy you came in with. What's his name?”

Jared blinked slowly. “Chad.”

Jensen rushed into the hall and found his target filling out Jared's paperwork. He waved Chad over. “Is Jared allergic to any medications?”

“No. I mean, he isn't as far as I know and I've known him since we were twelve.”

Jensen nodded and returned to Jared's room. “Jared?” He kept his voice calm like he was asking about the weather. “Have you ever had a bad reaction when the dentist numbs you to work on a tooth?”

“I hate the dentist.”

“We all do. But has the numbing medicine ever make you sick?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Okay. Good. Gen and I are going to clean you up and we need to give you a couple shots. It's gonna feel like a pinprick but with everything you've got going on, you might not even notice.”

 

In perfect synchronization, Jensen and Genevieve moved around Jared. His vitals were taken, his wound was cleaned and Genevieve grimaced when she needed to shave a bit of his hair so they could stitch him up properly. Because of his concussion they couldn't give him much for the pain so he only had local anesthesia when they set his shoulder.

When he finished stitching Jared’s wound, Jensen snapped off his gloves and tossed them into the trash. “Jared, I'd like to take you for a CT scan. Make sure all you have to worry about is a concussion. Are you up for that?”

Looking dazed and a bit green, Jared nodded. “If you think I need one.”

“I do. While Genevieve is going over your aftercare procedures and treatments, I'll call down to radiology.” He gave Jared a polite smile and left the room.

Chad approached Jensen immediately upon seeing him in the hall. “Is he going to be okay? Can I take him home now?”

Jensen nodded. “He has a concussion, several stitches, and he dislocated his shoulder so his arm's in a sling. I want him to have a CT scan. I'm sure it'll show nothing, but I'd rather be safe.”

As he spoke, Chad studied him. “You're Jensen from his building, aren't you?”

“Excuse me?”

Chad shook his head. “You're why he didn't want to come here. But this place is the closest and he needed a hospital. Shit.” He looked at Jared's room then back at Jensen. “This isn't Jared, okay? Jared is the nicest guy on the planet. The fight wasn't his fault. He was just doing his job and trying to keep people safe and he got jumped.”

Jensen's brow wrinkled in confusion. Why was this guy telling him this? “Right. He's a bouncer, this is in the job description. Are you able to stick around so you can give him a ride home after the scan? He's going to need someone to look after him for the next twenty-four hours or so. Do you have the number to his family or another friend that can stay with him if you can't?”

Chad looked back at the room. “Yeah. Of course. I'll make sure Jared's well taken care of.”

By the time they were finished with Jared's scan, Jensen's shift was over. Jensen told himself that it wasn't out of the norm for doctors to escort their patients to their scans and that the emergency room was well staffed so he wouldn't be missed.  There weren't that many calls on Saturday nights. And he knew all of that was a lie. But he had promised Jared he'd take care of him, so he stayed by his side.

When they returned to the emergency room, Genevieve met them with the bag of Jared's things and his packet of aftercare procedures. Jensen patted Jared's good shoulder. “Okay man, I'll go get your friend and --”

“Chad left,” Genevieve informed them matter-of-factly.

“What? He was Jared's ride.”

“You live in the same building, don't you?” Genevieve replied with a wide-eyed innocent expression. “Your shift is over. You're going home. Take him with you.”

Jensen glared at her from behind Jared who shifted uncomfortably in the wheelchair. “It's okay, Jensen,” Jared said while rooting in his bag for his phone. “I'll call my mom.”

Genevieve bent down to look Jared in the eye as she rested a hand on his. “Don't be silly, Jared. It's the middle of the night. You don't want to wake your mother. Jensen has the day off so let him take care of you.” She gave each of them a sweet smile. “Have fun,” she whispered into Jensen’s ear then slapped his butt as she walked away.

Knowing he'd been set up, but appreciating the effort, Jensen hoped Jared wouldn't mind going home with him. “Jared, I've got to get my stuff from the locker room before we can go home.”  He wheeled Jared around and began to push him in the opposite direction. “And Gen's right. It's the middle of the night. Don't bother your mom. I'm happy to take care of you for the next few hours. Then, when it's a decent hour, you can call your mom if you want her.”

Jared snorted. “My mom'll kick my ass if she sees me like this. She hates my job.”

“Sounds like a smart woman. I like her already.” Jensen stopped by the lounge door. “I'll be right back.”

Although Jensen was usually exhausted by the end of his Saturday shift, the thought of spending all this time with Jared was exhilarating. He would finally have a chance....  Jensen's mind flashed to the memory of that blond guy and a disheveled Jared and he realized he didn't have a chance at all. Then he prayed Jared wouldn't remember his embarrassing comment.

“Hey,” Jensen glanced at Jared in the passenger seat. “I know this is awkward, but I'll stay with you until your mom or boyfriend can come over. I don’t have plans today, so I can stay as long as you need me. I just…"

"I don't have a boyfriend,” Jared blurted.

"Oh, I thought that guy from the elevator..."

"Justin? No, he's not my boyfriend. He was more like a friend with benefits, sort of. We didn't even hook up that night. After we saw you, he decided to leave. In fact, he called me an idiot and told me to find you.” Jared chuckled at the memory. “I went to the fifth floor, but then realized I don't know your apartment number."

"Oh.” Jensen's cheeks warmed and he bit his lip to hide his smile .

“But don't worry about me, Jensen. You don't have to stay. I'll be fine. I'll just --”

“Don't worry about you?! You have a concussion and only one working arm.” Jensen threw the car into park a little too roughly and they jerked. “Jared, you're more than just my patient.” He paused. Could he call Jared a friend? “So, like it or not, I'm taking care of you.” His stern tone left no room for argument.

“So, all I had to do to get you to my place was get twenty some stitches and dislocate my arm?” Jared teased, easing the strain between them.

Jensen smiled at Jared's effort and thought, or not fool around with other guys. “Yeah, well, I wasn't playing hard to get. You didn't need to take attention seeking to such dramatic levels.”

Once at his apartment door, Jared gave Jensen a sheepish smile. “My keys are in my pocket.” He jutted out his hip indicating the left front pocket as if his injured arm was preventing him from retrieving them.

Jensen quirked his brow, looking equally amused and annoyed, but he stepped forward to dig in Jared's pocket. Jared shifted his weight. “A little to the right,” he suggested with a wiggle of his hips which earned him an eyeroll.

“Jared, let's save the dick grabbing games for after I get you cleaned up, okay?” Jensen pulled the keys free from Jared's pocket and unlocked the door.

“Are you saying there will be dick grabbing games in our future?” Jared asked, only half teasing.

Jensen turned around to face him. What the hell, he thought. I've got nothing to lose. He leaned close enough that his breath warmed Jared's jaw. “You follow this doctor's orders and you will be happily rewarded.” Jensen's gaze traveled slowly from Jared's eyes to his lips and then down his frame and back up. The heat in Jensen's gaze stole Jared's ability to speak. He swallowed, nodded and followed Jensen.

Jared's apartment had the same layout as his so Jensen knew his way around. “Let's get you out of those dirty clothes --”

“Can I take a shower?”

“No, you're not going to want water beating down on your head. And, it can be dangerous if you're hit with a bout of dizziness. I'll run a bath and wash your hair for you.”

“You don't have to do that. I can wash my own hair.”

Jensen took a breath so he wouldn't sound condescending. “I'm sure you can, but remember, you only have one good arm and I will be careful of your stitches whereas you can't even see them.”

Jared made a face as he considered the offer.

“Doctor's orders,” Jensen reminded him with a smile.

“Right, follow the orders get a reward.” Jared smirked. “Okay, bath it is.”

Jensen helped Jared gather clean clothes and carried them to the bathroom. Then, as the tub filled with warm water, he removed the sling and helped Jared strip down to his boxers.

Jensen thought the room's temperature must have jumped twenty degrees. Suddenly he was hot and breathless and unsure where to avert his eyes. “Uh, do you need help taking those off? Or you can leave 'em on if you want.”

Giving Jared a moment of privacy, Jensen turned his back. Grabbing Jared's shower gel he squeezed some into the running water.

“What are you…? Bubbles?” Jared asked from behind him.

“Don't act like you don't like it,” Jensen teased. Forcing himself to meet Jared's eyes and to not look anywhere lower, he held onto Jared's arm. “Let's get you in the tub.”

Jared eased himself into the warm water and hummed as he relaxed in the bubbles.

“I'll let you get cleaned up. I'll be back in a few to wash your hair.”

“No. Wait,” Jared implored, reaching for Jensen's wrist. “Stay. Stay here with me. I mean, I know it's awkward but at least we can get to know each other better.”

Jensen smiled fondly at Jared until he felt himself blush. “I need something for rinsing your hair, like a pitcher or a really large cup.”

“In the kitchen, next to the sink, upper right cupboard should have something.”

Jensen nodded. “I'll be right back.”

He returned a moment later with a souvenir cup from the Thor movie. Taking a seat on the edge of the tub, Jensen turned the water on again and let it flow over his fingers as he tested the temperature.

“I really appreciate you helping me out like this,” Jared said, just loud enough to be heard over the rushing water.

Jensen sighed. “Yes, I'm a saint to watch over my sexy naked neighbor.” Then he smiled at Jared who returned it with a playful glint in his eye.

“It's a hardship you're willing to suffer?”

Jensen looked down at his own crotch. “It's not a hardship, yet, but give it time...”

Jared laughed and Jensen poured the cup of water over the man's head. “Hold still. I don't want to get shampoo in your eyes.”

He gently massaged the shampoo through Jared's hair, avoiding the stitches. Jared tilted his head back and relaxed into Jensen's careful caress. “Feels good,” he murmured.

When Jensen rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, Jared gasped at the blood tinged suds. “There was that much blood in my hair? Man I must have looked like hell.”

Jensen blotted Jared's hair with a towel and then worked a tiny dab of conditioner into Jared's hair. “Jared, it would take major effort in order for you to look unattractive.”

He looked around the small bathroom until he found a comb. Gently he worked it through small sections of Jared's hair.

“You're really good at that. Maybe you missed your calling and you should have been a hairdresser instead of a doctor,” Jared teased, looking over his shoulder.

“Yeah, they definitely work better hours,” Jensen agreed. He set down the comb and gently rubbed Jared's neck and shoulders, being careful not to aggravate Jared's injury.

“Mmm, feels nice.” Jared closed his eyes and let Jensen's massage work out all his tension.  “But if you worked normal hours, we wouldn't have met.”

“You don't know that. Maybe I would have walked into Teller's and let you take me home.”  Jensen had to focus on keeping his hands on Jared's neck and shoulders and not let them travel to other tempting regions of the man's body.

“I sometimes think about how cool it would be to see you out some place and have the chance to talk to you for more than a few minutes.”

Jensen's hands stilled. Jared thought about him? “You do?”

“Yeah. The elevator doesn't really give us enough time, you know?”

Jensen stood up, grabbed one of the fluffy towels he had set out and reached for Jared.  “Well, like I said earlier, you didn't have to get your head busted open to spend time with me.”

“It does hurt like hell, but I think it's worth it.” He took Jensen’s hand,  pulled himself up to step out of the tub, and towelled off.

Jensen felt his cheeks flame and turned around. “I'm, uh, I'm going to step into the hall and let you get dressed.” Once in the hall he said, “I'll help you with the sling when you get out here.”  

Jared opened the door a moment later wearing his sweats low on his hips and holding his shirt.  A droplet of water traveling from Jared's collarbone down the center of his chest transfixed Jensen. He was dimly aware that Jared was speaking when a second droplet began the same journey. Jensen surrendered to temptation. His hands went to Jared's hips and he pushed Jared into the wall. He sucked that drop off Jared's chest, then he dragged his lower lip along its path to its source. Jared whimpered as Jensen mouthed and kissed his neck. Jared's knees went weak when Jensen ground their hips together and his blood began to rush southward through his veins...

“The shirt?”

Jensen blinked out of his fantasy. “Oh right, here, let me help you,” he said taking the shirt from Jared's hands. “Slip your right arm in here.” Jensen turned Jared as he spoke, wrapping the flannel shirt around Jared's body.

“Thanks, man.”

“That's what I'm here for,” Jensen added as he buttoned Jared's shirt. “Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?” He set Jared’s arm in the sling.

“No, I'm kinda tired. Can I lay down for a while or is that against the rules?”

The weakness in his voice startled Jensen. “Yeah, okay, let's get you to bed.” He slipped his arm around Jared's waist to support him as he turned them around. “You can sleep for a bit, but I'm going to have to wake you and check your condition. Bed or couch?”

“The couch,” Jared stopped walking, forcing Jensen to listen to him. “I don't want you to leave.”

“I'm not going anywhere,” Jensen assured him. “But if you want to sleep on your couch, that's fine.”

“Are you going to sleep with me?”

Jensen froze, making them both stumble. “Uh, well...”

“I mean just sleep. Are you going to be sleeping, too?”

“Yeah, I'll probably doze off, but I'll set my phone to wake us up in an hour.”

Jared nodded. “Then let's use my bed. We'll be more comfortable.” When Jensen hesitated Jared added, “I promise to keep my hands to myself.”

“Pfft, where's the fun in that?”

Jared squeezed Jensen to his side. “If I wasn't feeling like shit right now I'd be all over you.”

Jensen smiled to himself. “You'll be better in no time. And when you are, I'm taking you up on that offer.”

“Doctor's orders?”

“Doctor's orders.” Jensen led Jared to the bed, fluffed up the pillows and turned down the blanket.

“Uh, thing is,” Jared began, “I can’t sleep in all of this.” He pointed at his clothes. “I’ll get too hot.”

Jensen restrained his aggravated sigh and put on his doctor smile. “Well, for now you are going to sleep in that shirt. I don’t want to jostle your arm more than we have to. But,” he stepped into the other man’s space and tucked his thumbs into the waistband of Jared’s sweat pants. “We can take these off if it’ll make you more comfortable.”

Jared sucked in a breath at Jensen’s closeness and nodded.

“Okay. Put your hand on my shoulder for balance,” Jensen instructed. Then he deftly slid Jared’s pants down his legs and off one foot at a time. He stayed on his knees for a moment, folded the sweat pants, and placed them on the foot of the bed.

Jared swayed when Jensen looked up at him, making the doctor in Jensen concerned. Keeping his voice calm and quiet Jensen said, “Get in bed, Jared.” Jared nodded and blinked at him but didn’t move until Jensen gently patted his leg. “You okay, man?”

“Yeah.” Jared sat down and closed his eyes. “Just a little dizzy.” He wanted to elaborate that it was a side effect of seeing a hot guy on his knees in front of him, but he didn’t.

Immediately concerned, Jensen moved closer and took Jared’s face in his hands. “Jared, look at me.”

Jared opened his eyes and was humbled by the concern he found in Jensen’s. Once Jensen saw Jared’s pupils react properly, he stroked Jared’s cheeks with his thumbs and his eyes fell to Jared’s lips. An annoying voice his his head said, “Don’t do it.” But Jensen ignored it, leaned closer and pressed his lips to Jared’s. That nagging voice was silenced the moment Jared kissed him back.

Jensen broke the kiss, brushed his nose alongside Jared’s, rested their foreheads together and whispered, “Good night, Jared.”

As Jensen stood, Jared gripped his hand and asked, “Where are you going?”

“Right there.” Jensen pointed to the other side of the bed.

“Oh, okay.” Jared pulled the blankets over himself and watched Jensen undress and move across the room. Once Jensen was down to boxers and undershirt, he propped up the pillow and sat back against the headboard.

Jared rolled onto his side to face him. “I thought you were going to rest, too.”

“I am, Jared. I’m just setting the alarms and reading some emails.” After a minute Jensen still felt Jared watching him. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.” He tried to make his voice stern.

“I am.” Jared’s reply earned him Jensen’s raised brow. “I will. I just... you didn’t have to do all this. Thank you.”

Jensen smiled. “Honestly? Gen thinks I have a crush on my neighbor. So she’s the one you should thank.”

Jared smiled and closed his eyes. He stretched out his hand so he could rub Jensen’s thigh.  “Crush, huh?”

Jensen shrugged. “Not confirming or denying.”

“Challenge accepted,” Jared yawned. “So, tell me about you. Where’re you from? Where’d you grow up?”    

Jensen shook his head fondly. It seemed like Jared wanted a bedtime story. “My family moved to the city when I was ten. Before that we lived in a tiny little town upstate.”

Jared perked up. “Really? Me, too. I mean, I’m from a small town upstate. I moved down here for college and never moved back. Did you always want to be a doctor?”

“Actually until I was seven I wanted to be Batman.”

Jared grinned. “Who didn’t? Batman’s awesome.”

“What about you? Is being a bouncer your dream job?”

“No, but I screwed up my dream job and needed something to pay the bills.”

“Maybe this week you can look for something else since your doctor won’t let you go back to Teller’s until the weekend.”

Jared scowled. Jensen sounded like his mother. What was Jensen’s problem with him being a bouncer? Was it because he got hurt or did Jensen think he was he too good to date a bouncer?

Jensen interrupted those thoughts by asking, “What was your dream job and what makes you think you screwed it up?”

“Promise you won’t laugh?”

“Promise.” Jensen made an ‘x’ over his heart encouraging Jared to continue.

“I wanted to be a firefighter but failed the physical.”

Jensen’s brain went into overdrive. How could Jared have failed a physical? Images of Jared all sooty and sweaty in firefighter gear flashed through his mind. He suddenly remembered every firefighter innuendo he ever heard. “Firefighter?” he choked, his voice higher than normal.

“What, you got a problem with that?”

“God, no. I think my brain fried thinking how hot you’d be as a fireman.”

“Funny.” Jared rolled his eyes thinking Jensen’s wordplay meant he was mocking him.

“Dude, seriously. You’d be all my adolescent wet dreams wrapped up in one really tall package.”  He could see Jared didn’t believe him so he added, “If you were a fireman I say things like ‘Bet you know your way around a hose.’ or ‘wanna slide down my pole?’ or something equally as stupid ‘cause firemen are fuckin’ hella sexy.”

“Oh, but bouncers aren’t sexy?”

“I didn’t say that. Hell, you’re sexy just laying there.” Jensen smiled at him and ran a hand over Jared’s hair. “How could you have failed the physical?”

Jared rolled onto his back. “I was sick. Bronchial infection. Could barely breath let alone complete the course. I had an embarrassing coughing fit after running up two flights of stairs.”

“There wasn’t a retake available?”

Jared shook his head. “No. The department had the recruits they needed and they only test every eighteen months.”

“That sucks. You gonna try again?” he asked, yawning.

“Yeah, I think so, but I’ve got nearly a year to wait.”

“Let me know if you need any help with the training. I’d love to help.” Jensen shifted in the bed and set his phone on the bedside table.“Did you ever want to move back home?”

Jared considered it for a minute. “Yeah, I love my hometown. It’s small, but friendly. And I was always comfortable there. Even when I decided to come out it wasn’t a big deal, I felt accepted right away. But there’s not much there, ya know?”

Jensen nodded. “No jobs?”

“No, not many; nothing I wanted anyway. There’s no… I mean I was one of maybe dozen gay guys in the area and most of them were committed to each other.”  

Jensen nodded in understanding.

“What about you?” Jared asked. “How is a good looking doctor like you single?”

Jensen would rather crawl under Jared’s bed than answer that question. “The hours I work make it difficult to date, I guess.” He shrugged noncommittally. He wasn’t about to discuss his past relationship mistakes with Jared.

“Are you moving to the suburbs when your residency is over?”

Jensen shrugged. “I always wanted to move back to a small town, be the town doctor, but that’s a pipe dream. I don’t think those kind of doctors exist anymore. The hospital offered me a position, it’s not official yet, but it’s a job.”

Jared squinted at him from down on the bed. “Doesn’t sound like you want it.”

Again Jensen shrugged. “It’ll pay the bills.” He reached over and turned out the light, and scooched under the covers. “Goodnight, Jared. Get some sleep. I’ll check on you in an hour.”

“Okay, goodnight.”

After waking up once an hour for three hours, Jensen decided it was safe to get some real sleep and didn’t bother with the alarm.

chapter 3

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