Chapter 37 – Paul

Paul felt a light touch on his forehead like his mother’s kiss when he was ten years old. “Please don’t die, Paul. I love you.”

Of course I’m not going to die, Mom. Why would you think that?

Then he heard another voice. “Please, my Lord. I… We love him. Please. I need him, Jesus. Please heal him. Please, have mercy on us, Jesus, and let him stay with us.”

It’s David. Who is he praying about? And now Beth is praying. They’re praying for me! Lord, what happened. Oh Lord, no. The explosion. The pain. Not the hospital, again. Have mercy on me. Let me die and be with You. I can’t do this again.

Paul awoke later to hear a slightly southern voice. “Is he in a coma?” Dan Sutherland is visiting me? Didn’t he take Clarissa or was that a dream?

“No,” said a voice he was unfamiliar with. “But he hasn’t been awake. Between the nasty bump on his head, the infections, and the heavy doses of antibiotics and pain killers we have him on, it’s keeping him pretty well out of it until the worst of it heals some. We’ve been lucky he hasn’t gotten pneumonia. Most cases as bad as his develop it, but he seems to be healing well.”

“So he has the knock on the head and what else?”

“We had to take some shrapnel out of his abdomen, and he has a few other minor wounds. We’ve put a feeding tube into his stomach. That’s this bag here. But the injury which will be the hardest for him will be his leg, because it’s permanent. The other injuries will fade away over time.”

“What’s wrong with his leg?”

“It’s the lower left leg. Half way down from the knee we had to amputate.” The end of Paul’s covering was removed. “It was too mangled to save.”

“Oh, God. That’s….”

The sheet was replaced. “I know it’s hard to see your father like that.”

“Yeah. I think I need some time to adjust.” Paul heard footsteps retreating.

My leg? My leg is gone? Lord, why am I still here? I can’t live like this. The burns I could hide. I can’t hide this from Beth and David. They’ll never want to be seen with me again. When they know this… Or do they know this? Were they here? And now they’re gone. Please, Father in heaven have mercy and let me die. Beth and David would be better off. They’d have the money they need. Please, it would be for the best. He barely felt the nurses come to poke and prod him later, and he couldn’t respond to any of their queries.

Saturday, December 21^st

“Zach. It’s me. I’m back first thing this morning like I said I’d be last night. Beth and David are here. They were here yesterday, too. Daniel is supposed to come, but I haven’t seen him yet. We all love you, Zach. We’re gonna see you through this. It’s not like last time.” Saul squeezed Paul’s hand. “Please respond. Zach, you’re my best friend. I need you more than ever right now. Please, fight to stay with me. Beth and David need you, too. Do you hear that?” Saul paused, and Paul could hear the kinnor. “David’s playing for you. They only want two of us in here at a time, so I’m going to go take a walk and let Beth and David visit with you. But I’ll be right here. I’m not leaving you, and I’ll be back later and tell you all the same things until I know that you’ve heard me.”

Paul heard him leave, but remained motionless with his eyes closed. He felt a hand on the side of his face and then someone kissed his forehead. “Paul, my special friend.” Elizabeth took his left hand in hers and rested his hand against her face. “Paul, you know I feel the same as your father does. You’re my best friend, too. It’s hard to believe how close I feel to you after such a short time, but I do. I miss your letters when you can’t write. I miss your presence when you’re not around. I miss our talks. I even miss your macho act about money. David and I have prayed and prayed for you, and we will keep on praying. Some of our prayers are very selfish. We want you to get better. We want you to move to Michigan and be close to us. And Paul, don’t think I’m chasing you when I tell you I love you. I do love you, Paul, and I’ll always be here for you, as our Lord allows me to be. You’re my very special friend – my best friend.”

His hand became moist. She’s crying! Oh, Beth. I love you so much. If you knew how I wanted to lay this scarred, crippled body next to yours and hold you forever you would run so far away. I know you aren’t chasing me. What woman would chase a man like me? But I know that you had to qualify. You’re so kind to say you’ll still be my friend, but I know you’re doing it for David. You think he needs me. But you don’t know that I’ve arranged all the money for you and him. He’ll be taken care of and so will you. Dan has the Sutherland money to look forward to, and I know you’ll watch out for his spiritual training. I love you so much, Beth. I can’t live seeing that look of revulsion in your eyes. I won’t look. I’ll just wait. Surely our Lord will have mercy on me this time.

“Daniel,” Beth said.

“Hi. How’s it going?”

“Better than when we first came, but he still hasn’t opened his eyes or responded. They’re going to do a CAT scan this afternoon to see if there’s something they’ve missed. Have you talked to anyone yet?”

“I was in last night. It was after visiting hours, but since I just got in from out of state they let me in for a few minutes. Have you seen his leg, what’s left of it?”

Paul felt her move her head as her hair fell against his arm, but he couldn’t tell how she responded.

“It’s pretty awful. I actually told Dan and Clarissa where I was going, and they said he should have died twenty years ago.”

“Daniel! Please. We don’t need to hear what those two have to say.” Her voice was a plea laced with anger.

But Saul’s voice was hard. “I would have said I was glad to see you, but if I ever hear you mention them again or anything they think or say I’ll have General Allende revoke your pass so quickly you won’t see the gate as you pass it.”

“Excuse me. I didn’t realize you were all so touchy. I’ve never been around hospitals, and I didn’t know they had their own rules of etiquette.”

“Either you’re here to support your father and encourage him in his recovery or you may leave. But I will not stand by and let you say things, especially in his hearing, that I know will hurt him.”

“But he’s not even awake.”

“You don’t know that. Are you asleep every time your eyes are closed? Don’t assume anything, and don’t talk behind anyone’s back either. They may accept that where you grew up, but where I did it was considered very bad manners.”

Dad, you don’t understand where he grew up at all. Most people don’t use their brain enough to come up with any conversation except to talk about the people who aren’t present. But you’re right. Daniel is smart enough that he can learn courtesy. I don’t need to hear it again.

“I’m sorry my upbringing doesn’t meet your standards. I am considered quite a gentlemen by some. I will try to adjust.”

You have learned your lines well, Daniel. I know Dad sees the insult in your apology. Anger him enough, and he will have you removed. I know he doesn’t have the patience right now to tolerate it.

“Adjust elsewhere for a while. I want to spend some time alone with my son. Why don’t you and David get some lunch, Beth?”

“I’ll see you later, Paul,” Beth said softly as she laid his hand gently back on the bed.

Paul heard people leaving. Soon his father picked up the hand that Beth had held. “Zach, don’t mind him. He doesn’t know you well yet. And this is not the same as it was twenty years ago. Beth loves you. I can tell this doesn’t matter to her. I told you the right woman wouldn’t care. The right woman would stick by you and love you through anything. It’s what people do, Zach. They marry and grow old together. No matter what happens, how sick they get or what accidents befall them they stay together and love each other. They lose their teeth, their eyesight, their hearing. Some lose their hair, and their physical strength deteriorates as they grow old, but they still love each other. They are still close and loving.

“You hang out with an elite group of people all the time and might not see that most of the world doesn’t meet the physical requirements of the military, but they still live happy lives with people who love them. Beth loves you. I know you love her. Lose that foolish pride and ask her to marry you. I love you, Zach. I want to see you happy.”

Paul tried to open his eyes, but it was too much effort. Pride, Dad? Pride? Maybe fear of rejection. But pride? Either way, it doesn’t matter. You don’t know how careful she is not to step over the line of friendship. Yeah, she says she loves me. But she clarified it. It’s obvious why. Pride? What do I have to be proud of? I have no career and no chance of another. Who’s going to hire a crippled soldier no matter how many ribbons and awards he’s got?

As Paul drifted back into a drug induced sleep he remembered the conversation he and Beth had several months before. “Maybe I’m the obnoxiously prideful one that it doesn’t bother,” he had said. “It’s all pride,” her voice echoed in his mind.

Tuesday, December 24^th

It was Christmas Eve. He knew it because Beth was reading the Christmas story from Luke, and David played a soft adaptation of a variety of Christmas hymns on his harp. Paul still hadn’t been able to move, but he hadn’t wanted to since he wished to yell at his father and knew himself incapable. He didn’t really want to do anything. There was nothing he could do anyway, was there? What was the use?

Paul had thought about pride, but couldn’t seem to grasp how pride and fear were related. Once he had almost seemed to see how his fear of being completely honest about his appearance may be related to his pride in himself, but it slipped away as a nurse came to harass him about his responses again, and then change the bags on his IV.

“Well, doctor, what can you tell us? Why isn’t he waking up?” Saul asked.

“He’s been awake. He’s just not responding. But I can find no physical reason why he hasn’t started trying to communicate. My guess is, and I’ve only seen this a few times, that he just doesn’t want to. It’s far more often we have to restrain people from hurting themselves in an attempt to kill themselves. After something like this, who knows what’s going through his mind. He may not even know with the high doses of medicine we’ve been giving him to clear up the infections and help him with pain. I’ve lowered the dosages and changed some of the medication. It may have been making him more apathetic. My advice to you who love him is to keep talking to him. Let him know how much he means to you. He’s lost not only his foot, but his career. Fortunately he has his family. I’ve seen guys go through stuff like this with no one.”

“So you think he’s trying to kill himself?” Daniel asked.

“Paul knows God wouldn’t like that,” David said quietly. “Drugs mess with your mind. They make you not be able to move right.”

“Like I said, it may be a little of both. He could be having an extreme reaction to one of the new antibiotics we’re been using in these kinds of injuries. I hope the changes I’ve made help. I’ll be here tomorrow, too, so I’ll see you all in the morning.” The doctor moved away to talk to some people further away.

I’m not trying to kill myself. It’s just that I’m too tired to move. I’m too tired to face your pity. I’m too tired to see the look in your eyes as you fight to not turn away.

“Zach, you know we love you. You know that we’re going to be here for you as long as it takes. I don’t care if I lose my job a year and a half before retirement or not, but if you do, get yourself awake enough so I know you’ll be all right.”

Thanks, Dad, for the guilt. If you do lose it, Sheila will make you feel guilty for the rest of your life, so just go and leave me alone.

“Beth, he won’t listen to me. You’ve got to tell him how you feel. I’ve heard how you’ve been pussy footing around the issue.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You love him. I know you do.”

“Yes.”

“And you want to marry him, don’t you?”

It was a moment before Beth answered. “It doesn’t matter what I want. He doesn’t want me, Saul.”

“That’s crazy. Of course, he wants you.”

“No, he doesn’t. A man can’t be any clearer than, ‘Beth, you know I’m never going to marry you’.”

“That means nothing. Besides, that’s not what I asked you. I asked if you wanted to marry him.”

“Yes, Saul,” she almost yelled. “Yes. Are you satisfied to know that I’m longing for a man who doesn’t want me?”

“He wants you. Don’t let him fool you with that pride of his. But I need to know, will you marry him like he is?”

“I’d marry him tonight right here in ICU if he’d take me. I’d marry him if he had ten million painful sexually transmitted diseases. I’d marry him if he was impotent. I love him.” Beth began crying.

“Then you have to keep telling him that until he hears you.”

“I can’t. It won’t help. It will just make him want to go away from me. Paul, if you heard me, I want you to know, I’ll always want your friendship. I don’t care if you never marry me. Don’t let my foolish emotions interfere with our friendship or your relationship to David.” He heard her move away and thought she left.

Beth. Beth, my love. Don’t let Dad harass you like that. I won’t hold you to that. I know it was a confession under duress.

“Daniel, what about you?” Saul asked.

“What about me? I’m not going to marry him.”

“Don’t be a fool. Tell him how you feel about him, he needs to know.”

“I don’t know him well enough to make any confession of undying love if that’s what you want.”

Then David spoke. “Let me speak to him alone.”

There was silence. Then Saul said, “Come on, Daniel. Let David speak with his father.”

Subtle, Dad, but David doesn’t consider me a father, either.

Paul felt his hand being taken and held in David’s two strong ones. His voice was low when he spoke. “Paul… Daddy, I need you. I love you. I know you wish I was Daniel, but Daniel doesn’t need you like I do. He has someone else to call Dad. I have no one but you, and I love you. I am going to keep talking to you until you say something, no matter how long it takes, even if I have to say things over and over. I love you.

“I know you always expected to be in the military, and maybe you don’t know what to do next. I know I’m selfish because you not being in the military is not such a bad thing. You can move anywhere now and live near us. And you won’t have to go away where you can’t write or call us. You said you didn’t have time to go to classes, but now you do. I wish I could go to theology classes with you instead of school next month. And you would have more time to write your books, or you could work with Elizabeth. That would be so great for all three of us to be working together in the same room.”

He called me Daddy. He said he loved me. And he is right about the classes. I never thought of that. I don’t have to walk to go to school or to write or to work with Beth. I’ll have a pension and my investments. I don’t need to make money in a regular job. They were talking about the possibility of a prosthesis. I wonder how well a man can walk with one.

For the first time Paul began to see what he could do instead of what he couldn’t. But David wasn’t finished speaking, and he spoke so rarely that Paul didn’t want to stop him.

“Dad, I love you. I haven’t said it before because I will never leave Elizabeth, and I don’t want you to try to take me away from her like Jared’s dad did to him. Please don’t try to do that to her. I wish you would come to Michigan to live. I wish you would live with us. You told me you loved Elizabeth. I know she loves you. Sometimes I wish that we could be a real family together. I never had one. I never had a father either. The woman who gave birth to me was a prostitute. She wasn’t a mother though. Elizabeth became my mommy, and you are my daddy.

“I know that it’s hard to know what God wants you to do and where He wants you to go when everything changes for you. But you have to keep going. At first I thought Dylan was supposed to be my father because he was the one to tell me about God and Jesus. So I tried to go to him. And I couldn’t find him, and I had to keep praying and going a little ways and praying again until God took me where He wanted me. And it wasn’t at Dylan’s that He wanted me. It was at Elizabeth’s, and I didn’t know what He had for me until He gave it to me.

“I remember that sometimes it’s hard to realize God has given you a great gift. You keep thinking that you’re not worthy, and you think it can’t be real. There must be some catch to all this goodness. She must want something in return. Something that God hates and you hate. But she doesn’t.

“I didn’t want her to know anything about my life before. I didn’t want her to treat me the way I was treated before, and I thought she would if she knew. But Dylan remembered me, and he told her everything. Dylan would tell everybody everything, but Elizabeth won’t let him. Elizabeth understands. She would understand you, too, and she wouldn’t tell anyone.

“I love you, Daddy. Please wake up. Please talk to me. I’ll tell you everything someday, I promise. It’s too hard to say here. There are always nurses or other people walking by.

“Maybe you are afraid that I’ll be mad if you can’t go hunting or hiking in the mountains again. But I won’t. I just want to be with you. I know you want Daniel instead, but I’ll try to always be a good son.”

It was too much for him. Paul didn’t want Daniel right now. He wanted this special boy who was opening himself up to him and baring his heart just to help him get well. He squeezed David’s hand and opened his eyes to look into David’s brown ones.

“Da….” His voice didn’t want to work. His throat was so dry. Paul swallowed, but it was still dry. He tried to speak again. “David, my son,” he said hoarsely. “I love you.”

David released his hand, leaned over him, and wrapped his arms around him. “I love you, Daddy.” He rested his head lightly on Paul’s chest and started to shake with silent sobs.

Paul tried to lift his right hand to comfort him, but lifting it was such an effort he was only able to touch David’s arm as it clung to him. “My son,” he said again.

“Well, I see you’re awake,” said a nurse, coming over to him.

David straightened quickly, grabbing Paul’s hand with one of his and swiping at his eyes with the back of the other.

“Are you ready to cooperate with us on getting better now?”

Paul looked at the nurse but didn’t feel like explaining that he had been too drugged and depressed to cooperate before. He looked around the small cubicle he was in with its monitors and tubes. Beth leaned against the wall near the window watching him. He should have realized she’d be there. It had been a very hard thing for David to talk so freely. He tried to smile at Beth.

She pushed away from the wall and came to him. “I missed you, my close friend and confidant.”

“Beth,” was all he managed to say.

“I’m going to ask you two to leave, so I can examine him. Visiting hours are over in five minutes anyway.”

“Can’t we have the last five minutes?” Beth asked. Then she looked beyond the nurse. Paul followed her gaze and saw his father and Daniel returning.

Saul took one look at Paul, and his eyes lit up. “Zach. You’re awake!” He grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. Paul squeezed it back and watched his father’s smile widen. “My son. My best friend. Can you talk yet?”

“I’m afraid visiting hours are over. You’ll have to hold your conversation for tomorrow.”

“But… it’s Christmas Eve.”

“But rules remain the same,” said the nurse unemotionally.

Paul saw his father’s face fall and smiled.

Saul saw it. “You’ve got to promise me you’ll talk to me tomorrow. I have a serious wife problem, you know, and you’re my favorite counselor.”

Paul almost laughed but realized he couldn’t. “Tomorrow,” he said.

Saul smiled a smile that reached his eyes. “Tomorrow.”

David had put his kinnor in its case while Saul spoke and now was ready to walk out.

“David,” Paul said and tried to lift his hand.

David took his hand. “Yes, Dad?”

“Thank you.” Paul squeezed his hand again and didn’t want to release it. He noticed the nurse frowning. “Tomorrow,” he said and let him go.

Beth placed an arm around David’s waist and smiled at Paul. “I’ll see you tomorrow, also, my friend.”

Paul watched them walk out. Then he closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep, but the nurse wouldn’t let him. She checked his motor responses and various other things before she finally left him for the next patient. Then he was allowed to sleep.

Paul awoke during the night as they checked him again. He thought about David. Then he thought about Beth. She had been very careful to include the word friend in both of her sentences to him. Was it because she was embarrassed that he might have heard her earlier response, or was she warning him that was all she wanted? But David said he should risk it. His father thought he should risk it. There was no revulsion in her eyes, and she asked to stay longer. Even if Paul told her the truth, could it hurt their friendship? They never touched now anyway. David had scars on his arms. They were nowhere near what his were like, but he’d never seen her hold back from him. But it was a little different when he expected to share her bed. He fell asleep thinking about it.

Wednesday, December 25^th

The next morning right after the nurse had woke him, prodded him, and then changed his bedding, the four of them came in. The people on duty seemed more relaxed about working on a holiday and said nothing about extra visitors, so Paul didn’t have the opportunity to speak to anyone alone.

Paul let them do most of the talking. His voice was weak, and his throat was too dry. The nurses refused him water. They raised the head of his bed a little, so he could see his company better. He did ask for a mirror and studied his reflection carefully. At least it looked like his face wasn’t messed up. Those scratches looked like they’d heal. “They really killed my hair,” he said, noticing how they had shaved one side, but it was starting to grow back.

“I thought you were trying to make a statement. It is rather interesting,” Beth said, with a smile. “You could let the other side grow longer and braid it.”

He stared at her. Saul and Daniel laughed. Then he smiled. “But would that look macho, Beth? I do have an image to maintain.”

“You will never let me forget that, will you? I’ll have to remember you cherish your insults.”

“Only the ones from you.” She didn’t seem to let his physical condition influence her at all. Was Dad right? How serious was she about marrying him even if he was impotent? Where in the world did she come up with that? It didn’t feel like he’d been injured there. The woman was still making him paranoid.

David played Christmas hymns, and at one point even the staff joined the quartet as they sang. A nurse suggested that they go and carol down some of the halls. Paul was feeling more than a little tired by that time. “Go and come back later.”

Saul looked down at him. “Of course. We should have noticed sooner. We’ll sing, eat, and I’ll call home before we come back.”

Paul wasn’t able to sleep though because the doctor came in and was pleased to find that he was awake. “I’m surprised they didn’t cut back your medicine before. I’ll write it down here that you’re sensitive to this drug. I think you’re ready to move into a room. I’ll schedule you for a test to see if you can start on food tomorrow.”

“I’m thirsty. The nurse said I couldn’t drink.”

“No, not until the test. We need to make sure you’re not going to throw it back up and get it in your lungs. Don’t worry, you won’t starve between the feeding tube and the IV.”

The doctor left, and before Paul could sleep or his visitors return they were moving him. He was so tired that he barely acknowledged the aides as they lifted him from the bed to the gurney and wheeled him down the corridors into a room.

“What’s he ranking this private room for when we’re so crowded?” he heard one ask.

“Chart says he’s a Colonel.”

“Oh. Little royalty, huh?”

“You better watch it, Private.”

“Why? He’s obviously not going to be doing much ordering from now on.”

“They make privates stupider every day. How’d you make it through boot camp?” They lifted him into the bed, straightened the sheets, and then walked off, continuing their conversation.

Great. The disrespect was not even disguised anymore. Paul dozed a while, and when he awoke they were all in the room talking softly among themselves.

That night several hours after visiting hours were over he awoke to find General Allende standing near his bed.

“Hello, Zach.” He sat down in the chair near the bed. “Looks like you’re doing a lot better than you were yesterday morning.”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to miss working with you. You’ll be getting a ribbon and commendation for this.”

“Just what I need.”

“I know it doesn’t make up for your foot. But all the children are safe.”

“They are? Even the one that fell behind?”

“Yes. You shielded him. You probably don’t remember, but each one of your men made sure it was in their report. They’re a good group. You won’t be easy to replace, but I’ve decided to promote Riley.”

“He’s the one I would have suggested. Thanks for telling me about the kids.”

“Have you had time to think about what you’ll do now?”

“David helped me with that. He reminded me about my books and my desire to go to seminary.”

Allende smiled. “I think you’ll make a good minister. Your booklets are thorough.”

“I don’t know if I’ll be a minister. I just want to learn.”

“Well, I’ve gone to church off and on all my life, but never heard things the way you say them in your books. Make sure you keep in touch after you leave here and send me anything you write. Are you going to marry Beth?”

“What makes you think she’d want me like this?”

“Every time I see her she’s holding your hand and talking to you, or in the waiting room praying for you. I assume you love her too because you’ve never had any photos displayed before you put hers and David’s on your desk.”

“I do, but it’s a lot to ask a woman to tolerate. You probably don’t know about the scars from the fire.”

“I saw you when you first came in and they were getting you ready for surgery. I’ve never known you to be afraid to take a risk. I know for some marriage is the biggest risk of all, but frankly, according to your father and from what I’ve seen, it wouldn’t be much of one for you.”

“I don’t want her to marry me out of pity.”

“I doubt she will. She doesn’t seem to care for David out of any misguided sense of pity. It seems to me she cares for him out of love. Not that I’ve known them that long.”

“You’re right. She loves him and would be lost without him. But David is more someone to be proud of instead of pity.”

“So are you. Don’t let this thing get you, Zach. You’re still the same person you were before.”

“Intellectually I know that. But when I look down and I see I’m not whole anymore, intellect doesn’t comfort me as much as I’d like.”

“I can only imagine what it’s like.”

They talked a little longer before General Allende left.

Friday, December 27^th

The next two days went the same way. Two or more people were always in his room, and he didn’t have a chance to talk to anyone alone. He was given the test and by evening of the day after Christmas he was placed on a liquid diet. David often played for him while the others talked, but he rarely spoke and not of anything he had said Christmas Eve. Paul turned to him often though and watched him play. He was really his son.

Many times Paul would look at Beth, and their eyes would meet. He wished he could speak to her alone and try to find out how she really felt about him. Allende was right. He’d never been afraid to take a risk before. Why was this different? What could he lose? She had proven that she would still be his friend no matter what he looked like. And if he could find a way to say it in such a way that it gave her an out and let her know that they could still be friends, then he shouldn’t lose the friendship they had. As long as he could assure her he wasn’t like Jay and would not be upset or change the way he treated David because of her response. But he needed time alone with her.

The evening of the twenty seventh, Saul asked, “What can we do for you to make your birthday special tomorrow, Zach?”

“Birthdays are the least of my concerns.”

“Well, maybe we could bring up something, or… You’ve got to help me with this, Zach. There’s got to be something you want.”

“Besides my foot back.”

“Yeah, besides that.”

Paul remembered his desire to talk to Beth alone and David, also. “Maybe… I know this sounds a little crazy, but I’d like to spend some time alone with each one of you.”

“We can arrange that,” Saul said, and then did a little arithmetic with the hours. “I think we could each see you for two hours, and you’d still have time to take little rests between. Why don’t you visit first tomorrow, Daniel? That way you can go see some sights like you were talking about yesterday. I know you’re getting a little bored hanging out at the hospital all the time.”

“That’s good, but I wouldn’t mind if someone went with me, like David. Why doesn’t he take the next time slot, and we can go somewhere together in the afternoon?”

“Is that all right with you, David?”

David looked nervously from Paul to Elizabeth. Then he studied Daniel. “Yes.”

“Good. I’ll go next, and Beth, I heard you and Paul like to talk for hours at night, so you can go last.”

Beth looked at Paul and then smiled. “Like old times in the office.”

“Except I’m the one who gets to recline.”

After they left Paul started to plan what he would say to each of them, but he fell asleep before he had gotten very far.

Go to Chapter 38

© 2013, 1995 by Deborah K. Lauro. You may make one copy for personal use. To share, please direct friends to this website.