Interlude (8 page)

“I don't think we've met. I'm Karen.” She
said with a polite smile. Her long, graceful fingers waited in
tense silence as Alice finally shook her hand.

“Are you the, his, I mean?” Alice's confused
response made Karen smile a little more in spite of herself.
Alice's confidence floundered as she finally blurted out, “You're
that GIRL!” As Alice stood up from the foot of the bed, Karen moved
over to look at the flowers she had sent. She smelled them audibly,
her inhalation the only noise in the silent room. It was as if the
world had stopped moving. Cal had never felt so helpless, so
awkward and inadequate as he tried to think of what to do next.
Alice made the next move.

“We're checking Cal out and taking him home.”
she said petulantly.

Karen moved over to the bed, closer to Cal
than she had been in almost a month. In the sterile hospital room,
everything about her was pushed into high relief. He could smell
her lovely scent; he could hear the gentle swish of her clothes as
they moved on her body. As she shifted her weight from one foot to
the other, Cal listened to her speak ever so condescendingly to his
soon-to-be-divorced wife.

“Have you run this by Cal by any chance?” She
asked, a smug half-smile the only weapon she needed. She reached
out to touch him, her fingers resting on his neck as she rubbed his
back lightly. Cal's entire body responded to her touch. Like a
desert cactus awash in a rainstorm, he could feel his unspoken need
flush away like a layer of silt. He reached up to grasp her hand,
his arm still aching from the IV site. The visible effect that
Karen had on him only served to make Alice angrier.

Karen leaned down to speak with Cal in a
confidential tone, her voice still audible to Alice as she spoke.
“I want you to come and stay with me.” She said. Her hand moved to
his arm as Cal fought to make sense of everything. His mind was
still reeling from this mega-dose of his perfect drug.

“But we hardly know each other. We've only
been together once in real life. You didn't even want to be with me
a week ago.” Cal recalled, his voice falling at the memory.

“I never said I didn't want to be with you.
Karen responded in her defense, adding, “I just said that there are
things that you shouldn't have to deal with because of me, to be
with me.” She said, her eyes giving him an apologetic look. Alice's
rising frustration cut their moment short.

“I can see you two have things to discuss.”
She finally muttered. As she left, she turned around like she had
forgot something. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a long
manila envelope and tossed it on Cal's bed, the weight of the
contents noticeable on his leg.

“Daddy wanted me to give that to you.” She
said, adding, “It has something to do with your retirement savings.
Apparently there was a mistake early on with the account. Read the
forms.” She said mildly as she made her way out.

After a few seconds, the tension in the room
subsided almost visibly. “Awkward...” Karen said musically. Her
smile was infectious as Cal struggled to regain his formerly
serious demeanor.

“I'm still mad at you.” He said finally. His
seriousness limited to a smirk as he reveled in her presence like a
dog rolling on freshly cut grass. “Why did you do that to me?” He
looked up at her as she moved to occupy Alice's old spot at the
foot of the bed. Her presence was so calming to Cal. He found his
anger towards her melting away as she touched his leg, dissipating
into shivers up his spine as she spoke.

“I live a life that isn't really ordinary. I
travel a lot, I deal with things that most people would go crazy
trying to handle. It's not fair to try and make it work with
someone when I know they will just leave because of who I am, or
what I am.” Karen's voice trailed to an urgent whisper as a tear
rolled down her cheek. Cal sat forward on the bed, his head singing
in pain as his bruised body took up the same tune. He winced the
pain back as he held Karen's arm.

“I don't care who you are or what you did, or
do. If you killed someone, I'll help you bury the body. If you're a
war criminal, I'll run away with you in exile. If you were formerly
a guy and you had a special 'surgery', well, they did a pretty good
job.” He said, his boyish smirk returning as he comically looked
her up and down in approval. Karen laughed, dashing at her tears
with her finger. She slowly stretched out on the bed, her lithe
body lying next to his. Having her so near him was intoxicating,
Cal thought to himself as she moved her hands about on his
body.

“Seriously babe, I just want to be with you.
I don't have anything holding me back. I have no job, no house, and
my car is making this weird rattling noise.” He said in a long
stream of words. “I'm like modeling clay, so mold me as you wish.”
He said lightly. Karen reached over and kneaded his ab muscles
playfully.

“Ooh not there though.” He winced as his body
recoiled involuntarily.

Karen lifted up the blankets. The cold draft
on his body was startling as she reached out to touch his bruised
skin.

“Oh my god!” She said. Her hand over her
mouth in astonishment as she traced a line with her fingernails
from one bruise to another. Cal was felling oddly self-conscious at
the exposure. He still managed to be prideful of his injuries as he
recounted his tale of misadventure to Karen, what he could remember
at least. He observed the changes in her facial expressions. Cal
recalled the card that was in the flowers.

“What did you mean when you said, 'I had
hoped to keep this away from you, but it seems I was too late'?”
Cal asked.

“It's complicated. She said, nuzzling into
his neck as she pondered her next moves.

“I'm all about complicated.” He said.

She was still exploring his body when she
noticed his manhood stirring under the sheet. She reached to touch
it, but Cal's hand stopped her. He offered up an explanation.

“I would love for you to touch me there, but
they have me tubed up.” he said shyly.

Karen pulled back the covers again, revealing
his manhood in all its catheterized glory. She giggled in spite of
herself as she covered him back up gingerly. With a conciliatory
pat, she asked, “Why did they catheterize you? Can't you get up?”
She asked.

“I'm a head trauma case, so they don't want
me going to the bathroom on my own. I guess it serves well as a
leash too?” Cal said jokingly. Karen reached under the covers
again, her fingers trailing along the opaque, white tubing. She
tugged at the tubing playfully as his manhood began swelling from
the motion.

“No, please, I don't want to have to explain
any additions to the nurse who empties my pee bag.” He said with a
chuckle, adding, “Besides you still have some 'splaining to
do.”

With a deep sigh, Karen resolved herself to
telling Cal everything! “I promise, I'll tell you everything as
soon as you're better. What I have to tell you involves a sort of
show and tell, so it's no use revealing my deep, dark secrets
here.” She spoke with a finality that Cal knew was going to be the
last word, for now.

“Okay.” He sighed. He was just happy to have
her lying by him. He lay with her until sunset, and the nurses
kicked her out. She had fallen asleep, and the on-duty nurse gave
Cal a friendly smile when she saw the two of them cuddled up like
lovesick teens. Karen straightened her clothes as she got up.

“Do you need anything?” She asked as she
checked her phone.

“I need another healthy serving of you.” He
held onto her hand as she tried to leave.

“I don't want to go either.” She said,
resting her forehead on his. “You'll be out in a couple of days. I
don't want to be the reason you end up in some soap opera-style
coma.” She said, swaying her hips deliberately as she walked out.
What a tease!

Cal rested fitfully. His turned down all the
pain killers in an attempt to stay lucid for any other random
surprises. He regretted it as he tried to turn over to sleep. His
thoughts were filled with her. All the problems he had somehow
seemed less important now. Cal was unable to sleep, so he clicked
on his bed light and looked through the massive manila envelope. “I
guess I have to get this over sooner or later...” Cal thought to
himself as he laid out all of the forms and scanned documents. The
quiet night of the hospital's neurology ward beeped and whirred
softly as Cal read and re-read all the paperwork.

He tried to make sense of it, but he realized
that Weathery-Park had made a huge error while setting up his
retirement. Cal had opted for eschewing the usual 401k and mutual
funds and going for his own diversified portfolio. His father in
law had been his financial adviser, to the effect that he chose
stock that Cal wanted, and left his portfolio to rot. In the
neglect, Cal had realized that he owned stock in half of the
upstart companies that carried Silicon Valley now! He re did the
numbers over and over, but they kept coming up in his favor!
Accounting for some stock splits and accrued dividend payments,
plus interest, Cal was now owed 1.2 million dollars by his former
in-laws! The stunning realization only served to make him sleepy.
He glanced at his phone to check the time. 3:30 am is what his
mind's eye saw before finally dozing off.

The next morning was disorienting as usual.
The pain was much less noticeable today, Held back by his new drug
of choice! He texted Karen when the nurse had finished taking his
vitals and, ugh, dumping his catheter bag.

“When can I have this thing out?” He finally
asked her.

The middle-aged woman smiled. “If you can
stand up and walk on your own then we'll take it out right now.”
She said pleasantly. Cal pulled his covers off and sat at the edge
of the bed. With a little wobble, he stood up and walked until the
tether to his manhood stopped the advancement.

“Well, it looks like its time.” She said. Cal
tried to block out the sensations as she deflated the bulb that
held the tube in his bladder. With an odd amount of perkiness, the
nurse pulled out the tube and covered Cal back up. Cal tried to not
feel too embarrassed as he asked her when things could return to
normal down there.

She blushed as she finally got the hint of
what he was talking about. “Oh, right away honey! She said
brightly, adding, “Your girlfriend...?” She inquired carefully,
“was asking about it last night when she left. She's a pretty one!
She also wanted to know when you would be back in service.” Now it
was Cal's turn to blush.

Karen walked in as the nurse was leaving. Cal
gave her a knowing grin as she sat down on the bed. “Doing some
research on my behalf I see?” Cal nudged her with his foot as she
gave him a guilty smile. He was just happy to not be tethered to
the bed anymore by his man land. She ran her hand up his leg,
feeling for him under the thin covers. His unfettered erection
throbbed gently under her caress.

“I wish we could fuck.” Karen said
impishly.

Cal pouted, “It's too bad we're in a whole
hospital filled with people.”

“Unless we could find somewhere more
private....” She offered coaxingly.

“Well, I need to get up and move around
anyway. Doctor's orders...,” He said with a mocking salute. Karen
held his hand as he steadily walked about the room. She kindly
offered to tie his hospital gown closed as he gained his balance.
“It feels so good to walk.” He thought to himself as Karen assessed
their predicament. Like a light bulb coming on, she brightened up,
her smile holding a hint of mischievousness as she led Cal by the
hand. They smiled and said good morning the folks in the hall. Food
carts were being banged around loudly as the cafeteria delivered
breakfast. The smell of hospital food had always creeped out Cal.
His thoughts wandered until they came to a clear glass door marked
“Physical Therapy”. Karen's eyes lit up as the door pushed open at
her touch.

“I think we found our rendezvous point.” She
lilted as Cal followed her in. The dark room was littered with
equipment for stretching and lifting the broken folks of St.
Francis Community Hospital. Karen eyed the various therapy devices
as she touched her finger to her chin pensively. “Ah ha!” She
finally said.

She led Cal over to a contraption that looked
like a cross between a pull-up bar and a bench press table. As she
motioned for Cal to sit, she deftly grabbed the tie on his gown and
pulled the whole thing off his body in one smooth motion! He felt
shy, being so long without her touch. Now, as he stood there with
nothing but a few faded bruises and a rock hard rod of steel, Karen
tossed the gown over her head and strolled over to the workout
machine. After shimmying out of her jeans and top, she gently
pushed Cal onto the bench as she straddled him. She bent down to
kiss him, gently at first. Then, as her needs consumed her, she
began a furious assault on him. He returned the kiss as best as he
could, but Karen was a woman possessed. She moved over his lips,
biting his lower one as she held his head firmly in place. She
pulled so hard on his hair that it almost hurt! He countered by
holding her close, running his hand over her firm, young body as he
parried her thrusting kisses with some of his own.

She broke from the kiss with an exhausted
sigh as she took off her bra and slid her panties off. Taking hold
of the crossbar atop the machine she hefted her weight up easily.
She wanted him so badly! She wanted to feel him in every way
possible! She raised her body up, hanging from the bar like it was
a jungle gym. In the dark, Cal could still see a gleam in her eyes
as she looked down at him, her waist level with the top of his
head.

“Let me know if I'm crossing any thresholds.”
She said, almost seriously, as she gently placed the backs of her
thighs on Cal's shoulders. He only felt her skin on his shoulders
as she supported all of her weight with her arms. He was incensed
by her beauty, and by her musky aroma as she slowly flexed her
legs, bringing his face to her waiting womanhood. He gently ran his
nose over her, probing and teasing as he felt her body convulse in
response. She almost shrieked when his tongue flew out to meet her
tense, waiting flesh. He gently moved about, searching for a rhythm
that she liked. Cal was lost in ecstasy. Karen moved her hips
attempting to grind her pleasures out on him. He reached up to hold
her hips with his hands, controlling her body so he could finish
his job. As his thumbs dug into her waist for control, he made his
final assault. Karen bit her lip and strained against the sounds
she wanted to make in the quiet room. She climaxed in a frustrated,
gasping squeal as she closed her thighs tightly around Cal's face.
She relaxed on the bar as she sensed Cal's hands on her sides.