Big John

I picked up a homecare patient for twelve days. He needed a daily hour long IV. Seemed easy. The kicker two nurses quit after one visit.

No doors on any of the bedrooms. I picked the one with a chair and an IV pole next to it. The dimmed room had a bed that took up the entire room. Couldn’t see the patient. Knocked on the door jamb. He popped up in the middle of the bed twisted in the blankets and knelt. Naked. Crawled toward me growling. I ignored him and got the IV ready, asked him to give me his arm so I could get it going.

“A little cold today.” He said and looked at his genitals as he covered up. I gave no response. He smirked.

A TV with the sound off sat on the fireplace mantel with entwined clothes less people on the screen. The ceiling was plastered in posters with naked people in sexual positions.

The patient kept moving around and began to make rhythmic hip thrusts under the blankets. I ignored it until he started flaying his arm the air.

“Your IV will dislodge and will require an ER visit as it goes into your heart.” I say.

“I have no heart” He says with a wink but still keeps moving.

I look at the pillows, boosters, blanket, and throws. What a collection. It includes a crochet throw blanket in bright yellow and green. IV complete. I unhook the patient who snakes under the covers.

This is doable. I tell myself as I drive away. Weird but doable.

“Can you speed it up today.” He greets me the next day.

“No, I can’t. It’s for your safety.”

“Well, fuck. It will have to wait.” He says.

The entire hour he squirms and makes moaning noises. I look at ceiling posters with my nurse face on and my thoughts engaged. Naked people. Name a way and it is plastered on the ceiling. I wonder how this threesome could all be in that position. Am intrigued with woman leaning forward. Her boobs hang twelve inches down into the room. It has to be an optical illusion, but I can’t figure it out. The hour ends and I still can’t figure out the threesome or the hanging boobs.

Third day, I dread the visit. He is thrashes all over and I have to keep reminding him of the IV. The yellow and green crochet blanket is center stage on the TV. Damn, the movie was filmed right here. The covers below his feet begin rippling and the rippling continues to the end of the bed. A naked woman sits up and leans against the wall.

“I told you to stay down until she left.” He yells.

The fourth day, I am resolute. A blanket hangs across the doorway. His arm is sticking out. I hook up the IV after determining he is fine. The hour takes forever.

Next day, he smiles at me and asks if it is cool. It is.

The last day, he hands me a paper grocery bag filled with cassettes He has autographed them.

“Enjoy” he smirks.

I explain we can’t take gifts. He insists. I take them to just bring an end to it.

I tell Bob, a coworker about the signed porno cassettes.

“Big John is a porno star. One of the best. His films were even in theatres. His Play Pen series won awards. It was filmed in a room filled entirely with a bed.” Bob says.

“He was in that famous bedroom for his IV therapy with at least one woman. May have been more, but I only saw one.”

“Cool, you saw them acting.” Bob laughs.

“Could call it that. How do you know so much about this guy.” I ask.

“Teen years. My older brother had his cassettes. I took them when he was sleeping. He was none the wiser as I returned them before his alarm went off.”

Bob tries to get one from me. He wants to sell it on eBay as it is worth bucks. He says. I let him pick one.

I put the rest on eBay. Made $1,300. Gave it to our Patient Needs Fund. I check Bob hasn’t put his up.

Wonder if Bob kept his for old times’ sake or something like that.

BIO: Cherie Logan is a retired nurse who sold everything to wander the US for six years, living in a 12' x 7' foot camper. She worked disaster relief for Katrina, Rita, and the Hatian Earthquake. Her publishing credits include "The Day She Died" Beyond Words, Volume 46, "One Fine Day" The Examined Life Journal of the University Iowa, Volume 10, "My Patient" Beyond Queer Words, Volume 10 and "Questioning", The Literary Journal of The Kurt Vonnegut Museum, 2026. A lifelong storyteller, she is a member of The Detroit Writing Room and speaks at the Detroit Moth - she's come in second the last two months and is irritated.