Cooking for the Family 4
Jamie and Marky groaned but Mary said, “Commercial break, Dora or Sesame Street?”
“Dora,” said Jensen.
“Can we have a Sesame Street instead?” asked Mary.
“No, a Dora,” said Jensen.
“Can we have a bedtime story?” asked Jamie.
“A Curious George, nothing longer,” said Jensen. The kids finished their ice pops and head for the stairs.
“Dora?” repeated Jared.
“Dora the Explorer: it’s a half hour long. A commercial break is five minutes. Sesame Street is an hour. Mary doesn’t understand time yet.”
“Yes I do!” said a voice from behind the basement door.
Jensen smiled, “She does, however, get eavesdropping.” He spoke softly then raised his voice, “Mary, you only have a Dora to play on the trampoline.” The sound of small feet running down the stairs made Jensen laugh.
“You’re really amazing with them.”
“I like kids, always have.”
“When we first met I forgot to ask you what you do because you’re so defined by being a dad.”
Jensen shrugged, “Some people think kids aren’t people and some think they’re little adults. Neither is true. I always find that you can talk to kids like they’re normal people, they have opinions and personalities. They’re just as good to talk to as anyone else. I talk to them on their level without condescending, they’re young not stupid. And kids like me for it.”
Jensen put them to bed and Jared heard him reading them a story about when the monkey and the man in the yellow hat went to an airport. He heard him telling them to go to sleep. When he came out he said softly, “Do you want to swim?” Jared nodded and Jensen took him by the hand and they changed into swim suits. “The kids might wake up so we need clothing,” Jensen explained. He watched as Jared changed.
Jen grabbed towels and Jared said, “Can we actually swim? I didn’t get a chance to run today.”
“Sure,” Jensen dropped the towels onto a chair. He went to the diving board and did a back handspring into the pool. Sadie jumped in after him while Harley waded in from the stairs and Jared jumped in off the side. “No racing,” said Jensen, “Let’s just enjoy this.” Jensen started swimming laps and Sadie swam with him. Jared treaded water, getting used to the water temperature. Harley swam around him in a circle, excited to be in the pool without getting splashed by kids. Jared fell into swimming laps and the dogs played together, sometimes swimming next to him and Jensen, sometimes just chasing each other. After about an hour Jensen started to just float on his back. He was looking up at the stars and he sighed, “I love nights in Texas in the early summer. It’s wonderful.” Jared came to him and kissed him slowly.
“I love you, Jen,” said Jared.
“You too, Jay. Want to get out?”
Jared nodded, “My muscles are starting to burn.”
They got out and dried themselves and the dogs, “I’m going to show you how not to have a nightmare.” Jensen smiled at him, “First let’s put on PJs, comfy ones.”
In the bedroom Jensen pulled on an old beaten up UT t-shirt and thin pants. And Jared pulled on his vain shirt that Chad had made him and sweats. Then Jensen led him back to the kitchen, “Would you like red or white with your cookies?”
“Red.”
Jensen poured them wine and took out the cookies. “Are you afraid of going to sleep?”
“No, just of dreams.”
“What happens in your dreams?”
“Reporters eat me alive: they peel off strips of me and eat them while taking pictures.”
Jensen smiled and held out a hand, “Let me show you,” said Jensen. Then he led him to the door, “See it’s locked,” Then he pushed aside the curtain and said, “Look, no reporters now. And, I’m big and strong and won’t let them near you.”
Jared laughed, “Why do I think you’ve given this speech before?”
“Because I said it to Jamie last night.” He led Jared back to the kitchen where they drank their wine and ate their cookies then Jensen said, “Come to bed.” He curled up with Jared and the dogs and said, “Now I promise: I will protect you from any and all cannibalistic paparazzi.”
The next morning Marky and Mary went home and Jared went to shop for the school lunch. He and Jamie went over their plan of attack and that night Jamie and Jensen sat at the piano and played for over two hours. They were laughing and Jensen was saying, “Let me show you, there’s a trick to this bit.” Then Jamie went to bed and Jensen said, “I’m going to fuck you now.” They made love until late. Jensen fucked him slowly and gently. It was almost methodical, licking him opened and playing with his nipples and getting Jared on edge before Jensen was even inside. It left Jared panting and sobbing from relief. Just as Jared was falling off to sleep Jensen said, “I hope you have a great day at school tomorrow.”
But it wasn’t so great. It started out fine when Jamie was introducing him and when the kids were asking him questions. Cooking went well and the kids really enjoyed the food. It wasn’t until dessert that things went bad. Suddenly Jamie was going white and red, he was clutching at his throat and then he was falling out of his seat. Sera Gamble was fast and Jared watched, stunned as she jammed an EpiPen into the little boy’s thigh. She was telling one of the children to get the nurse and Jared was dialing 911 and telling them where they were and almost tripped over the word anaphylaxis. The nurse came in with a man and said, “Mr. Kripke is going to take you all back to class.” She came and knelt beside Jamie.
Jared listened to the 911 dispatcher and relayed the message, “They’ll be here in ten minutes.”
The nurse said, “Stay on that line.” She was taking Jamie’s pulse and breathing rate and said, “I’m giving him another EpiPen.” To Sera she said, “Which thigh did you give him the last one in?” Jared relayed what was going on to the guy on the other end of the phone and the nurse looked at him, “You were cooking?”
“I went over the menu with Jensen, everything was fine, we cooked this meal just the other night.”
She nodded, “Okay, here’s what you need to do: pack up all the food he ate. They need to test it to see what happened. Tell the dispatcher that no matter where the ambulance is from he has to go to Richardson Regional Medical Center. Tell the dispatcher to page Dr. Kim Manners to tell him that Jamie’s on his way in.”
Jared did as she said and watched as she rolled Jamie over onto his side. Sera was on the phone, talking to Jensen. Jamie started convulse and then vomited. The woman held him gently and cleaned him up. Sera got a container and scooped the puke into it. “How are you so calm?” asked Jared.
“This is the third time in two years,” said the nurse. “I need you to be calm too, Jared. Help Sera pack your car. She’s going to drive your car and follow the ambulance. I’ll follow her in my car. You can’t help him right now but the doctors will want all this stuff to figure out what he’s reacting to.” So Jared did as he was told.
The ride to the hospital was tense as Jared listed off his allergies. There were also a ton of paparazzi following them. And then they were there, the paparazzi crowding around the hospital and he met Kim Manners who looked more like an aged rocker than someone with an M.D. The man was instantly taking care of Jamie, getting his vitals and stripping him. He asked Jared to tell him exactly what had happened and Jared explained in detail. Sera and the nurse were carrying in all the containers and handing them off to other doctors. Kim spoke gently and told him to stay where he was and then Jensen was bursting through the doors. Jensen just looked at him and through the window into the room where Kim was hooking Jamie up to machines.
“I don’t know what happened,” said Jared, “he was fine and then he just-”
“I’ve seen it, I don’t want the recap,” said Jensen coldly he just stared through the window.
“Is there anything I can do?” Jared asked him.
“Just leave.”
Jared didn’t get it, “Do you want me to go to the house and get you something?”
“Yes, that’s a great idea, Jared, go to the house and take all of your stuff home with you. Leave us alone.” He turned away from his son slowly and looked at Jared as he said, “The first time I trusted you with him you fucked up. I wrote you a list, I gave you instructions, and you hurt him. You landed him in the hospital and he’s going to have to stay here for a long time and miss the trip to the zoo his class is going on.
“This isn’t the even end of it, Jared, just because he’s here doesn’t mean he’s okay: he might still die. It’s not even stopped yet, he’s still developing symptoms and he could die. You did this. You didn’t mean to but you were careless and I could lose him, my baby, because you were careless. And I’m not sure if I’m angrier at you for fucking up or me for thinking you could be trusted. So get out.”
Jared nodded silently and turned away just as he saw the shocked look on Kim’s face. He saw the man rush to a cart in the corner and a crash cart with little, child-sized paddles. He watched as the man hit a button and read his lips as he said, “Clear.” He saw the way Jamie’s body jumped and the strained look on the doctor’s face, reading the machines. Again he saw the man’s mouth form, “Clear,” again. And again he watched Jamie’s small frame rock up. The doctor looked relieved. The door opened and he said, “Jen, we are going to need to intubate him. His throat is too swollen. He’s out so he won’t fight it. It’ll help him.”
“What about vomiting? That sometimes happens when he goes into anaphylaxis.”
“We’re giving him something to stop that. This the best way, Jen. I need your permission.”
“Whatever you think, Kim. How’s his tachycardia?”
“Better, not great but better. He just needed so much epinephrine before he got here. You know how it is: worse before it gets better.”
Jensen nodded. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Just stay close. You call your family?”
“Yeah.”
“Good; you need people around you. You’re always so high strung. And we are doing everything, Jen. Just be close so that you can come in once we’re on safer ground.”
“Do you know, I mean, you know how long?”
“Not yet, Jen, but I’ll keep you updated.”
“Thanks, Kim, honestly.” He turned to the window. “I’ll be right here.” Kim nodded and left and Jensen still looking through the window said, “Jared, I told you to leave.”
“I’m sorry, Jensen. I’m so sorry.”
“I know, Jared, but it’s not good enough.”
Jared nodded and left and fought his way out through paparazzi.
~~~
Continue