Once she’d made her decision, Marty was surprised at how natural her voice sounded as she talked to the charge nurse. She knew how grateful staff could be when anyone else offered to do ADL’s, especially on “totals”.
Alone in the supply room, she tried to slow her breathing, calm her galloping heart. She was familiar with the barrage of supplies, and quickly found what she was looking for. She collected another basin, TEDS, chux …and oil. Back in the hall, she gathered more towels, a couple of pillows, clean sheets and a new johnnie.
Marty paused, and knocked lightly before opening his door a crack.
“Come in.” Thomas’ voice was barely more than a whisper. “What took you so long?” He frowned when he saw the bundle of supplies. “Are you moving in?”
“Well, I told your nurse I was doing ALL your care…” Marty blushed. “Hold on, I’ve got to get the Dyna-Map, too.”
“I guess you really are doing it all…” Thomas grumbled as Marty took his blood pressure and checked his temperature.
“Well, unless you’ve changed your mind, you don’t want someone waltzing in here in about…oh, twenty more minutes to get your vitals and re-position you, do you?” Marty paused, wondering if he had changed his mind.
“I hope to be re-positioned in about… oh, twenty more minutes.” Thomas sucked in his breath.
“Oh, you will be.”
Marty finished charting his vitals, and placed his chart back in the slot outside his door. She returned the Dyna-Map to the alcove next to his room. Once back inside, Marty closed the door, and placed a chair just a bit in front of the jamb, so she’d have a second of warning if the door were opened suddenly. She cleared away the shaving supplies, and rinsed and re-filled the basin with warm water, then turned the tap to hot until it steamed. She filled the other basin with the hot water. She closed the blinds on the windows facing the nurse’s station, and finally pulled the curtain around his bed. She clipped it shut with her hair clip.
“Seems like you’ve done this before… should I be worried?” Thomas tried to joke, and then suddenly stopped. “Are you sure…?” He suddenly felt stupid as he wondered if he’d read her wrong. Maybe she was just going to wash and change him… had he jumped to conclusions? His face was scarlet as his doubts crashed over him.
He became acutely aware of himself again, as he had when she had first come in. What was he thinking? Of course she was just doing her job. So she flirted with him, she probably flirted with every guy, as a way to minimize the more embarrassing aspects of the job… many of the nurses and aides did the same thing. She hadn’t come out and said she was doing anything other than what she told the nurse. In fact, she hadn’t done anything other than that, either. Just as he was about to tell her he’d decided to have the aides take over, Marty placed her hand on his chest.
Marty had been so focused on her own reactions to Thomas, she’d missed his escalating emotions. When she’d turned from pulling the bed table close, and arranging the towels and toiletries, she’d seen the stark whiteness of his face. She frowned when she recognized the fear.
“Where do you want me to start?” Marty asked, as she gently rubbed her hand over his chest. She could feel his nipples tighten under her light touch, and her own breasts throbbed in response.
“I wasn’t sure…” Thomas hesitated, his voice catching as Marty gave a light squeeze. “No one’s touched me in so long…”
“Unless you tell me otherwise, I’ll just start with a bed bath, and we’ll go from there, okay?” Marty paused, while Thomas simply nodded.
Marty knew what he meant. Quadriplegics are touched all the time. Their limbs pulled and pushed this way and that, they are fed, bathed, cathed, diapered… but even their closest family members often avoid affectionate touching. Marty had seen it countless times, and had always tried to personalize her work, without crossing the professional barrier. She knew that was one of the hardest lines to walk, for her. And now, she wasn’t just crossing the line, she was racing far past it.
Marty moved as close to Thomas as she could, without climbing on the bed. She’d used her hair clip to fasten the curtain closed, so she shook her hair out over her shoulders. She leaned over Thomas, to unfasten the tie at the back of his neck. He leaned toward her, tentatively brushing his face against her breasts. Marty inhaled sharply as she pulled the johnnie around and over his shoulders. She trembled as she ran her nails lightly across his skin, still holding the johnnie, as Thomas became bolder. Marty arched toward him as he bit her gently. She bit her lip to hold back the soft cry, as the heat of his breath through her thin shirt warmed her nipple. She shuddered, and smiled at him as she pulled back, bringing the johnnie down, revealing his chest and stomach. She ran her hands through the hair softly curling across his chest, and down to the sheet. Thomas looked down at himself, and as he looked back up, Marty silenced his unspoken thoughts with a soft, gentle kiss that surprised them both.
The moment Marty touched his lips with hers, something inside of her broke free. Her gasp was instantly devoured by Thomas’ response. He reached for her with his mouth, and Marty leaned into his demanding kiss, gentleness forgotten. She grasped his hair in both hands. He bit her lip, and greedily moved from her mouth, across her jaw line, to her neck. Marty followed his lead, but nipped more gently at his neck and shoulder. His breathing was ragged, and it seemed he would consume her. He moaned as their lips met again, and as the urgency passed, the kiss gentled once more.
“Wow.” Thomas was the first to speak. Marty was leaning against the edge of the bed, her hand to her heart, not trusting her voice.
She lowered the head of the bed. She pulled the johnnie down to his waist, and began to slip it off his arms. Thomas winced as he caught sight of his hands, hanging limp as Marty pulled them through the sleeves of the johnnie. Marty caught the pained look, and paused with his right hand in the air.
Marty placed his hand alongside of her face, and rubbed his fingers over her lips. Thomas gasped in surprised pleasure at the sight. Marty took his pinky into her mouth, and slowly sucked, then repeated with each finger until his hand was wet with her saliva. She kissed the palm of his hand, and then gently bit his thumb, dragging it down over her lower lip. She ran his hand over her chin, down her neck and over her chest, fondling her breasts with his limp, curled hand. Thomas didn’t say a word, but Marty could see the pulse jumping at his temple, the clenched tightness of his jaw. She ran his hand down the flat of her stomach, and paused, shuddering before she finally placed his hand back on the bed.
She took a deep breath. She poured some soap into the water. She began to gently wash Thomas’ chest and shoulders. Marty worked quickly, knowing how soon he would be chilled. She rinsed the soap away with a fresh cloth, and briskly rubbed him dry. She then lifted his arms one at a time, moving around the bed as she worked, alternately washing, rinsing and drying as she went. She paid extra attention under his arms, and he blushed as he remembered how he had smelled. Marty just grinned, though, and asked if he was ticklish. He shook his head no, hoping she would not test it out.
She then washed his hands, gently massaging and then drying carefully. When she was done, she took two dry washcloths, rolled them up and placed one in each of his hands. He looked at her questioningly.
“They’ll keep your hands open, between therapy sessions. Now, I have a surprise.” Marty produced the bottle from the basin of still steaming water.
“You’re kidding. Massage oil…?”
“Standard stuff, believe it or not. It doesn’t smell too bad, either.”
Marty poured some oil into her palms, and rubbed them together. She smoothed the warm oil over Thomas’ skin, kneading it into his shoulders and neck. He nearly whimpered with pleasure. He closed his eyes as Marty climbed up onto the bed, and massaged oil into his chest and upper arms. When she reached the delineation where his feeling ended, he spasmed. Thomas moved his head back and forth as Marty continued to work the oil into his skin, feeling the lax muscles give easily under her touch. She knew in a short time, what little tone he had would be gone, and was surprised at how little that seemed to bother her at the moment.
She removed her shirt and bra in one fluid movement, and Thomas sucked in his breath. Marty slid over him, rubbing herself over his oiled skin. The friction caused the oil to warm again, and Thomas nipples stood erect against her own. He groaned, and reached for her with his mouth. Marty leaned into him, and he suckled first one, then the other breast, as she moved back and forth on his chest, circling his nipples with her hands, squeezing gently, rhythmically. She trembled from the dual effort of holding herself up and holding back, wanting to pleasure Thomas as fully as possible.
Suddenly he tensed, and as he began to cry out, she captured his mouth with hers, stifling the sound of his release, never ceasing to maintain pressure and friction on his chest, slowing gradually until he stopped trembling.
Marty lay against him, feeling his heartbeat through her skin. His breath was hot against her neck.
“I didn’t think that could happen…” He finally breathed into her hair.
“Surprise…” she whispered back. “Now, if we don’t want to get caught, we should finish up pretty quick.
“I’ll watch.” Thomas offered, smiling, as Marty quickly wiped herself off, and dressed.