Student Government Conference

Erich's Medical Emergency

It was about 5:00 in the morning and Percy burst through the door. He pulled me out of bed by the T-shirt and did a stage-whisper into my ear. "We have a problem."

Erich had been majoring in FTTV (film, theater, and television). He was busy with the campus TV station. Since we were in relatively rural Indiana, our campus TV station was the local affiliate. Erich was so good looking and so well built in his blazer that he got hired right away. He was was happy.

Erich would get back to his room with Percy and tell him all about the reporting he had done that day. Then the two would come to the Governor's Suite and we'd watch movies. Erich didn't have a thing for Percy, and Percy didn't have a thing for Erich. It was just a good match-up, since Fr. Joe couldn't fit Erich into the clown car.

But this morning Percy said, "He's hurt."

I thought this was some sort of emotional thing. So I walked down the hall in my T-shirt, pj pants, and wooly socks. Percy wouldn't grab me out of bed unless it was important.

HOLY FUCK, it looked like someone had had an abortion on the bed. There was blood everywhere. Erich's face was a mess. I was pretty sure his nose was broken and the cartilage had definitely been torn. I threw myself into taking care of my boyfriend. His jaw was dislocated. His nose was ripped up. "What the fuck happened, Dude?"

It was the weatherman, a supposedly straight guy with a good TV following. He had been hitting on Erich. But since Erich and I were together, Erich thought nothing of it.

Tonight, the weatherman was standing up against my Jeep Cherokee which I let Erich drive to the TV Station. He grabbed Erich by the back of the head and rammed his knee into Erich's nose. Then the weatherman threw Erich to the pavement and started pummeling him. That bastard did a number on Erich.

I did a quick concussion test. I had to feel if Erich's right orbital was broken. It was. Then I worked my hands all the way down his ribs. One was strained but not broken. I told Erich we had to go to the ER. Percy made the call and campus police showed up with the South Bend ambulance.

I took the ambulance ride holding Erich's hand. When we got to Memorial Hospital the chief trauma doc (a woman) glared at me and asked, "Who are you to him!?" For the first time in my life I admitted, "I'm his committed boyfriend." It really felt good to get that off my chest. Wow!

As I was sitting in the ER behind curtains next to Erich, two guys rolled in full of concern. Polio and Jeremy. I had nursed them both. But it was super special that they came to keep watch with me. For a second I thought, "I have to hide my car keys better," because they had taken Reggie to come to the hospital.

The Docs pulled Erich out of curtains for a Head CT. I was miserable sitting with Polio and Jeremy. But at least they knew what I was going through. Finally I was called to see Erich. Both eyes were starting to blacken. The ER doc said he might need plastic surgery. I said, "He's on University insurance now, so do what you must." I sounded like my grandfather, a 1939 graduate before he went to the war.

Erich relaxed on his hospital bed. I gave him a full, open mouthed kiss on the lips. And then I had a mission.

My father had been ONI and CIA in his day. And though Dad was done with that, I knew I could call my "Uncle Piggy." Augustine (Gus) Callahan was a very caring uncle. No he wasn't my real, physical uncle. But I had called him Uncle Pig since my earliest days. Now I called him for a serious, deep favor.

Pig answered the phone. He was married to a woman Navy Commander he called, "Commander Boodle" because she liked her Gin. I said, "Piggo, I need a huge favor." Piggie and I caught up on the phone. And then I asked my question. I said, "Piggie, my boyfriend got beat up and I need your help." Without any hesitation, Pig said, "What do you need?" He didn't ask why I had a boyfriend, what had been going on, or the nature of our relationship. Piggie just said, "What do you need?"

I was so furious at the weatherman for trying to take out Erich, I told Piggo, "I need someone taken care of." Piggie said it might not be immediate, but he could "take care of it." I started crying. Erich was in the hospital. This was all my fault. I should have left him in Florida. But then my anger rose up. I felt like I was going to gag. I said, "Uncle Pig, do what needs to be done. His name is Jerry Phillips and he lives in Grainger, Indiana."

Piggo said in the most consoling voice, "If you need this Kiddo, it's all on me. I'll cover it."

I went back to Erich's room to hold his hand. He was in a lot of pain so they had him on Valium. I whispered into his ear, exactly what Uncle Pig had said, "It's all on me. I'll cover it." Then Erich started to move his hips. Was he waking up? I hadn't yet told him about the rib damage. I wanted to hold Erich so much that I climbed into the hospital bed with him and just held onto him. It felt so good to have my BigBoy up next to me.

When the Doc came in she didn't care. In fact, she said that was probably the best thing Erich needed. After about an hour, while Erich slept, I called Pig again. Uncle Pig had already put things in motion. I said very forcefully to Uncle Pig, "Do not kill him! Just make him go away!" Piggie got the sense.

I spent four days at Memorial Hospital tending to Erich. The weatherman suddenly wasn't on TV anymore. But I was still with my boyfriend. Finally when he was ready to be discharged, I pulled up in Reggie. I put Erich in the passenger seat and asked whether he wanted to eat. BigBoy said he had no appetite, probably from the pain killers. I got him back to bed, lay on top of him and said without any hesitation, "I Love you buddy!"

I could feel him getting hard, which totally turned me on. But BigBoy had just gotten out of the hospital. What was I supposed to do?