It had long been a dream of mine to serve in the medical field. My grandmother had become ill shortly after my 12th birthday and it compelled me to be closer to her. I cherished the moments we shared, even as I watched helplessly as she became a shell of what she once was. When she passed, I was distraught, but by that time, I was no stranger to tragedy. I lost my father at a young age to a car accident. I was raised by my mother for the most part. It was a tough life. I was an only child, and often times, lonely. When I turned 18, it was as if I won my freedom and I was more than ready to move on with my life independently.
Since we were relatively poor, I looked into nursing as a quicker way to start making money while also working in the dream field. After a 2 year associates program, I began hunting for jobs, although with my degree, this proved fruitless and frustrating.
I signed on with a home health company, one that also provided 24/7 nursing care to the privileged few who could afford it. It paid exceedingly well, and the company I signed with also paid a stipend towards furthering my education and becoming an RN. It was quite a break for me. I moved out of the apartment I shared with my mother and moved into my own studio in a city far away from home.
Now, a bit about myself. I graduated high school with full honors, lettered in swimming and cross country. My standoffish nature was somehow a turn-on for girls. I suppose they thought I was "mysterious". Nonetheless, my popularity amongst the ladies soared to the point of making the jocks jealous. If only they knew...
For reasons they'd never understand, the attraction was unrequited. I was into the very jocks who were jealous of me, ironically. To be honest, I was not interested in much at all. I kept myself busy to keep my mind off of the stress at home and getting involved romantically or sexually was not something I was amenable to at the time. My focus was primarily on advancing my career on a fast track and to start making real money.
That being said, I did take care of myself. In school, I was a star on the swim team and also did well in cross country. I also lettered in track and field. At 5'7" and 135 pounds, I was not big, but chiseled and with a naturally smooth body. I had long, shapely legs and washboard abs which I worked obsessively to maintain. My olive brown skin, big brown eyes, long, curly hair and sharp features made me more of the "cute guy" type who made women blush. This popularity took a new turn once I entered the professional field at the ripe age of 20.
Amongst the older crowd, I realized that not only was I a magnet for women, men also seemed to take notice. When I was still a student, I didn't let it affect me too much, especially when it came from patients. Usually, it was innocent, a comment about how cute I was or how I reminded him/her of someone special. Even though the comments came from much older folks, typically those over 50, it was still flattering to me.
Fresh out of training, I received my first contract. It was to care for an elderly gentleman, Robert Thomas, 93. He was wheelchair-bound and had dementia. Wore a diaper, was a transfer assist to bed, but it seemed like it was a low acuity, low effort job. Paid exceedingly well, though. There had to be a catch in there somewhere...
My first day on the job, I arrived at 8:30 AM sharp. The bungalow sat at the end of a cul-de-sac in an upper class neighborhood. The lots were huge and mature, sprinkled with mature trees and other vegetation. It was an older subdivision, all the residents seemed stately as they sauntered down the sidewalk waving to one another on their morning walks.
The driveway was as wide as it was long. A massive, two-storey shed was at the far end of the driveway, facing a large greenspace that surrounded a lake. It was more akin to an industrial shed, as it was enormous. This was where I parked my tiny 2-door sedan. These folks were obviously loaded. Anxiety was starting to overcome my thoughts as I adjusted my scrubs and made my way up the beautifully appointed hardscaped path to the main door where I rang the bell.
"Coming!" I heard a woman call out, followed by brisk clacks of heels on a marble floor. The door opened, "Hello? Hi there! You must be Ash? Is that right?" A middle-aged woman answered the door. Her short brown hair outlined an attractive face. She looked to be in excellent shape, even her conservative attire couldn't mask her endowments.
"H-hey! Yess...Ash is right! You have a nice house, Mrs. Thomas," I replied back, my wide-eyed look as I gazed around provided proof that I wasn't bullshitting. It was an older house that had been completely gutted to bring it up to the standards of plush modern luxury. From the two-story foyer with the floating staircase to the marble tiles and accented walls, it looked like they spared no expense. It looked like it belonged in a designer magazine.
"Well, come on in, make yourself at home! I'm Linda, I'm Robert's daughter-in-law. Bo, his son, should be joining us soon. Have you had breakfast? Coffee?"
I was not a nervous eater. "I'm fine, but thank you," I declined politely.
"Straight to business, I like it!" A man's deep voice boomed from atop the stairs. A man, probably in his late 60s, early 70s squinted down at me. He was wearing a robe over some pajamas, his balding head was clinging on to a few strands of gray-white hair. He had a neatly trimmed, thick, pearly white mustache. He was built like a tank, with a short, thick neck and broad shoulders. He had a gut, but over all, seemed to carry his weight well. I was never into older men, although this one looked like he used to be a jock when he was in high school.
He came down the stairs with the authority of an alpha male. His presence changed the complexion of the scene as his wife fell silent as she too, gazed upon her husband, though I sensed it was not out of admiration.
He stuck out a big, hairy, beefy hand, "Bo. Nice to meet you, son." I simply gave him my hand as I let out a gulp. He was gigantic. 6'4" at least, a solid 300 pounds of pure alpha, silverback masculinity stood in front of my petite, girly frame.
"Y-yes, sir...nice to meet you as well," my voice cracked ever so slightly at the end. His grip lingered as he kept his deep-set eyes intensely focused on me before releasing.
"My father is nearing the end of his days. He owned a trucking company before selling it and using the money to start his own consulting firm, which I used to run until I gifted it to my daughter. I'm mostly retired now, though." He paused briefly to make eye contact with me, before continuing," I need someone to take care of all of his needs, which is why you're here," he motioned towards a man sitting in a wheelchair in the living room.
"24/7 care means, 24/7 care. By you, no one else," his nostrils flared as he glared at me while driving that last point straight into my nerves. The catch was revealed. I suppose I was going to serve as more of a nurse nanny as opposed to a nurse.
"Ash, we did quite a bit of research," Linda eased the mood with her softer tone. "This was not our first rodeo. We have been left at the altar one too many times and we wanted someone who was truly invested in taking care of Robert."
"Your company said you were a new grad, wanting to make inroads into a new field and you want to become an RN someday, is that right?" She smiled at me as she spoke.
"Uh-huh, yes...that's the plan!" I answered, still processing what all of this was going to require of me, exactly. Bo kept his eyes on me, studying me as I spoke with Linda before suddenly and silently wandering off, leaving Linda to introduce me to Robert.
"Hi, Daddy! Look who I have here! It's your nurse. His name is Ash!" Linda yelled into Robert's ear. He let out a short grunt, letting us know he had heard enough.
"He's just being moody! Men!" Linda rolled her eyes. She rolled Robert down the hall. "Here's his room," she opened a door that led into an anteroom, before opening another door that led directly into his quarters.
