The stars twinkled brightly in the night sky above the Carrigmore Home for the Disabled and the clouds moved across the half moon. The shadows moved across the walls while Rory slept and his right index finger rested on the call button box. Some of his bleached blonde hair was covering his eyes when he opened his dazzling blue eyes and looked at the ceiling. Rory had a condition called Duchene's muscular dystrophy and was only able to use two fingers on his right hand, talk and slightly move his head.
"Oh fuck, I shouldn't have had that drink of water before going to bed," Rory sighed while the ache from his full bladder rolled up his body and he sighed, looking at the ceiling. Pushing the call button, he half closed his eyes while waiting for someone come help him and silently prayed that he wouldn't pee the bed.
The shadows moved along the walls while Michael slept then opened his eyes and looked at the wall. Michael had cerebral palsy, which made it hard for him to walk and talk, and he sighed, knowing it was a bad idea to have a glass of water before bed. Anne had asked if he needed to pee, but, at the time, he didn't have to, but he did now. Reaching up, he pushed the call button and looked over to his wheelchair that was sitting on the other side of the room.
"Shit," Michael mumbled as he tried hard not to wet the bed and hoped someone would come soon or he just might.
Erin Flynn sat behind the nurses' desk while Anne sipped on the tea she made earlier and Erin looked through Rory's medical file. It was Erin's first night on duty as she turned the page then heard the buzzing sound, looking up at the red light on the call board.
"Um, I think someone needs us," Erin said, brushing some of her long red hair from her green eyes. Placing the cup on the desk, Annie stood up as Erin followed her and they headed down the hallway. Anne led the way when they stopped in front of the doors and Anne turned, looking at her.
"This room belongs to Rory O'Shea and that room belongs to Michael Connolly. I'll go in to see what Rory wants. You take care of Michael. Michael has cerebral palsy, so you might be able to understand what he's saying. Just listen carefully and you'll figure out what he needs," Anne said.
Nodding, Erin opened the door when she walked inside the room and turned the light on. Michael blinked his eyes a few times as she walked to the bed then stood near the bed, smiling down at him.
"Hello, Michael. I'm Erin. What's wrong?" she asked.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Michael mumbled and Erin frowned, not understanding what he said.
"I'm sorry. I don't understand," she said as he sighed then rolled his eyes and wished Rory was awake. Rory was the only one he knew that understood what he said and he looked up at Erin, trying hard not to pee the bed.
"Alright, Rory, what is it now?" Anne asked as she turned the lights on and walked to the bed, looking down at him.
"I need to take a piss," Rory said.
"Language," she corrected as he sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I need to go to the bathroom."
"Fine, hold on," Anne said when she walked to where his stereo used to be then brought over a small, plastic pitcher and he frowned, looking at it.
"What the fuck is that?"
"This is what you're going to pee in," Anne said and his eyes went wide.
"Are you fucking kidding me? I am NOT using that!" he shouted and she hushed him.
"Keep your voice down."
"You either get me up right now or I am gonna piss the bed then you'll have to get me up," he said as Annie sighed and Rory gave her a blank look, waiting to see what she was going to do next.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Michael mumbled again and Erin sighed, shaking her head.
"I still don't understand what you're saying. You have to….What was that?" Erin asked after hearing Rory shouting.
"That's Rory," Michael mumbled.
"Rory?"
"Yes," Michael mumbled, nodding his head.
"He's a loud git, isn't he?" Erin asked and Michael softly laughed.
"Yes," Michael said then got an idea and smiled. "I HAVE TO TAKE A PISS!"
"Rory O'Shea, you will do as I say and use this!" Anne said while Rory got angry when he heard Michael shouting and pouted.
"Was that Michael?" he asked.
"Yes, now…."
"He needs to take a piss. Is there anyone in there with him?"
"Yes, the new night nurse. Now…"
"What's her name?"
"Her name is Erin," Anne said and Rory smiled while looking up at the ceiling.
"HEY, ERIN, MICHAEL SAID THAT HE NEEDS TO TAKE A PISS!" Rory shouted as Anne sighed then he looked at her and wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "Now, are you going to get my chair or do I piss the bed?"
Sighing, Anne nodded her head then went to get the lift chair and Rory smiled with a smug look on his face.
"You have to go to the bathroom?" Erin asked after hearing Rory shouting from the next room and Michael smiled, nodded his head. "Right, hold on. I'll go get your chair."
Michael watched as she walked to his wheelchair then wheeled the wheelchair to the bed and moved the blankets back. She carefully helped him sit up then moved his legs around to the side of the bed and he smiled at her. Erin smiled back then helped him into the wheelchair and placed his feet on the foot rests. She placed his slippers on his feet then stood up and he nodded, moving the wheelchair toward the door. Erin followed him out into the hallway when she saw Rory and Anne coming out of Rory's room and Rory grinned at her.
"So, you must be Erin," Rory said and Michael looked from him to Erin then back and Erin smiled sweetly at Rory.
"Yes, and you must be Rory," she said and he nodded. "Thanks for shouting. I was having trouble understanding him."
"Join the club," he said and Michael gave him a slightly stunned look. "Well, you do tend to mumble."
"That's true," Michael mumbled, knowing that Rory was teasing him and Rory softly laughed.
"Let's go," Anne said as they headed down the hallway and headed for the bathroom.
Michael looked around the room while Erin helped him balance on the toilet and Rory sat strapped to the seat so he wouldn't fall over. Anne looked at him while she waited for Rory to pee when he looked to the curtain to his left and frowned.
"Mind closing that?" Rory asked, looking at the curtain.
"Just go," Anne said.
"I can't go with everyone looking at me," he said then noticed that Michael was nodding his head and blinked. "I don't think he can either. Turn around."
"Rory, I need to hold onto you."
"Then close your eyes," he said as she sighed and Anne and Erin closed their eyes. Rory closed his eyes when nothing would come out and he glanced over at Michael. "Are you having trouble?"
"Yes," Michael mumbled with a nod of his head.
"Ok, how about if we close our eyes and, on three, we piss. You can count to three, right?" Rory asked and Anne opened her eyes, glaring at him.
"Rory!" she chastised him and he sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Close your eyes!" he shouted and she closed her eyes. "Right, one…two…three!"
Rory took a deep breath as he peed then looked over at Michael and Michael closed his eyes, feeling the pressure releasing from his bladder.
"Are you done?" Rory asked as Michael opened his eyes and nodded his head. "Ok, we're done. Who's going to wipe our willies?"
"Uh…" Erin said as she slightly blushed and Rory arched his eyebrow.
"Go clean Michael," Anne said as Erin nodded and Anne walked to Rory, rolling her eyes.
After cleaning them off and helping them back into their wheelchairs, Anne and Erin went to wash their hands while Rory looked at Michael's wheelchair then his and frowned.
"So, how fast does that thing go?" Rory asked softly and Michael looked at his wheelchair and pouted.
"I don't know," Michael mumbled.
"Let's find out. Race you back to the rooms."
"We'll get in trouble."
"Oh, come on, what are they going to do? Take out chairs away? Well, if you're chicken…"
"I'm not chicken."
"Then we'll go on three," Rory said as they turned the wheelchairs toward the door and Michael looked at him. "Right, on three then. One…THREE!"
With a yell, Rory made the wheelchair sail out of the room as Michael growled and Erin and Anne turned around. They watched Rory and Michael leave the room then Anne went to follow them and Erin smiled, half running to catch up with her. Rory laughed as the wheelchairs sailed down the hallway as fast as they could when he saw Michael was going pass him and he growled, making the wheelchair go faster. They headed down the hallway when they went around the corner as Rory started to pass Michael then they stopped at the door to Michael's room and Rory laughed.
"I win!" Rory shouted as Michael pouted and Anne and Erin ran down the hallway, stopping next to them and Michael folded his hands on his lap.
"You cheated!" Michael mumbled.
"No I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"Right, that will be enough. Let's get you both back into bed," Anne said as Michael shook his head and looked at her.
"I want to do it again," Michael mumbled.
"You want to what?" Erin asked.
"He wants a rematch," Rory said.
"No!" Anne said as Michael moved the wheelchair back and Rory knew that Michael was going to have his race no matter what she said. Erin stood back as Rory lined his wheelchair up next to Michael's wheelchair and Michael grinned at him.
"You call it," Rory whispered as Michael nodded then looked down the hallway.
"One…THREE!" Michael shouted as his wheelchair soared down the hallway and Rory laughed, rolling his eyes.
"He stole my bit!" he said as his wheelchair soared down the hallway after Michael's wheelchair and Anne sighed, folding her arms over her chest.
"You could have stopped them," she said to Erin and Erin smiled, watching Rory and Michael's wheelchairs going down the hallway.
"So could you," she said and Anne sighed, rolling her eyes. The hallway was narrow as the wheelchairs zoomed along then Michael flicked the lever to make the wheelchair turn and Rory growled when his wheelchair got slightly stuck and he sighed.
"Fuck!" Rory grumbled then got the wheelchair to turn around and headed down the hallway. The wheelchairs came to a stop as Michael looked at Rory and smiled.
"I win!" Michael mumbled.
"Right, best two out of three," Rory said and Anne growled.
"No, bed, now!" she shouted while pointing to the door and Rory pouted while Michael sighed and Erin helped Michael go into his room. Anne led Rory into his room as she and Erin closed the doors and the lights went off under the doors a few minutes later.
The room was quiet while Michael yawned and watched the shadows moving along the walls. His eyes felt heavy as he half closed his eyes then pulled the blankets up, looking at the wall.
"Rory?" he half shouted.
"What?" Rory half shouted.
"That was fun."
"Yeah, it was."
"Can we do it tomorrow?"
"Sure, but we need to find some place to race where no one will find us."
"We could race down the hallway near the therapy rooms."
"Ok, but no cheating," Rory half shouted and Michael lightly laughed, rolling his eyes.
"Ok, good night."
"Yeah," Rory said then watched the shadows moving across the ceiling until his eyes grew heavy and he closed his eyes, going to sleep.