Jason groaned when the alarm went off at five am. He'd fallen asleep two hours ago, after Adam finally stopped crying. He'd just stayed the night, he wasn't about to abandon his brother for sleep. As he punched the alarm, he realized Adam was already up and in the shower. Jay sniffed, bless Adam's heart, the coffee was already brewing.
At six am, Adam stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in his blue scrubs and long white coat. To look at him, you'd never know he was going on about an hours worth of sleep. It was a hold over from his days as an intern at the hospital. "I'm sorry bro, I forgot about the alarm. Have some breakfast and go back to bed, stay as long as you want," Adam said to his brother as he poured a cup of coffee. His raspy voice was the only clue of the emotional night, he was a bit hoarse from the sobbing.
"I will, don't worry. Hey, you alright? I'm sure Hunter could give you time off. You're his baby boy after all," Jason said with a wink and bite of the toast he'd made.
Adam smiled, "No, I need to be there. It's Doctor Barrett's first day. Wouldn't do for the boss not to show up. Yeah, thanks for last night. I just have to keep going. I think of Bret and I realize, in the scope of things, my situation is minor. I'm just going to focus on my job and my patients," Adam said firmly and confidently. He finished his coffee and started to get ready to leave. He gathered his phone, watch, stethoscope and brief case, which was really more like a doctors bag.
"Yes, I suppose you're right. Bret must feel, so... lost. He seems like an okay guy, for being older," Jason said with a wide yawn. He finished his toast and turned off the coffee pot. He slipped back into his brother's bed.
"Jay! Bret's not old, he's only forty-five, I swear! He is, but he's doing better. He'll be busy with his new house. I'll help him when I can, he likes my style. I gave him the smaller version of that," Adam stated firmly as he pointed to the painting over the fire-place.
Jason just grunted and turned over to sleep. His thoughts were on something else, Adam had quickly jumped to Hart's defense. He sleepily wondered if Adam had feelings for the older man. His thoughts faded as his dreams turned to a cute little red-head, named Heath.
Adam just shook his head, his brother could fall asleep in the middle of plane crash. He quietly gathered up his things and left. He wanted to get to the hospital early, he was going to show Wade around. They had talked about it at the barbecue, before all hell had broken loose.
Adam smiled when he got down to the bottom of the steps, Bret was leaning against his Mustang. "Good morning. Ha! You not only sound like one, you look like a bear too!" Adam joked. Bret's hair was wild and curly when he didn't gel it down.
Bret laughed, "Okay, just call me Bear. Here, I made you a steak sandwich. I figured you'd forget to eat otherwise. You have a good talk with your brother?" Hart asked softly as he handed Adam a brown paper bag.
"Thanks... Bear. I'm sure it will be delicious. Yes, I did. Bless Jason, he just wanted to protect me. He couldn't stand it once he knew how far it had gone with... them. I cried more, got really angry and cried more. I'm going to be alright. You were right, it was better to find out now," Adam said with a soft smile. He really was feeling better.
"I'm glad he was there for you, brothers are handy for that. I miss Oje, guess you're my substitute little brother. Have a good day at work, Hunter is really excited about this new guy. See you later and Sugar, remember to eat," Bret said with a wink and smile as he opened the car door for Adam.
"Thanks. Okay, I'll try to be a good brother. See you later, you old Bear," Adam said with a wave as he backed down the driveway. He contemplated, he doubted if Bret ever called Owen "Sugar". He shrugged and turned his focus back to work.
Adam walked into the Emergency Room of the University of Colorado Hospital. The television in the waiting area played to an empty room. That wasn't unusual at six thirty Monday morning. AJ was the clerk on duty, she was preparing her shift change report. As he passed through the reception area, Adam heard Shawn in the nurse's room getting the report on the night shift. The morning shift started at seven and Shawn would be ready on the dot.
Doctor Copeland went down the hallway, he noticed there were no patients. That was good, it would be easier to show Wade around and tell him how things were. Adam stopped by his tiny office. He dropped off his briefcase. He saw a stack of metal covered patient charts on his desk. He picked up the stack of six charts,along with the paper bag with the sandwich and went to the break room.
Ted and Cody were talking over a cup of coffee. They had been on duty, "hey boss," Ted said with a smile.
"Hey, Teddy, Codes. Quiet night I see. Doctor Barrett not here?" Adam asked as he put the bag in the fridge, then sat down and opened the top chart. It was Adam's job as the sub-head of the Department to check the patient charts and make sure all the proper care and procedures had been followed, as well as the diagnosis and treatment.
"Haven't seen him. Yeah, quiet night, Cody took lead and did really well. Two broken arms, one set of stitches, one case of flu; admitted for observation and two black eyes, domestic dispute," Teddy said as Adam checked, then signed the charts.
"Excellent work guys. It does me good to know I have such a great team. Ah, there you are, welcome to U of C, Doctor Barrett," Adam said warmly as he stood and greeted the new physician.
"Thank you, Doctor Copeland. May I look? I'd like to see how you charting is done," Wade said as he sat down. He ignored both Ted and Cody and took the charts out of Adam's hands.
"Um... okay. Doctors DiBiase and Rhodes were on duty last night, you'll see they are excellent," Adam said with pride as he sat back down.
Wade flipped open the charts, he had a red ink pen in hand. He made a few circles on the reports. He looked like a teacher grading papers. He made occasional sounds of disapproval.
Ted and Cody looked confused at Adam. He looked at them in return and shrugged, "What are you doing? If I may ask?" Adam asked the Englishman.
"Making sure Doctor Helmsley is aware of some things," Wade said as he made another red circle on one of the charts.
"Such as? I checked each one of those charts carefully," Adam asked again as he pulled over one of the freshly marked charts.
"Wrong suture kit used here. Wrong type of cast compound, where is the X-ray from the Optician on this black eye? How do you know the orbital bone wasn't fractured? Or on this one as well? You call that excellent work?" Doctor Barrett's tone was "tisking" as he finished with the last chart.
Adam rolled his eyes, "It's okay boys. I'll speak to him, you can go now. I'll see you later," Adam waved to the two young doctors. They nodded and left, both had worried looks on their faces. But they trusted Adam to do his job.
Doctor Copeland picked up the charts and stood, "follow me to my office," When they got to Adam's small office, Adam sat behind his desk and offered Wade the plain chair opposite him.
"There is nothing wrong, Wade. We have to be careful to keep patient costs down. The suture kit and cast compounds are our standard. If you read, Doctor Rhodes advised these two patients to see their personal physicians if further pain persists. Had Doctor Rhodes felt it was necessary, he of course would have ordered X-rays, no question. Why make the patient pay five hundred dollars if it's not needed? You have to get used to the fact that we don't have National Health Care. I am very careful when I check these. Hunter will ask, so I will explain. Now, while it's still..." Adam's voice tailed off as he looked at the little table under his window. A fresh vase of flowers sat there.
Chris was the only one who ever sent flowers, would he have dared? Adam got up and went to the flowers. There was a small card attached to a green stick. He opened the envelope and pulled out the card, he expected it to be from Chris and the thought made him angry. Adam looked at the card, then at Barrett, "you? Um, thank you very much, but why?" his look was one of confusion, the card only read, "From Wade".
"I don't know what happened Saturday, but I just thought they might cheer you up. I didn't mean to cause problems for Doctors Rhodes and DiBiase," Barrett spoke in an apologetic tone. He had to tread carefully, he hadn't figured Adam out yet. If he wanted in that ass, he had to know how to "get" to Adam.
"Thank you very much. I do like fresh flowers, especially mixed daisies like these. About Saturday, I'm sorry you had to see that; it's complicated," Adam was touched by the gesture, but Chris was really none of the new doctor's business.
"You're very welcome. I'm sorry, I won't push you about it, but I'm here if you need a friend," Barrett said with an extremely handsome smile. It made Adam flush, but only a bit.
Before anymore could be said, Shawn' voice was heard over the PA system, "Doctor to ER One, Doctor to ER One."
Adam and Wade quickly went to see what the emergency was. When they go to the trauma room, they found a small girl with a badly scraped arm, he father was in near hysterics. Shawn had already started to clean the wound, it was full of dirt, gravel and grass. "What happened, sweetheart?" Adam asked gently as he carefully looked for other wounds.
"She was riding her bike, waiting for me to take her to school. She tipped the bike and skidded on her arm! Is it broken? Her mother will kill me!" the father was more upset than then child. Adam found that was often the case.
"I don't think so, but we'll X-ray it just in case. Normally, I wouldn't, but that's a bad fall. There could be a hairline fracture," Adam said gently. He had a feeling and he wanted to be sure. Sure enough she did have a hairline fracture. She was very well-behaved as Shawn and Adam put bandages on the wounds and a splint on her arm. She loved the "Hello Kitty" sling Wade had given her.
After the girl and her father left, Adam showed Wade how they signed off on a chart. Wade was impressed with Adam's skill, he realized Adam was threat to any advancement the Englishman hoped for. Wade had his hands full.
"So why an X-ray on her, even I wouldn't have done that," Wade asked curiously as Adam placed the chart on the rack outside the reception area door.
"A feeling. I can't explain it. She kept whimpering whenever Shawn moved her arm to clean it," Adam explained as best he could.
Much of the morning was spent the same way. Minor cuts, scrapes and a broken hip. An elderly man had fallen. That one required emergency surgery by Hunter.
At noon, Adam grabbed his sandwich and met with Wade, Shawn and a couple of other nurses in the main break room.
Shawn smiled, "Bret fussed over that sandwich for half an hour, he cooked the steak in Chief Ross' left over barbecue sauce. You and Jay have a good talk?"
"It's delicious. He shouldn't have gotten up so early to do this for me though. Yes, we did, I'll fill you in tonight," Adam replied then took a bite of the delicious sandwich.
"He misses fussing over Davy and with Owen gone, you're his best friend now. He wants to get back to work, but Lawler won't let him yet. Wade, are you finding things alright?" Shawn asked as he ate his own lunch.
Barrett bristled, how dare a nurse call him by his first name at work. He normally would have said something, but Shawn was married to Hunter, he couldn't afford to piss the man off. "Yes, I am. A lot of treatment is the same, but the paper work is; very different. I don't understand it, why no National Health Care? How do people get treatment or meds if they can't pay for it?" the Englishman asked in a concerned tone. To him, he just could not understand it.
"It's hard. We are a little different, being tied to the University helps. We don't refuse treatment to anyone. There are educational funds and grants we can tap into. We work out easy payment plans. Americans don't like the government in their business. Unfortunately, people sometimes do die from lack of treatment or lack of meds," Shawn said with a sigh. It was touchy subject.
"Adam, Hunter has to teach this afternoon, so you're completely in charge," Shawn noted as he looked at a paper he'd pulled from his pocket.
"No problem..." Adam was interrupted as another call came over the pager. Everyone got up and rushed to the trauma room.
"Take these things off me you fucking asshole!" a voice yelled at full volume. Adam froze in his tracks at the door to the room. He never thought he'd hear that voice again. It belonged to his abusive ex lover, Randal Orton. The room was filled with prison guards and two state troopers. The ambulance EMT's were just moving Orton from their stretcher to the bed in the trauma room.
Adam took a deep, shaky breath and entered the room. Randy was too busy fighting the hand cuffs that held both his arms and legs to the bed. His face was a bloody mess.
Shawn stopped Adam, "I'll call Hunter. He and Wade can deal with him."
"No, I can do it. He can't hurt me. Let me work, please," Adam said with a solid resolve. This all peaked Barrett's interest, there was a story here.
"What happened?" Adam asked the head prison guard as Adam started a chart for Orton.
"This fuck... er... prisoner decided he was going to take over the Top Dog spot. The idea was halted by the current Top Dog's bodyguards. He's lucky, he nearly got shanked. Instead he just got punched; a lot. Warden said to patch him up and get him back ASAP," the guard explained to the doctor.
Adam nodded as he made a few notes, "Want me to take the lead? I don't mind," Barrett asked Adam, his brow raised.
"No, I'll do it, but you can help. I'll need it," Adam again spoke with resolve. It wouldn't look good on his record to refuse anyone treatment, even a mortal enemy.
Orton had calmed down a bit, he noticed both Shawn and Adam, a sick looking smile broke out on his blood covered face. It made him look like the viperish snake he was. The medical staff snapped on latex gloves and surgical masks to protect them from all the blood.
"Well, well, little Addy finally graduated medical school. Last time I saw you, you were on the stretcher," his voice sneered out the vile words.
Adam said nothing as he, Wade and Shawn began to process of cleaning the punch cuts on Randy's face. The usually gentle Shawn made sure there was plenty of the stinging, cleaning liquid on the gauze he used.
"That fucking stings, you fucking goody-goody!" Randy barked harshly at Shawn. The nurse kept working without a flinch.
Barret was feeling along Orton's nose, "not broken, but dislocated. I'll snap it back, you be ready with the bandage. On three." Wade said to Adam.
Adam nodded and took the bracing tapes Shawn had cut and prepared for the doctors. Wade counted to three and with a crack that made even the cops wince, Adam taped the relocated nose securely back into place. When Barrett snapped the nose back into its proper alignment, Orton let out a series of curses that would have made a sailor blush. He kept on cursing as Adam taped his face.
"I will have to stitch this. You need to be quiet so I can work, please Sir," Adam spoke to his ex abuser with the same respect as any other patient.
"I bet it makes you sick... ha... you have to be nice to me!" Randy spoke in a taunting tone.
"I'm nice to all my patients. Hang on, this will sting for a minute," Adam said gently as he took the prepared needle from Shawn.
Adam expertly numbed the area above Randy's left eye brow. Even Orton couldn't complain. With his graceful fingers, Adam used the tiniest stitches possible to close the cut. Wade was impressed not only with Adam's skills, but his bedside manner as well.
Wade applied butterfly bandages to the more minor cuts and checked Orton's eyes to make sure there was no damage to the bones. The whole thing had taken a little over an hour. Randy was able to walk out of the emergency room, but was hand cuffed and shackled with two cops and two guards holding him.
Shawn gave the head guard an envelope. It contained a copy of the report, telling the prison doctor what they had done and the recommended follow-up care, along with the medicine Orton should have. Orton was gone as quickly as he had arrived.
Adam hurried back to the break room. He was trembling hard now that it was over, it hit him. He remembered the last time he was with Randy, his own face had looked much the same by the end of the beating. It was the end of their relationship, Adam had enough.
"You all right? That had to be horrible for you. Normally they go to County, but they were too busy to take him safely. That's what the guard told me. You did really well, son. I'm proud of you," Shaw spoke softly as he hugged Adam to him.
The nurse felt Adam's tremble, "Yeah, I'm okay. It was just a bit of a shock, especially now. Timing wasn't too great. Thanks, he was just another patient," Adam's voice matched his trembling body.
"You want to go home? I'll explain it to Hunter, he'll understand," Shawn asked as he hugged Adam and stroked his back like a worried parent.
"No, no there's only a couple of hours left on shift. I don't have any admits to check on. I'll be alright," Adam said with confidence, his trembling had nearly stopped.
"Alright. You're a strong young man and I'm proud of you. Hunt will be too. Doctor Barrett doing alright?" Shawn asked as he let go of Adam.
Adam smiled at Shawn's compliment, "he's a little pompous. I'll have to explain all the red marks on the charts to Hunter," Adam had told Shawn what Wade had done before the shift had started.
"Give it time, he'll get used to our ways and learn you are the supervisor. Let's get back to work," Shawn spoke just as the pager went off again, calling them to the trauma room.
This time it was a horrible one car accident. As hard as they tried, there was nothing they could do to save the man. He'd gone through the windshield and nearly severed his head. It was a sad part of the job.
Shawn went with Adam, the man's wife had been called and was waiting for news of her husband. It was heartbreaking, but it wasn't the first time for either the doctor or nurse. It was during these times where Shawn's pastoring came in handy. He was often praised for his comfort, he just brushed it off; it was his job.
When they finished, Adam showed Wade one of their more unpleasant tasks, taking a body down to the morgue. Adam explained the paperwork that had to be done. They had to wait for the morgue attendant to sign off on the chart.
"We never did menial tasks like this. It's what nurses or ward attendants are for. We doctors are above all this," Wade said in a very snobbish tone that was only made worse by his English accent.
Adam looked at Wade with a bit of a glare, "we owe it to them to see it through to the end. You can't just had something off because you think it's "menial". I have mopped up vomit, blood, urine and excrement, you will too if it's necessary and you'll do it without question or delays. Understood?" Adam said in a very firm tone. If he did it, Wade would too.
Wade sighed but nodded, that would be something he would change when he took over. He knew he had a lot of work to do. Getting in Adam's pants was the first order of business. "You're amazing you know. The way you handled that convict. It seems like you two knew each other. Has he been here before?" Wade knew there was a lot more to it than that, but he had to start fishing for information somewhere.
Wade and Adam were headed back to the ER, "No, he's never been here before. He was drunk he hit a school bus and killed five children. He's in prison for the rest of his life. We knew each other before that. Come on, I'll show you how to shift out. It's been a long day," Adam said vaguely. Barrett didn't need to know about Randy and himself.
It was after three. Adam explained how the shifts worked and then handed off to the next pair of doctors and staff of nurses. Adam liked the day shift. It was just busy enough and he was usually home by four. That gave him time in the evenings, well, that didn't matter so much now.
At four thirty, Adam pulled into the driveway. He'd stopped off to buy some groceries for supper. He grabbed the shopping bag and his brief case and went up to his apartment. Adam found a note from his brother. Jason said to call if he needed him and they would get together soon. He thanked his brother for the use of his bed.
The doctor smiled, once again Jason had been there for him, he was grateful in the end that his brother had told him about Chris and Evan. He just wish he'd told him in person. Adam then shook his head, Jay was right, he wouldn't have believed it.
As Adam warmed up a can of chicken noodle soup, he thought about things. The signs were there, he just either didn't notice or refused to notice. Chris had stopped spending the entire night with him, his phone always went to voice mail first, he never took Adam to his place anymore and he stopped inviting him to rehearsals. Adam should have put two and two together. Adam also thought about the fact that Chris always either avoided or changed the topic when it came to talking about plans for the wedding. Well, it was over now, nor more Chris and no more love, it only ever got him in trouble.
With a long sigh, Adam dished up a bowl of soup and sat down at his small kitchen table. Before he could take his first bite, there was a knock on his door. He went to answer it, he smiled, it was Captain Hart. "Hey Bear, come on in. Want a bowl of soup?" Adam asked with a smile. Seeing Bret instantly cheered him.
"Hi. Yes please. How was your first day back at work? Barrett do okay?" Bret asked as he joined Adam at the table.
The two friends talked over their small but plentiful supper. Adam filled Bret in on all that happened, even the flowers from Wade. The doctor never noticed the growling expression that quickly flashed across Bret's face.
Brent told Adam that the sale of the house was finalized and he now fully owned the Newcastle Drive property. He also said that a couple was really interested in his old house. He said it was proof that time and tide stood still for no man. Adam told Bret he would help in any way he could with the new house. He even promise him a painting to hang over the fireplace. Bret liked the idea very much and said he looked forward to it. He told Adam to paint what ever came to mind.
After dinner the two men found themselves on Adam's couch watching television. Bret made popcorn while Adam poured glasses of iced tea. They had a wonderful time watching old reruns of classic comedies. They talked for a while after they finished watching television. At ten pm Bret left. He gave Adam a little kiss on the cheek, then went over to the main house. Adam smiled, it had been a wonderful evening. It had been a long time since he'd just watched TV and talked. Chris always wanted to right to bed and fuck.
The next morning when Adam went into his office to check the previous nights charts, he smiled; there was a huge bouquet of fresh daisies. It was even bigger than the one he'd gotten yesterday. He would have a talk with Wade, it was too much.
Just as Adam pulled out the card, Wade came into the office. The Englishman frowned, the flowers weren't from him. Who else could have sent them?
"For the best Doctor I know, the sweetest one too, Bear" is what the card read. Adam was shocked, but happily surprised. He looked up at the Englishman. "I was going to scold you for spending more money on flowers, but they aren't from you. I'm lucky to have so many beautiful flowers," Adam said as he slipped the card into his pocket.
"Well, I'm... anyway. When you finish with the charts, Hunter wants us in the break room. Tuesday staff meeting, Nurse Helmsley said," Wade stated as he looked at Adam. The man was a walking puzzle.
"Yes, I know. Lots of charts, busy for a Monday night/Tuesday morning," Adam took an hour to do the twenty-eight metal covered charts. When he was finished, he and Wade went to the break room.
Hunter was at the head of the table. Shawn and the nurses were gathered on one side of the table while Adam, Wade, Ted and Cody along with the other ER doctor Dolph Ziggler were on the other side.
"You are all doing a fantastic job. Adam and Wade, your efforts on that near decapitation were beyond excellent. I'm sorry he succumbed. I got the coroner's report, you did everything possible and more. I also it want it made clear, the only one checking the charts is Adam. He is the Assistant Head of the Emergency Department. I trust his judgment. Keep up the great work. I'll be teaching the rest of this week, but page me if you need anything. Any questions?" Hunter spoke rapidly and firmly. He didn't like wasting any time.
Wade felt chastised, but at least Hunter hadn't mentioned him by name. He realized he might have been Hunter's pick, but he had a lot to prove. If he wanted Adam's job, he'd have to be careful.
When Adam and Wade returned to their shared office for lunch after a busy morning, Adam had another surprise. A fresh, hot small pizza was on his desk. There was a note leaning against the box, he picked it up and read it, "I remembered you said how much you loved pepperoni pizza, but had been a while since you'd had one. Please enjoy it, Bear".
It seems you have a fairy godmother looking out for you. Listen, I was wondering, would you like to have a drink with me after work. I found a lovely, real, English Pub not far from here," Wade asked in a hopeful tone. He decided he'd better start making his move.
Adam was still so surprised and touched by Bret's lunch time treat, he barely heard Wade. "What? Oh after work? Yes, for one drink," Adam said in a distant tone. One drink would be okay, after all Hunter expected them to make Wade feel welcome.
"Great, I look forward to it," Wade said happily. He would do all he could to show Adam a good time.
The rest of the day was busy. Adam assisted Hunter with an extremely dangerous appendix removal. It was dangerous because the twelve-year-old girl had a high fever. Normally, they would have waited for the fever to break, but her appendix was near the bursting point. Wade also assisted and Shawn was their lead nurse. Wade had to admit that Shawn was a brilliant at his job. Hunter never had to ask for anything. He and Shawn worked together like a finely tuned machine. Adam was an excellent part of their orchestra.
It was after six by the time Wade and Adam pulled into the pub parking lot. Adam had to drive because Wade had no license yet to drive in the States. He was preparing to take the tests as soon as possible. For now he depended on his feet or a taxi.
"Nice car, quite a classic. Come on, you'll like this place, Guinness on tap! They even do the shamrock on top of the foam!" Wade had jumped out and hurried around to open Adam's door for him.
"I've never had a Guinness. I'm looking forward to it. I need it after that surgery," Adam said with a sigh. He felt Wade's hand on the small of his back, it felt strange and he wasn't sure about it.
The pub was semi crowded with businessmen and women doing the same thing; socializing after work, or doing some networking. Barrett led Adam to a small, intimate table in the back corner. Music played and a few couples were on the small dance floor.
"I'm at home here. Food is good too, may I treat you to a plate of Shepherd's Pie or bangers and mash? It's later than I thought," Wade asked his 'date'. At least he hoped Adam would see it that way.
Adam was hungry. He loved Shepherd's Pie and he had to eat anyway. He only hoped that Wade knew this wasn't a 'date'. "Yes, I'd love a Shepherd's Pie and half pint of Guinness. I have to eat anyway, might as well enjoy it with a friend. Bret would love this place," Adam said thoughtfully as he looked around.
"So who is this mysterious Bret?" Wade asked after he placed their order. For the trip to the pub, both men had changed into "street" clothes they kept at work. Both Wade and Adam wore dressy jeans and button down shirts. Adam had on royal blue, Wade was in stark white.
"He was at the barbecue, the Fire Captain. He's a really good friend... so, I had to tell him about his husband, and he stays with Shawn and Hunter, at least until his new house is ready," Adam explained about Bret. He'd taken so long, telling about the night Davy died, their food had arrived.
Barrett made small talk, answering all Adam's questions about life in England. Wade thought things were going very well. It gave him hope. "I'm stuffed. Let's have a bit of a dance? Work of some of this food?" Wade suggested. Maybe putting it like that would make Adam say yes.
Adam agreed. Like a true gentleman, Wade held Adam's chair, then took him by the hand to the dance floor. The music held a fast beat. The two men started dancing. Wade was impressed by his fellow physician. He wondered what Adam would like with his long hair, free from its pony tail, whipping around like spun gold. He was even more entranced by Adam's beauty.
Without warning, the music changed to a slow, romantic melody and rhythm. Before Adam could protest, he found himself in Wade's strong embrace. He had to admit, the arms that held him felt nice, again he wasn't at all sure how he felt about it. Adam was not ready for a relationship, but he did like being held as they slowly danced around the pub floor.
They danced to three more songs, then went back to their table. Adam had another half pint and Wade a whole. Adam found he really enjoyed being with Wade outside the hospital. It was nice to have another new friend. It made things more bearable.
"I want to thank you for tonight, Wade. It's nice having a new friendship. We could do this again sometime, but tomorrow comes early. I'll drive you home," Adam stated, calling and end to the evening. He stood and pulled out his wallet, he wanted to pay his share of the tab.
Wade knew he couldn't push, but he had hope. "I already paid when you went to the restroom a moment ago. I can walk, it's only a couple of blocks. Yes, I'd love to do this again sometime," Wade said with a charming smile.
The two men walked to Adam's car. Wade waited for Adam to unlock the door, then held it open for him, "this was nice, thank you. I just remembered, we're off tomorrow, so I'll see you Thursday. Maybe we could come here again on Saturday, after work?" Wade asked as he leaned into Adam's personal space.
"I'll... let you know on Thursday. This was nice. Be careful walking home. Good night, Wade," Adam said softly. Before he could sit, Wade kissed his cheek. With a smile Adam slid into the car seat as Wade closed the door.
The Englishman watched as the beautiful blond drove away. He felt like he'd made good progress. He just had to remember, with all Adam had been through, he could not push. He had to be like the tortoise, slow and steady to win the race. He would win the race, fuck that ass till it bled, then take away his job. He might even marry Adam, but only out of pity. He chuckled and began the short walk home, making plans for the future with each step.
Adam pulled into the driveway, he wasn't surprised to see Bret come out to greet him. He smiled when he saw the older man. "Hi you old Bear. Thank you for the flowers and pizza. You are too good to me," his words were soft and warm, more so than with Wade.
"Glad to do it. I love to see you smile. So, how was your date with Doctor Barrett, Shawn told me," Bret tried to keep the growl out of his tone. When Shawn had told him Wade was taking Adam for a drink after work, he found himself... jealous. Adam was his friend, not Barrett's.
"It was fun. You'd like the place. It was not a date though. I'm not interested in dating. It was just an evening out with a friend. Nothing more, nothing less," Adam said firmly. He wanted it perfectly clear, he was not dating Wade. For some reason it was important for Bret to know that.
"Um... I was wondering, if you have time tomorrow, would you go shopping for the new house with me? I'd love to see your decorating style," Bret asked with a hopeful grin.
Adam smiled brighter than the stars in the sky, "Buy me breakfast?"
Bret's smile rivaled that of Adam, "you bet I will." The two men hugged. They went their own ways. Both felt like they were floating on air.
Morning couldn't come early enough; for either of them.