"Tag, You're It, Part 12"
By: Melissa and Cathy
Tag took a deep breath before knocking on Carol's door. He had done his best to keep his calm over the way she had called his parents and told them about him and John. But, it seemed that the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He could handle the idea that his parents were disappointed in him. What he didn't like and couldn't handle was the way that Carol had totally misrepresented the relationship he had with John. He didn't want his parents to despise John just because they were together.
After he had gone into work, he had found himself calling the hospital to see if Carol was working. He found out that she had the day off and he decided to pay her a visit. He had thought that they had aired their differences earlier, but he could see now that he had been wrong to think that her little barbs and accusations had effectively closed the book on their relationship. It was a shame really, because he would have liked to have her as a friend. There was definitely no chance of that now.
He rapped on the door and was only mildly surprised when Helen Hathaway answered. She regarded him coldly and he wondered if she was just upset because he had walked out on Carol or if Carol had told her the same story she had fed his parents.
"Tag," she coldly greeted him.
"Hello, Helen. I know that Carol's off today. Is she home?"
"Yes. Come in."
Tag followed her into the living room and then Helen disappeared into the kitchen. A moment later Carol appeared, wiping her hands on a towel.
"What do you want, Tag?"
"I wanted to find out why you found it necessary to tell my parents that I was involved with John."
"You are involved with John. You made no effort to keep that a secret."
"That's beside the point. I would have preferred to tell them in my own way. That way, I would have known that they were told the truth, and not some fantasy tale that you made up out of anger."
"I didn't make up anything, Tag. I simply told them what I knew."
"You told them that I had left you at the church to run off with a student - a young male student. You told them I took him on our honeymoon trip and have now installed him in my house."
"None of that was a lie, Tag, and you know it," she angrily retorted. "It's not my fault if you can't handle them knowing how you really are."
"I didn't leave you at the church so I could run off with John. I bumped into him at the hospital after I had left. You implied that John was young, very young. You made me sound as if I was a child molester. And I have not "installed" him in my house. He's living with me. There's a big difference." Tag was feeling a little proud of the way he was keeping his temper in check.
"Carter is young, Tag. And on top of that, he's naïve and slightly innocent. God only knows what kind of damage you've done to him. And for what reason? Were you trying to strike back at me in a way that would hurt me the deepest? There's no way that you can stand here and tell me that you took Carter with you to Hawaii and Paris because you were in love with him."
"Carol, striking back at you never entered my mind. To tell you the truth, I hardly thought about you at all these past weeks. It was a refreshing change."
"You told me that you couldn't marry me because I didn't love you in the same way that you loved me. At the time I kicked myself because I thought you meant that you loved me more, not that you loved me less," Carol shook her head. "I suppose I should be grateful that you didn't go through with the wedding. Lord only knows what might have happened if we had gotten married and then you ran into the man of your dreams."
"I would have remained faithful to you, Carol, that's what would have happened. I was attracted to John from the moment I first saw him, but nothing ever happened between us. It's a pity that you can't say the same."
"What's the matter, Tag? Can't think of anything to say so you have to resort to commenting on the fact that one time I was human and gave in to temptation?"
"I'm only human, too, Carol and I didn't give in to temptation," he retorted.
"Oh, really?" she arched her eyebrows as she coolly regarded him.
"Really. I am a faithful man, Carol. I was faithful to you and I'm faithful to John."
Without warning, Carol stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She molded her body along his, making sure that they were in total contact. Then she kissed him hungrily, her tongue forceful and demanding. She could feel his physical response to her and she knew she had made her point. She could very easily get him back into her bed. She broke off the kiss, intending to nibble at his ear. She was shocked when he grabbed her by the wrists and roughly pushed her away.
"Just what the Hell was that about?" he angrily asked.
She smirked. "I just wanted to prove to you that you are very human, Tag. Why don't you just forget this...this infatuation you have with Carter? We're even now. I slept with Doug and you've slept with Carter. We can start fresh."
"I don't think so, Carol. For one thing, I came to realize that I didn't love you as much as I thought I did. Nothing I did was ever good enough for you. I don't think that any man can ever be good enough in your eyes, not even Doug Ross. I love John and I intend to spend the rest of my life with him. He accepts me as I am, without expectations or reservations. He does what he can to make me happy, which is more than you ever did."
"You can't deny that you're still attracted to me; to women."
"I never tried to deny that. John is not the first man I've ever been with, Carol. He is, however, the last. You were the last woman for me. I don't need or want anyone else but John."
"Your body is saying otherwise."
"My body responded to a cock tease, Carol. Simple biology, nothing more."
"So, now I'm a tease?"
"Actually, you're a user, Carol. You use men for your own pleasures, then toss them aside the minute things get a little rough. You had Doug Ross, but you sent him packing. And when I asked you out the following week, you didn't hesitate to let me know that you were willing and interested in getting into my bed."
"Doug cheated on me, I didn't let him go."
"Didn't you? You could have looked the other way. You could have found some way to stay together. But, you didn't. When it looked as if the relationship would take work, you found an excuse and you ran away from it as fast as you could. You know, if I would have gone through with the wedding, you probably would have bolted during the ceremony."
"So now you're a psychiatrist? Well, try analyzing yourself, Tag. Or better yet, try analyzing Carter. Ask yourself why a young attractive man like him would be interested in an older man like you. Either he's after something or he's just simply attracted to older men. You probably weren't his first and I doubt if you'll be his last," she hissed.
Carol took a step backwards as she saw the fury in Tag's eyes. He advanced toward her until he had her backed up to the wall. Placing his hands against the wall on either side of her head, he kept her from fleeing.
"If you ever say anything like that about John again then I will choke the breath out of you. This is between you and me, leave John out of it."
"Why? You keep bringing Doug into it," she spat. She refused to be intimidated by him. "At least with Doug, I knew that I only had other women for competition. You have to worry about other men and women chasing after Carter. He's already been treated once this past year for a sexually transmitted disease. You had better make sure he keeps his pants on from now on or you might find yourself in need of medical treatment."
"I won't even attempt to dignify that remark with a response, Carol."
"Because you know it's true. Any man who would go off with you for a sex filled vacation on the spur of the moment is nothing more than a slut, Tag, and you know it."
Tag clenched his fists so hard that he could feel the fingernails biting into the flesh of his palms. What Carol was saying was way too similar to the words he had thrown in John's face when they had fought while in Hawaii. Just as he had not meant what he said, he knew that Carol didn't think that way about John. She was just lashing out at him and she was hitting her target head on. He wanted to slap her silly and wipe that smirk from her face, but he had never hit a woman in his life and he wasn't about to start now.
"At least with John, I know just how great an orgasm can feel. You were a pretty good fuck, Carol, but that's all you'll ever be to anyone. John knows how to make love to a person. Maybe I'll send him over here to give you lessons."
Carol could feel her face redden. No man had ever dismissed her abilities. Not even Doug Ross. "You do that, Tag. Just make sure that you --- do whatever it is that the two of you do before you send him my way. Once I'm done with him, he won't want you any longer."
"You wish, Carol. Making love with John is ten times more fulfilling than it ever was with you. And that's because when I was making love with you, I was the only person making love. You just wanted sex. Now, if I hear any more lies coming from your mouth about John or me, then I will shut your mouth for you. I don't want you calling my family again. They still like you, God only knows why. But, if I have to, I will tell them all about you. About how you cheated on me with another man. About how months before our wedding, you were kissing that same man. You're no saint, Carol. It's about time you began to realize that."
"I bet your father was upset when he found out exactly why there won't be any grandchildren with the last name of Taglieri. You were pretty hot on that idea at one time, weren't you?" Carol was smug now, confident she'd shaken Tag at last.
"Who says there won't be grandchildren? John and I could adopt a child. I don't think either of us would be turned down on grounds of mental instability."
Tears sprang to Carol's eyes. Tag knew exactly how to turn the knife, and had done so. She was still smarting from being rejected as a possible foster parent for Tatiana, the Russian girl with AIDS. Tag's refusal to back her up had been a key factor in her rejection. "You'll make a rotten father. And you would have made a terrible husband, too. I had figured that was the reason you left me at the church -- because you knew that. Little did I know that you were off getting Carter into bed."
"John doesn't think I'm a bad husband, and he thinks I'd make a good father, too. You know why I never bothered marrying you? Nothing is ever, ever good enough. Nothing and no one. I bet Doug's cooled off now that you're available again." Carol's face let Tag know that he'd hit a nerve. "He knows you'd be chasing someone else if he expressed any real interest. Wouldn't you? You'd have to keep him on a string, play games with him, make him wonder if you really loved him. That's what it was with us. I was just a game to you." The next words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "You would have done both of us a favor if you'd bothered to take a few more pills that night."
Carol began to throw things at him. She was screaming, out of control. Nothing came close, but glass after glass shattered on the wall behind him. Tag heard her mother call out, "Carol? Are you all right?" Both he and Carol ignored the question while the tirade continued.
Finally, her energy spent, Carol decided to try to wound Tag as much as he'd just hurt her. "You know, I wondered how Carter managed to get that surgical sub-I at the last minute. Maybe he screwed Benton for it, hmm? Maybe that's why he's doing you, because he has his sights on orthopedics? You're going to have to really watch him, aren't you...such a piece of eye-candy, and such a slut. What a combination. He's probably been on his knees for half the surgical staff by now. I think I'll talk to some people in surgery...start keeping a tally."
Tag spoke quietly. "You vindictive bitch. Leave him alone. This is between you and me."
"Did I hit a nerve, Tag? You have to wonder why he's with you. He's probably just stringing you along, wanting someone to suck him off for the summer until he goes back to what he does best: fucking around to get what he wants."
Tag was shocked at this side of Carol. The coarse language seemed so wrong, somehow, coming from her. It was almost enough to distract him from the things she was saying. Almost.
Before he could reply to her last salvo, Helen walked in with a policeman, saying Tag had threatened both her and her daughter, and that she demanded he be arrested immediately. Surveying the wreck of the kitchen, the broken dishes, the overturned table, and Carol's disheveled state, the policeman came to the obvious conclusion.
"Looks like you'd better come with me, sir." He motioned Tag away from Carol, and proceeded to place him under arrest for disturbing the peace.
Hours later, Tag was finally on his way home. He had avoided having to spend time in a cell by being lucky enough to have money in his pocket for bail. He had been charged with disturbing the peace and threatening bodily harm. His lawyer had assured him that he could get both charges dropped once they got to court. Still, he had ended up missing his afternoon appointments. Luckily for him, his partners were forgiving and willing to see his patients.
Once home, Tag was surprised to see John's carry-all bag on the floor of the living room. He wasn't supposed to be home until six and it was only four. Searching the house, he finally found John upstairs in the bathroom. He was standing in front of the mirror, examining his eye.
"What's wrong?" Tag asked as he stepped into the room. As he came around behind John he could see in the mirror that John had the beginnings of a nasty black eye. "What happened to you?"
"It was something stupid," John said. "I was helping to examine an eight year old who had been hurt playing baseball with his friends. His little brother was holding a small wooden bat and he was swinging it around his body. We told him to stop. His mother just ignored him - she was only interested in what we were going to do for her older son. Finally, Doctor Peterson asked me to take the boy to the snack machines. He chose a candy bar and I got it for him. When I bent over to get it out of the machine, the little imp hits me in the face with the bat because he had been swinging it around out there, too."
"Ouch," Tag winced. He turned John's face so he could see it better, then began to gently examine his eye. "They took x-rays?"
"Yeah. It's not broken or anything. Just bruised."
"Hmm. And they sent you home?"
"Yeah. My first day and I get sent home. What a way to get a good evaluation."
Tag smiled reassuringly. "Don't let it worry you. Accidents do happen."
"I know. It's just that stupid accidents like this tend to happen to me a lot," John complained.
"How about if I sacrifice one of the steaks from tonight's dinner for your eye?"
"I'd rather eat the steak."
"Too bad. There is medical evidence that shows that it does help."
"So do ice bags. If I use an ice bag for a few hours, the swelling will go down and the bruise won't be as bad."
"You say that as if you've done that before," Tag quietly observed.
John leaned over to look closely in the mirror. "I have," he absently answered.
"I see. Well, an ice bag it is then. Come on."
"No need. I already have one." John reached down into the sink and held up the ice bag.
"I didn't see it there. Well, how about if we get you into bed then?"
John scowled, "Is sex all you ever think about, Tag? I've got a headache, my eye is swelling and you want to fuck." He shook his head. "Can't you find something else to do to occupy your time?"
"I wasn't planning on asking you to have sex, John. And for your information, when I'm with you, I don't fuck you. I much prefer making love to you."
"Same difference."
"Like Hell it is. I was just thinking that it would be better for you to lay down. But, do what you want."
Tag went downstairs to fume in solitude. He didn't know what to make of John when he got into these moods. And it seemed that he was getting into these moods a lot lately. He had been around the emergency room enough to know that John wasn't usually like this and Tag figured that he was still stressed out about how his father had gone to the Chief of Staff and Carol calling his parents. Once more time passed and John saw that none of that mattered, then he would calm down and be his normal self.
As dinner came and went, Tag began to realize that John's mood had not changed since their earlier spat. John was sullen throughout the meal, picking at his food and finally just throwing most of it out. Tag ended up tossing his steak into the garbage as well - it tasted like cardboard in his mouth. He didn't like fighting with John, and he was beginning to fear that this tension would last until bedtime. One saying of his mother's that he always believed was her little spiel about "never go to bed angry". He knew that as the older of the two of them, it was his responsibility to patch things up.
Tag stepped up to the sink, where John was busy rinsing the dishes prior to putting them into the dishwasher.
"We need to talk," Tag reached out and took the plate from John, then placed it in the sink.
"I'm busy." John picked the plate up again.
"John, come into the living room." Tag took the plate from him again, then took him by the hand and led him into the living room, seating them both on the sofa.
"I'm sorry that I snapped at you earlier. I know that you had a rough day and that it put you on edge. I ended up having a pretty bad day myself. I spent a good portion of the afternoon with the Chicago Police Department."
"Why?"
"I went to see Carol, to have it out with her over the way she called my parents. We got into a bad argument. She was upset and hysterical, started throwing things at me, screaming at me. While all of that was going on, her mother called the police. So, I ended up getting arrested. Luckily, I was released on my own recognizance."
"You didn't call me," John's voice was soft, but the softness didn't take away the accusation.
"You were supposedly at work, remember? Besides, like I said, I was released. Anyway, what I'm trying to say, is that my nerves were already shot by the time I got home. Then, when I saw you were home and had been injured, well, things just got worse. I ended up snapping at you, and I'm sorry."
"I'm not going to break, Tag." John looked him in the eyes. "You keep trying to treat me as if I'm made of glass or something. You don't have to do that."
"I don't think that way about you. I know that you're strong, John. I just don't like the idea of seeing you hurt. Or the idea of someone getting away with hurting you."
"Just drop it, Tag," John snapped. "I'm not in the mood to get into another argument about my father. I've told you that he never hurt me, but you refuse to believe me. There's nothing more to be discussed."
"There's a lot more to discuss, John, and you know it."
Before John could respond, the ringing of the telephone interrupted them. Tag got up to answer it.
John leaned back against the couch, the pounding of his head blotting out the sound of Tag's voice. The painkiller he had taken before dinner wasn't doing anything for his headache, and he knew that the headache was one of the reasons he was being so short with Tag. He didn't realize that Tag's telephone conversation was over until he felt Tag's hand on his cheek. He opened his eyes and looked up. Tag had a sad look in his eyes, but he smiled when John looked up at him.
"That was my answering service. I've got an emergency case coming into the office. Some little league baseball player who hurt his knee at practice. I don't know how long I'll be."
"I see you later, then."
"Right." Tag leaned down and gave him a lingering kiss on the lips. "I'll call if it looks as if I'll be really late."
"Okay. Drive carefully."
"I will." Tag grabbed his keys and left. He hated having to leave in the middle of their talk, but he and John both knew that sometimes a patient had to come first. Maybe while he was away from John he could figure out a new tactic, a new line of reasoning that would get through John's thick skull and get him to honestly confront the abuse he had endured.
After Tag left, John tried to watch some television, but nothing caught his interest. He kept waiting for his painkiller to kick in, but it didn't seem to be working. Finally, he found himself in the kitchen, frantically looking for something to help take away the pain from his headache. He had learned in Paris that alcohol gave his meds a nice boost and worked wonders.
Peppermint schnapps. Peppermint fucking schnapps. Had he sunk this far? Carter sighed to himself, realizing that the fifth of vodka that he'd stashed hadn't gone nearly as far as he'd expected. He couldn't believe that he'd found this crap in the back of the freezer. Tag was still surprising him -- first fly fishing, and now this. Was he married to an old man? Seeing the label was marked 90 proof, he realized bad taste had its merits, and poured a glass. Not a shot, but a glass -- this headache needed some serious chasing away.
He was halfway through the stuff when the doorbell rang. Thinking it might be Kerry stopping by, he hurried to the door. On the way there, he noted that the alcohol and painkiller combination was already beginning to work as the pounding wasn't as intense as it had been earlier. Vodka had never worked that fast. Maybe there was something to be said for peppermint schnapps.
He opened the door wide, a smile on his face, only to feel a slight shock as he saw Doug Ross on the porch and not Kerry Weaver.
"Doctor Ross? What brings you here?"
Doug flashed him his most engaging smile. "I heard you started your pedes rotation at children's hospital today and that you had a small accident. I just wanted to check on you and to see if you had any questions about your rotation. As a pediatrician, I can answer just about any question you might have. Is Tag home?"
John could understand why Doug Ross would be hesitant about Tag being there and he shook his head. "No. He had to go into the office for an emergency. Come on in."
John let Doug preceded him into the living room. Doug looked around and nodded, a smile on his face.
"Nice place."
"Thanks. Can I get you anything to drink? We have wine, beer, juice, tea, peppermint schnapps."
Doug grinned at that selection. "A beer would be nice."
"One beer coming up."
John headed out into the kitchen and quickly returned with a bottle of beer for Doug. Doug accepted it with a grin, then he took a long drink of it. "So, which one of you prefers beer bottles to cans? You or Tag?"
"Tag. I'll drink beer out of just about anything. Have a seat, Doctor Ross."
"I think you can call me Doug, John." Doug sat down on the sofa.
John took a seat in the armchair and took another drink of his schnapps. "So, my accident is already being talked about?"
"Yeah. It's not everyday that a med student gets clocked by a bat swinging tot. That's a pretty shiner you've got there." Doug got up and approached John, bending slightly as he reached out to tenderly palpitate the bruised area. "No fracture."
"No. Just the black eye."
Doug sat back down. "Of course, that's probably a better story to have going around than the ones that are making the rounds at County about you and Tag."
"What stories?"
"You haven't heard about them?"
"I know that Tag was accused of seducing me, but I also know that's not true."
Doug's eyebrows raised at that statement. "Well, I've heard a few different versions of the story. One has Tag seducing you, then leaving Carol at the altar because he realized he wanted you more than he wanted her. Another has you seducing Tag, a young manipulator out to use an older man for your own gain."
"Neither one is true," John snapped.
"I know that." Doug chuckled. Then he spied the gold band on John's left hand. "But, it looks as if the one about the two of you getting married or something like that is true."
John nodded. "We were united in Paris."
Doug grinned, "The thing that's funniest here, is that the day he left Carol at the church, she and I both agreed on how boring Taglieri really is. Only interested in fly-fishing and bowling. Or so we thought. I never knew about this side of John Taglieri. Or you." Doug's voice had a husky quality to it as he said the last part.
"Oh really?" John asked as he took another drink. Was Doug Ross hitting on him? As impossible as the idea seemed, it also appeared to be what was happening. And it was also making him aroused.
"Really. What I can't understand is just what you see in Tag. I didn't understand it when Carol left me and went running to him and I don't understand why you're with him."
"I love him."
"Do you?" Doug's smile was enigmatic.
"I do."
"Funny, I remember Carol saying the same thing about ten minutes before she fell back into my bed."
"I'm not Carol."
"That much is obvious, John." Doug set his beer on the table, then got up to stand in front of John again. He reached down and took the glass from his hand, then put it on the table by his beer.
"So, if I kiss you, you'll end up kicking my ass out the door?"
"Right," John softly said, looking up into Doug's big brown eyes. Eyes that were full of desire and something else that John couldn't name. Eyes that weren't badgering him about his father or treating him as if he were a child.
Doug leaned down and captured John's chin with his hand, then kissed him, running his tongue over John's bottom lip, then slipping it between John's lips, forcing them open. Keeping their lips locked together, Doug pulled up with his hand, bringing John to his feet. He then wrapped his arm around John's waist and placed his other hand at the back of John's neck, holding him in place. Although, by the way John's body was reacting to the kiss, Doug knew he didn't have to do that in order to prevent his escape. Getting brave, Doug reached down and undid John's pants, then sank to his knees, pulling the pants and boxers down with him. For the past couple of years Doug had found himself feeling inferior to John Taglieri. He had desired that man, but had never approached him. The reasons were many. Number one, Taglieri was bigger than him and could beat him up if it turned out that he wasn't bi or gay. Number two, Taglieri had never hidden his scorn for him. Especially after Carol left him and then ended up in Taglieri's bed so quickly. That had hurt big time. That was when Doug decided that no matter what it took, he would take things back from Taglieri. He thought he had won too, when Carol ended up back in his bed. But, she had assured him it was a mistake on her part and she had gone running back to Taglieri. Then had come her suicide attempt, and the botched wedding. But, Carol had not yet come back to him. Getting hurt by Taglieri had apparently soured her on relationships, at least relationships with doctors. She was willing to be Doug's friend, but not his lover again.
And then he had heard about John Carter and John Taglieri. Just where did Taglieri get enough balls to go after Carter? He was too young for one thing. Too sexy for another. In Doug's opinion, a total waste of a good body. Taglieri probably had no idea of what to do to keep someone like John satisfied. And so Doug had made up his mind to take John Carter away from Taglieri, just like Carol had been taken from him. The fact that John was obviously interested in him made it so much easier. He leaned forward, intent on capturing John's penis - intent on capturing John.
John felt Doug's hot breath against his thigh, felt Doug's lips close around his penis. So good...so good. A part of him realized this was wrong, realized it was the wrong mouth, the wrong tongue, not the one he wanted. Not Tag. The primal side of him didn't care, and just wanted to be possessed, outside and in.
"Isn't this where you throw me out?" Doug asked, knowing the answer.
"Yeah, get out," John said. He didn't even convince himself. The room spun a bit, and he closed his eyes again, concentrating on the sensation alone. He pulled Doug's head back towards him.
Doug obliged him for only a second. "I've never had sex with a married man, you know," he laughed. "I feel like a home wrecker."
God damn the man. John didn't want to *talk* to him, for chrissakes, he just wanted to have him. Be had by him, whatever. He realized that his relationship with Tag was more equitable than most: he wasn't a top or a bottom. With a smirk, he thought that Doug was most definitely a top. Maybe it was time for a little initiation? Doug had made a snide comment about beer bottles earlier. Did he realize that John was the one with the penchant for using them? But, before he could suggest anything, Doug suddenly pulled away and stood upright.
"I saw that there's a pool out back," he grinned. "I've always wanted to have sex in a pool with a hot looking guy. Let's do it out there."
"It's not dark yet."
"So? Don't you ever feel like living dangerously, John?" As he spoke, Doug was removing his own clothing, his desire for John evident in the hardness of his penis. "Take the rest of your clothes off."
"Yeah, I like dangerous." Aware that Doug was avidly watching him, John removed his clothing, then found himself in the older man's arms once more. Doug rubbed his erection against John's and they both moaned.
"Let's get outside," Doug grabbed John's wrist and hauled him outside to the pool. Before he left the room, John grabbed Doug's beer. Grinning, he thought about all the things he could do to Doug Ross in that pool. The same pool he and Tag had made love in the night before. He impatiently pushed that thought away. It wasn't as if he was going to anything in Tag's bed. In their bed. Just sex in the pool. Nothing more.
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