“Patrick, you <b>and </b>Jake, go wait for the paramedics,” Drew said as the sirens grew louder. Patrick nodded and left with Jake close behind him


    “Mike, go get a bag ready for her. Mike had been sitting at the foot of the bed, rubbing my leg, but jumped up and disappeared into my closet. I could hear strange voices growing closer <b>as </b>Patrick and Jake led the paramedics upstairs. Drew leaned over, kissing my sweaty forehead before meeting the men who had just entered my room, and began speaking to them quietly, I whimpered when the bed shifted, and josh squeezed my hand,


    I turned and watched Drew lead two men over to my bed. They set <i>the </i>bags they had been carrying down, <b>and </b>while one of them began pulling things out, the other moved to the <b>head </b>of the bed.


    “Hey there, your boyfriend said you weren’t feeling well and in pain? My name is Marcus, and that’s Carson he said, nodding toward his partner. I just nodded in understanding, not wanting to talk. Marcus continued talking to me calmly, exining what he was doing as he took my blood pressure and temperature and started an IV. When Marcus lifted my shirt to touch my stomach, I cried out, and Josh leaned closer to me.


    “I know it hurts, baby girl, but they are here to help and are going to make you feel better, Josh murmured in my ear before brushing some damp hair off my face and running his thumb across my cheek, wiping my <b>tears </b>away. While Josh kept me distracted, Marcus talked into his radio, and Carson left and returned with a stretcher.


    “Ok, Emmy, I’m going to give you some pain meds that should make you morefortable, and then you’re going to get a ride to the hospital,” Marcus exined as he injected something into my IV.


    “Ok,” I whispered, squeezing Josh’s hand, not wanting him to leave my side. It only took a few minutes for the pain meds to kick in, and I began to feel drowsy, Marcus and Carson moved me as gently as they could onto the stretcher. Drew appeared next to my head, reminding me he wasing with me and the others would follow and meet us there before gently kissing my forehead.


    I fought to stay awake but quickly lost the battle, and the next thing I knew, I was in a bright room with strangers surrounding me


    “Drew, where’s Drew?” I asked, and then he was at my side, holding onto my hand without the IV.


    “I’m right here, sweet girl; I told you I would stay with you.” I gave him a small smile <b>and </b>squeezed his hand as the Doctor exined that my appendix was close to rupturing and that I would be going into surgery in just a few minutes. I nodded, willing to do anything to make the pain go away. Drew kissed me quickly, promising they would all be there when I woke up, and I was whisked away.


    The change in temperature as I was wheeled into the operating room caused my skin to break out in a <b>cold </b>sweat. I was quickly transferred onto the narrow operating table. I nced up at the blue–robed man standing next to my head.


    “Im <b>stared</b><b>, </b>what’s going to happen?” I whispered. The man looked down at me and patted my shoulder.


    “I will give you some medicine that will make you fall asleep. When you wake up, you will fi


    feel a lot better.”


    “Ok, thanks,” I said quietly.


    tly. The man gently squeezed my shoulder before turning and moving out of view. He was back momentster.


    “All right, Emmy, I want you to count backward from twenty,”


    “Twenty, neen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen,” is what I saidst. When I opened my eyes <b>again</b>, blurry figures surrounded my bed, and a heart monitor beeped. I blinked my eyes a couple of times, and my guys came into focus. Drew was sitting on the side of my bed with his hand in mine while the others clustered behind him.


    “How are you feeling, honey?” Mike asked, looking over Drew’s shoulder at me. I just stared at them for several long seconds as my brain tried to fight its way out of the drugged haze it <b>was </b>currently in


    “I don’t know; better, I think,” I said, still trying to wake up fully.


    my bed. Mike took


    Drew leaned forward, kissing my forehead. “Well, I’m d you’re awake,” he said before standing and letting Mike take his ce on my my good hand, lifted it, and kissed the back of it before reaching up to cup my cheek.


    “You had me scared, honey,” He murmured.


    “I know, I was scared too,” I said. After another quick kiss, Mike stood, and Patrick took his ce. The guys rotated until it was jakes turn; he had just sat beside me when an older nurse walked in.


    “It’s good to see you awake, dear; how <b>are </b>you feeling? My name is Mary, and I will be your nurse for the day. She bustled around my bed, adjusting covers and checking various machines. Now, who <b>are </b><b>all </b>these handsome young ruen?” she <b>asked </b><b>as </b>she scanned my wristband.


    Chapter <b>112 </b>


    “My boyfriends,” I answered, blushing and squeezing Jake’s <b>hand</b>.


    “Well, it looks like you will have plenty of help when <b>you </b>go home tomorrow, I hope you won’t have too much trouble keeping them all on their toes,” she said, giving me <b>a </b>wink. My giggle turned <b>into </b>outrightughter when 1 caught Josh’s disbelieving look,


    “It’s more like her keeping us on our toes,” Josh muttered quietly to Patrick.


    My <b>nurse </b>turned, giving Josh a long look. “You must be the serious, bossy one of the group. Well, that’s good. You can make sure Emmy follows the Doctor’s orders then.


    I groaned at Josh’s chuckle, and Mary patted <b>my </b>leg. Let them take care of you, dear. It will keep them happy and make them feel better. Trust me, dear, I have been married for almost twenty years, and my husbands still try to do everything for me. It is <b>easier </b>just to let them every once in a while.” Mary’s phone rang, <b>and </b>she hurried out of the room.


    “Did she just say husbands?” I asked, surprised that someone would be willing to share their lives with strangers.


    “Well, <b>love</b>, you just called us <b>all </b>your <b>boyfriends</b><b>, </b>so she probably feltfortable since we seem to share simr rtionships, Patrick said.


    “Yes, besides, our rtionship dynamic isn’t as unusual as most people think. There are a lot of people with multiple partners, Drew added. Now, since you’re awake, would you like something to drink? We need to keep you hydrated


    <b>“</b><b>Yes</b>, please. Do


    o you think I can have some tea?” I asked Drew


    “I don’t see why not, but I will check with the nurse on my way out. <b>Josh </b>said before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.


    A few minutester, Josh returned with a steaming cup, several <b>vors </b>of Jello, and a couple of packages of crackers. Jelloy said you can drink whatever you want and that you should try to eat something. She said to start with the jello, and then you can move on to crackers. Jellou feel like it.” Josh instructed. He set everything down on my rolling table and then nudged his <b>twin </b>out of the way so he could slide the table closer to me.


    I winced at the unexpected movement as Josh messed around with the bed controls, making small adjustments until I sat.


    “Green or Orange?” He asked, and when I gave him a perplexed look, he held up the jello cups. I painted to the green one, but Josh pped my hand away when I reached for it. Instead, he opened it for me, scooped up a mouthful, and waited patiently for me to open my mouth.


    I was going to say I could feed myself, but before I could get the words out, my mouth was full of lime jello. Knowing that arguing would be pointless, I swallowed, sighed, and opened my mouth for another bite.