come back another day. He won’t be up for visitors after this round of chemo.”
Aaron brushed by the bishop and deacon. “Do you have the test results for me and Isaac?”
“Not yet. The lab’s backed up. Dr. Beharry at the Mayo Clinic will be following up to try and light a fire under them. He’s one of the very best oncologists in the country, and he’s also a pit bull, which is great for Nathan.” Dr. Tyler consulted her clipboard again. “Mr. and Mrs. Byler, if we could speak privately?” She ushered them into Nathan’s empty room.
“How are they paying for all this?” Isaac asked, not sure who he was asking.
“The community will provide. We take care of our own,” Deacon Stoltzfus answered. Isaac was surprised that his voice sounded so calm and reasonable and wasn’t merely a growl. “We are obedient to the Lord, and He provides.”
David still stared at his feet. “My mother wrote a letter to the paper, asking people to send what they can. Like your mother did when…after the accident.”
“Oh. Good.” Isaac smiled tentatively, but David didn’t look up.
Aaron’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it from his pocket, defiant as he stared down the bishop and answered it. “Hey. Yeah. Hold on a second.” To Isaac and David he said, “I’ll be back.” He strode down the hall and disappeared around a corner.
“You must turn away from sin. From the path of the devil.” Bishop Yoder’s thin face creased, and he appeared truly pained. “I pray you will both repent and return to your families. The loss of even one child is too much for Zebulon to bear. This has been torment for all of us. We will speak with you further soon.”
With that he marched away, the deacon on his heels. Isaac exhaled, and then David started down the hall too. He disappeared into the bathroom, and Isaac followed. Did David want to see him? Maybe something had happened, or maybe—
“Finally.” As the door shut behind Isaac, David was there, his pale blue eyes intent as he snatched Isaac’s hat and took Isaac’s face in his hands, kissing him deeply. Fortunately the bathroom was empty, and David tugged him into one of the stalls, squeezing over the toilet so they could both shuffle inside and latch the door.
Then Isaac’s back was against it, and David pressed close, kissing him again tenderly. “Hi,” he breathed. He hung Isaac’s hat on a hook on the side of the stall.
“Hi.” Isaac had to smile as he ran his hands over David’s back, squeezing through the soft cotton of his plaid shirt. “You wouldn’t look at me. I thought maybe you were mad.”
David’s breath puffed warm over Isaac’s cheek. “I was afraid if I looked at you they’d see. We hid it for so long, but I don’t think I can now. Especially not when I miss you so much.” He nuzzled Isaac’s neck.
The scrape of David’s stubble was reassuring and exciting at the same time. “I know.” Isaac wound his fingers through David’s hair, and spread his legs so David’s thigh could fit neatly between them. “I have to see you alone. There’s so much we need to talk about. There’s just…so much of everything.” He sneaked his hand under David’s shirt, touching his skin.
“Careful, or we might get arrested for doing something naughty in a public place.”
Isaac laughed, and it felt so good. For the moment, he let himself forget about cancer and preachers and his parents’ expectations. “Promise?”
David laughed too, and then they froze as the door opened with a rush of noise from the hallway—footsteps and a squeaky wheel of some kind, and a static-filled voice saying something over the loudspeaker. Isaac dug his fingers into David’s bare back, and they stared at each other, listening as a zipper was pulled down. They exhaled in unison, and Isaac couldn’t resist rocking his hips against David’s thigh. He was getting hard, but it was more than that. He would have been content to just press against David from head
Aaron brushed by the bishop and deacon. “Do you have the test results for me and Isaac?”
“Not yet. The lab’s backed up. Dr. Beharry at the Mayo Clinic will be following up to try and light a fire under them. He’s one of the very best oncologists in the country, and he’s also a pit bull, which is great for Nathan.” Dr. Tyler consulted her clipboard again. “Mr. and Mrs. Byler, if we could speak privately?” She ushered them into Nathan’s empty room.
“How are they paying for all this?” Isaac asked, not sure who he was asking.
“The community will provide. We take care of our own,” Deacon Stoltzfus answered. Isaac was surprised that his voice sounded so calm and reasonable and wasn’t merely a growl. “We are obedient to the Lord, and He provides.”
David still stared at his feet. “My mother wrote a letter to the paper, asking people to send what they can. Like your mother did when…after the accident.”
“Oh. Good.” Isaac smiled tentatively, but David didn’t look up.
Aaron’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it from his pocket, defiant as he stared down the bishop and answered it. “Hey. Yeah. Hold on a second.” To Isaac and David he said, “I’ll be back.” He strode down the hall and disappeared around a corner.
“You must turn away from sin. From the path of the devil.” Bishop Yoder’s thin face creased, and he appeared truly pained. “I pray you will both repent and return to your families. The loss of even one child is too much for Zebulon to bear. This has been torment for all of us. We will speak with you further soon.”
With that he marched away, the deacon on his heels. Isaac exhaled, and then David started down the hall too. He disappeared into the bathroom, and Isaac followed. Did David want to see him? Maybe something had happened, or maybe—
“Finally.” As the door shut behind Isaac, David was there, his pale blue eyes intent as he snatched Isaac’s hat and took Isaac’s face in his hands, kissing him deeply. Fortunately the bathroom was empty, and David tugged him into one of the stalls, squeezing over the toilet so they could both shuffle inside and latch the door.
Then Isaac’s back was against it, and David pressed close, kissing him again tenderly. “Hi,” he breathed. He hung Isaac’s hat on a hook on the side of the stall.
“Hi.” Isaac had to smile as he ran his hands over David’s back, squeezing through the soft cotton of his plaid shirt. “You wouldn’t look at me. I thought maybe you were mad.”
David’s breath puffed warm over Isaac’s cheek. “I was afraid if I looked at you they’d see. We hid it for so long, but I don’t think I can now. Especially not when I miss you so much.” He nuzzled Isaac’s neck.
The scrape of David’s stubble was reassuring and exciting at the same time. “I know.” Isaac wound his fingers through David’s hair, and spread his legs so David’s thigh could fit neatly between them. “I have to see you alone. There’s so much we need to talk about. There’s just…so much of everything.” He sneaked his hand under David’s shirt, touching his skin.
“Careful, or we might get arrested for doing something naughty in a public place.”
Isaac laughed, and it felt so good. For the moment, he let himself forget about cancer and preachers and his parents’ expectations. “Promise?”
David laughed too, and then they froze as the door opened with a rush of noise from the hallway—footsteps and a squeaky wheel of some kind, and a static-filled voice saying something over the loudspeaker. Isaac dug his fingers into David’s bare back, and they stared at each other, listening as a zipper was pulled down. They exhaled in unison, and Isaac couldn’t resist rocking his hips against David’s thigh. He was getting hard, but it was more than that. He would have been content to just press against David from head
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