Following Winter Wonderslam
University Medical Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
“A broken nose. That's just terrific.” Carter Kasey-McKinney grumbled as he struggled to slip his shirt back on over his head, still in the examination room of the hospital he had been brought to following the attack by Kevin Carter. The young man was obviously worse for wear, his body was freshly banged up, having not healed completely from the previous week's attack.
That, coupled with his nose covered in a special brace to keep the cartilage in place so it would heal properly, he was having a good deal of difficulty with a simple task. His husband, Miles, immediately stepped up. He sat down the paperwork the doctor had given him, complete prescription for painkillers.
Miles helped pull his shirt down the rest of the way and reached for his husband's jacket, all the while Carter looked absolutely miserable and said, “First Lazarus and now that jack off! Why do they always target my nose!?”
“Don't worry about that bastard “ Miles warned in his distinctive, British accent. “I'm going to fuck him up…”
“No.” Carter quickly said, catching his husband by surprise. “You're not.”
Miles shook his head in a quizzical manner, not understanding but Carter stressed, “You know I love it when you take charge and defend me. But Kevin targeted me for a reason so I'm handling this my way “
Carter gazed closely into Miles's eyes, “I have to.”
Prompting Miles to draw Carter into one of his famous hugs, “I understand.” He said. “I don't like it, but I understand. It's just a damn shame this shit show ruined our Christmas plans.”
Carter frowned from where he was being held and slowly, and somewhat reluctantly, separated from his husband's arms and shook his head. “What are you talking about?” He asked. “We're not canceling anything.”
Miles sighed, already knowing what was about to happen because of his husband's stubborn nature.
“Love,” Miles started to say. “You heard the doctor. You can't fly with a broken nose.”
“For 24 hours.” Carter corrected him. “She said I shouldn't for 24 hours minimum.”
“She also said that you shouldn't be flying at all.” Miles added on to the already convoluted logic between them. “So, we're not going to.”
“Miles….”
“Don't ‘Miles’ me!” Miles interrupted his husband before Carter could get going. “This isn't the time to get stubborn!....” Miles thought for a moment before adding, “More so than normal! I'm serious!”
“Alright, Miles!” Carter held his hands up in surrender. “Alright! You don't have to get so worked up! I know you have my best interests at heart!”
“Of course I do.” Miles stated.
Carter shrugged, “And I've always thought of you as something of the boss of the relationship.”
“Good.” Miles nodded.
“If you say we're not flying then we're not flying.”
“Okay, okay.” Miles said. “We're not flying.”
“We are too.” Carter said matter of factly as he marched right past Miles out of the examination room, grabbing his prescription along the way.
Miles stands there for a brief moment, trying to process what was just said and he shakes his head and quickly catches up to Carter, “Pardon? Is this not the same man that did nothing but give me nothing short of all the business when I cracked my ribs in that match a year and a half ago? I seem to recall you constantly watching over me after that hellacious match against Austin.”
“Yes, I did and I will still stand by the fact that us flying to China was absolutely pointless and it only delayed your healing even more by flying. But we’re not active over the next 2 weeks..”
“And we’re going to Seattle, right? So it’s not like we can’t drive...” Miles stops for a moment, “actually more like I drive.”
“What's wrong with my driving?”
“Love, just trust me, it's like a 17 hour trip and the weather hasn't been the best. Or better yet, I can get last minute plane tickets for your mum and Grams and they can join us....”
“Miles, we can't do that!”
“Why not!?”
“Because we're not going to Seattle!” And suddenly a hush of silence fell between the two. Miles just stared at his husband as Carter looked like a deer in headlights briefly until he closed his eyes and exhaled gently.
Miles shook his head, “What do you mean we're not going to Seattle?”
“Damn it…” Carter mumbled helplessly as he fished in his pocket to draw out his phone. Miles watched as Carter went about on his phone, searching for something. Until he found what he was looking for and turned his phone around, handing it to his husband.
Miles looked it over and with a look of realization dawning on his face, he looked up. “The tickets aren't for Seattle. They're for London.”
“Yeah.” Carter sighed. “We were never going to Seattle.”
Carter watches Miles take in all the details both on his phone as well as spoken. He continues, “I know it's been years since you spent a Christmas home in the UK. I've had this arranged since September. I rented a flat. Ms. Thang is going with us. Mom and Grams are on their way there now…”
“Really?” Miles looked up with a toothy dopey smile, to which Carter shrugged almost bashfully. He responded, “Why not? Most married couples take turns on holidays with which family to spend it with. I don't see any reason why we should restrict ourselves like that. We can just take turns on where.”
“So that’s why Brianna was giving me the bum's rush when I was trying to nail down details when I could call her and mum on Christmas day, she was fighting keeping the secret.”
“Which I thought for sure when you asked her that I was screwed at that point,” Carter laughed, “I know that the flight is gonna hurt but I don’t care. Not if that means I get you out of this funk you’ve been in. You’ve been very Grinch-like and considering how much I know you love Christmas, I’m more determined than ever to get us there.”
Miles cringes, “I haven’t been that bad, have I?”
“I’ve seen worse. Not completely Scrooged but you were teetering there for a bit.” Carter tilts his head, noticing Miles is having that emotional moment of ‘I so do not deserve him’, “So we’re flying?”
“I still think it’s absolutely insane because you are going to be in so much pain but, love...I cannot believe you did this. And not just us, but your mum and grams too?” Miles smiles, “I’d kiss you right now if I didn’t think it’d damage that beautiful face more.”
Carter just smiled as Miles snaked his arm around his waist to escort him through the automatic doors of the hospital and into the night sky. This Christmas was going to have so much potential.
