Chapter 75 - Thanks To Andrzej And For Andrzej

Śliwiński's heart beat faster. Is this his only alternative - a psychologist or death? No, it can't be that radical. There must be another way out. It definitely exists!

"Doctor, is one month following your guidelines enough to improve my results?" He asked, not taking his eyes off Andrzej.

Sorry, he thought, but I can't bring myself to make this visit. Not if there's any other chance.

"Yes," the doctor admitted without hesitation. "After a month we will know if there is any improvement."

"Sorry to all of you for the inconvenience, but please give me this month. I promise to do whatever you tell me, but don't make me go to a psychologist."

"Well" the doctor drummed his fingers on the tabletop "if the patient so firmly refuses this kind of help, it may actually be better to stop with it. We will come back to the topic if the results of the blood tests carried out in thirty days are not satisfactory."

"They will be" Śliwiński announced with all decisiveness. "They will definitely be."

Andrzej looked away from him. He didn't believe him. It hurt Dominik, but in the end he owed himself that his friend couldn't trust him for that. But that will change. For sure. Śliwiński will do whatever the doctor tells him to do, and even more. He has to prove to Andrzej that he is not so incredibly clumsy anymore..

***

Dominik felt really bad knowing that he was causing Andrzej so much trouble and that he had not succumbed to a sincere request.

"Andrzej, I'm sorry, I ..." he said as they got into the car. These were the first words they spoke to each other after leaving the doctor's office. "I really didn't know it could be anything serious. I promise, I will follow all the doctor's recommendations. Don't be mad at me for not wanting to see a psychologist."

"I'm not," he admitted resignedly.

"But then ... you're angry with something else. Forgive me."

"Don't apologize, I'm angry with myself. I've lived with you for almost two months, and instead of helping you, I've only made your condition worse."

"Not true," cried Dominik. The nurse who passed by looked at them. "Wrong, if not for you ..." How hard it was to talk about it! Dominik felt his eyes moisten.

"Get in the car," said Andrzej softly.

Śliwiński slipped into the car and fell onto the passenger seat. He sniffed. Normally he hardly ever cried, no matter how bad it was. After all, a guy shouldn't fall apart for just any reason. However, he felt so safe with Andrzej and he was so sure that a friend who knew all his painful secrets would not judge him because of tears, that he did not have to hide anything. This warm awareness made Dominik feel even more moved.

"On the way we will stop next to the pharmacy" Nowicki continued in the same, warm tone, ignoring the actor. Śliwiński knew that he was not doing it out of lack of sympathy, but out of tact. "When we get home, you'll go straight to bed. For a few days, I will pamper you with delicacies and total idleness. When you are so bored that you won't be able to stay in bed any longer, I'll take you for a walk. The weather will be nice, I checked the forecasts."

Dominik kept sniffing, despite everything, he laughed.

"Sounds good. And will you allow to be invited… to my bed?"

Andrzej thought for a moment.

"No sex," he replied. "You are to rest and recover."

"But also to relax ..." he noted pleadingly.

"If you gonna be a good boy," came the soft, brusque reply.

Śliwiński smiled and quickly wiped his tears. Andrzej was his dream, his dream of a happy life. Maybe at that moment Andrzej didn't love Dominik as much as Dominik loved him, but he certainly cared about him and his feelings slowly began to evolve. It was for him and for what could flourish between them that Dominik knew that he had to do his best to recover fully. He was motivated to fight the disease and in that way, Nowicki saved his life again.

Dominik wanted to feel Andrzej's body, even if only to touch his hand, but Andrzej was already driving the car and Dominik did not want to distract him. He had to be content with the fact that they were only separated by the distance between the seats - it was not much, a few or a dozen centimeters at most, but still a kilometer too far. Śliwiński shifted on the seat to be closer to the driver even a few millimeters. He loved Andrzej. He loved him so much that the mere thought of the power of this feeling took his breath away. He would have given anything for a dear man to return his feelings.

Dominik could seduce him, he could assure him of his love and count on a change in his heart, but not make him love him. This feeling just had to be born within Andrzej.

"Are you going to call Werner or do you want me to?" Andrzej snapped him out of his thoughts.

Dominik sighed.

"I suppose I should do it myself, but I don't know what to tell him. Rather, he will have to find someone else for the role."

"Why? When do he plan to start shooting?

"I don't know," Śliwiński admitted. "We didn't get to this point in the talks. Some of the action takes place in winter."

"In our climate, winter lasts until March. It's about six months. Until then, the doctor will definitely give you the green light."

"You think so?" Dominik asked with hope.

"Of course. And don't forget, he cares for you to be in this movie. He made this role for you. He won't let anyone else play it, even if he has to postpone the project for a month or two. I suggest that you tell him that the doctor told you to save yourself for a while and ask when he wants to start production. He knows you didn't feel well because he persuaded you to see a doctor himself. The guy looks considerate. He shouldn't ask for details, but acknowledge the fact."

"Yes, I think you are right" Dominik rejoiced. "I'll call him as soon as we get home."

Maciej Werner was a brilliant director and screenwriter of the young generation, who won the award for the best directorial debut last year. He met Śliwiński at a charity party, where he expressed his admiration for the actor's talent and asked to read his script. After Werner accidentally freed Dominik from the insistent embrace of his former lover, Dominik felt compelled to express his gratitude and promised to read his script. As it turned out, it was quite good, and although not entirely to Śliwiński's taste, he liked the idea of ​​playing in this film. The actor invited him to his place to discuss the details of possible cooperation. Then he received an unexpected package. Its contents - a bloodied dead Persian kitten - shocked Dominic, who was on the verge of severe depression a few weeks ago. When the actor was in shock, Werner, concerned about his condition, called an ambulance. Since then, he has constantly insisted that Śliwiński check his health.

With two men who insisted on the same, Dominik finally gave in and agreed to do the medical examination. Today he got acquainted with their results.

Dominik did not realize that his problems with Marek Marczak, who was the whole world for him for years, had such an impact on his health. He couldn't blame his former lover for them entirely, although he knew his first serious problems had started when he told Marek that he would like to stop seeing him for a while. The manager went berserk. He hit Dominik with such force that he shattered the coffee table as he fell. This did not cool down the enraged man who wanted to force himself on Dominik. Śliwiński was saved from the r**e by the paparazzi who followed him, who saw the whole scene from the window of the neighboring house and reacted immediately. It was the beginning of a friendship between the actor and the photographer, and at the same time the first painful step to sever relations with Marek.

Marczak managed to apologize to Dominik and make the young actor, who had been his lover for seven years, come back to him. Śliwiński really forgave him and they sealed their reconciliation with a passionate night. Everything seemed to return to normal when Dominik discovered another impure, even treacherous performance by Marczak - at an intimate party organized with the famous French director's team in mind, the actor learned that his lover, a man he loved and trusted, pushed him to the director's assistant. Śliwiński felt like a whore, worse, like a thing. His heart broke as he realized how painfully his lover had betrayed him and how little he meant to him. The blow was so strong that Dominik was unable to get out of bed for several days and drove his body to the brink of exhaustion.

And again Andrzej led him from the edge of the abyss. However, as it has just turned out, the damage has already been done.

The actor leaned his head against the headrest and slightly turned it to the left to even get the driver's profile out of the corner of his eye. For some reason Nowicki entered his life, and although the beginnings of their relationship seemed to be a criminal matter, Dominik did not see his life without Andrzej anymore.