But nine months later...

Gary paced the hall under the fluorescent lights. The decor on the labor and delivery floor was nicer than most of the hospital, but it was still a hospital, smelling of **** and rubber gaskets and who knew what. And though he had picked clothes as soft and comfy as he could, staying up all night, feeding Jell-O and ice chips to a woman in labor, staying positive when he was tired and cranky, and trying to sound coherent to the nurses and doctors were all beginning to tell on him.

Nine months ago, Gary's mom and dad had come back early from a cruise vacation and surprised Gary having sex with his girlfriend Bernie and Gary's sister Lil. That crazy evening had turned into a free-for-all with practically everyone doing everyone.

Now it was time to pay the piper.

As Gary was about to turn around near the nurse's station, he caught sight of his friend Peter Walker and Peter's girlfriend Sandy coming out of the elevator. Peter and Sandy had been on the cruise, too, and apparently it had been almost as wild as the night his mom and dad came home. Now that Gary knew that Peter's mom and dad were longtime swinging partners with Gary's mom and dad, everything made sense. A twisted kind of sense, but, hey, life.

"Oh, hey, Pete," Gary said.

"You look wasted, man," Peter said.

Sandy laughed and nodded. "Poor Gary," she said.

"We brought you a snack," Peter said, holding up a bag.

Gary's nose was tickled by the scent of warm tacos. A thought struck him, and he giggled.

"Huh?" Peter said.

Gary looked around. The desk nurse was on the phone, looking away. He laughed again. "They say if God hadn't intended man to eat pussy, He wouldn't have made them look so much like tacos."

Sandy laughed. "I never heard that one."

"You are wasted, pal," Peter said. "Here." He handed Gary the bag. "We had ours already."

They settled down in the corner of the waiting area. Gary devoured the tacos and inhaled the paper bag of tortilla chips.

"Man, that was good. A friend indeed," Gary said.

"Sandy thought of it," Peter said.

"Thanks, Sand'," Gary said.

"You gotta run back?" Peter asked.

"I can chill a bit," Gary said. "Nurse is doing something."

"How's it going?" Sandy asked.