Hired, page 14
If that was the case, his father was going to hate the next bit of information, but Sebastian might as well share it while he was at it. Humiliation seemed to be the theme of the night anyway. “I had over ten thousand in my inbox.”
“Sebastian!” His sister. “How the hell could you have that many?”
“It's not hard, let me tell you. If you get, say, a hundred emails a day and you only answer thirty percent, it adds up. Over time, you're at that ten thousand mark before you know it.”
He took a sip from the excellent red wine, a burgundy if he had to guess. Still, that didn’t taste as good as it normally would either.
“I wasn't aware it was that bad,” his father said, and the disappointment in his voice had Sebastian swallow.
“I tried, Dad. I really tried.”
His father leaned back in his chair, reaching for his own glass of wine, and the room grew quiet. “I know you did,” his father said. “And I'm not upset with you, but with myself.”
“Why? It's not like it's your fault,” Deborah asked, the same question that had been on Sebastian's lips.
“In a way, it is. LeClerc Robotics was my baby, and I built it from the ground up. In my mind, it’s still this small-scale company, even when we’ve long since passed that stage. And that's how I kept running it until I retired, like you would run a small company. That's what I taught you as well, but you can't be CEO of a company this size in the same way I was. Not recognizing that sooner and not setting you up for success is on me.”
“Hadley said the same thing,” Sebastian said quietly. “When he started, he kept asking me what he was supposed to do, and I didn't understand it. I thought it was obvious and that he would know what an assistant did. It turned out he was right. He did know, but I didn't. He can do so much more than I ever thought possible, and his predecessors probably could as well if I'd given them the chance.”
“I didn't realize you were still handling your own email until you mentioned it,” his father said. “And I know I did, but like I said, that was because the company was so much smaller. Plus, Beryl hated handling email.”
Sebastian let out a deep sigh. “Yeah, you screwed me over with her.”
“I told him he should've let her go,” his mother spoke up for the first time. “She had an unnatural attachment to him, and I knew from the start she’d never warm up to you. She's the type of woman who wants to keep everything the way it was, but she can't. Times change. You have to adapt.”
As always, his mother's analysis was spot on. She was an introvert who mostly listened, but when she spoke, she doled out some deep truths.
His father took his mother's hand and pressed a kiss on it. “You're right, darling. You did warn me about her, and I didn't listen.”
“No, you didn't, so you can't be upset with Sebastian now. He did what you taught him to do. You never prepared him for what the company's growth would mean for him.”
Damn, his mom wasn’t holding back. But his father took it, like he always did, nodding. “I know, and I'm not.”
Sebastian cleared his throat, which was a bit irritated by some acid reflux. “I’m sending her home tomorrow. She can sit out the rest of her time at home, paid. It’s better than seeing her sour face in the office every day.”
His father’s face lit up. “That’s a good solution. You’d be rid of her without the drama. Well worth the money.”
“That’s what Hadley said. He suggested it.”
“Sounds like he’s an asset, this Hadley,” his mom said.
“He is. He’s showing me the jobs I should delegate, like handling my email, making presentations, and more. Plus, he's incredibly efficient, and he's already reorganized the office, both digitally and our paper filing system.”
“I'm so glad you found him, honey,” his mother said.
Sebastian chuckled. “I didn't find him, Mom. He showed up as a replacement for his predecessor because she'd fallen sick. He was only meant to stay for a week or so until she was better, but when the time came, I wanted to keep him instead of having her come back.”
His mother quirked an eyebrow. “And he was amenable to that?”
Sebastian laughed sheepishly. “He took some convincing.”
“I wonder why,” his sister said under her breath. “You only went through, what, like twenty-five assistants in the last two years?”
“Twenty-two before Hadley, and I intend for him to be the last.” He scratched his beard. “Though we’re not quite at that stage yet. Hadley doesn't like permanent contracts, so it'll take some more convincing to make him stay beyond the first few weeks or months.”
Another wave of acid reflux came up, and he swallowed it back. Dammit, what was causing that? It was getting ridiculous. He pushed his plate back.
“Are you okay?” his mom asked.
“A little reflux.”
“You look paler than usual.”
He rolled his eyes, though he was smart enough to make sure she couldn't catch him. “It's nothing serious, Mom. I've been under a lot of pressure to get the Mow Buddy into the production phase. Now that that's done, things will get better. Also, no offense, but family dinners are usually a lot more relaxed than this. I feel like I’ve been in the hot seat the entire evening.”
Playing the victim card might not be fair, but he had to get them off his back.
“Fair enough,” his sister said. “Let’s talk about the Seahawks. What do you think? Will they make the Super Bowl this year?”
15
All Sunday, Hadley had worried about what to say to Sebastian at work. Would he bring up that kiss, or would he pretend it had never happened? Hadley preferred the latter, but could he even forget about it? He’d never been that good at acting, and he doubted he could pull off complete indifference, not when the kiss had affected him so much. God, he’d even dreamed about it, about Sebastian kissing him again and doing…other things.
He’d woken up humping the bed, and Lagan had made fun of him for having an erotic dream. If only he'd known. Hadley hadn’t told him about the kiss, and he’d sworn Nordin to secrecy. The fucker had looked so smug, claiming he’d made that kiss happen. In a way, he had, Hadley supposed, but whether that was a good thing remained to be seen.
In the end, Hadley had decided to try the pretend-it-never-happened strategy, and it seemed Sebastian had employed the same tactic, as neither of them had brought it up. Now, four days after that kiss, Hadley was almost questioning if he’d dreamed the whole thing. If not for the looks Sebastian shot him when he thought Hadley wasn’t watching, he probably would’ve come to that conclusion.
Sebastian had sent Beryl home on Monday, surprising her with a large bouquet of flowers that Hadley had ordered. She’d been stunned and had been nicer to Sebastian than Hadley had ever witnessed before. She’d better be, considering she could sit on her ass at home and still make money, but whatever. He was relieved she was gone. Now all he had to do was organize her retirement reception, and that was it. One more problem solved. Plenty more to go.
They were in Sebastian’s office, Hadley taking notes of the meeting Sebastian conducted with two board members. One of them was pretty long-winded, so Hadley's mind had time to wander. He didn't mind meetings like this, but when people merely wanted to hear themselves talk or needed five minutes to say something that could have gotten across in thirty seconds, they became insufferable.
He wasn't the only one who was tuning out. Sebastian seemed to have issues concentrating as well. He was never super focused in meetings, but now he was fidgeting with his fingers, rubbing his chest every now and then. Was he having acid reflux again? He really should lay off the coffee. His caffeine intake was way too high. Hadley made a mental note to bring him an extra glass of milk after the meeting. That appeared to help, at least for a bit.
Sebastian looked pale, even more than usual. And was it Hadley’s imagination, or had Sebastian lost weight? Hadley hadn’t noticed when they’d ran into each other on Saturday, but Sebastian looked gaunt, the collar of his shirt looser than Hadley remembered it being before. He frowned. Was Sebastian not eating enough? He rarely finished all his lunch. What he had for dinner, well, that wasn’t something Hadley was privy to, but surely the man knew how to take care of himself, right?
“Anyway, thank you for listening to our concerns,” George Morrill, one of the board members, said.
Sebastian's smile was barely visible, a thin curl of his lips, the smile never reaching his eyes. “Good. Now let's move forward with speed.”
The two men got up and, after saying their good-byes to Sebastian, left his office. Sebastian leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. “God, I thought they’d never stop talking.”
“He sure used a lot of words to say little.”
“Can you get me a glass of milk and some Tums? This acid reflux is driving me insane.” Sebastian opened his eyes again, rubbing his stomach. “It's hurting.”
Alarm bells went off. “It's hurting? Your stomach?”
Sebastian waved a tired hand at him. “It's nothing. It does that a lot. I guess because of the reflux.”
“How long have you experienced acid reflux?”
“What are you, my doctor?”
Hadley poured him a glass of milk and put it in front of him. “Don't get snappy with me. Just answer the question.”
“I don't know. Maybe, what, three months?”
Sweat was pearling on Sebastian’s forehead as he downed the milk, and those alarm bells in Hadley’s head grew louder and louder. “You've lost weight.”
Sebastian shifted in his chair, avoiding Hadley's gaze. “A little. I haven't been hungry. It's the stress for the launch of the Mow Buddy. Once that's done, I'll be fine.”
Was he that stupid? Hadley studied him, but Sebastian's face showed no trace of deceit, of him trying to lie and pretend. He truly believed this was the case. “You need to be checked out by a doctor.”
“I'm fine. I told you it's just the stress.” Just then, his whole body tensed, and he groaned as he clutched his stomach. “Oh, god… It hurts.”
“Stress doesn't hurt. Stress does, however, cause all kinds of issues, including a stomach ulcer. And I'm no doctor, but it sounds a hell of a lot like what you're experiencing.”
It took a while for Sebastian to answer, and when he did, a thin layer of sweat covered his face. “A stomach ulcer? You think I have a stomach ulcer?”
Hadley whipped out his phone and did a quick Google search. “Common symptoms of a stomach ulcer include a dull pain in the stomach, weight loss, lack of appetite, nausea, acid reflux, heartburn, pain that gets better when you take antacids, and more. Sound familiar?”
“Shit. You gotta be kidding me. I don't have time for this right now.”
“Unfortunately, that's not a call you get to make. You need to see a doctor.”
Sebastian opened his mouth to answer, but then his body grew tense again, and another groan of pain flew from his lips. Enough. If the man insisted on being stubborn, Hadley would have to show that he was no match for Hadley's temper. “That's it. We’re going to the ER. You need to be seen right now.”
The fact that Sebastian didn't even have the energy to protest scared Hadley. He grabbed Sebastian's jacket, wallet, and car keys and pocketed his phone. “I need my bag, and then we’re getting you to the hospital.”
When he walked back into the office, Sebastian was still sitting at the table, looking fragile and vulnerable. It was disconcerting to see this proud, cocky man stripped of his defenses. “Come on, let's go,” Hadley said, his voice soft.
He helped Sebastian put on his jacket, the man never saying a word as they walked out.
Once they were in the elevator, Sebastian sagged against the wall, rubbing his stomach again. “It really hurts.”
“I know. We'll get you checked out, okay?”
Sebastian sent him a thin smile. “This isn’t in your job description.”
“You should know by now I always go above and beyond.”
They didn't say another word as they made their way to the parking garage. Sebastian had a dedicated parking spot, of course, and Hadley knew where it was, luckily. He unlocked the Jaguar with the fob, then held the passenger door open. For one moment, he thought Sebastian would insist on driving, but then the fire seemed to leave him, and with a groan, he got into the car.
Hadley started the car and took a few moments to adjust the mirrors. Sebastian was quite a bit taller, so he had to move the seat forward and pull the rearview mirror down. He was careful when he backed out. This was by far the most expensive car he'd ever driven, and he had no intention of getting so much as a scratch on it.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Grey Sloan. It's the closest.”
Sebastian said nothing, which Hadley took as consent. If the circumstances hadn't been so worrying, he would've enjoyed driving the car a hell of a lot more. As it was, he reveled in the luxurious feel of the leather seats, the smooth purr of the engine, how easily it accelerated. He'd never been a car person, but this car was something else and impressed even him.
The drive was short, much shorter than he would've liked under different circumstances, but with Sebastian groaning at every bump in the road, he was happy when they arrived. Grey Sloan had valet parking, which came in handy, and Hadley helped Sebastian out of the car, then handed the keys to the attendant. The guy's eyes widened, probably in anticipation of driving the Jag. Yeah, join the club, dude. Hadley pocketed the valet slip and nudged Sebastian. “Come on.”
Sebastian wavered a bit, and Hadley put his arm through Sebastian's to hold on to him. Arm in arm, they made their way over to the ER. By the time they were checking in, Sebastian was covered in sweat and so pale Hadley feared he would faint.
“What brings you in?” the nurse asked.
Hadley gave her a quick summary of Sebastian's issues, then dug out the insurance card from Sebastian's wallet and gave all the necessary information. He'd always been good at storing the most useless details, including Sebastian's full address.
“And what's your relationship to the patient?” she asked.
“He's my partner,” Sebastian spoke up for the first time. “And I authorize releasing all medical information to him.”
Okay, then. That was a new development. Hadley didn't say anything, figuring Sebastian would have his reasons. He had to sign some papers, including medical release forms, and then they were directed to the waiting room. The wait was mercifully brief, and after about fifteen minutes, they were brought into an area cordoned off from the rest with a curtain. Sebastian settled on the bed while Hadley found a chair to sit on.
Another nurse did a formal intake, taking Sebastian's vitals and asking a few more questions, then assuring them a doctor would see him soon.
“Partner?” Hadley asked when she was gone, the first time they had privacy.
“They would've told you to wait in the waiting room otherwise, and I want you here. Plus, they're much more likely to have you sign papers and release medical information to you. I didn't think you'd mind.”
“I don't. Do you want me to contact your parents?”
Sebastian closed his eyes, leaning back on the bed. “Not yet. I want to wait for the results first.”
The doctor showed up a few minutes later, and the whole questionnaire started again. More poking and prodding, with Sebastian wincing and groaning in pain.
“What have you taken for the symptoms so far?” she asked.
“Tums. Milk, which seems to help.”
“Any Pepto-Bismol?”
“Yes. Almost daily.”
“Have you used any over-the-counter meds like omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, or pantoprazole?”
“I’ve taken omeprazole occasionally for the last few weeks.”
“Do you take pain medication on a regular basis?”
“Ibuprofen for headaches. I’m prone to tension headaches.”
“How often would you say you take them?”
Sebastian looked sheepish, which Hadley hadn’t thought was possible. “Daily? Two in the morning and another two when I get home.”
“That’s not a healthy habit, Mr. LeClerc. Ibuprofen is an NSAID, and those are notorious for causing stomach issues. How would you say your stress level is?”
Sebastian looked at Hadley, who sighed. “High. As in extremely high.”
The doctor nodded, making another note on her iPad. Then she put it down and looked at Sebastian. “It’s most likely we're looking at a stomach ulcer. Because you haven’t found blood in your stool yet, we’re hopefully in the beginning stages. The course of treatment would be to stop taking all NSAIDs, switch to a soft diet for a few days, and start taking what are called PPIs, proton pump inhibitors, daily. I recommend esomeprazole, known under the brand name Nexium. That should relieve the symptoms within a week.”
“You don’t need to take further tests?” Hadley asked.
“Not in this stage. The tests we’d need to do require not taking any PPIs for two weeks, so we’ll only do that if the prescribed treatment doesn’t cure the symptoms. If they persist, we’ll do an endoscopy, which means inserting a thin tube through your mouth into the stomach to check for ulcers, bleeding, or anything else that looks abnormal. We can also do a biopsy test to determine whether you have a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori in your body. That can cause ulcers. But in this case, the combination of NSAIDs and high stress leads me to believe those are the cause.”
“Okay, so he needs those over-the-counter meds, a soft diet, no more painkillers. Anything else?” Hadley asked. If he was here as Sebastian’s boyfriend, he might as well use it to his advantage.
“Rest for a few days would be good to give his body time to heal. I recommend you look at ways to manage your stress better, cut back on the coffee intake, and make changes in your diet. Spicy foods, citrus fruits, bananas, and fatty foods are known to cause stomach issues, so remove those from your diet for a while. A balanced, healthy diet combined with proper stress management should cure the ulcer. It will probably also alleviate the tension headaches.”
“Sebastian!” His sister. “How the hell could you have that many?”
“It's not hard, let me tell you. If you get, say, a hundred emails a day and you only answer thirty percent, it adds up. Over time, you're at that ten thousand mark before you know it.”
He took a sip from the excellent red wine, a burgundy if he had to guess. Still, that didn’t taste as good as it normally would either.
“I wasn't aware it was that bad,” his father said, and the disappointment in his voice had Sebastian swallow.
“I tried, Dad. I really tried.”
His father leaned back in his chair, reaching for his own glass of wine, and the room grew quiet. “I know you did,” his father said. “And I'm not upset with you, but with myself.”
“Why? It's not like it's your fault,” Deborah asked, the same question that had been on Sebastian's lips.
“In a way, it is. LeClerc Robotics was my baby, and I built it from the ground up. In my mind, it’s still this small-scale company, even when we’ve long since passed that stage. And that's how I kept running it until I retired, like you would run a small company. That's what I taught you as well, but you can't be CEO of a company this size in the same way I was. Not recognizing that sooner and not setting you up for success is on me.”
“Hadley said the same thing,” Sebastian said quietly. “When he started, he kept asking me what he was supposed to do, and I didn't understand it. I thought it was obvious and that he would know what an assistant did. It turned out he was right. He did know, but I didn't. He can do so much more than I ever thought possible, and his predecessors probably could as well if I'd given them the chance.”
“I didn't realize you were still handling your own email until you mentioned it,” his father said. “And I know I did, but like I said, that was because the company was so much smaller. Plus, Beryl hated handling email.”
Sebastian let out a deep sigh. “Yeah, you screwed me over with her.”
“I told him he should've let her go,” his mother spoke up for the first time. “She had an unnatural attachment to him, and I knew from the start she’d never warm up to you. She's the type of woman who wants to keep everything the way it was, but she can't. Times change. You have to adapt.”
As always, his mother's analysis was spot on. She was an introvert who mostly listened, but when she spoke, she doled out some deep truths.
His father took his mother's hand and pressed a kiss on it. “You're right, darling. You did warn me about her, and I didn't listen.”
“No, you didn't, so you can't be upset with Sebastian now. He did what you taught him to do. You never prepared him for what the company's growth would mean for him.”
Damn, his mom wasn’t holding back. But his father took it, like he always did, nodding. “I know, and I'm not.”
Sebastian cleared his throat, which was a bit irritated by some acid reflux. “I’m sending her home tomorrow. She can sit out the rest of her time at home, paid. It’s better than seeing her sour face in the office every day.”
His father’s face lit up. “That’s a good solution. You’d be rid of her without the drama. Well worth the money.”
“That’s what Hadley said. He suggested it.”
“Sounds like he’s an asset, this Hadley,” his mom said.
“He is. He’s showing me the jobs I should delegate, like handling my email, making presentations, and more. Plus, he's incredibly efficient, and he's already reorganized the office, both digitally and our paper filing system.”
“I'm so glad you found him, honey,” his mother said.
Sebastian chuckled. “I didn't find him, Mom. He showed up as a replacement for his predecessor because she'd fallen sick. He was only meant to stay for a week or so until she was better, but when the time came, I wanted to keep him instead of having her come back.”
His mother quirked an eyebrow. “And he was amenable to that?”
Sebastian laughed sheepishly. “He took some convincing.”
“I wonder why,” his sister said under her breath. “You only went through, what, like twenty-five assistants in the last two years?”
“Twenty-two before Hadley, and I intend for him to be the last.” He scratched his beard. “Though we’re not quite at that stage yet. Hadley doesn't like permanent contracts, so it'll take some more convincing to make him stay beyond the first few weeks or months.”
Another wave of acid reflux came up, and he swallowed it back. Dammit, what was causing that? It was getting ridiculous. He pushed his plate back.
“Are you okay?” his mom asked.
“A little reflux.”
“You look paler than usual.”
He rolled his eyes, though he was smart enough to make sure she couldn't catch him. “It's nothing serious, Mom. I've been under a lot of pressure to get the Mow Buddy into the production phase. Now that that's done, things will get better. Also, no offense, but family dinners are usually a lot more relaxed than this. I feel like I’ve been in the hot seat the entire evening.”
Playing the victim card might not be fair, but he had to get them off his back.
“Fair enough,” his sister said. “Let’s talk about the Seahawks. What do you think? Will they make the Super Bowl this year?”
15
All Sunday, Hadley had worried about what to say to Sebastian at work. Would he bring up that kiss, or would he pretend it had never happened? Hadley preferred the latter, but could he even forget about it? He’d never been that good at acting, and he doubted he could pull off complete indifference, not when the kiss had affected him so much. God, he’d even dreamed about it, about Sebastian kissing him again and doing…other things.
He’d woken up humping the bed, and Lagan had made fun of him for having an erotic dream. If only he'd known. Hadley hadn’t told him about the kiss, and he’d sworn Nordin to secrecy. The fucker had looked so smug, claiming he’d made that kiss happen. In a way, he had, Hadley supposed, but whether that was a good thing remained to be seen.
In the end, Hadley had decided to try the pretend-it-never-happened strategy, and it seemed Sebastian had employed the same tactic, as neither of them had brought it up. Now, four days after that kiss, Hadley was almost questioning if he’d dreamed the whole thing. If not for the looks Sebastian shot him when he thought Hadley wasn’t watching, he probably would’ve come to that conclusion.
Sebastian had sent Beryl home on Monday, surprising her with a large bouquet of flowers that Hadley had ordered. She’d been stunned and had been nicer to Sebastian than Hadley had ever witnessed before. She’d better be, considering she could sit on her ass at home and still make money, but whatever. He was relieved she was gone. Now all he had to do was organize her retirement reception, and that was it. One more problem solved. Plenty more to go.
They were in Sebastian’s office, Hadley taking notes of the meeting Sebastian conducted with two board members. One of them was pretty long-winded, so Hadley's mind had time to wander. He didn't mind meetings like this, but when people merely wanted to hear themselves talk or needed five minutes to say something that could have gotten across in thirty seconds, they became insufferable.
He wasn't the only one who was tuning out. Sebastian seemed to have issues concentrating as well. He was never super focused in meetings, but now he was fidgeting with his fingers, rubbing his chest every now and then. Was he having acid reflux again? He really should lay off the coffee. His caffeine intake was way too high. Hadley made a mental note to bring him an extra glass of milk after the meeting. That appeared to help, at least for a bit.
Sebastian looked pale, even more than usual. And was it Hadley’s imagination, or had Sebastian lost weight? Hadley hadn’t noticed when they’d ran into each other on Saturday, but Sebastian looked gaunt, the collar of his shirt looser than Hadley remembered it being before. He frowned. Was Sebastian not eating enough? He rarely finished all his lunch. What he had for dinner, well, that wasn’t something Hadley was privy to, but surely the man knew how to take care of himself, right?
“Anyway, thank you for listening to our concerns,” George Morrill, one of the board members, said.
Sebastian's smile was barely visible, a thin curl of his lips, the smile never reaching his eyes. “Good. Now let's move forward with speed.”
The two men got up and, after saying their good-byes to Sebastian, left his office. Sebastian leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. “God, I thought they’d never stop talking.”
“He sure used a lot of words to say little.”
“Can you get me a glass of milk and some Tums? This acid reflux is driving me insane.” Sebastian opened his eyes again, rubbing his stomach. “It's hurting.”
Alarm bells went off. “It's hurting? Your stomach?”
Sebastian waved a tired hand at him. “It's nothing. It does that a lot. I guess because of the reflux.”
“How long have you experienced acid reflux?”
“What are you, my doctor?”
Hadley poured him a glass of milk and put it in front of him. “Don't get snappy with me. Just answer the question.”
“I don't know. Maybe, what, three months?”
Sweat was pearling on Sebastian’s forehead as he downed the milk, and those alarm bells in Hadley’s head grew louder and louder. “You've lost weight.”
Sebastian shifted in his chair, avoiding Hadley's gaze. “A little. I haven't been hungry. It's the stress for the launch of the Mow Buddy. Once that's done, I'll be fine.”
Was he that stupid? Hadley studied him, but Sebastian's face showed no trace of deceit, of him trying to lie and pretend. He truly believed this was the case. “You need to be checked out by a doctor.”
“I'm fine. I told you it's just the stress.” Just then, his whole body tensed, and he groaned as he clutched his stomach. “Oh, god… It hurts.”
“Stress doesn't hurt. Stress does, however, cause all kinds of issues, including a stomach ulcer. And I'm no doctor, but it sounds a hell of a lot like what you're experiencing.”
It took a while for Sebastian to answer, and when he did, a thin layer of sweat covered his face. “A stomach ulcer? You think I have a stomach ulcer?”
Hadley whipped out his phone and did a quick Google search. “Common symptoms of a stomach ulcer include a dull pain in the stomach, weight loss, lack of appetite, nausea, acid reflux, heartburn, pain that gets better when you take antacids, and more. Sound familiar?”
“Shit. You gotta be kidding me. I don't have time for this right now.”
“Unfortunately, that's not a call you get to make. You need to see a doctor.”
Sebastian opened his mouth to answer, but then his body grew tense again, and another groan of pain flew from his lips. Enough. If the man insisted on being stubborn, Hadley would have to show that he was no match for Hadley's temper. “That's it. We’re going to the ER. You need to be seen right now.”
The fact that Sebastian didn't even have the energy to protest scared Hadley. He grabbed Sebastian's jacket, wallet, and car keys and pocketed his phone. “I need my bag, and then we’re getting you to the hospital.”
When he walked back into the office, Sebastian was still sitting at the table, looking fragile and vulnerable. It was disconcerting to see this proud, cocky man stripped of his defenses. “Come on, let's go,” Hadley said, his voice soft.
He helped Sebastian put on his jacket, the man never saying a word as they walked out.
Once they were in the elevator, Sebastian sagged against the wall, rubbing his stomach again. “It really hurts.”
“I know. We'll get you checked out, okay?”
Sebastian sent him a thin smile. “This isn’t in your job description.”
“You should know by now I always go above and beyond.”
They didn't say another word as they made their way to the parking garage. Sebastian had a dedicated parking spot, of course, and Hadley knew where it was, luckily. He unlocked the Jaguar with the fob, then held the passenger door open. For one moment, he thought Sebastian would insist on driving, but then the fire seemed to leave him, and with a groan, he got into the car.
Hadley started the car and took a few moments to adjust the mirrors. Sebastian was quite a bit taller, so he had to move the seat forward and pull the rearview mirror down. He was careful when he backed out. This was by far the most expensive car he'd ever driven, and he had no intention of getting so much as a scratch on it.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Grey Sloan. It's the closest.”
Sebastian said nothing, which Hadley took as consent. If the circumstances hadn't been so worrying, he would've enjoyed driving the car a hell of a lot more. As it was, he reveled in the luxurious feel of the leather seats, the smooth purr of the engine, how easily it accelerated. He'd never been a car person, but this car was something else and impressed even him.
The drive was short, much shorter than he would've liked under different circumstances, but with Sebastian groaning at every bump in the road, he was happy when they arrived. Grey Sloan had valet parking, which came in handy, and Hadley helped Sebastian out of the car, then handed the keys to the attendant. The guy's eyes widened, probably in anticipation of driving the Jag. Yeah, join the club, dude. Hadley pocketed the valet slip and nudged Sebastian. “Come on.”
Sebastian wavered a bit, and Hadley put his arm through Sebastian's to hold on to him. Arm in arm, they made their way over to the ER. By the time they were checking in, Sebastian was covered in sweat and so pale Hadley feared he would faint.
“What brings you in?” the nurse asked.
Hadley gave her a quick summary of Sebastian's issues, then dug out the insurance card from Sebastian's wallet and gave all the necessary information. He'd always been good at storing the most useless details, including Sebastian's full address.
“And what's your relationship to the patient?” she asked.
“He's my partner,” Sebastian spoke up for the first time. “And I authorize releasing all medical information to him.”
Okay, then. That was a new development. Hadley didn't say anything, figuring Sebastian would have his reasons. He had to sign some papers, including medical release forms, and then they were directed to the waiting room. The wait was mercifully brief, and after about fifteen minutes, they were brought into an area cordoned off from the rest with a curtain. Sebastian settled on the bed while Hadley found a chair to sit on.
Another nurse did a formal intake, taking Sebastian's vitals and asking a few more questions, then assuring them a doctor would see him soon.
“Partner?” Hadley asked when she was gone, the first time they had privacy.
“They would've told you to wait in the waiting room otherwise, and I want you here. Plus, they're much more likely to have you sign papers and release medical information to you. I didn't think you'd mind.”
“I don't. Do you want me to contact your parents?”
Sebastian closed his eyes, leaning back on the bed. “Not yet. I want to wait for the results first.”
The doctor showed up a few minutes later, and the whole questionnaire started again. More poking and prodding, with Sebastian wincing and groaning in pain.
“What have you taken for the symptoms so far?” she asked.
“Tums. Milk, which seems to help.”
“Any Pepto-Bismol?”
“Yes. Almost daily.”
“Have you used any over-the-counter meds like omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, or pantoprazole?”
“I’ve taken omeprazole occasionally for the last few weeks.”
“Do you take pain medication on a regular basis?”
“Ibuprofen for headaches. I’m prone to tension headaches.”
“How often would you say you take them?”
Sebastian looked sheepish, which Hadley hadn’t thought was possible. “Daily? Two in the morning and another two when I get home.”
“That’s not a healthy habit, Mr. LeClerc. Ibuprofen is an NSAID, and those are notorious for causing stomach issues. How would you say your stress level is?”
Sebastian looked at Hadley, who sighed. “High. As in extremely high.”
The doctor nodded, making another note on her iPad. Then she put it down and looked at Sebastian. “It’s most likely we're looking at a stomach ulcer. Because you haven’t found blood in your stool yet, we’re hopefully in the beginning stages. The course of treatment would be to stop taking all NSAIDs, switch to a soft diet for a few days, and start taking what are called PPIs, proton pump inhibitors, daily. I recommend esomeprazole, known under the brand name Nexium. That should relieve the symptoms within a week.”
“You don’t need to take further tests?” Hadley asked.
“Not in this stage. The tests we’d need to do require not taking any PPIs for two weeks, so we’ll only do that if the prescribed treatment doesn’t cure the symptoms. If they persist, we’ll do an endoscopy, which means inserting a thin tube through your mouth into the stomach to check for ulcers, bleeding, or anything else that looks abnormal. We can also do a biopsy test to determine whether you have a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori in your body. That can cause ulcers. But in this case, the combination of NSAIDs and high stress leads me to believe those are the cause.”
“Okay, so he needs those over-the-counter meds, a soft diet, no more painkillers. Anything else?” Hadley asked. If he was here as Sebastian’s boyfriend, he might as well use it to his advantage.
“Rest for a few days would be good to give his body time to heal. I recommend you look at ways to manage your stress better, cut back on the coffee intake, and make changes in your diet. Spicy foods, citrus fruits, bananas, and fatty foods are known to cause stomach issues, so remove those from your diet for a while. A balanced, healthy diet combined with proper stress management should cure the ulcer. It will probably also alleviate the tension headaches.”
