All characters are over the age of 18 in this work of fiction.
~~~~~~~~
Ethan rushed through the hospital doors; his husband of ten years Marshall had been taken in by an ambulance only moments prior. His face was pale when he arrived at the nurse's station for answers.
"I'm Ethan Dempsy, I am here to see my husband, Marshall Dempsy." He said with a panic in his voice, "He was taken here, I think he had a heart attack..."
"He is in room 102," The dark-haired nurse interrupted, "I will call someone down to take you to him."
"Thank you." Ethan felt like his heart was about to beat through his chest. He ran his hand through his peppered blonde hair as he looked over the large waiting room where guests went about their business as best they could, their lives interrupted by tragedy.
"Mr. Dempsy?" A brown-haired female nurse called from two large automatic doors. Ethan quickly made his way to her.
"Follow me." The nurse guided Ethan beyond the doors that almost immediately closed behind him. The back rooms of the emergency room were the typical sterile white with a mint green strip of pain that seemed to follow the ceiling. "Your husband is being overseen by Dr. Washington." She began to explain. Ethan was happy, anything to pierce through the deafening silence. "He had a heart attack, but the team acted quickly and he seems to be doing alright."
"Thank God..." Ethan muttered putting his hand to his chest. We watched as nurses and doctors made their way through the labyrinth of halls with ease.
"He still is in care as anything can happen in these moments." She added as they turned to another hall and began to pass by a large nurse's station, "We still have him in ICU but you can step in for a moment and speak with the doctor. I would suggest not getting too carried away, Mr. Dempsy will need a calm environment. He was in and out of consciousness earlier, but he needs rest."
"Of course." Ethan agreed. The nurse stopped before a glass room with a placard that read A-102. Opening the door, she drew a large blue curtain aside. As Ethan entered, just beyond the nurse he saw his husband resting in a large-sided bed attached to numerous monitors.
"The doctor will be in shortly. There is a chair if you need it. The large red button on the bed next to your husband will call the nurses if you need it."
"Thank you." Ethan barely got the words out before the nurse closed the glass doors and scurried off.
The ICU patient room was stark and sterile, bathed in a cold, fluorescent glow. A single hospital bed sat in the center, its white sheets neatly tucked yet appearing untouched despite Marshall resting just under the thin fabric. Beeping monitors lined the walls, their screens flickering with vital signs, casting eerie reflections on the sterile tile floor. IV poles stood like silent sentinels, clear tubes snaking toward the patient, delivering unseen lifelines. A ventilator hummed softly beside the bed. Wires, tubes, and sterile equipment cluttered the small space, leaving little room for anything personal.
Ethan walked up to the bed uneasy and unsure.
"Baby..." Ethan took his partner's hand. It was slightly cold to the touch, "I was so scared... but they said things are looking up..." Ethan looked to his resting husband, tears forming at the corner of his eyes, "I'm here now. You just rest okay... I love you."
The pair had been together since just after college and were nearly inseparable. Ethan let out a sigh. It had all happened so fast. The pair were in a park just around the corner from the hospital when Marshall collapsed.
Ethan was relieved when a knock on the glass interrupted his memory. Before he could answer the door opened and the doctor stepped in.
A tall, muscular black man with a commanding presence, walked in with an air of calm authority that seemed to fill the room. Ethan couldn't help but notice the prominent muscles in the doctor's scrubs, a detail that momentarily distracted him from his worry.
"I'm Dr. Washington," Kendrick Washington said, his deep voice soothing yet firm. "You are Ethan Dempsy, I assume."
"I am." Ethan said taking the doctor's hand in a firm shake. Once he was released the dark-skinned man turned to shut the door and pull the curtain shut.
"It seems your husband suffered a minor heart attack." The doctor said grabbing a clipboard hanging from the foot of the large bed, "We were able to get him here quickly due to your call and everything seems stable. He pulled through alright."
"That's good to hear." The responded. The doctor paused for a moment looking over all the monitors. Marshall's heart rate was slightly slow but still kept a good rhythm. Ethan watched, his heart still in his throat.
As he waited, Ethan found his eyes drawn to Kendrick. There was something about the doctor that commanded his attention, a raw masculinity that was both intimidating and alluring. He had only ever dated black men before he met Marshall. It had been nearly two decades since he had been out of the dating world. Kendrick caught Ethan's gaze and held it, his dark eyes intense. Ethan felt a shiver run down his spine.
"Are you doing alright, Mr. Dempsy?"
"I am." Ethan responded. He could tell the doctor was waiting for me, "I feel like I'm going crazy but I am fine."
"How long have you been together?" The doctor asked as he began flipping through some of the meticulous paperwork.
"Ten years married, just after it was legal." Ethan said. He softly placed his partner's hand back on his body. He felt a pain rise up through his body and for a moment he thought he'd burst into tears, "But We had been together for almost ten years before that."
"That is a long time." Dr. Washington stated, "There are many couples who don't come anywhere close to that. You must really care for one another."
