Sickness & Health, Good Times & Bad

Post 513, Justin spent 18 months in NYC before coming back to Pittsburgh 6 months ago. Justin & Brian's relationship remained intact during the NYC sojourn. I do not own the characters just the situations.

On a sunny afternoon in May, Justin was painting in his studio at their home in rural Pennsylvania. They had sold the West Virginia property after Justin moved to New York. The commute from the city was just too long for Brian. A year ago they bought this property south of Washington, PA. The house sat on 15 acres of mostly wooded property. Ten Mile Creek flowed thru their property and fed a small pond visible from the house. The house itself required complete renovation before they could move in. By the time Justin moved back from New York the renovations were completed. Justin's studio was part of an addition at the rear of the house. The first floor was the pool house, with storage, bathrooms & dressing rooms. The second floor was the studio built to Justin's specifications. It could be accessed from the second floor hallway and also from the back stairway. Justin's cell phone rang, a quick look at the display showed the call was coming from the Kinnetik office. Justin answered "Hey stud, what's up, as if I didn't know" after a quick laugh Cynthia, the office manager, replied "Sorry to disappoint you Justin, this is Cynthia". Justin could feel his cheeks get warm as he blushed although he knew Cynthia was not shocked by his comments. "Cynthia, sorry. What can I do for you?" "How was Brian feeling over the weekend?". Justin frowned as he answered, "He had a cold but you know Brian. He refused to rest or take care of himself. I asked him how he felt this morning and he said fine". "Well I went in his office a few minutes ago and he was lying on the couch with his arm over his eyes. He has been in a foul mood all day, even for Brian!. His eyes are glassy and as soon as he sat up he started to cough. I think he has the flu. You know he always refuses the flu shot even though we give them here at the office". Justin sighed and shook his head "He is the most stubborn person I know and he hates being sick. I am going to get some stuff together here and then I'll drive up to Kinnetik. Thanks for calling and please don't let him leave until I get there".

Justin quickly cleaned his brushes and went down to the kitchen. Alice Simpson, their housekeeper, was having lunch at the kitchen table with her husband Charlie who took care of the property. They lived in the caretaker's cottage a short distance from the main house. The Simpsons' owned a farm a short distance from the house, Brian and Justin often stopped there for produce. One weekend shortly before Justin moved back Mrs. Simpson mentioned they were turning over the farm to their eldest son and his family and going to take an apartment in Glyde. Brian offered them the jobs as housekeeper and caretaker on the spot. After thinking about it for a couple days, they accepted. "Justin, are you ready for lunch? I can fix you something and bring it up to the studio if you are painting." "Thanks Alice but Cynthia just called me to say she thinks Brian has the flu. I am going to go up there and check things out. If Brian really is as sick as she thinks, I am going to take him to the loft. We'll be closer to the doctor and stores there. Would you please get the ice chest out of the garage and load it up with some of your chicken & vegetable soups that we have frozen?" Alice got up from the table. "Charlie, bring that ice chest in for me. Justin, what else do you need us to get ready for you". "Thanks Alice but I am going to change and pack some comfortable clothes for Brian and some extra sheets. I'll stop at Giant Eagle on my way to Kinnetic and get some other supplies. Cynthia is going to make sure Brian stays put at the office." On his way upstairs his cell rang again "Hi, this is Justin" "Justin, this is Ted. I just had Brian sign some documents for me. I think he is really sick. His hand felt hot as he handed the papers to me and his eyes are kind of glassy. From the look of his trash can, I think he has gone thru about 3 boxes of Kleenex already." "Cynthia called me a few minutes ago. I am getting ready to head up to Kinnetic. Do me a favor and block the Corvette with your car. I don't want him leaving before I get there. If Brian finds out and threatens to fire you, tell him I will rehire you at twice your salary." Ted laughed "I'll take care of it, let me know if you need anything else." "Thanks Ted."

30 minutes later Justin was loading grocery bags in the back of his SUV and heading for Kinnetik. Less than an hour after the call from Cynthia, Justin walked into the Kinnetic office. He asked the receptionist to let Cynthia & Ted know he was in the building. Justin tried the knob to Brian's office and was surprised it was locked. Luckily he had brought his Kinnetic badge which he ran thru the slot beside the door. He went thru the unlocked door. Brian was lying on the couch but sat up quickly, ready to blast whoever came into office without at least knocking. Sitting up so quickly brought on a coughing fit and it was a couple moment before he could say anything. "Justin! What are you doing here!" "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by to see you." "Bullshit! Who the fuck called you? Cynthia or Theodore. Whoever it was will be looking for a new job." "Actually it was both of them who were worried about you. If you fire them, I will hire them back at twice their salary. So that is not a good plan". Brian gave him a disgusted look that Justin ignored. He walked over to Brian and felt his forehead before Brian could twist away from him. "Brian you have a fever and you look like shit. Your breathing sounds like a coffee maker. I think you have the flu." "I just have a cold, didn't sleep too well last night so I thought I'd grab a quick nap before driving home." "I think we need to call the doctor and stay at the loft. That way we'll be closer to the doctor, stores & the family" "I am fine, you go home and I'll just finish a couple things here and head home." "OK, how about we take you temperature. If your fever is lower than 101, you get to do things your way. If it is over 101 you have to do what I want" "I don't have a thermometer here in my office." Justin reached into his pocket and brought out a brand new digital thermometer he had just bought. He opened the package, turned it on and handed it to Brian. The brunet cleared his throat, managed a quick cough and headed towards his desk. "No fair drinking ice water. Put the thermometer in your mouth now!" Brian saw the look on Justin's face and stuck the thermometer under his tongue. Meanwhile Justin sat down at Brian's desk and started to save any active files on the computer before he shut it down. Brian grunted at him. "I am saving everything that you have open." The thermometer beeped and Justin was quickly at his partner's side. He looked at the reading and smiled "Just as I thought 102.3! We are leaving for the loft now." Brian had a look of disgust on his face but he knew better than to argue with Justin. "OK, I'll meet you there in about an hour." "Nope! Your precious Corvette will be perfectly safe in the garage here. We are leaving now and you are riding with me to the loft. Your laptop is shut down so put it in your case, along with anything else you need and let's go." Brian sighed dramatically but did as he was told. While Brian gathered his paperwork, his better half called the doctor's office and gave the nurse a rundown of Brian's symptoms. As they left his office Brian gave a dirty look to Cynthia & Ted who were standing by his assistant's desk. Justin gave them a smile. "Thanks again for the calls. We are headed over to the loft. If he has any appointments for Monday I think you should reschedule those just to be safe." "Justin! I will be back in the office on Monday, don't get carried away with yourself" "You will be back in the office when you are feeling better and not before. Don't be such a butthead!" An extremely annoyed Brain followed the blonde to his SUV parked in front of the building.

Shortly after they got into the car Brian's cell rang. It was a return call from his doctor, he grunted some answers while giving Justin as annoyed look. "Body pains? My main problem is a persistent pain in the ass. OK, seriously I do feel kind of achy." Justin just shook his head and told Brian to have any prescriptions called into Liberty Drugs. Brain ended the call, closed his eyes and reclined his seat. He would never admit it but he felt horrible and before Justin showed up he was wondering how he would be able to drive home feeling as bad as he did. A few minutes later they were pulling into the parking lot at the loft. Brian sat up, grabbed his briefcase and did his best not to groan as he got out of the car. Justin grabbed his rolling duffle out of the back of the car and led the way to the elevator. Once in the loft Brian dropped his briefcase and headed to the bedroom. Justin unzipped the duffle and got out a cotton T shirt & boxers, he took them into the bedroom. "I brought you some comfortable stuff for you to wear." He threw the clothes at Brian and went into the bathroom, a couple second later he emerged with the blow dryer in his hand. He went over to bed, plugged in the dryer and pulled back the top sheet before turning the hair dryer on. Brian looked over at him in amazement. "Sunshine, what the fuck are you doing?" "My Mom always did this for Molly & me when we were sick. It makes the sheets all warm and cozy. We always said that Mom enjoyed us being sick. She could give full reign to all her maternal instincts and overwhelm us with attention." Brian just shook his head and climbed into bed, he hated to admit it but the warm sheets felt great. Justin gave him a smile and headed for the kitchen, he was back in a minute with Aspirin and a bottle of water. "Take these and relax while I get the rest of the stuff I brought out of the car."

Once he had brought all his supplies up to the loft, Justin heated some of the chicken soup he brought. He put some Ritz crackers on a plate and poured a glass of ginger ale, both of which he bought at the Giant Eagle on his way to Kinnetik. He remembered Debbie telling him a story about Brain & Michael both getting sick with a stomach virus at her house. She and Vic had to keep them supplied with Pepsi and saltines for Michael and Ginger Ale & Ritz crackers for Brian. He poured the hot soup in a large mug, put it on a tray table with the soda and crackers and took it into the bedroom. Brian was laying there with his eyes closed. "Hey Brain, you need to eat something. Here's some of Alice's chicken soup with some crackers and soda." Brian sat up, when he spotted the ginger ale & Rita crackers he got a puzzled look on his face. "Sunshine, when did you ever see me drink ginger ale?" Justin laughed. "Never but a little bird told me that ginger ale & Ritz are your favored foods when you are sick." "I think it was probably a not so little bird named Debbie." Justin laughed. "Be a good boy and eat your soup and crackers, I'm going to call the drug store and see if they can deliver your prescriptions". The pharmacy said they would send them right over. Justin told them to call on the house phone downstairs and he would buzz them up. Justin checked on Brian who had finished his soup and crackers and was lying with his eyes closed. "Bri, try not to go to sleep yet. Your medicine will be here soon and I want you to start on that right away." "Justin you are being just a little annoying, just how long does this "do as I say" bet continue?" Justin laughed. "My opinion is that I am in charge around here until you are over this bout with the flu, so get used to it." Brian just gave him a disgusted look before closing his eyes again.

Just then the phone rang. Justin went over and pushed the code to open the lower level door. 'Wow the guy must have run all the way from Liberty Drugs, he must expect a big tip" He slid open the loft door and stepped outside. He was shocked when the elevator opened and Brian's sister, Claire, walked out. "Claire! What are you doing here?" "I need to talk with Brian. I called his office and they said he left for the day. I thought I would try here before driving all the way down to his house." "Brain is sick in bed, what do you want." "He's sick? Does he have AIDS?" Justin was horrified. "Why would you say that about your own brother! He has the flu. I was waiting for a delivery from the drug store which is why I buzzed you in. Just what do you want?" Claire shrugged. "With his life style I don't think that was too off base. I need to talk to him about the roof on my mother's house. It needs to be repaired and it is going to cost $25,000.00." "That seems like a lot of money to replace a not very large roof but just why do you think Brian will care about your mother's roof?" "Well mother doesn't have that kind of money and neither do I. I'm sure it will be a drop in the bucket for Brain. She needs him to pay for it." "Why would Brian pay all that money for your mother's roof. He paid off the 3 mortgages on the house when your father died. Joan can get a home equity loan or a reverse mortgage to pay for the roof." Claire started for the door but Justin blocked the way. "I want to talk to my brother. This is a FAMILY matter and doesn't really concern you. I'm sure Brian will still have enough money to buy you whatever you want." "Brian is sick in bed and I will not let you disturb him. We are a couple and what concerns Brian, concerns me. I'll let Brian know about the roof but I don't think you should count on any money from us. You and your mother act like Brian doesn't exist until you need money. I think it is time the Bank of Brian closed out your accounts. Now get out of here." Claire tried to push past Justin but was surprised that he was stronger than he looked. Justin shoved her towards the elevator door. "Get the fuck out of here and DO NOT come back. You and your mother are disgusting. GET OUT NOW!" Claire didn't want to admit it but the look on Justin's face frightened her. Justin went into the loft and slammed the door shut. Brian was standing by the door to the bedroom. "Did I hear Claire's voice?" "Brian get back into bed right now. Yes that was your extremely annoying sister. Apparently Joan has a roof leak and Claire wants you to pay 25 fucking thousand dollars for a new roof. That is such a crock of bullshit. A new roof on that house would never cost that much. I really, really hope you won't even consider giving those 2 bitches any more money. They don't care about you and it is time you cut them loose until they decide to treat you better. You are such an awesome person and they are nothing. I told you to get back into bed" Brian chuckled as he climbed back into bed. "That does seem like a lot of money for a new roof. Seems to me that one of the mortgages Jack had on the house was for a new roof shortly before he died. Don't worry Sunshine we are not going to pay for Joan's roof if you don't want us to." Justin couldn't help smiling at Brian talking of them as a couple. The phone rang again and this time Justin asked who was there before buzzing the delivery guy in.