Page 18 of Comforting the Grump

“Fine,” Blue said, his earlier warmth replaced by a defensive chill. He gathered his clothes, dressing quickly. “For what it’s worth, you seem like you could use more than a quick fuck to fix whatever’s eating you.”

And now I felt like a total asshole—not that uncommon a feeling, but the circumstances were different. He’d only been nice and kind, and I’d been a dick. “Sorry. I’m… I don’t know what’s going on.”

“You may wanna have yourself checked out then.”

Before I could reply, he walked out, slamming the door shut behind him and leaving me alone with the silence and the chilling realization that something deeper than physical frustration was at play. Blue had been right about one thing: I needed to have this checked out…and I wasn’t waiting until Monday.

On the short walk back home, I came up with a plan. Fir Everett had been my classmate in Forestville, from kindergarten all through high school graduation, and he’d followed in his father’s footsteps as the town’s family doctor. He and I hadn’t been friends, but since he’d started dating Tomás, one of my best friends, we’d grown much closer. He was a good guy, kind and sweet, and a dedicated doctor. I hated doing this to him, but I couldn’t sit in this worry until Monday, and that was if I could even get in with my own doctor in Seattle that quickly.

As soon as I was back home, I made the call.

“Marnin? Everything okay?”

“Uh, hey, Fir… Look, I know it’s your day off, but…”

“What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“It’s a medical thing.”

“I assumed as much.”

“Right. Okay, so here’s the thing. I’m having some issues…below the belt.” I braced myself against the counter, its cold marble a stark contrast to my flushed skin.

“Sexual dysfunction?” Fir asked, clinical yet not devoid of concern.

“Yeah.” Admitting it aloud felt like a punch to the gut. “Can’t seem to…you know, get it up. It’s happened a few times now.”

“Have you been under a lot of stress lately? Any new meds or health concerns?” Fir was all business now, his professional demeanor a thin veil over the genuine worry in his tone.

“Stressed, sure. But not more than usual. No new meds. It happened out of nowhere.” An involuntary shiver ran down my spine as I forced the confession out. “I can’t wait till Monday. I need to know if something’s wrong.”

“Can you drive to Forestville to come see me?”

“Yeah, absolutely. When?”

“Today, tomorrow, whenever. Just text me when you’re on your way, and I’ll meet you at my practice. I’ll take a look, run some tests. We’ll figure this out together, Marnin.” Fir’s voice held a steadiness I envied.

“Thanks, Fir. I appreciate it.” Gratitude mingled with a gnawing dread. “Do you think it could be something serious?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, okay?”

He was right. “I’ll pack a bag and leave right away. Should be there in about an hour and a half.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

Right on time, I turned into the parking lot of Everett’s Family Practice, where Fir’s car was already parked. He was waiting for me at the entrance, and on impulse, I hugged him. “Thank you.”

He hugged me right back. “Of course. Come on, let’s see what’s going on.”

As soon as we entered his office, his demeanor changed as if he’d put on a professional mask along with his stethoscope. Not that I minded. It made it easier to create some necessary distance between us.

“Okay, Marnin, I’m going to need you to be as detailed as possible. Since I’m not your doctor, can you tell me any existing health conditions I should be aware of?”

“Erm, nothing really. My yearly physical always comes back the same. Blood pressure a little elevated but not high, cholesterol levels could be better, and my doctor gets on my ass about exercising more. But nothing I’m being treated for or need meds for.”

“Okay. Any change in your diet, sleep patterns, or exercise routine?”

“My diet is the same crap as always. Too much sodium, too much fat, and I need to cut back on red meat. Sleep’s crap—too much work—and exercise is sporadic.”

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