Chapter 4

Doug strode into the room with an undisguised sense of authority. He was a short man, with a neatly trimmed mustache that exaggerated his frown and short black hair that gave him a distinguished look. He looked around and noticed a man changing the sheets on the only bed in the room. He cleared his throat and asked, “Where’s John Carter?”

Nurse John turned and examined the intruder. He didn’t know what to make of the man. He answered, “He’s in the next room reading to the Wilson girl. She had an appendectomy yesterday.”

Doug turned before Nurse John had even finished his answer. The nurse watched the guy’s back as he left the room without further comment. He muttered, “That guy makes Dr. Simpson look like a great conversationalist.”

A minute later John Carter entered the room followed by the other man. Doug pointed at the bed and shouted, “Get in bed, now!”

“Dougie, I’ve known you since you and my brother were caught playing doctor with the girls next door. Now get off your high and mighty doctor pedestal you’ve put yourself on, and say hello like the real person I know still lives inside you!”

Nurse John just chuckled quietly to himself. He glanced over at John and saw the twinkle in his eye. He knew that look too well. John got that same look when he would start to bait Dr. Simpson.

“John Carter, get in that bed. I saw your chart out there. You were shot and lost way too much blood. You’re lucky to be alive. Now you get in that bed and stay there until I or your doctor says you can get out of it!”

John made a raspberry noise and retorted, “Make me. I can still whip your ass one armed!”

Doug chuckled and said, “Damn it, John. I get a call from your mother that you got shot and died. Then she tells me that you are feeling better, but that I might come out here to apply for a job. Now you and I know that it was her way to get me here to check you out. So be a nice guy and cooperate.”

John laughed and said, “Sorry, Doug. Getting you out here was my idea. There’s only one doctor in the whole area and he’s overworked. I knew you wanted a practice in the country and this is mighty nice country.”

Doug pointed to the bed and John finally got into it. Doug looked over his shoulder at the nurse and groused, “Get some bandages. I’m going to look at his shoulder and see how it’s healing.”

Nurse John shook his head and said, “Nope, you aren’t the...”

Doug interrupted, “Nurse, do it, now!”

Nurse John spun around and left the room. John nodded with a wiseassed smile on his face. He said, “Dougie, you did it, now! Get prepared for the wrath of Dr. Simpson!”

Hardly had John finished his statement when a whirlwind in the form of Dr. Simpson entered the room. He shouted, “You! Who are you that you dare order my nurses around?”

“I’m Dr. Wilkins. Are you the hack that lets him walk around the hospital two days after getting shot?” shouted Doug back at the older man.

Nurse John discreetly entered the room and moved over to the bed. As the doctors argued, John winked at Nurse John and said, “I told you they would get along fine.”

Nurse John nodded and said, “Yeah, like gasoline and matches. I wonder which one of us is gonna get burnt.”

John laughed and said, “So how long do you think I should let them argue?”

“You can stop them anytime now.”

“Okay,” replied John with a big smile. He took a deep breath and let out a great big groan.

Like magic, both doctors stopped arguing and raced to the side of the patient. As one, they asked, “Where does it hurt?”

“My ears!”

Again as one, they asked, “Your ears?”

“Yeah, you two were shouting loud enough to wake the dead!”

“You are the most...” replied both doctors as one. They both glared at each other and then began again, “You are driving...”

John interrupted, “So, Dr. Simpson, are you gonna offer Dougie, here, a job?”

“Looking?”

“Yes.”

“Credentials?”

“Excellent.”

“Okay.”

“Great.”

“When?”

“One month.”

“Good. Nurse, get some bandages.”

As one, the two doctors turned to John. This time the groan that escaped from John was real. Alarmed the doctors asked, “What’s the matter?”

“I think I’ve let two monsters loose on the world.”

“John, I shouldn’t have let your brother rescue you when you were drowning!”

“John, I should have let you die on that operating table!”

Nurse John returned with bandages. It took the doctors several minutes to remove the old dressing and examine the wound. It had healed at an unprecedented rate. The two doctors stared at the wound in wonder. Dr. Simpson said, “Incredible. It looks like it has been healing for two weeks instead of two days.”

“I can see that. The mobility of the arm is amazing. With a hole that big, he should have significant stiffness.”

“Well, will I live?”

Doug replied, “Yes. It must be all the meanness in you.”

Dr. Simpson added, “And people consider me cantankerous. A few of them ought to meet you! I’m thinking about keeping you in here forever.”

John smiled and winked at Nurse John. He suddenly leaned up and kissed Dr. Simpson on the lips. Leaning back, he smiled and said, “I’m all yours until you check me out of here!”

“Damn it, stop doing that! If my colleague concurs, you are leaving first thing in the morning!”

“John, there are times when I’m sorry I ever knew your brother. Every one of those times, you’ve been involved. Next time you do something like that to a doctor, I’m going to recommend they send you to a vet for treatment! You’re leaving in the morning. If I know you, you’ll corrupt all of the nurses here. I wouldn’t want that, particularly since I’ll be working here soon.”

“Nurse John, do you want to tell them?”

“Leave me out of it. They’ll discover in good time what kind of influence you’ve had here on the staff!”

Both doctors left the room shaking their heads. John watched them leave with an amused smile. He turned to Nurse John and said, “They get along well, don’t they?”

“He’s the first doctor I’ve seen come in here that has a chance of outlasting Dr. Simpson,” replied the black man. He shook his head at the exchange between the two doctors; an interview of one-word statements that lasted less than ten seconds.

John got out of the bed stating, “Well, I’m gonna go finish Treasure Island with Cindy Wilson.”

He left the room leaving an amused nurse behind. Nurse John heard him say with an exaggerated pirate accent, “Avast! Prepare to be boarded, me pretty!”

That was followed by an embarrassed giggle from Lucy. Nurse John shook his head in wonder. Some patients made the job worthwhile. Even the doctor had said that about John. That guy had brought more than one smile to this place.

John woke up in the middle of the night thinking he was having an erotic dream. It took him several minutes to realize that it wasn’t a dream, but someone was sucking his cock. Keeping his eyes closed he whispered, “If that’s you, Nurse John, I’m gonna be real disappointed!”

He smiled at the giggle and opened his eyes. She was a shadow against the dull illumination that seeped from under the door. As she moved up his body, Nurse Lucy said, “Avast, me hearty, prepare to be boarded!”

With that, she lowered herself onto his erection. He sighed in pleasure as the warm, moist sheath of her sex enveloped his cock. He moved his hand to her body and ran it up her torso. It was with a little disappointment that he encountered her nurse’s uniform. As he ran his hand down her body, he felt where she had lifted her skirt to allow her to straddle him. She undulated by moving her hips, rising gently, as she worked his hard cock within her.

She sighed. “Oh, it’s so big.”

He sighed. “Oh, it’s so tight.”

He could feel his excitement building quickly. If he didn’t slow things down, he would come soon. She stopped moving and started milking his cock with her cunt. He had to fight off having an orgasm. Then he realized that she was breathing hard and was building to one of her own. The contractions along his cock got stronger.

He grunted, “Oh, I’m going to come.”

As he started lifting his hips to increase the sensation, she started thrashing above him in orgasm. He let loose right after she climaxed. She collapsed on him in the exhaustion that follows orgasm and held him tight. He put his arms around her and drifted off to sleep.

Morning came and he examined his meager possessions. His pack and walking stick were there. He checked his watch and pockets. Everything was there. Satisfied, he settled into the wheelchair and said, “Homeward, James!”

Nurse John chuckled and said, “Your departure has created quite a stir.”

“Oh?”

Nurse John wheeled him into the hallway. Every female in the hospital was spaced along the corridor. This included the accountant, the day and night nurses, the secretary, the lab technician, and the sixty-year-old cleaning lady. Each was wearing a blond wig, short white skirt, a top that was unbuttoned one button too many, garter belt and white stockings, and brandishing a rectal thermometer. The grins were infectious. John burst out laughing and said, “Oh, ladies, you are great! I’m gonna miss all of you!”

Even Dr. Simpson, while trying to look stern, was smiling. “You degenerate. Look at what you did to my staff!”

As they passed the cleaning lady, John stated in a stage whisper, “Myrtle, you better watch out for that old geezer. He’ll be chasing you around the halls in a minute!”

Myrtle actually blushed, but retorted, “Chase? Who said I was gonna run?”

Dr. Simpson was left stuttering. It was at that moment that he realized John Carter knew the name of everyone in the hospital. He couldn’t believe that even the night nurse was participating. She had the reputation of being a prudish old hen.

As they passed the door to the room next to his, he called inside, “Good bye, Cindy. Remember what I told you. If mean old Dr. Simpson gives you a hard time, you just kiss him on the lips.”

From inside the room, Cindy answered, “Goodbye, Mister John. I’ll remember.”

John smiled as they went further down the hall. When they passed the accountant, he again used the stage whisper, “Louisa, remember it goes, one for you, one for me, one for you, two for me, and so on.”

“Si, Senior, I remember. Dr. Simpson be poor real soon,” she replied with a smile. She glanced up at the doctor meaningfully as he made a face.

As they went down the hall, he made similar comments to every one. A personal joke was shared with each person. When they got to Lucy, he signaled her to come close. He was about to say something to her when she beat him to the punch, “Avast, me hearty, prepare to be boarded.”

When she wiggled her hips suggestively, he laughed and retorted, “Shiver me timbers!”

Finally, they reached the end of the hall where the two doctors were standing. He turned to Dr. Simpson and said in mock seriousness, “It’s been fun working on your bedside manner with you.”

There was a snort of laughter from the waiting room. Dr. Simp-son answered, “It has been a real pleasure having you here, John. Don’t you know that country doctors are supposed to be cantankerous and ill tempered? If I don’t live up to expectations, no one around here will get cured.”

John sat back in surprise and said, “Huh?”

“Now if you don’t get out of here, I’ll take Dr. Wilkins’ advice and send you to the nearest veterinarian. I hear he’s meaner than hell.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Doug took over the wheelchair from Nurse John. Nurse John stepped around the wheel chair and knelt next to the patient. John looked at the black man. He extended his hand and said, “Thanks, Nurse John. May the Gods and Goddesses bless you.”

Nurse John interrupted, “I know what you’re gonna say next. If either doc gets too big for his britches, I’m supposed to give them a big kiss on the lips!”

There was another snort from the waiting room. A comment floated out from inside, “Damn Doc is gonna get kissed a lot from now on!”

Doug screamed in mock horror, “My God, we had better get him out of here before he corrupts all of the patients too!”

As Doug wheeled him out of the hospital, John shouted, “Goodbye, everyone.”

A chorus of good-byes followed them out of the building. As Doug pushed the wheelchair towards his rental car, he asked, “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“What you did in there.”

“I really don’t understand what you are talking about.”

“You really don’t, do you?” replied Doug. He shook his head in amazement. He added, “You get shot. You die. You recover. You heal in record time. You walk around a hospital and learn everyone’s name. You have private jokes with them. They all know you and like you. They get dressed up in ridiculous garb to say goodbye. No one was upset to see you leave, but everyone felt better knowing you. You did all of that in three days. How do you do it?”