There’s a facebook group called Small by Mighty and they usually have a flash fic months. I decided to my hand at it and this is the end result A recovering-from-an-injury superhero has to hide his powers from his devastatingly handsome nurse.
Waking up in the triage of the local emergency room was going against my normal day.
I stared up at the ceiling and went through the previous at, trying to figure out what happened. How did I end up at the hospital?
It was a routine rescue. I saved a boy from getting hit by a runaway vehicle and then…
“Wake up, sunshine, It’s time for you to see the doctor,” The voice was saccharine sweet and held hints of irritation. I did not want to open my eyes. Sleep seemed pretty good at the moment. “Listen, I can see your heart rate on the monitor. I know you’re awake. You’re my last patient so please open your eyes.”
I wrinkled my nose and opened my eyes and stared into the prettiest biggest eyes I had ever seen. They were the lightest of grey and reminded me of clouds before a storm. “Your eyes.”
“There you are. How are you feeling? You took quite a tumble.” The man with the sharp cheekbones and chiseled jaw, fluffed the pillow behind my head efficiently before shining a light in my eyes.
“What are you doing?” I mumbled. I sat up carefully, wincing at all the aches and pains in my body.
“Getting the prelims done before Dr Bones comes in.” I didn’t hear the words. I was too entranced by this perfect specimen in front of me. His scrubs moulded to his bulging biceps and the curve of his ass. But his scowling face and raised eyebrow kept me from staring too long.
It was only then the doctor’s name became clear. “No, not her. You cannot let her near me.”
“Sorry, pal. She’s the one on call. You have to put on your big boy panties and deal.” The nurse, who didn’t have a name tag, patted my hand and disappeared.
My mouth dropped open as he left, swinging his hips side to side. He knew. He knew what he did to me and he was deliberately being cruel. I think.
“Good evening, Firebug. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you here.” Dr Bones appeared, a chart in hand and glasses resting on the tip of her nose. “Broken femur, already healing, broken ulna, not so much healing and minor cuts and bruises. What happened, baby?”
My face went up in flames at the childish pet name. “No, you can’t call me that here. I’m a grown man.”
“But my baby, you’ll be. Especially when you jump out in front of a transport truck with a puppy in hand. What the hell were you thinking?” Dr Bones placed her delicate hand against my forehead and I instinctively pressed into the touch. Mom had the gentlest of touches.
“He was so young and the little boy was crying for him.” I said, thinking of the moment when the dog dashed out in traffic followed by his young owner.
“I know you think you’re invulnerable but you’re not. You can protect yourself from flames, baby. Flames. Now let me fix some things and you can go home.” Dr Bones placed her hand on my arm and thigh. I could feel the tingle of healing working through me. The aches and pains were still there but the deep aches of broken bones disappeared. “Tal is waiting outside.”
“I don’t want to see him,” I muttered, my face flaming in embarrassment. Forever humiliated.
“Too bad, baby. The paramedics knew where to take you.” Dr Bones kissed my forehead and patted my shoulder as she left my area in the emergency room. “I’ll see you both at dinner on Sunday.”
“Just me. No Tal.” I mumbled. I didn’t want to see Tal nor did I want to hear him speak.
“Sure, baby. Just you.” With a jaunty wave, my mother disappeared and I was alone in my bright space with the curtain drawn to give me privacy.
I dropped my head back against the pillow and stared up at all the pipes crisscrossing the ceiling. Tal. The Sexiest man on the planet. The one who made my heart pitterpatter with only a look. He could have had so many different better boyfriends than me. Even better heroes, like a real firefighter.
The man with the perfect ass and hands the size of dinner plates slipped back in wearing jeans and a Star Wars t-shirt. His eyes were still angry and his jaw ticked as he stared at me. Such a perfect jaw. He should have been a model. Or a model-nurse. His walk on the red carpet would be amazing.
“What the hell were you thinking?” The words were spit out viciously quiet. He stayed leaning against the door, his long legs crossed. I catalogued every part of him I (adored) could see.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I rasped. I flexed my leg inside its cast.
“You stepped out in traffic. Are you nuts?” Tal burst out. I shrugged, unsure of the answer. “Why would you do that?”
“Why does it matter? I broke up with you!” I blurted out. God, it hurt so damn much to say that. “We want different things. This was supposed to be temporary until—“
“Until what, James?” He bit out poisonously. I thought I could hear a bit of hurt in his voice. “Whatever. If that’s what you want. Fine.”
And he was gone. And my super healing was still a secret.
***
The next time I tried to save someone, I accidentally leapt out of a four storey apartment building. My upper arm snapped as I landed on the ladder truck, just arriving.
I hadn’t seen Tal since the dog incident. My mom always left pointed reminders on my answering machine about how he was doing. (Not well, according to her)
The healing power wasn’t doing its job and I was delirious with pain as I was wheeled back into the emergency room. Stars and moons danced above my head and I know the paramedics already injected me with the prescribed maximum dose of painkillers.
Tal stood behind the triage desk and our eyes met. His grew large with fear as I babbled incoherently past.
I drifted in and out of consciousness as doctors worked on me. I had done too much damage to myself for my natural healing to work and Dr Bones was too fraught with worry to do a decent job.
When I woke up in my own ward, Tal was there with a scowl on his face. I smiled briefly at him before I slipped away into the healing cloud of pain killers.
Voices, soft and emotional, pierced my sleep. Tal’s angry tenor and Mom’s soothing doctor voice slipped into my dreams. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but it was rough. I winced at a particularly strident tone and forced my eyes to open.
Two pairs of eyes glared at me, both familiar and filled with disappointment and love. “Baby, it’s time.” Mom kissed the side of my head and kissed Tal as she left the room. Tal stood with his hands in his back pockets and he just looked at me with anger.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, whispered really. “You nearly died, James.” he bit out. I reached out instinctively to push the curl off his forehead. It gave him a dishevelled look that made him cute, rather than handsome. He stepped forward and took my hand, kissing the back of it. “I’ll be fine. Always am.” I said dopily. “You take care of me.” Which was a falsehood because I kicked him to the curb because he shouldn’t have to. He needed to be with someone deserving of him. Not me, a two bit hero with no regard for his safety. “You can’t hide what you are from me, James. I know you’re a hero. Do you think you can hide your goofy strut? It’s what attracted me to you.” Tal sat on the side of the bed and stared at me. God, he’s pretty. “I’m glad you think I’m pretty. But James, if you love me, why are you always kicking me to the curb?” “Cause you’re perfect and handsome and I’m not.” I fumbled. Thinking on my feet was not my strong suit and Tal’s piercing gaze made it even worse. “James…you dumped me because of that?” his tone shifted and his soft eyes turned hard in a flash. “You are so frigging lucky, you’re in the hospital broken to pieces because … Goddamnit James.” “You need a real hero. Someone who looks good on your arms. Not me.” I mumbled, heartsick but so happy to get this off my chest. “I was never good enough for you. And I was so happy you kept me as long as you did.” “James Anthony, listen to me carefully.” He leaned in until our gazes collided. I could smell his delicious cologne and strong coffee. Always turned me on. Always. His lips brushed mine and I might have moaned a tiny bit. “You’re an idiot and you’re my idiot. Don’t do that ever again. Or I’ll tell your mom on you.”
I opened my eyes wide and reared back. The threat of my mother knowing what I did too much. “No! You can’t do that. She’ll do things to me.”
“I know.” Tal lay down beside me gingerly. He traced my cheekbones with gentle fingers. Soft kisses brushed the side of my head. “You’re my hero. You know that right?”
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