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Tweetie poked her head in. “Everything’s ready like you asked, Brian.”
Brian nodded at Tweetie, bent down, drove both his arms under Sway and hefted him into his arms as if he weighed nothing more than a blanket. Sway wrapped his arms loosely around Brian’s thick neck and sank against his body. He was too exhausted to fight. Whatever Brian was about to do with him, he’d go with it.
“Bath is nice and warm.” Tweetie was grinning from ear to ear as she tossed a warm quilt over Sway’s shivering body.
When Brian got them through his bedroom door, he saw his mom’s face light up from where she sat at the dinette set. Her warm eyes shone with affection as she watched that dark man with deadly weapons hanging off him, cradle her son to his chest as if he was the most precious thing in the world, and take him into the bathroom to wash him.
Brian sat Sway down on the toilet lid, having to practically prop him against his hip to keep him upright. Sway’s forehead was hot and damp but not burning. Brian helped him lean towards the sink and brush his teeth then swish around a capful of the old-school, brown Listerine. He let Sway catch his breath before he helped him into the full tub. The water rose to his neck and the sigh of bliss Sway let out made Brian smile. He got down on his knees, retrieved the clean rag and soap Tweetie had placed on the sink for him and got on his job. He raised Sway’s weak limbs and cleaned them with the vanilla-scented body wash, taking his time so Sway could enjoy the relaxing bath. He took another cloth and began to wash Sway’s face.
He gripped his bristly chin between his fingers and turned Sway’s head to face him. His boyfriend was practically asleep, the virus working its way through his body, zapping his energy. Every few moments Sway’s lids would crack, and Brian would get glimpses of tired brown eyes. He cupped Sway’s cheek gently and got all the dead skin off his lips. When he was good and clean, Brian stood, got the towel from the hook and draped it over his arm. It took some careful maneuvering, handling a slippery, wet Sway but Brian managed to get him mostly dry and into his clean bathrobe. Tweetie should be done in his room by now. Brian bent and scooped him up again. Sway clung to his neck even in his sleep. Brian’s pride soared. He was finally able to care for Sway.
As soon as Brian stepped out of the bathroom, he could already tell Sway’s room had been cleaned. Maybe his nurse didn’t know it, but he had the whole apartment ripe, not just his bedroom. No wonder Tweetie and Stephanie were so stressed. Brian laid Sway on fresh linen and pulled the covers up. He was fast asleep again in seconds. Brian looked around, noting how fast Tweetie could work. They’d only been in the bathroom an hour. Sway’s room smelled disinfected and Pine Sol fresh. Brian inched Sway’s little humidifier closer to his bed and turned off the lamp on the nightstand. It plunged Sway’s room into darkness, but Brian could see well enough with the small light filtering under the door from the hall. He removed his .45, checked the safety, then tucked it into the top drawer of Sway’s desk. Next, he bent down to unstrap his blade, when he heard a knock on the front door. Brian checked his watch. Who the fuck?
He was out of Sway’s room in seconds, but Tweetie was already at the door and yelling ‘who is it’ while turning the knob, before he could stop her. Who’s coming to this house this late? The ladies appeared too shocked to be expecting anyone. When Brian turned the corner, and looked over Tweetie’s head he saw who the fuck it was.
“Good evening. I’m Dr. James Dominick. I’m the head of Sw—Nurse Hamilton’s, department. I’m so sorry about the hour, but I’m just getting off and wanted to see if he was getting better. I didn’t know he lived with anyone. I brought him some Chinese soup.” The man’s rich voice carried into the apartment.
Tweetie gave him the side eye but opened the door regardless, her Southern upbringing not allowing her to leave a visitor on the doorstep, certainly not one with a gift. Brian narrowed his eyes. Goddamn snake. I bet you wished he lived alone.
Dr. Dominick had a charming, smug smile on his face as he walked towards the living room. Sway’s mom was in her usual spot on the couch, and she lifted her hand when the doctor reached out to introduce himself, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Stephanie. Sway’s mom,” she murmured then cut her eyes to Brian who’d been standing at the entrance to the kitchen. His arms were folded over his chest and he made sure he stood with his feet braced apart so the conniving doctor could see the hardware strapped to his leg.
