A Place for Cliff (23 page)

Some form of chaos at the tail of the boat had everyone’s oars tangled like match sticks followed by an outburst from Rury about Darko’s lover pulling his cock out to tease him. At least he wasn’t the only pervert onboard and he couldn’t help but feel happy for his brother. Darko was more like him than any of the others.

Cliff shot a glance over his shoulder to him; the playful dare glinting in those grey eyes had his own member swelling in his gym pants.

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CHAPTER TEN

~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~

They got the 911 call that after noon a junky too high and his girl friend made the call. On the ride in, the info came in, he was HIV positive. Cliff was trying to get the IV in his arm but the man was less then cooperative but when he jerked his arm Cliff’s hand slipped and the needle came out of the patients arm in pricked his finger, piercing through the nitrile gloves.

Cliff sat back in his position staring at the droplet of blood on his finger then at the man. Heat and rage building him like a fast burning fuse. Sasha stared at him with equal shock, but his brain quickly started to process the need for action, “hurry start pumping the blood back out make it drain.”

But their patient wasn’t through with his act of insubordination “Fuckers. You think I don’t know what you’re thinking? Well here!” and he spit in Cliff’s face. Cliff recoiled but there was no place to go in the small space of the truck, arms held out he glared at the mucus the man had cast at him, “Stop the ambulance!”

“What’s going on back there?” Ozzy their driver called back to them.

“STOP the fuckin truck!” And Cliff jumped out before it could come to a complete stop. A bottle of sterile saline in his hands he quickly began to squirt it over his face, keeping his eyes and mouth pierced shut as tight as he could hold them, but his mind was racing he couldn’t hold still. He could hear the car horns blaring at them coupled with the typical new York road rage curses, but all he could hear was the echoing words of the call from the radio…

—
be advised subject is registered HIV positive
—

Oh god
—
Kimmi.
Cliff reeled around splashing more of the saline over his body until the bottle was empty. Still he kept his eyes closed, he stumbled—he was off balance, rage and anger and hate—yes hate— “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’VE JUST FUCKING DONE!?” He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Hands grabbed him, pulling him just as he heard a car’s horn blasting too close for his own good. The hands and a voice trying to calm him. Sasha’s voice—Sasha’s hands—he knew it was him, his hands felt like his brothers. Then he smelled the sterile solution and bleach. It didn’t really matter, there was still the pin prick in his finger, but in their situation they did it anyways.

Sasha shoved a towel in Cliff’s face and wiped it dry so he could open his eyes. When he did they burned with pure hate for the man inside the truck.

“Fuckin’ bag him!” he cursed.

“Stay here! Don’t move.” Sasha ordered then jumped into the truck. Ozzy was already coming around from the driver side reaching back taking the ends of the sheet as Sasha handed them over then they stretched it out over the man strapped down on the gurney and tied the corners down tight. Essentially
bagging him
. It was a humane way to keep the unruly patient from spitting on them any further so they could complete the transfer to the hospital. Once there he’d be arrested. Not that any of that was going to make Cliff feel any better right now.

Sasha jumped back out, corralled Cliff into the front seat of the ambulance and they continued on.

“Fuck!” Cliff cursed from up front.

“It was just a prick. Good chance it wasn’t enough. You may be okay.” Sasha tried to console him from the back. “You didn’t get the needle in his vein yet.”

Cliff growled. “It was in his arm.” He banged his head back against the seat several times, the anger and rage boiling in his skin. He wanted to beat the hell out of the man now. Tear his limbs off. The only thing stopping him was that Sasha was right there and there was still a good chance he would not be infected, but if he bludgeoned the man, that chance would get slim fast. Rage soon turned to sickness as Kimmi’s face flashed before his eyes. He was her donor. Her
only
donor—now he would have to undergo aids testing.

“You’ll have to wait fourteen days before we can run an accurate test.” Kimmi’s doctor talked with him when he was called down after the news of what had happened.

“Kimmi is scheduled for a bone marrow transplant in just five days!”

“Not until your tests come back negative, Cliff. I’m sorry I know that’s not what you want to hear—”

Cliff held up his hand, he didn’t need Dr. Lee telling him what he already knew. Even if they stopped the chemo treatment now, they had already destroyed too many blood cells for her to go without the transfusion for long. He only hoped she could hold out long enough for him to get the test.

~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~

Pyotr rushed to the hospital as soon as he got the call from Sasha. He found Cliff pacing the ambulance court just outside ER. But the second Cliff saw him coming he backed into a corner ordering him to stay back and right then proceeded to come unraveled. “No! Don’t come near me!” Cliff cried out backing away along the wall. “Oh god I can’t.”

“Come here Cliff.”

“No.” Cliff swatted Pyotr’s hand away when he reached for him. “I can’t!” his head kicked back and the trapped emotions broke out with a wail, “
Oh god no
—I’m gonna lose you both.” Cliff crumbled to the ground. It was only then Pyotr was able to reach him without getting hit. He scooped the young man up in his arms forcefully hugging him against his chest and held tight.

“No you can’t touch me right now. We can’t risk it.”

Cliff  tried to fight him off, but Pyotr caught him in his arms pulling him in tighter, his arms clutching at his young lover, tightened even further as Cliff tried to fight him off.

“Don’t.” Cliff whimpered in the trap of Pyotr’s body.

Pyotr ignored Cliff’s struggles and brought his head down crushing his lips against Cliff’s mouth in a forceful kiss. His tongue steeling its way inside his troubled lover’s mouth before he could close it and shut him out.

Cliff pressed hard and only barely managed to wrench his lips from him, “You can’t do this.” He cried and pleaded. Wanting to be in Pyotr’s arms more then he wanted to be any other place in the world, but he didn’t dare risk his lover’s life for the sake of simple comfort.

“I can and I will. You belong to me and I shall do with you as I wish.” And Pyotr came over him again, bringing their lips together to prove to his young lover that he intended to keep kissing him as he saw fit to do so.

 “
Shhh draga
. You can’t infect me with anything just by me holding you.”

~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~

Cliff was curled up next to his sister, foreheads touching as they talked in whispers like they use to when they were little kids, hiding under the sheets made into a tent while their parents argued over how they were going to pay for everything. “Tomorrow they can run the test. They said it only takes a few hours and then we’ll know for sure and then I’ll go straight into the sterile room for the extraction.”

Water welled up in her eyes and Kimmi shook her head.

“What do you mean no? Sure—doctor says we can get started right away.”

“I don’t want you to do it. I mean get the test, but do it for yourself—” her head shook again like a short rattle struggling just to move at all, “not for me.”

“What are you talking about?” Cliff stiffened.

“I’m saying I don’t want you to go in for the bone marrow extraction.” The wells broke in a slow stream then dribbled down her cheek.

“Kimmi we’ve done this before it’s no big deal at least now I have someone who’s willing to kiss my ass and make my booboos better afterwards.” He joked with her, hoping it would raise her spirits some.

“I don’t want another marrow transplant.” The words came out in a barely audible whisper.

Cliff stilled a moment, even the fingers he was caressing her arm with came to a complete stop. “What are you saying?”

She smiled—soft, loving and pained, but he could see she had already made the tough decision. “I’m saying I want you to let me go.” It was so soft the words barely spoken only her lips moving, “I’ve taken up enough of your life now it’s time for me to go.”

Cliff’s head was shaking refusing what she wanted him to hear. “No. Don’t say that. You’re not taking up my life; you’re a part of it. I can’t just let you die.”

“You’re not. You’re going to set me free.” She forced a smile for him. “Please Cliff; I’ve already signed the papers. They said I could even go home. I don’t want to be sick anymore.” More tears streamed down, and yet she smiled at him. Thru all the rain that glossed her eyes, there was still the sunshine he’d always seen there. “Please do this for me.”

Cliff couldn’t stop his own tears from coming nor could he say yes to her. He just couldn’t bring himself to surrender the word and for the first time since she first started getting sick
she
held him. He buried his face under her chin and sobbed.

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KIMMI’S FAREWELL PARTY

With her blood cells completely destroyed she only had days. The day after they brought her home Pyotr had the whole family over along with friends for a cook out in the back yard. The house transformed into a display of spring decked out with a huge array of party favors and colors. Lots of streamers, tea lights, lanterns and the smell of barbeque filled the rooms as the guys took turn watching the grill out back.

Kimmi’s hospital bed was in the living room against the French pained doors that looked out over the back yard and several chairs had been dragged over circling around her as friends and family took turns visiting and sharing memories.

Pyotr had the whole family over as well as many others. Trenton who’s hand never let go of Katianna and with him where his brothers, Diesel, Marcus, Dane and even Harper had arrived with them. Even more friends from the Cancer center were there.

“Hey, you awake?” Cliff tiptoed up to his sister’s bed. She opened her eyes with a deep breath and managed a smile. “There’s someone here to see you.”

She forced on a smile that managed to find its way through the sullen graying of her skin. “There’s a house full of people.”

“Yeah but this one came just for you.” he smiled at her. The deep love he felt tearing in his eyes and he stepped away making room for Diesel.

Kimmi looked up at the rather large muscular man who had about as many tattoos as her window had sun catchers, for a long moment. It wasn’t until she saw the flowers in his hand with all the bright neon colors did she realize who he was and then the smile was unstoppable, “You’re my guardian angel.” She beamed up at him. “You came!” Her arms shot up in anticipation of a hug she would not be denied from him.

Cliff watched from across the room. His heart swelling so much it hurt and he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. Diesel had done so much for them over the last eight months and never once asked for anything back and he would have gone on anonymously had it not been one of Kimmi’s parting wishes to see him. Her arms went up to hug him and he pulled her up into his while his sister delivered a Kimmi hug.

Kimmi hugged like there was no tomorrow, perhaps because for her she knew there would be so few, but they weren’t sorrowful hugs, they were always happy ones. The full of love and life kinda hugs. She gave the best hugs, like snuggling up in your favorite furry blanket. And they were nothing if not brief. Most people began to fidget in her arms after awhile, but not Diesel—Cliff glanced at his watch, “Kimmi must be going for a world record 6 minutes and still going.” He commented out loud when Pyotr slipped in behind him wrapping his arms around his waist.

Later, Cliff had resumed his place with his sister and joined in with the conversations with her and Diesel, the three occasionally breaking out in laughter.

“So what do you think they’re talking about?” Dane Masters motioned in Diesel’s direction talking with Trenton and Pyotr. His androgynous brother Vida-Vince was wrapped in his arms and his wine glass in hand teasing to drip some of the contents on Vida’s blouse any minute now.

“I bet he’s telling stories about Walter and Ed.” Trenton answered.

And Dane laughed almost nervously. “Yep those stories were always entertaining.”

Vida glanced up at his brother. “Who’s Ed and Walter?”

Dane chuckled lightly, “A couple of world war two geysers that like to hang out at Diesel’s gun shop. The shit those two pull—” he shook his head just thinking about it. “They make John and Max from the film Grumpy Old Men look tame. I swear if Diesel hadn’t paid to have the dorm they live in built, they probably would have been thrown out a long time ago.”

Pavle stepped up to join them as they all chatted leisurely, his eyes relaxed on Vida considerably. “So how long have you two been together?”

“Oh—” Vida at first glance from the approaching Laszkovi brother and tried to straighten away from Dane’s arms “We’re not—”

“All our lives.” Dane interrupted, his arm pulling Vida back in and planted a big kiss on the top of his blonde head, loosening his hug only enough to allow Vida to stand straight.

“You two seem rather—close.” Pavle searched for a word that wouldn’t offend, not sure which answer from them was the right one. Were they together? Soul mates? Certainly looked happy like soul mates—the feminine man’s eyes glistened as he looked up at the other man holding him possessively.

The younger man cleared his throat before addressing the question properly. “We’re brothers.”

“Brother-sister.” Dane corrected.

Brothers—brother sister—okay maybe he’d had too many beers, Pavle thought to himself glancing down at the bottle of dark ale in his hand then back to the one who had captured his attention. But
ah
hell the very glow of the beautiful blonde standing before him had caught his attention the second he strolled into the yard and he didn’t have a clue as to how to act upon it.