Page 22 of Trick or Treat Nurse at My Feet
Turning back to Emily's question about zombie makeup techniques, focusing on her words becomes difficult with Tyler's eyes creating that flutter in the chest again.
This night has already veered so far from what I expected, from confronting Ryan to being rescued by a gorgeous frat VP to actually enjoying myself at a party I never planned to attend.
Chapter 6
Public Displays of Interruption
TYLER
Our little group wanders into the main living room. Ethan and Emily are still deep in conversation about theatre mistakes and ER nightmares. Ethan uses his hands when he talks, gesturing expressively as he describes some of the nasty things he's seen.
Drew has his arm draped around Emily's shoulders, looking amused as the two new friends bond over the strangest topics.
"INCOMING!" a voice bellows from the hallway.
We all turn to see Cameron barreling into the room, a red cup in each hand, weaving dramatically between partygoers. He's clearly attempting to slide into the empty armchair next to us, but he misjudges the distance, or his drunkenness.
"Watch the—" Drew starts, but it's too late.
Cameron's foot catches on the edge of the rug, sending him flying. Both drinks go airborne as he tumbles forward, missing the chair entirely and landing with a spectacular thud on his ass.
"Holy shit!" Emily gasps between shocked giggles.
Cameron groans, sprawled on the floor as beer drips from the ceiling. "I'm okay," he announces to the cheering crowd. "My pride isn't, but I am."
Drew and I move to help him up, each reaching for an arm, but Ethan steps forward quickly, raising his hand in a "wait" gesture.
"Hold on a second," he says, surprising us both with his sudden authority. "Don't move him yet."
We freeze, exchanging glances as Ethan kneels beside Cameron, his eyes scanning methodically over Cameron's sprawled form. His hands move over Cam carefully, and his face changes from party-mode Ethan to someone who clearly knows what he's doing. He gently presses two fingers against Cameron's wrist, checking his pulse, I realize, then tilts his head with a clinical gaze.
"Can you move your legs, okay?" Ethan asks, his voice taking on a calm, authoritative tone I hadn't heard before. When Cameron nods, Ethan's fingers trace a careful path along Cameron's lower back. "Any sharp pain here? Or just general soreness?"
Cameron blinks in surprise at the sudden medical assessment. "Just... sore, I guess?"
Ethan nods seriously, then with a completely straight face says, "You may have bruised your coccyx."
The room goes quiet. Cameron blinks at him. "My what now?"
"Your coccyx," Ethan repeats innocently, though I catch the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Gavin, who's been watching from nearby, bursts into laughter. "He's saying you hurt your tailbone, dumbass."
"My—" Cameron's face goes from confused to understanding to embarrassed in seconds. "Oh! My... Yeah, probably did."
Everyone bursts out laughing, including Cameron. "I thought he was asking about my..." he makes a vague gesture toward his crotch, which only makes everyone laugh harder.
"If it was that," Ethan says dryly, "I'd be asking about your phallus, not your coccyx."
Gavin is practically howling now, wiping tears from his eyes. "Nursing students, man! They'll get you with the fancy bone names!"
When the laughter finally dies down, Cameron, now sprawled in the chair he aimed initially for, points at Ethan. "You. I like you. You're funny." He squints slightly, noticing Ethan's outfit for the first time. "And sparkly. Hey, you're in nursing, right? Do you know any nurses who might want to come over? We've got plenty to drink and the night is young."
I watch Ethan laugh, loosening up after we all cracked up together. "I might know a few people who'd be up for it."
"The more, the merrier," Cameron says, still chuckling. "Especially if they're as funny as you. Tell them to bring friends!"
Ethan pulls out his phone and sends a quick text. Almost immediately, his phone buzzes with a response that makes him grin.
