Kevin Meyers had stopped by Meghan’s hospital room during her last admission to visit, and over the next couple of weeks had taken her out for a casual date. Meghan’s opinion of him, unfortunately, hadn’t changed. She still saw him as nice, polite, and while he was fun to be around, there just wasn’t any spark of attraction between them. So, when he asked her out again, she politely turned him down. “Kevin, I appreciate your interest, but I just don’t feel anything is happening between us.”

“Oh! Sorry, Meghan. Was it something I said or did?” Kevin scrambled to figure out what he had done wrong.

Meghan smiled kindly. “No, nothing like that. You’ve been a gentleman, Kevin, and I appreciate that. But I don’t see us being more than friends, and don’t want to lead you on, thinking otherwise.”

Kevin nodded. “Well, I won’t say that I’m not disappointed, but thank you for telling me.” He paused for a moment. “Friends, though? Can’t say I mind being your friend.” He gave her a big smile.

A couple of weeks later found Kevin sitting in his office, and staring at the picture above his desk, thinking. Ever since watching Mitch Branston administer the enema series to Meghan, Kevin had been intrigued about trying it for himself. Each time he thought about contacting Mitch to discuss it, though, Kevin had balked and pulled his hand from the phone. I need to stop being stupid about this, he told himself. If I want to try this with Mitch’s help, I need to just do it.

Kevin’s reverie was broken when a knock sounded on his door. “Come in!”

Kelsey popped her head in. “Hey there, Kevin! Got a sec?”

He hurried to his feet. “Of course! Come in and have a seat! How are you doing? How’s the hand?”

Kelsey smiled as she entered his office and sat down. “I’m doing well, and the hand is coming along well. In fact, my therapist is speculating another month or so until I should be able to come back to the ward.”

“Oh, that’s great, Kelsey! We’ve sure missed you around here!” Kevin’s smile was huge.

“Well, I’ve missed it, too,” Kelsey stated. “The Education Department is a boring place to work.”

“I’m sure,” he agreed. “Say – is Mitch working today?”

“No, he’s home today.” She glanced quizzically at him. “Do you need me to page him, have him call you?”

“Oh, no,” Kevin replied hastily. “I have a couple questions for him, but I’ll give him a call later. There’s no rush.”

Kelsey nodded. “Okay. He’s off the next three days, actually, but we generally stick pretty close to home.”

“A nice break, then,” Kevin smiled ruefully as he glanced around his office. “I’m looking forward to a bit of time off when my residency’s up in a couple of weeks.”

Kelsey chuckled. “Mitch said that he thought things would ease up when his residency was up, but some days feel even more intense.”

Kevin shook his head. “Not sure that’s possible, but…”

Kelsey stood. “Well, I need to be heading towards home. I’ve already spoken with Joanna and a few others, but thought I’d pop in and say hi.”

Kevin ushered her to the door. “You’re always welcome, Kelsey. And we’ll look forward to your returning to the ward as soon as they let you!”

She waved her goodbyes as she left his office. Kevin watched her head for the elevators before returning to his desk, shutting the door behind him.

After a couple of minutes, Kevin reached for the phone and dialed Mitch’s home office number. The phone rang a couple of times before being answered. Dr. Branston speaking.

“Hey Mitch, it’s Kevin Meyers.”

Hey Kevin! How are things with you?

“Oh, doing pretty good. Last two weeks of residency, and I can’t wait.” Kevin smiled.

Mitch chuckled on the other end. I remember those days! What are your plans? Going to stay local, or have you gotten some offers elsewhere?

“I’m planning to stay local. The hospital has already extended an employment offer, and I plan to accept it.”

Great! I’ve always enjoyed working here, and it’s always nice to start your career someplace familiar.

“Yeah, that’s what everyone keeps telling me, and I think I tend to want the familiar for a while longer, at least.” Kevin leaned back in his office chair and cleared his throat. “So, ah, Mitch, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Sure thing. Is this in regards to a patient?

Kevin shook his head. “No, actually this is personal.”

Okay. What can I help you with?

“Well… remember a few months ago when I did your sister-in-law’s surgery?”

Yes…

“I’ve been thinking off and on about the enemas you administered,” Kevin said nervously, running his fingers through his hair.

Ah, I see, Mitch stated. My offer still stands, he said simply, and waited.

“I want to experience it. I want to take you up on your offer,” Kevin finally said.

Like I said, the offer is here. When would you like to come over? Mitch asked. I’m off until Tuesday with no big plans, so my schedule is free.

Kevin’s eyes drifted to his planner and perused the weekend. “I’m off today around 6, and tomorrow is free, just have a couple quick errands to run.” He paused. “If you don’t mind, could I come over this evening to talk about it some more? I have a few questions. And then do the procedure tomorrow?”

Mitch chuckled. Of course, Kevin. Want to join us for dinner out tonight? And then we can sit in my office and I’ll answer any questions you have. We’ll decide on a time that works for both of us for tomorrow at that time.

“That sounds great,” Kevin said. “I can probably be at your place around 6:30 pm, unless you want me to just meet you at the restaurant.”

Well, Kelsey is insisting she wants to go to Bob’s Steakhouse, so why don’t you meet us there around 6:30? Do you know where it is?

“That’s a great place! A steak would hit the spot, I think. Okay, I’ll meet you there around 6:30. Thanks, Mitch,” Kevin answered.

Mitch chuckled. We’ll see you in a couple hours. Later!

Kevin hung up the phone and gave a big sigh. He was glad that he was finally taking the plunge, but was also nervous. He pulled a piece of paper out of the pocket in the back of his planner. Unfolding it, he looked at the list of questions he’d been working on for a few months. He reread his list of five questions, then asked himself if he had any other questions. Not coming up with any, he folded the list and put it back in his planner. He jotted himself a note, marking himself unavailable for that evening and the next day.

Dinner was very good, and Kevin enjoyed his time with Mitch and Kelsey. “You just can’t beat the steaks from here,” he remarked.

Kelsey smiled as Mitch nodded. “It’s quickly become a favorite spot for us. I’m so glad Meghan introduced us to here,” she replied.

Kevin nodded. “Dr. Parks brought the residents here a couple years ago, and it’s one of my faves too. By the way, how is Meghan?”

“She’s doing pretty well, starting to plan for the start of EMT classes here in a few weeks. She’s still ‘grounded’ from the ambulance for a couple of months, but she’s keeping busy with her knitting and cooking. We’ve usually got something in the fridge that she brought over.” Mitch laughed.

“I bet that not being able to be on the truck is the hardest part for her,” Kevin remarked.

“That’s an understatement,” Kelsey replied. “But she knows that it’s temporary. Her endocrinologist is encouraged about her progress and thinks that they’ve finally got her steroid dosages tweaked to where they need to be. Of course, her going back to work will be the ultimate test on that, but she’s looking and feeling a whole lot better than she has in ages.”

Kevin smiled. “Things may not have worked out between us, but I’m glad she’s doing well.”

Kelsey smiled back. The waitress brought over the check, and Mitch paid for their meal. “Well, all, should we head back to the house?”

Fifteen minutes later found the three in the Branston’s kitchen, listening to the coffeepot sputter as it brewed a pot. Kelsey smiled at the men. “Would you like me to bring it to you when it’s done? How do you like your coffee, Kevin?”

“Sounds good. I just give a healthy splash of cream, nothing sweet.”

Mitch gestured to Kevin. “Let’s go to my office and chat, Kevin.”

Kevin followed Mitch down the hall and into Mitch’s office, settling in one of the chairs opposite Mitch’s desk. Mitch settled in his office chair and pulled over a pad of paper and a pen, in case he needed to make some notes. “So, Kevin. I’ll admit I was a bit surprised to get your call today. Let’s talk about it. I’m happy to answer any questions you have.”

Kevin reached into his planner and pulled out his paper with questions. “Watching you administer the enemas to Meghan sparked my curiosity, to be sure, and I, ah, have been personally curious about what it would feel like. Believe me, I’ve had multiple times where I was about to call you and chickened out.”

Mitch smiled kindly. “You’re not the first person to be curious about something and have cold feet, Kevin. Especially when it’s an intimate procedure.”

A knock sounded on the doorframe, and Kelsey came in with two cups of coffee. “Here’s your coffee! Need anything?”

“Thanks, hon. We should be good.” Mitch accepted his cup from her, giving her a quick kiss as she leaned towards him.

“Okay. I’m going to go work on that blanket some more. I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.” She smiled.

“Blanket?” Kevin inquired, sipping his coffee.

“Physical therapy taught me how to crochet as part of therapy. It’s actually rather relaxing, when I’m not fighting the yarn,” Kelsey giggled. “If you need anything, just holler.” With that, she left the men alone again.

“We’re looking forward to when she’s released back to work. We’ve missed her on the ward,” Kevin remarked.

Mitch smiled. “She’s missed it too.” He set down his coffee and looked at Kevin. “I see you have a list. What questions do you have for me?”

Kevin set down his cup and looked at his list. “Explain the procedure for me again, please.”

Mitch settled back in his chair. “Essentially, a container is filled with solution, fitted with some kind of nozzle, inserted into the anus, and the solution is then injected into the rectum. Here, I use a 2-quart bag. A nozzle or colon tube is generally fitted to the end of a length of tubing that is connected to the bag. I usually will administer a soapy solution for the first enema, followed by a second enema of plain tap water to rinse out the colon of soap and more fecal material.

“I start an enema session by doing a digital rectal exam to check for impaction, fullness, hemorrhoids, etc. I take a rectal temperature, then make sure that both the rectum and the enema nozzle are well-lubricated. The nozzle is inserted into the anus, and then the clamp for the bag is released. The solution flows into the rectum and up into the colon. Abdominal massage both assists with water moving higher into the colon, as well as helps to ease cramps. Once the bag is empty, the recipient is encouraged to hold it for a while so that the solution has a chance to be really effective, generally 10-20 minutes, depending on the solution. Once that time has elapsed, the nozzle is removed and the recipient is allowed to go to the bathroom and expel the solution. This is repeated as many times as is needed for the series.”

Kevin nodded. “How bad are the cramps, usually? I know it’s subjective, but…”

Mitch chuckled. “Ladies tend to compare them to menstrual cramps. For me, I’d say it’s no worse than the crampy feeling you get when it’s been a few days between bowel movements. Uncomfortable, but definitely not painful.”

Kevin just nodded, looking down at his list. Truth be told, he didn’t really feel like he needed to ask the others.

“Any other questions?” Mitch asked. Kevin shook his head. “Well, I have some that I’d like to ask you, if you don’t mind. I keep patient records on everyone,” he explained.

Kevin looked a bit surprised but didn’t say anything about it. “Sure, ask away.”

Mitch pulled open a drawer in his desk and pulled out a patient intake form. “Things like this I keep records on, but I don’t bill insurance or anything. It just helps me to keep track of stuff, plus it’s habit,” Mitch chuckled.

He started going down his list, asking Kevin about his medical history. It helped Kevin relax a bit, frankly, retreating into the medical routine, even though he was on the receiving end instead of giving this go-around.

“Kevin, when’s the last time you had a physical?” Mitch asked.

Kevin ducked his head. “It’s been a couple years, to be honest. You’d think I’d be more diligent about that.”

Mitch chuckled. “No worries. I’m bad about that too. Kelsey’s usually the one telling me I’m past due and badgering me to make an appointment. If you’d like, I can do your physical tomorrow, as well.”

Kevin thought for a moment and nodded. “Sounds good. Might as well get everything taken care of at once.”

Mitch had a few more questions for Kevin to complete the form. Setting the completed form aside, Mitch pulled out his own planner. “Still want to do this tomorrow?” Kevin nodded. “With the physical, we should do some fasting labs. I can draw those here and get them to the lab later in the day. Why don’t you arrive tomorrow around 8 am, and we’ll get you both checked out – and cleaned out?”

“Sounds good,” Kevin replied, writing notes for himself in his planner. “Anything special I need to do to be ready for tomorrow?”

“Not really. Nothing to eat after midnight, wear something comfortable, and a shower would be nice,” Mitch smiled, winking.

Kevin smiled and chuckled. “Mom always told me to be clean when I saw the doctor. And to wash behind my ears.”

“Sounds like my mother,” Mitch replied. He stood. “Well, I’ll see you in the morning, then. If you need anything between now and then, just give me a call.”

Kevin shook his hand. “Will do. Thanks again for dinner and the coffee.”

Mitch showed Kevin out and settled in the living room after taking care of the coffee cups. He settled in his chair across from Kelsey. “It’s looking good, hon,” he observed, as she carefully worked on the blanket in her lap.

“Thanks.” She set it aside and focused on her husband. “So, what’s going on with Kevin?”

“Let’s just say that curiosity has gotten the better of him,” Mitch chuckled kindly. “He’s finally worked up the courage to try an enema series.”

Kelsey nodded in understanding. “I remember you extending the offer to him when he observed Meghan’s prep, but that was several months ago.”

“You know us men. Sometimes it takes a long time to work up the courage to want to try something, especially something so intimate. I did an intake form with him tonight. I’m also going to give him a physical while he’s here, so he’s going to come over around 8 am.”

Kelsey gave Mitch a knowing look. “Well, he’ll be in good hands, then. Do you need an assistant for his physical and enemas?”

Mitch smiled. “Who am I to ever turn down your assistance? That would be nice, hon.”

She smiled. “Well, I gotta take good care of my favorite resident. And, of course, help my favorite doctor!”