Page 132 of Something Like Forever
“Class,”he said, making his voice loud. “I have a small emergency I need totake care of. The lovely person here, who I am eternally indebtedto, is my best friend. She’ll be taking care of you. Her name isMs. Cross, and until I come back, she’s your teacher, so be goodand do what she says. Do you have any questions?”
“Yeah,”said a boy named Donny who raised his hand but didn’t wait forpermission to speak. He addressed Allison instead of Ben. “Why areyou so fat?”
“That’s not nice—” Benbegan, but Allison waved away his concerns.
“The reason I’m so fat,”she said, “is that there’s a baby in my belly. Until it’s ready tocome out, I need to eat twice as much, so it has foodtoo.”
“Babies comes fromstorks,” said another boy.
“They do not!” a girl nextto him scolded.
“I’mjust keeping the baby safe,” Allison said. “When the time comes,the stork—his name is Dr. Stork by the way—will deliver the baby tothe hospital.” She turned to him with a reassuring smile. “Go! Imean it! Drive safe.”
“I will,” hepromised.
And he did. As much as Benwanted to floor it all the way to the hospital, he had never been agreat driver, and ending up as a pizza on the highway wouldn’t helpTim’s recovery. Ben even used the cruise control, not trusting hisown foot. The journey seemed tediously long, but he arrived in onepiece. When he reached the correct waiting area, he saw Tim’smother first. She stood and rushed over to him, tears in her eyes,and after one heart-stopping second of dread, he saw that they wereof the happy variety.
“He’sout and doing fine,” Ella said, giving him a hug.
“Nocomplications? No unpleasant surprises?”
She took a step back andshook her head. “He’s fine. God took care of my babytoday.”
More like Dr. JacobBishop-Sanchez had, but the way Ben was feeling right now, he wouldgladly grant the man divine status. He would worship anyone who gotTim through this! When they were allowed into the recovery room,Ben had to exercise patience, even though he didn’t want to. Onlytwo people were allowed in at a time. He was willing to negotiate.He understood that Ella would want in there right away. He could gowith her! One look from his own mother showed that she expected himto do the right thing, so Mr. and Mrs. Wyman went first. Ben’sreward came when he was walking with his mother to the recoveryroom.
“I’msuddenly feeling peckish,” June said. “I think I’ll wander thehalls and try to find a vending machine. I’ll probably be twentyminutes or so. Is that enough time, do youthink?”
“Yes!” Ben said, kissingher on the cheek.
This was even better.While he didn’t feel any shame, fawning over his man would beeasier without an audience. He really shouldn’t have been surprisedto find Tim flirting shamelessly with a nurse. Not after all theseyears. Ben casually pushed his way between them, pretending tostumble. “Sorry,” he told the nurse. “I’m just so excited to see myhusband!”
“Stillgot it,” Tim croaked when she had gone. “And I’m not—” He grimaced,unable to continue.
“Notmarried?” Ben said, kissing him on the forehead. “I’m sure it’sjust a matter of time before you find that specialsomeone.”
Tim was sitting upright.He looked haggard, and more tubes were snaking from him than Benwanted to acknowledge, but considering what he had just beenthrough, Tim was surprisingly lucid.
“Is itlate?” he asked. “Or early?”
Okay, so maybe he wasn’texactly sober, but Ben understood what he meant. “I got asubstitute teacher. Don’t worry, it won’t count against my timeoff. I hired a private one.”
“Soundsexpensive.”
He thought about it.“She’ll make me pay. Babysitting, most likely. How do youfeel?”
“Great. Wanna go outdancing tonight?”
Ben laughed. “I don’tthink so!”
“Youalways complain that I don’t take you dancing.” Tim’s facecontorted with discomfort, but he pressed on. “I finally offer andyou say no? This totally counts. Remember that the next time. Youhad your chance.”
“Nofair!” Ben said with a laugh. He had expected to find Timunconscious and on a ventilator, not sitting up and dishing outjokes. “I’m so proud of you.”
Tim stuck out his tongue,as if grossed out. “You sound like my mom and dad.”
“Okay,”Ben said, leaning over to stroke his cheek. “In that case, I thinkthat guys who are brave enough to face surgery aresuper-hot.”
This pleased Tim more.“Yeah?”
