Sickness & Health, Good Times & Bad

Post 513, Justin spent 18 months in NYC before coming back to Pittsburgh 6 months ago. Justin & Brian's relationship remained intact during the NYC sojourn. I do not own the characters just the situations.

Chapter 2

Justin paid the delivery guy and took the 2 prescriptions into the kitchen. He carefully read the instructions took a pill out of one bottle, grabbed a spoon for the cough syrup and went into Brian. "Bri, sit up and take this pill and a spoonful of cough syrup. The cough syrup has codeine so that should help you sleep." Brian swallowed the pill, took the cough medicine, made an unhappy face and took a big drink of his ginger ale. Justin fluffed Brian's pillows and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Such a good boy to take his medicine. Sleep tight, feel better, I love you." Brain's cell rang and Justin answered it, thinking it might be Claire. "Hi doctor." "Yes we just got the prescriptions. Brain has had some chicken soup and he took some aspirin along with the stuff you prescribed. OK, I will keep an eye on him. Thanks for calling." Justin shut off the phone. Brian looked over at him. "Well... what did he say?" "The doctor said that if your fever goes over 103 or you start to have trouble breathing I should call an ambulance and take you to the emergency room and call him. He said the flu is nothing to fool around with. Let's take your temperature again." Justin was pleased that Brian's temp was now below 102. He turned down the bedroom lights and Brain fell asleep almost immediately. Justin cleaned up the kitchen, made sure the door was locked and the alarm was set. He went into the bedroom and got in his side of the bed. He listened to Brian's breathing for a while before he drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, Justin was jolted awake by the bed shaking. He sat up and saw Brian half on the bed and half on the floor. "Brain what happened." "I'm fine, I just stood up a little too fast and got dizzy. Go back to sleep!" Justin was out of bed and around to Brian's side without saying anything. "Let me help you, what were you trying to do?" "I have to take a piss and I've been doing that on my own for quite some time. Go back to sleep." "Let me help you up." Justin took hold of Brian's arm and helped him stand. Brain started to the bathroom but was still a little wobbly. Justin took Brian's arm and put it around his shoulders. "Just lean against me." Brian grunted in disgust but found he really did feel more steady leaning against Justin. Once they were in the bathroom Justin started to pull down Brian's boxers. "I think you should sit down." "Sunshine, I am NOT a lesbian, I do not sit down to pee." "Brian, I love you but you are not feeling too steady and while I want to help you any way I can, I would rather not have to clean urine off the bathroom floor at 1 AM." After another grunt of disgust Brian finished pulling down his shorts and sat on the toilet. Justin went back into the bedroom and switched on a light. He felt the sheets on Brian's side of the bed and found them damp & clammy. Back in the bathroom Brian announced he was done. Justin went back in and felt Brian's T shirt, which like the sheets was pretty damp. He started to run some warm water in the sink and grabbed a wash cloth & towel. "Brian, you are all sweaty. Let me give you a quick wash and then you can put on a clean shirt and boxers." Justin squeezed some of Brian's shower gel onto a wet washcloth and gave Brian a quick washing before he got him clean clothes. He carried a chair into the bedroom and told Brian to sit there while he changed the sheets. After giving the new sheets a quick warm up, he helped Brian back into bed. He decided this was a good time to give Brian his next dose of medicine and a couple more aspirin. He made sure Brian's pillows were fluffed and he was covered up before he switched off the light and got back into his side of the bed. "Thanks Sunshine for taking such good care of me." "Brian, I love you and I'm happy to take care of you. I think it must be a Taylor family trait, this need to care for the sick." Brian gave a little laugh and took Justin's hand under the covers. "I love you too."

The next time Justin woke up the sun was shining. He was snuggled against Brian who didn't seem to be too feverish. He slid out of bed, gathered up the dirty sheets, clothes, towel & wash cloth. He started the coffee maker before he loaded & started the washer. When he walked back into the bedroom, Brian was sitting up leaning against the headboard of the bed. Justin went over, adjusted his pillows and gave him the thermometer to put in his mouth. He was pleased that Brian's fever had not gone up and was staying around 101. "What would you like for breakfast?" "Not too hungry. How about juice, toast & coffee." "Coming right up, do you need help getting to the bathroom?" "I think I am good." Brian stood up carefully but had no trouble walking into the bathroom. Justin assembled Brian's breakfast and toasted a bagel for himself. He cut up an orange for Brian and once he spread cream cheese on his bagel he put everything on a tray and took it into the bedroom. Brian lifted his eyebrows at the orange but seeing the determined look on his partner's face he ate it without comment. After breakfast it was medicine time. "How are you feeling Brian?" "Better than yesterday but still really achy and even though I got a good night's sleep I still feel tired. Eating breakfast kind of wore me out. Also my feet are really cold." Justin took the dirty dishes out to the kitchen. He emptied some body lotion into a bowl and gave it a quick microwave to warm it up. Back in the bedroom he got a pair of Brian's cashmere socks from the bureau. "Let's see if we can fix the cold feet." He pulled the covers off Brian and put a clean towel under his feet. Justin gave them a good massage with the warm lotion before he slipped on the cashmere socks. "Is that better." "Sunshine, that was great. You really are spoiling me. I know it sound stupid but I think I'm ready for a nap." Justin covered him back up and readjusted his pillows. "Have a good nap. Let me know if you need anything."

While Brian slept, Justin loaded the breakfast things into the dishwasher, switched the clothes to the dryer then folded them and put them away. He spent some time sketching the sleeping Brian. He was heating up some soup for lunch when Brian appeared in the kitchen. "I'm tired of being in bed. I want to eat lunch here at the table." "Okay but let me get you some sweat pants to put on. You still have a fever so you need to stay warm." Justin was pleased by the big bowl of soup that Brain ate for lunch. He also got him to eat another orange and some juice. Brian checked his email, answered the most urgent and then allowed Justin to coerce him back into bed. He read a book for about 15 minutes before drifting off to sleep again. When he woke up he got washed in the bathroom while Justin changed the sheets again. Brian came out to the living room and watched some TV while Justin made a salad and heated soup for dinner. Justin was pleased that Brian's temperature was now under 100. Before bed Brian got another foot massage and managed to sleep through the night.

Justin was woken up Sunday morning by the delightful feeling of Brian sucking his dick. He raised the covers and looked down at Brian. "So I guess you are feeling better today." Brian took a minute to smile up at Justin, who shimmed down to lay beside Brian. Now in a perfect 69 position, it was a very pleasant way for them to start the day. A joint shower allowed for a couple more blow jobs before breakfast. Justin was just putting an egg white omelet on a plate when Brian walked into the kitchen. "Perfect timing, glad you are feeling better but you still have a slight fever and are still pretty congested so no overdoing today. OK?" "So first you temp me into morning sex and NOW you tell me not to overdo. " Justin laughed as he sat down at the table with his breakfast. "I tempted you? Seems to me that I was the one that was awakened by someone's mouth on my dick." Brian just smirked. After a leisurely breakfast, Brian spent the morning on the couch, wrapped in an afghan, watching the morning news programs. Justin cleaned up the kitchen, checked his emails, spent some time texting with Daphne and fine tuning his Brain sleeping sketches. When his phone rang he checked the display before answering. "Hi Mom." "He is feeling much better today and his fever is down" "Yes Mother, I have already told him not to overdo and no he is not going back to work tomorrow." Brian was listening to Justin's side of the conversation and added his own comment. "I may go into the office for at least part of the day tomorrow." Justin frowned. "Brian that is just stupid. You need to be sure you are really well before going to work." Brian ignored him. "OK Mom, see you."

After disconnecting with his mother Justin joined Brain on the couch. "Brian, you are not serious about going into the office tomorrow are you?" "Sunshine, you have been so great and I really appreciate it and you know how much I love you. But, I am a grown man and I can decide when I am well enough to go back to work" Justin got up and moved to a chair with his sketch pad. "You can be a very annoying person. I will not be happy if you endanger your health by going back to work too soon. It's time for you to take your medicine" "Justin come back over here." The lack of any response let Brian know he was in trouble. Except for the TV and the scratch of Justin's pencil, silence reigned.

When the house phone rang Justin went over and answered, he punched in the code to unlock the lower entry door and went over to the loft door. A few minutes later he opened the door for his mother. Jennifer handed her son a bag and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Hi Justin, I brought you some lemon bars from the diner." She crossed the room and gave a surprised Brian a kiss on the forehead. "Brian, Honey you still have a little fever. How are you feeling." "I'm feeling pretty good, how do you know I still have a fever." Jennifer laughed. "Oh Honey, a mother's lips are a better fever detector than any thermometer. You need to stay home from work until you have a full day of no fever. The flu is nothing to fool around with. If you don't take care of yourself you could wind up with pneumonia." Brian gave Justin a dirty look. "Don't look at me Mr. Kinney. You heard my whole conversation with my mom. I didn't know she was coming over here." Jennifer put a cool hand on Brian's cheek. "I just showed a house not far from here. I heard you say that you might go in the office tomorrow. Sweetheart, that is just not the correct thing to do. I'm just concerned about you and don't want you to endanger your health." "Mother Taylor, I appreciate your concern but as I told your son, I am a grown man and I know when I am ready to go back to work." Jennifer gave Justin a look before turning back to Brian. "Brian! Obviously you do NOT know when you are ready to go back to work. It is time to go back to work when you have been fever free for a full day and not before! I love you and I'm concerned about you and if you go to Kinnetik tomorrow I swear I will come down to your office and drag you back here by your ear. Do I make myself perfectly clear!" Brian turned away so Jennifer didn't see the tears forming in his eyes. Growing up he did not have many chances to encounter "mothering" from anyone and he was surprised and touched by Jennifer's concern for him. She stood in front of him waiting for a reply and reluctantly he nodded agreement. That earned him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you honey. Not that I don't trust you but I will be calling Cynthia tomorrow to make sure you stayed home. I'm sure she knows better than to lie to someone's mother or even a mother in law." Jennifer lingered a little longer but satisfied her work was done she left for home.

Once Jennifer was gone, Justin came back over and sat on the couch leaning against Brian. "Imagine growing up with that. She can be tough." Brian smiled and put his arm around Justin's shoulders. Justin gave him a quick kiss. "About time for lunch, let me get that started."

By Tuesday night Brian decided he would go back to work the next day. Justin agreed and even Jennifer gave her OK.

Late Wednesday morning Brian got an unwelcome visit from Claire. She barged into his office just as he finished a meeting with his art director. "Brian I need to talk to you." The art director beat a hasty retreat and closed the office door on his way out. "What do you want Claire?" "Did that boy tell you about mother's roof." "Yes, Justin told me and I believe he told you that we were not going to pay for her new roof." Claire walked over to his desk. "Brian the leak has already stained the ceiling in my old room. The roof has to be fixed!." "Sister dear, I give our mother a monthly stipend of $3,000 precisely to avoid these begging visits. $25,000 is a ridiculous price for a roof on that house but whatever the price, Joan will have to find a way to pay for it herself." "Brian.." "Claire, get the fuck out of my office and the fuck out of my building or I will have security escort you out." Claire stormed out of Kinnetik. She paused on the sidewalk out front and considered her next step. A few minutes later she smiled, got in her car and drove to her mother's parish church.

Brian had lunch at the diner. Debbie came over to his booth with a big smile on her face. "Good to see you back, feeling better?" "I am feeling fine. Had a great morning which included a visit from my sister." Deb laughed and sat down across from Brian. "Did you know she sold her house? From what I hear it was just in time to avoid the bank foreclosing. She is living down in Mount Lebanon with some trust fund guy who has been in & out of drug rehab for years." Brian was surprised by the news. "Wow! Do you think Claire might be using?" Deb got up and shrugged. "Now that she is all the way down there is the South hills I don't hear much about her. The boyfriend's family made their money in banking. I understand they are not really thrilled about him moving Claire and the boys into the house they are letting him use. Your usual lunch today?" Brian nodded and considered Debbie's new about his sister while he waited for his lunch.