The Handyman's Dream (39 page)

The nurse, who was almost as old as Dr. Weisberg, called his name. He stumbled into the examining room she indicated, and collapsed on a chair. In here, at least, he was safe from more of Norma’s comments on modern medicine and family history.

Dr. Weisberg shuffled in a few minutes later, his usual kindly doctor’s expression on his wrinkled face.

“Well, there, Ed,” he said cheerfully. “Looks like the flu to me. I can tell that from here. You’re the fourth one I’ve seen today.”

Great, Ed thought. He had gotten out of bed and put up with his mother for an hour to be told what he already knew.

“Nasty strain moving through town right now,” Dr. Weisberg continued, shoving a thermometer under Ed’s tongue with a palsied hand. “Bad time of the year, early spring. People think it’s behind them, but it’s still hanging around to knock them down.”

The doctor checked Ed’s blood pressure, then put his cold stethoscope on Ed’s chest. He removed the thermometer, squinting at it through his glasses.

“A hundred and two,” he murmured, shaking his head. “Not good, there, Ed. Still, you’re young and strong, you’ll beat this off in a few days. I’m going to write you a prescription, though. Thing I’m worried about with the late winter flu is pneumonia setting in. People think it’s warm and they can do whatever they want. I can just see you out there with that toolbox before you’re healthy enough for work. I don’t care who calls you, you stay home and tell them to wait, or call someone else, for at least a week. No sense spreading this around anymore.”

“How am I suppose to pay you if I’m not working?” Ed asked sourly.

Dr. Weisberg laughed. “Oh, we’ll get the money out of you one way or another. You just stay in bed, drink lots of fluids, and keep up with the aspirin, along with this antibiotic.”

The doctor hobbled over to the sink to wash his hands. Ed had to admit that Norma was right about one thing: Dr. Weisberg was way past normal retirement age. The doctor had never been anything but kind to Ed, and Ed genuinely liked the old man, but watching him fumble with the paper towel dispenser, Ed knew he’d want someone else if stitches or surgery were required.

“You come back in a week if you’re not any better,” Dr. Weisberg said on his way out of the room. “But I’m sure you’ll be just fine.”

Norma deposited Ed at home, then took off for the drugstore. She returned with a bottle of pills and brought one in to Ed, who was in bed, Jett by his side. She gave the cat a dirty look, but managed to keep her thoughts about him to herself. Ed took the pill and gratefully sipped the orange juice she had brought as well.

“Thanks, Mom,” he said, trying to smile at her. “I feel like I’m ten years old again.”

“Humph. Sometimes you act like a ten-year-old. Well, unless you need anything else, I’m going home. You can call me. Honestly, this family would go to hell in a handcart if I wasn’t around.”

She marched out of the room, while Ed shook his head, finally managing a smile. Oh, Norma was a bossy, opinionated old broad, but Ed realized he hadn’t done bad at all in the mother lottery.

He fell asleep, but woke up sometime later to the sound of someone moving around his kitchen. Aw, crud, he thought, sitting up. I’m sick in bed and now I’m being robbed.

“Hello?” he rasped.

He heard footsteps, and much to his surprise, Laurie appeared in the doorway.

“Hey, you. Mom asked me to come over and heat up some soup for you, since I’m not working today. After Todd and the kids got this mess and I didn’t, I’m guessing I must be immune or something. Mom’s at home, washing her hands thirty times, bitchin’ up a storm about being in Dr. Weisberg’s office with all those sick people.”

They shared a laugh, Ed’s ending in a cough.

“Oh, Lord, I’m sorry,” Laurie said, handing him his juice glass. “No more Mom cracks. I swear! I’ll be back with your soup in a minute.”

Laurie returned with a bowl of chicken noodle on a bed tray she’d brought with her. Ed sat up, gratefully spooning the hot soup down his sore throat.

“This is great of you,” he murmured, “coming over like this.”

“No problem.” Laurie shrugged it off. “I tell you, though,” she continued, petting Jett, “after seeing Todd and both kids through this, I’m about half tempted to go back to school and see about a nursing degree. I still can’t believe I didn’t get it.” She shook her head.

“Hey, maybe you’re like those people in that Stephen King book Rick’s reading,” he said, putting his spoon down. “Almost everyone in the world dies of the flu, then this handful of survivors has to go about rebuilding society.”

Laurie shuddered. “Rebuild our society? No, thanks. I’d rather be one of the dead ones. Hey, I can take off if you want to be alone. I know how crummy you feel.”

“Actually, it’s kind of nice to have some company.” Ed went back to his soup.

“Well, then.” She smiled. “If you’re up to it, tell me about your weekend.”

Ed, in between spoonfuls of soup and coughing fits, managed to fill Laurie in on the plans he had made with Rick.

“I’m so glad, Ed,” she said, nibbling on one of the crackers from the tray. “I remember last fall, telling you that you’d know if you were really in love with him or not. Well, you don’t have to convince me. You guys are completely perfect for each other. I mean, watching the two of you together? It’s like reading a romance novel where the main characters are both men. So what’s the bottleneck? Why isn’t he moving his stuff over here?”

Ed explained Rick’s concerns about the children’s feelings. Laurie shrugged impatiently.

“The kids will be fine. He’ll only be a phone call away, for God’s sake. Maybe I’m being selfish for your sake, but I think dragging it out is a mistake.”

Ed shook his head. “No, I don’t want him moving so much as a pair of socks in here until he’s right in his mind about it. You don’t know him as well as I do, Laurie. He’s such a responsibility freak. I know those kids will be a part of our lives for a long time, and I’m okay with that. If he’s gonna be here with me, though, I want him with no guilt.”

Laurie frowned. “How long is this gonna take?”

“Soon, he says.”

“It’d better be,” she grumbled.

Ed sighed, shifting around under the covers. Every bone and muscle in his body ached, and he couldn’t find a comfortable position.

“It will be. If either one of us had any doubts about us, they’re gone now. I know we just spent two days away in an incredibly romantic setting, and I know it’s not day-to-day life, but, Laurie, I knew. I knew, talking with him on Sunday, that we’d be together, probably forever. Am I crazy?”

She shook her head, a faraway look in her eyes. “I remember one time when Todd and I went over to Cedar Point. He hadn’t asked me to marry him, but I was sure he was going to. I’d thought about it, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to, wasn’t convinced he was just the right guy or whatever. Anyway, he dragged me on the Blue Streak. Remember how that roller-coaster scared me when we were kids?”

Ed managed a chuckle without coughing. “Oh, how I tortured you on that thing. Telling you I saw the support beams coming loose and all. Remember Mom threatening to send me back to the car for making you cry? Oh, that was a day. I never got you on a roller-coaster ever again.”

Laurie giggled. “I was so mad at you that day. Still, I got even with you. I made Dad make you take me on the Scrambler ten times in a row. But the thing was, here was Todd making me go on that thing again. I was scared, and I didn’t want to admit it. But he knew, without me saying anything. You know how those ride guys tell you to hold on to the safety bar and stuff? Todd didn’t. He put his arm around me, told me to relax and just enjoy the ride. And for the first time ever, I did. I loved it. Can you believe it? I wanted to go on it again. Anyway, we got off, and I looked at Todd, saw his smile, and all of a sudden I knew. Don’t ask me how, I just knew. And two weeks later when he showed up with a ring, I was ready to take it.”

“Hmm. I’d love to go on the Blue Streak with Rick, but I doubt they’re open for the season yet.”

“Ha, ha, smart-ass. What I am trying to tell you, and I guess I’ll have to spell it out for your fevered brain, is that, no, I don’t think you’re crazy. I fully intend to be with Todd, until death do us part, and I’m predicting it will be the same with you and Rick. I know gay relationships are different, but I also know a thing or two about love. You guys are the real thing. Period. Just tell him to get his butt over here, and start making those dreams come true.”

Laurie had been smiling, but her face went very serious. “When Dad died, so young like he did, I realized that life is damned short. Don’t put off anything that’ll make you happy. That’s why I’m making Todd take me to Hawaii next winter.”

“Hawaii!”

“Yeah. I’ve always wanted to go, so why wait until we’re too old to appreciate it?”

Ed thought about that. He shrugged painfully. “Soon, Laurie. That’s all I can say.”

“Okay, okay,” she said, taking the tray. “But you can tell him for me I fully expect to have a brother-in-law by summer, you hear?”

* * * * *

Ed went back to sleep after Laurie left. He didn’t know how long he’d been dead to the world when he felt a hand on his forehead. He pushed his eyes open, and saw Rick sitting on the bed, smiling at him.

“How ya doin’, baby?” Rick asked softly.

“I’ve had better days.” Ed groaned, trying to sit up, but Rick wouldn’t let him. “What time is it?” he asked, looking toward the clock.

“It’s time for some supper, if you want any. Looks like you managed some soup at lunch. You want some more? I brought the ice cream, like I promised.”

Ed blinked at the clock. It was almost six, he noted, surprised he’d slept so long. “Laurie came over and fixed the soup. Sure, I can probably eat some more. Why aren’t you at home?”

“I told Claire I had a sick kid of my own to take care of. She shooed me out of the house and told me to stay over here as long as you needed me.”

Ed coughed, then coughed again. “Damn! Darlin’, you know your being here is great, but I don’t want you to get sick, too.”

“I’ll take my chances,” Rick said, stroking Ed’s hair. “If I was living here, it’d be no different. Now, what kind of soup do you want? I’m not sure what’s in the cabinet.”

Ed thought about his earlier conversation with Laurie. Yes, if Rick was in permanent residence, getting sick from each other was a chance they’d take, just like any other couple. Geez.Why am I protesting?

“I think there’s some vegetable soup out there,” he rasped. “I bought a bunch of it while it was on sale.”

“You got it.” Rick kissed Ed’s cheek. “I may hold off on a real kiss for a few days, if you don’t mind.”

Ed just rolled his eyes. Rick got up.

“Eat all your soup,” he said, trying to imitate Norma’s voice, “and you’ll get some ice cream. Honestly.”

“Oh,” Ed moaned. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”

Ed managed to eat all of his soup, so Rick brought him a bowl of rocky road as a reward. The cold ice cream felt as comforting as the hot soup had.

“Can you believe this?” Ed sighed. “I couldn’t even tell you the last time I got the flu. Man, am I paying for it. I’ll be honest, I feel like strung-out shit.”

“You look it, too,” Rick said, and smirked.

“Oh, thanks. I really needed that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve seen worse, living with three kids. Hey, you want me to sleep on the couch tonight?”

Ed looked at him surprise. “You’re spending the night?”

Rick nodded with his warm and tender special. “I spent this whole day worrying about you. How would I get any sleep, not knowing how you are?”

“Geez, it’s just the flu. I’m not dying. I may feel like it, but I’m not.”

“People have been known to die of the flu,” Rick said sternly. “I’m sure you’re not going to be one of them, but all the same, I’ll stay here where I can keep an eye on you. Someone has to. You want me to call your mother?”

Ed coughed in alarm. Rick laughed.

“I thought so. Now, bed or couch for me?”

Ed thought about it. “I’d rather have you here, next to me, but if I can’t handle it, then I’ll throw you out. I have a feeling you may be better medicine than those pills Dr. Weisberg gave me.”

* * * * *

Rick spent most of the evening in the living room, engrossed in his Stephen King novel. Ed thought about joining him, but instead stayed in bed, eyes closed, letting his thoughts ramble. At one point he heard Rick moving around, and soon after soft music came from the stereo. Ed smiled, recognizing the song, Mercy’s “Love (Can Make You Happy).” As awful as he felt, Ed had to admit that love, indeed, had made him happy.

Rick’s face appeared around the door. “Is that bothering you?” he asked anxiously.

“Not one bit,” Ed assured him. “But hold off on the rock-and-roll records, okay?”

Rick smiled and nodded. “I thought of that. Nothing but slow and easy stuff. I just wish you were up to another dance.”

“The minute I’m better,” Ed promised. He noticed Rick was holding on to his book. “How’s the state of the world?”

“Not good,” Rick said. “It seems to be setting up for some epic battle between good and evil. It’s good reading, but scary to think about. I tell you though,” he said, shaking his head, “all these characters sitting back and watching their families die around them. Baby, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. I’d probably end up on the evil team, just out of spite.”