Next Morning – 11:00 a.m.

"Justin!" Daphne called out to her friend as she spied him coming out of the men's restroom nearby. "Just the person I was looking for."

Justin smiled at his friend warmly. "Seems like we were just here, doesn't it?" he commented dryly. "Actually, knowing your schedule, you probably never left here."

Daphne scrunched up her nose and grimaced. "That's not far from the truth – I think I actually got four whole hours of sleep this time, though," she added.

"Oh, well, I stand corrected; you're a lady of leisure then," Justin kidded her, shaking his head. "I still don't know how you do it – you must be able to run on adrenaline alone – and pizza," he added, grinning. "Did you need me for something?"

"Yeah….There's a patient being moved up here from the ICU in about thirty minutes – normally, I'd just go through the proper channels and schedule the room to be prepared on the next round of housekeeping changes, but…"

"But there's no time to do it the 'normal' way, so you want me to hurry and get it ready now," Justin answered for her as Daphne grinned and nodded.

"Would you mind? We can't move the patient until the room's ready and we really could use the extra bed down in the ICU."

Justin smiled. "No problem – I'll go get the bedding and other supplies right now and make sure it's ready for you."

"Thanks, Justin, you're a lifesaver," she said gratefully. As her friend turned to leave, she said, "Hey….pizza at the normal time and place today?"

He nodded. "Sounds good – I'll see you at Roberto's at one."

As her friend walked away Daphne grinned, thinking that if her job didn't pan out as a medical doctor she could go into acting. "That should be just about right," she thought with a smile as she turned to head toward the nurses' station to prepare for her patient's transfer from the ICU to a regular room. She hoped Justin followed through on readying the room promptly, because unbeknownst to him, the patient was about to be moved quicker than he thought. "I guess he'll just have to still be there when a certain someone shows up," she said to herself, snickering. "I've done my part; the rest is up to you, my friend."

Same Time – ICU

Brian had a feeling right now that he probably looked like a total idiot, but honestly he didn't care; he just couldn't stop smiling at his son. His fully awake, conscious son. For so long he had been afraid to build his hopes up regarding his son's recovery; it wasn't that he didn't want that with every fiber of his being. It just seemed for so long like it might not happen. For hours he had sat at his son's bedside, holding his hand and watching him breathing, lying deathly still and looking so frail as he waited for some kind of sign that he would make it. For hours he had stared at the child that meant more to him than he had ever thought possible, actually praying to a God he wasn't even sure existed that his child would recover.

Now as he watched his child about to be moved to a private room, signaling the doctor's belief that his son was well on his way to a full recovery, he felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted from his shoulders. Gus was still a little drowsy and he was only able to be fed occasional ice chips for the time being, but he was getting out of the ICU. He was awake, actually turning his head to look at him and his two mothers. And he was so much more alert now; the difference was both startling and heartwarming as he smiled down at his miracle and Gus actually eyed him back with just the wisp of a familiar, innocent smile.

"We're going to take you for a little trip, Sonny Boy, right in your own bed, okay?" he tenderly told his son. "It'll be just like going for a ride." His heart leapt as the child nodded his head slightly in response. Brian looked over at the two moms; both had tears in their eyes and he knew they were all thinking the same thing – they were all realizing just how lucky they were.

Cathy McDonald, the head ICU nurse, stood just inside the room and signaled to the two male nurses' aides that it was okay to move the patient as they grasped either end of the bed and began to wheel Gus slowly out of the room. Brian challenged each of the men to object to him holding onto his son's hand as he gave them a determined look that told them he wasn't backing down; receiving no objection to his silent command, he walked alongside his son's bed as the two women kept pace with him on the other side. "Here we go, Sonny Boy," Brian said, grinning down at his son. "Time for you to take a little tour."

Justin smoothed down the thin, white cotton blanket over the bed and carefully placed the nondescript pillow on top. He knew it was just another hospital bed with the same old sheets, blanket and pillow washed hundreds and hundreds of times over and over again. But each patient was unique; each child was here in a strange, scary place far from home. He figured the least he could do was try and make them as comfortable as possible during their stay.

Just like he always did when he finished preparing the room, he reached inside a plastic bag he kept handy that hung from the cart and pulled out one of the small stuffed animals inside. Placing a small, furry beige-colored kitten on the center of the bed like a sort of greeting card, he smiled in satisfaction as he reached over to grasp his rolling cart and leave. He figured he had at least ten minutes before the patient arrived and he needed to get ready to deliver the lunchroom meals.

He was somewhat surprised to hear the familiar sound of a hospital bed being wheeled into the room as he glanced up at the door; Daphne had led him to believe he had thirty minutes before the patient was due to arrive here from the ICU. His surprise at seeing the patient being transported into the room, however, was nothing compared to the feeling he felt about the man who was walking in with him. It was him; the man who had been occupying a great deal of his thoughts lately. It was Brian, aka Leroy.

Brian's brows shot up as he noticed Justin standing in Gus' new room; it seemed his own little Florence Nightingale was not only one hot package, but he was also omnipresent as well. He smiled in pleasure as his Welcome Wagon eyed him back intently, appearing shocked to see him again so soon.

"Hey, Justin," one of the nurses' aides said to the blond as they came in with their patient. "Everything ready for this little guy?"

Justin couldn't help continuing to stare at Brian instead of the aides as he addressed the other man and nodded. "Uh, yeah….I just got done, actually." He frowned. "The doctor told me I would have thirty minutes before you got here." He felt his pulse speed up a little as Gus' father twisted his mouth into what looked like a smug smile as he found himself tripping over his own words. Damn the man, he couldn't help thinking. Someone's enjoying this….

Brad, the nurses' aide who had greeted him, nodded. "Yeah, they're always messing up the schedule," he told him congenially as the two men slowed Gus' portable hospital bed and braked it into place next to Gus' permanent bed. Justin reached down and pulled the sheet and blanket back as, on the count of three, the two aides gingerly lifted Gus and placed him onto the new bed. Justin quietly placed the stuffed kitten to the side of the pillow and gently covered the little boy's body with the sheet and blanket as a pair of large, brown eyes stared up at him. "Hey, Buddy," he whispered tenderly with a reassuring smile. "Glad to see you're finally awake." He picked up the stuffed animal again and tentatively held it out to the little boy. Gus eyed him a little nervously until a few seconds later he reached up with his hands and shyly accepted the small toy with a slight smile, gently cradling it to his chest like a furry security blanket.

"A nurse will be in shortly to hook up all the IVs and the monitor," Brad told the group present in the room before the two aides turned silently and left.

From his position next to his son's bed, Brian had watched in fascination as Justin greeted his son with such tenderness in his voice. He could tell Justin wasn't just there at the hospital for a job; he really did care about the children that were being treated; there was no way he could be faking that look of compassion shining through on his face. He found that his respect for the man was rising even higher the more he was around him; he couldn't help the lesbionic thought that crept into his mind that this man was as beautiful on the inside as he was on the outside, and the fact that it was his son who was benefitting from the man's care only made him more impressed.

The intense looks passing between the two men did not go unnoticed by Mel and Lindsey, who exchanged a knowing look. It was always easy to tell when Brian was attracted to a potential new trick, and this young, handsome orderly obviously was next on his list. They actually felt sorry for the young man because they knew Brian wasn't capable of anything more than just playing with him briefly before he discarded him just like all the others. It was a shame, too, because this man seemed so decent and from what Brian had told them, he had treated Gus very compassionately when he had first been brought in. And the stuffed animal their son was now clutching as a sort of lifeline meant more to them than he probably knew. This man was special, and he deserved to be treated that way.

"Uh, Justin?" Lindsey said softly, wanting to let the orderly know how much they appreciate what he had done.

The blond's attention was finally broken as he turned to face the woman addressing him. "Yes?" he said softly.

"We really didn't get a chance to meet formally before," she explained with a slight smile. "I'm Lindsey Peterson and this is my partner, Melanie Marcus."

Justin nodded. "You're Gus' moms." He said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She nodded back at him. "Yes. I just wanted to thank you for helping to take care of Gus. Brian told me how patient and gentle you've been with him and we appreciate that more than you could ever know."

Justin tried to hide his surprise over that statement. Brian had been talking to them about him? He smiled a little self-consciously, actually pleased by that thought but not wanting Brian to know. "I was just doing my job," he told them politely with a shy smile.

"I think it was more than that," Melanie spoke up, her voice uncharacteristically choking up as she thought about what might have happened to their son. "It means a lot to us that you helped Gus to get better. He means the world to us."

Justin flushed at the attention as he glanced over at Brian, who was silently staring at him thoughtfully from his place next to Gus' bed. "I'm just glad I could help him," he said simply, his eyes locked on the hazel ones.

"Well, we really appreciate it, Justin," Lindsey told him warmly as Melanie nodded in agreement.

He smiled at them. "Thanks," he said simply.

"Did you do that?" Justin suddenly heard Brian saying from his son's bedside.

"What?" Justin asked, turning to look at the brunet in puzzlement over his cryptic inquiry.

"The kitten. Was that your idea?"

Justin looked down self-consciously as if he had been found with his hand in the cookie jar. "It's just a little something I do to try and help the younger patients feel a little more comfortable." He glanced up finally to meet Brian's eyes. "It's nothing." He smiled sheepishly. "I normally find them secondhand at garage sales or the flea market. It's surprising what people will sell so cheaply, and some of them still have the tags on them." He hastened to add lest they worry, "I always wash them first before I give them out, though."

Brian laughed softly at the thought of Justin being a sort of sexy washerwoman; it was a sound Justin hadn't heard yet and he found it quite intriguing. "You're very inventive, Florence Nightingale, you know that?"

Justin flushed at both the compliment as well as the cutesy moniker as he looked over in embarrassment at the two women who were eyeing both men in puzzlement over their odd conversation. "I….I'd better get going," he quickly said, suddenly feeling awkward. "I have to get back to work." He nodded politely at the two women before saying, "It was nice meeting you; I'm very glad Gus is going to be okay."

Both women whispered their thanks in return as with one more cursory glance and slight nod at Brian, Justin grasped his wheeled bedding and supply cart and began to walk out of the room.

Brian didn't quite know why, but he knew he just couldn't let Justin walk out of there without talking to him some more. He was realizing that lately the blond was becoming as important to him as breathing. He glanced down at his son, who was still clutching the stuffed kitten, and told him softly, "Daddy will be right back, okay Sonny Boy?" The little boy nodded as Brian reached down to place a brief kiss on his forehead and brush some hair back from his face before he rose and walked quickly toward the door.

"Hey…..Florence!" he called out softly as he noticed Justin walking down the hall, the wheeled cart making a soft creaking sound as it moved. He watched Justin slow and then stop, turning around to face him as he held on tightly to the stainless steel cart.

"I wish you'd quit calling me that!" Justin retorted softly from his place in the hall, not wanting to disturb any of the patients unnecessarily. He knew the word 'quiet' and 'hospital' didn't quite go together – there was always too much hustle and bustle going on there to call the atmosphere quiet – but he tried to speak softly when he could as a small attempt at helping to make the young patients' stay just a little less stressful and alien to them.

Brian slowly walked up to face him from a few feet away. "You don't like the name Florence?" Brian asked innocently, his lips curled under as he stared into Justin's eyes with a definite gleam of amusement. "Would you prefer Candy instead?" Brian silently had to agree – this man was certainly eye candy of the most delicious kind to him….

Justin shook his head in bewilderment. "Candy?"

"You know…as in candy striper. They do still have those kinds of people in these places, don't they?"

Justin huffed in irritation as he rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yes," he retorted as if he were talking to a petulant brat. "They still exist," he verified. "But I don't like Candy any better than Florence. Justin will do just fine, thank you."

Brian's eyes twinkled as his face broke out into a pleased smile. "Justin," he practically purred as he walked a little closer to intrude further into the blond's personal space. He noticed the younger man's eyes widening as he approached closer and he fleetingly wondered if they were reacting that way due to fear or, hopefully, attraction. "I like that name best of all," he whispered huskily as his eyes lowered to dwell on the dark pink, oh-so-kissable lips. He felt his cock stirring at the thought of that mouth worshipping him in his bed and how damned sexy the pale skin would look on top of his navy-blue duvet as the blond's naked body lay draped across his, sucking and licking on his balls and cock until he was arching with pleasure. Somehow, he just knew this man would be perfect for him in every way…..

"Are you listening to me?" he suddenly heard as he reluctantly snapped out of his tantalizing daydream. His gaze rose to take in the sapphire-blue eyes now staring back at him in aggravation. "Did you hear one word of what I just said?"

Brian smiled, thoroughly enjoying their rather odd conversation. "No," he admitted. "I was engrossed in much more pleasurable matters." He was rewarded with the pale face flushing in response to his intense look and felt an indescribable thrill at the reactions he was getting from the other man.

"I was asking what you wanted," Justin said as he kept a white-knuckled grasp on the rolled handle of the cart. He wasn't sure if he was doing it because he needed to leave soon or, perhaps more truthfully, he was keeping the cart between him and Brian for his own protection.

"Oh," Brian said casually. "I just needed to ask you something before you go."

Justin stood there, his heart beating with anxiety. He felt like some teenager wondering if he was about to be asked to go to the school dance. He felt his palms getting sweaty as he fought to control his emotions before he responded. What could this man need from him? He tried hard not to get his hopes up as he asked, "What exactly do you need?"

Brian bit back the thought that immediately rose to his mind. If you only knew, Justin Taylor…if you only knew. But unfortunately what he wanted to do most of would have to wait until Gus was a little better. For now, though, that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun in the meantime….

"I was interested in learning more about mouth-to-mouth-resuscitation," he said, licking his lips again this time more slowly, as he watched Justin's eyes widen in that wonderfully mesmerizing way and the blond's face flush once again. He so enjoyed getting this man riled up. "Would you be able to recommend someone for that?" He asked innocently, raising his eyebrows in question as he wanted expectantly for a response.

Justin felt his pulse quickening at the thought of just what it would feel like to be this man's own personal, mouth-to-mouth 'instructor;' somehow, though, he didn't think the man had any need for any type of remedial training.

His eyes seemed to have a mind of their own as they lowered almost instinctively to study the other man's cranberry-colored lips that were slightly parted as he waited for his reply. He cursed himself as he flushed once more and raised his eyes nervously to look into the other man's face; he knew this man was baiting him and from the smug expression he was receiving, he was thoroughly enjoying it. Fuck, he wanted this man so badly – he had never met anyone like him before. He was almost larger than life and he had a sneaking suspicion that he definitely was 'large' in all the right places…..But he was damned if this man thought he was going to play the dutiful little scared church mouse at his expense. He did have at least a modicum of dignity left…..well….yes, he did….didn't he?

He wasn't quite sure where he got the courage to finally retort, "Well, part of my pre-employment training involved CPR, but I'm afraid my schedule's full right now, Mr. Kinney, because my skills are always in demand. If you want to check back with me later, though, maybe I can try and squeeze you in."

Brian actually laughed out loud at his response, surprised and delighted by his impertinence. He had never had to work so hard at capturing his prey, but for some reason, this was different. It was more intense, more emotional. It was downright invigorating. Well, two could play this game, he decided.

"I don't know, Justin," he said huskily as he stared into the captivating blue eyes. "How do I know what your skill level is?"

Justin could feel his heart pounding. He marveled silently at how he could actually be flirting with this dangerously sexy man in the middle of a busy hospital and no one else seemed to notice. He knew, however, that he couldn't stay here much longer – there would be others looking for him and it was close to lunchtime when he would be expected to deliver the meal trays.

He gazed up into the inquisitive, darkening hazel eyes just before he took a breath of courage and said, "You'll just have to find out then, won't you…Leroy?" Doing the smirking himself, he quickly turned, cart and all, and hurried down the hallway before Brian could notice his hands shaking as a result of his brazenness.

He couldn't leave fast enough, though, to avoid hearing Brian's amused chuckle echoing off the halls as he departed.

"Yeah, I guess I just will," Brian said softly to himself as he enjoyed the disappearing view. "You can count on it."