Chapter 50

We work together tugging and pulling to remove his pants while leaving him decent, d in just his boxers. I make my way to the young man’s head. I wrap my arm around his chest as I start to speak near his ear.

“I want you to try. I don’t want to cath you unless it’s absolutely necessary,”

“Can you…. help me…. sit up?”

“Absolutely. If that’s what you think will help.”

“Has Dr. Carter ever tried to change your position when he’s trying to get you to relieve yourself?”

I watch Cole shake his head at Ang’s question.

“Always…. tied…. on my…. back.”

“Well that exins a lot.”

I mutter as I wrap my arms around the young man’s chest. He yelps lightly as my hug tightens around him.

“I’m sorry Cole. Move with me. I’m going to sit you up. Damian, can you lower the rail on your side?”

“Sure”

He finally starts moving around Colefortably sinceing into the room with me, at eighteen years old he’s had limited exposure to abuse of this nature.

Damian gets the side down and without my instructions, instinctively helps Cole move his legs to the side of the bed allowing me to lift himfortably into a sitting position.

Cole whines quietly as the new position ces even more pressure on his dder but he manages to get himself to the side of the bed by the time Ang gets there.

“Do you want to hold this and take care of your needs on your own or do you need help?”

“If you… can help…. keep me…. sitting…. I can…. do the….. rest.”

It’s difficult to listen to Cole being so breathless so many hours after we brought him into the hospital.

“I’ve got this Ang. If you could contact a helper to get a new bed in here that would be great. Do we have another heated nket? He still feels cold to me. ”

“Check his temperature when he’s done and cleaned up but I should have another.”

She hands Damian the container as she draws the curtain around the bed. I climb up on the bed kneeling behind Cole, I ce my hands on his sides right in the middle at the bottom of his ribs. He yelps in surprise but settles before I say anything to him.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m not used to giving forward knowledge of what I’m going to do before I do it.”

He slowly shuffles his weight off his hands, reaching for the container as he prepares himself to use it. Damian politely turns his back towards Cole as the groan of relief escapes. I can’t help but smile as I’m relieved that I don’t have to subject him to something as invasive as a catheter

when he doesn’t need it.

“When you’re finished I want you to lean back against me and hand me the container . ”

It doesn’t take long before he settles back against me. He is breathing hard with a loud wheeze but at least he appears more bfortable.

“Damian, I’d like you to help keep him steady while I dump this and clean up, then we’re going to get him into a chair while we wait for a new

bed.”

“I’m sorry …. alpha.”

I hear him wheeze through as Damian and I swap holding him up.

“It happens every month. I’m more worried about the dream that caused it than the bed itself. Do your dreams get easier when you’re on your medication?”

He nods silently as I walk by the bed. I can hear Damian talking quietly with him but I’m too far to understand anything. I spot the chair we brought him into the room and start wheeling it over to the bed.

Once I get there I notice Cole’s struggle to breathe has gotten worse. I lock the wheels on the chair before walking a few steps over to Cole .

“You’re not looking.much better than you did this morning. I need to get you back on the nebulizer for a while.”

Damian slowly moves to the side allowing me to transition back to helping Cole. Once I’m in front of him again I notice that Ang has left a gown on the bed along with the catheter kit. With Cole having a firm grip on me reach over and grab the gown.

“Shall we get you a little better covered up? Now that you’re without your pants it might be a bit morefortable to be in the hospital gown. That, and easier to use the container while in bed.”