Chapter 12

I wake up in the examination room with Barb literally sitting on my chest saying things like 'it's ok' and 'calm down'.

"I'm calm." I reply.

"You're a maniac, is what you are." She snaps.

"I'm sorry." Then I think a moment. "What I'm I sorry for?"

"For trying to disable Steve, maybe? For scaring the life outta me?"

I think for another moment. "No. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You didn't just dislocate Dr. Gorman's shoulder?"

That sounds like something I'd do. "Did I put it back?"

"Oh you're a funny, funny guy." She leans toward the door. "Alex? He telling jokes now."

Alex nearly runs in. "Holy shit, Peter! What the fuck?"

"I have no idea. You tell me. Is Dr. Steve ok?"

"Yeah. You popped his shoulder out. Beth got between you two before you could get him again. I popped it back. He's sore but cool."

"OK. Good. Am I under arrest?"

"What? No. Shit, dude, he's more freaked than you. That was so fuckin'..."

"Language." I cut in. My head was beginning to throb but I think I'm starting to piece the missing moments together.

"Huh? Oh, right. Sir. Uh, yeah. No, Dr. Steve's writin' his resignation an' tryin' not ta slit his own throat." He sees me start and stops me. "I mean figuratively, right? Beth's with him. I figure Barb could handle you."

"I wasn't sure." Barb says, clearly still annoyed.

"Easily." I try to take a deep breath but can't. "But next time either higher or lower."

"What?"

"My face or my lap." I try to smile. "I can't breath."

"Oh." Then she gets both my meanings and hits me. "Pervert." She gets Alex to help her stand up and together they both help me. I check a couple of drawers and find some sample packs of aspirin. In the lobby, I get a cup of water to swallow them with.

I walk into Dr. Steve's office. He sits at his desk, head in hands as Beth stands beside him whispering. I slump into a chair. "Oh fo'God sake, Beth, ain't you done enough tonight?"

Steve looked at me. "You have quite a little team here. This one for blackmail, that one for violence." He rubs his shoulder, "Although, I see you can handle your own."

"Sorry 'bout that. I, uh, wasn't thinkin' clearly."

"Hmm. Well. Whatever you had planned, I won't play into it. I'd rather resign than have this kind of ethical issue hanging over my head for the rest of my career." He tosses a piece of paper at me. "Have fun."

It outlines roughly the events of the last few hours then politely announces his resignation effective immediately.

"I swear, Beth." I shake my head and had the page to Barb, "You need uh leash more-n he does."

"God Lord!" Barb puts the page down, "Steven, you could end your whole future with this letter."

"I know." He says softly.

"Peter." Barb has a warning note in her voice. "You can't do this to him. You know that, right?"

"First off, I ain't do uh damn thing, an' you know it." I rub my temples. "I need uh damn drink."

Steven opens a desk drawer and puts a flask in front of me. I take a sip. I don't know what it is but it burns like all hell going down. "Jesus, God, Lord almighty. What the hell is it?"

"You remember the still they had in M*A*S*H?" He asks. I nod as I cough. "A couple of my frat brothers recreated it."

"Hey, can I..." Alex starts.

"No." I hand the flask back. "Good Lord, if-n you ain't dead, that'll sure-n hell kill you."

"Got me through med school."

"You uh stronger man'n me."

"My shoulder says not."

"Sorry." We all sit in silence for a minute. Then I start really thinking. I'm the Dominant. I have to solve this. "Look, Steve," I pause and when he waves off the first name, I continue, "I don't want ta go ta jail an' I don't want to end yo' career. All I want is everybody ta have uh good time and go home at least as healthy as when they got here." Which sends one thought flying against another until the idea strikes me. "Look, you want these two safe, right?"

"I'm beginning to believe your Uncle was right when he said I was likely the one in trouble."

"Told me the same." I nod with him. "Can you do tests? You know, HIV, stuff like that."

He looked at all of us. "You mean, you're not using -"

"We are, yes," I stop him before panic sets in and the others all confirm, "but condoms aren't perfect, right? It ain't a bad idea just to know they clean, right?"

"Right." He looked pensive for a moment. "I can draw the blood here. I can get the lab work out in port tomorrow. I don't know how fast I can get results. A few days, maybe. That won't make any of this right."

"Nothing makes any uh this right. But if they both healthy and ain't got no bruises then you can't say for sure they been harmed, right?"