Gentle Reader,
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Mac
April 13, 1989
Joe would always remember the day: April 13. Sean had been home for a few days with a bad cold; his cough was deep in his chest. Joe had taken him to the doctor, who prescribed an antibiotic for Sean. It was 2:30 in the morning when Joe felt a hand on his shoulder. Sean was standing beside the bed, looking at him. He could not form words and had trouble breathing. Joe immediately sat up and said he was taking Sean to the Emergency Room. Thomas started getting dressed. He looked over and saw Sean slump to the floor. Joe dropped to his knees and went into rescue mode by performing CPR on Sean. Thomas grabbed the telephone and called 911. He ran downstairs to unlock and open the front door and then ran back upstairs to help Joe. Sean's fingertips and lips were blue. They heard multiple sirens. Thomas was fervently praying while assisting Joe to provide the CPR to Sean. The foyer filled with emergency personnel who then raced up the stairs. A technician ran back to the ambulance to get oxygen, and another technician grabbed a stretcher. They strapped Sean to the stretcher and started moving down the stairs and out the front door. Joe wouldn't leave Sean's side. As the technicians were trying to get Sean situated, Joe felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Officer McCarthy.
"Joe, step back so they can do their job. Step over here with me."
Joe didn't want to move. Thomas and Kevin McCarthy helped move Joe away. Emergency vehicles lined the street. Firefighters poured out of their vehicles and ran toward the house. The world was a mix of blue and red lights reflecting off the buildings. Joe stood crying; his world blurred as he thought the end time had arrived.
"Get dressed, and I am taking you to the hospital. Father, remember to take your house keys."
Kevin McCarthy tried to relieve the tension by mentioning the keys. Joe was standing in the cold in just his pajama bottoms, but he didn't feel the cold. Joe knew that his son was dying and he hadn't stopped it. He was already blaming himself. After Joe and Thomas dressed, they went downstairs to find Kevin McCarthy and a fireman standing there. The fireman, Michael, told them he would secure their home. He then said he would be praying for Sean. Thomas noted that Michael knew their son's name. Kevin turned on the squallers, and once again, they moved through the dark city streets. Joe was mute. He knew if he tried to speak, he would only scream.
They arrived at the hospital and Joe ran into the reception area. He was brought up short when told by the receptionist that a doctor was seeing Sean, and for him to take a seat. He couldn't sit while his son was dying. The rage started building. Officer McCarthy knew that when a Scotsman built up that level of anger, it was dangerous; he sensed that Joe was about to explode. He looked at Thomas. "Father, I need for you to go into the clinic area to assess what is happening and then come back and tell us."
Thomas did not have on his Roman collar or have his hospital ID. Instead, he went to the reception desk and showed them his driver's license. He saw the receptionist key in some information, she smiled and told him that he could go back.
It took all of Kevin's skills as a policeman to keep Joe calm and distracted. They finally saw Thomas come back through the doors. He had lost all of his color, and he was frowning. Joe anticipated the worst. Thomas told them that Sean was alive, but he was barely hanging on by a thread. The CPR from Joe had kept him alive until EMS arrived. The next few hours would be telling.
"Who can I call to be here with you? I plan to stay but is there anyone else who should be here?"
"Please call Thelma and Jimmy. They are his grandparents."
Thomas was so happy that Joe viewed them that way. Joe gave Kevin the telephone number. He had it memorized. Kevin stepped away for a few minutes, and when he returned, he looked at them.
"Joe, they are on the way. Father, could you lead us in prayer?"
Thomas did. Thomas opened his eyes and saw his big man crying. He put his arms around his partner and pulled him in close. He lightly kissed his lips and said that he loved him. Thomas heard a commotion in the background but didn't have enough energy to care about it. Officer McCarthy stepped away and spoke to some people. He stood while they filed out of the waiting room. The police officer wasn't going to put up with comments about these two men whom he now considered his friends. Kevin McCarthy wasn't going to allow anyone to say anything nasty about them.
Thelma and Jimmy came running into the waiting room. Thelma grabbed both men and hugged them. After Jimmy caught his breath, he hugged them and asked for an update. When Thomas said they didn't have one yet, Jimmy asked if they could pray. Again, Thomas led them in prayer. Thelma and Jimmy were holding onto Joe and Kevin wrapped Thomas in his arms. When they finished, Kevin asked Thomas to go in the back for an update. It seemed to all of them that Thomas was gone forever.
When he came through the doors, he had a slight smile on his face. Joe was trying to read the meaning but needed to hear words. Thomas said that Sean had stabilized and was going to make it. He would be in the hospital for a few days. They all had tears of relief, even Kevin, the tough inner-city cop. Thomas told them that Sean was being moved to ICU, and once he was there, they could visit him. Joe started pacing again. He was a father desperate to see his son. He stopped mid-pace, turned to find Thomas, and then walked over and put his head on Thomas' shoulder seeking comfort. The two fathers were exhausted and supported each other through the immediate crisis.
The receptionist called Father Thomas. He walked over to the counter and was handed a piece of paper with Sean's unit number written on it. All five headed to the bank of elevators. When they arrived on the floor, they were confronted at the nurse's station. Only one visitor at a time was allowed. A nurse wanted to know who each person was. Thomas introduced himself as Sean's father, as did Joe. The charge nurse was not happy. She was starting to question them when Kevin walked up.
"Sean has two fathers. Okay? Get with the program."
The nurse's lips flapped for a few seconds and then said she got it. She looked back and forth between the two men.
"Well, he has two handsome fathers. He is one lucky boy to have fathers who love him so much. There is not enough love in the world."
Kevin was grinning.
The charge nurse made an exception and allowed both Thomas and Joe in together. When Joe got to Sean's bedside, he refused to leave. A nurse told him if he didn't leave, she would have to call the police. Joe said the policeman was waiting by the nurse's station and to tell him. The nurse left in a huff. When she came back, she was not happy and gave Joe a look that would have scared most people. Joe was unaffected by her glare. Thomas left, and then Thelma went back to see her grandson. Jimmy followed and kissed Sean's forehead and told him how much he loved him. Kevin was the last to visit and told Joe not to leave until he wanted. "Don't let them scare you." Kevin handed Joe a stack of his cards and said to give them to any nurse that threatened to kick him out. Kevin said he would let the other officers know about Sean being in the hospital, and they would look out for him and Thomas.
Thomas didn't know what to do. He was allowed back into the unit to ask Joe about their plans.
"I am staying with our son. You go home and get things organized. I am not leaving here until we bring him back home."
Thomas kissed Joe, told his partner that he loved him, kissed Sean, and walked back to the nurse's station. He told Thelma, Jimmy, and Kevin of Joe's resolve. Jimmy said it was time for breakfast and invited Kevin and Thomas to join them. They went to a local diner where they ordered food. Thomas only wanted toast. He said he wasn't hungry. Thelma told him he needed to keep his strength up to support both Joe and Sean.
"I will Thelma, but our lives just fell apart. I have a lot of processing to do. I didn't understand how fleeting happiness could be; we have built our lives around Sean. It happened quickly, but in every way, it forced Joe and me to make a decision about our lives. We love each other, but it was the responsibility of fathering Sean that made us process all of that very quickly and make some major life decisions. I love my son."
At that point, Thomas started crying. Kevin reached over and pulled Thomas in to provide comfort. Thomas stopped crying, started laughing, and thanked them for a safe place to cry.
"Joe will cry enough for both of us. He is this rough, tough Scotsman who is a big baby underneath that handsome exterior. I have to be the strong one with him." Thelma knew that Thomas wasn't emotionally stable enough to be making decisions, so she did what she did best: she appointed herself to make them. "Okay, Father, you are not going into the office today. I will have Heather arrange for supply clergy on Sunday." Thomas was starting to object when Thelma gave him her mother look. Jimmy started chuckling.
"Okay, son, mama has taken over, and you should just let her do it. It will make your life easier. I promise you. I know from experience."
Thelma laughed and then punched Jimmy in his side. They looked at each other, leaned in, and kissed. Jimmy and Thelma had dropped Thomas off at the rectory, but Thomas couldn't decide what to do. Thelma was going home to change and then was going to the church office to take care of some things.
Thomas started cooking. It was what he did when he was in a muddle. He made a pot of soup and starter mix to make bread. He and Joe loved homemade bread. He also made gingerbread cookies, which were Sean's favorite. At noon, he packed a basket of food and headed to the hospital. There was a new shift of nurses, and they were deep in conversation when Thomas approached the nursing station. He wore his Roman collar and a black suit; he looked appropriately clerical. Thomas introduced himself and said he brought lunch for Joe McKendry. The nurse gave him a strange look.
"Are you Sean's father? Or are you a priest?"
"I am both."
"I don't understand. Priests can't marry."
"Actually, I am an Episcopal priest and I am Sean's father. Joe McKendry is my partner."
The nurse looked at him not understanding.
"Well, while you ponder that, I am going to give my husband some lunch. Has he left Sean's bedside this morning?"
The nurses shook her head. "He won't move. We have to work around him and it is not easy. Can you ask him to please let us get near your son so we can do our jobs?" Thomas promised that he would talk with Joe. When he walked onto the unit, he saw Joe sitting vigil. The man looked exhausted. Thomas stepped up and kissed Sean on the cheek and told him he loved him. He noticed some movement when he did that. Sean had leaned into the kiss. Thomas then kissed Joe on the mouth and said he brought them some lunch.
Thomas opened the thermos of soup and poured some in the cups he had brought. Joe told him how wonderful the soup smelled. He looked over and saw Sean's nose start sniffing. Of course, he couldn't smell the soup because he was connected to a ventilator, but his body was having a natural reaction. Joe smiled. This was the first reaction that Joe had noticed from Sean. Joe took a bite and exclaimed it was the best soup he had ever eaten. He then said they were the best sandwiches that Thomas had ever made. When Thomas opened the container of cookies, Joe made a loud, ah sound.
"Gingerbread cookies. My favorite. You know Sean loves them also. He could probably eat a dozen right now."
They both looked and saw Sean's nose sniffing. Joe took a cookie and put it on Sean's cheek near his mouth. Sean's head turned as he tried to get closer to the cookie, and then he opened his eyes. Thomas couldn't tell if Sean saw his fathers leaning over him. The eyes quickly closed again and did not reopen. It was like he fell back into a deep sleep. Thomas left the unit and went to the nurse's station to let them know. The doctor was immediately paged. By the time he arrived, Thomas had packed up the food and suggested to Joe they step back so the doctor could examine Sean. Joe stepped back into Thomas' waiting arms. The doctor told Joe and Thomas he wanted them to sit beside Sean and talk to him.
"Tell him you love him and that he is safe. Tell him to open his eyes and look at you. You may need to tell him several times. Tell him about the soup you made. I hear there were gingerbread cookies here. They are also my favorite. Do you have any extras?"
The doctor was smiling as Thomas pulled out the container. He took a cookie, walked over to the bed, and told Sean he was eating a gingerbread cookie. Sean stirred in the bed.
Thomas and Joe sat on opposite sides of the bed and talked to Sean. Thomas rubbed his hair and told him that he loved him more than anything in the world. Joe spoke about needing his help with a plastering project and that Sean was needed to paint a wall. Thomas asked Sean if he could smell the soup. Sean started sniffing.
"My darling son, open your eyes and look at your daddy and papa. We love you. We want to look at your eyes. You can do it, open your eyes, and look at us." Thomas noticed the eyes flickering, and then they opened. Sean looked scared because of his connection to the ventilator. Joe rubbed his arms as the doctor told him it was okay.
"We will remove the equipment so you can talk. Don't try yet. Blink your eyes twice if you understand me."
Slowly the eyes blinked twice. The doctor pushed a button on a machine, and an army of nurses appeared at the door.
"We are going to extubate you, Sean. I need two nurses to help me. Joe and Thomas, please stand back while we do this. The nurses stood on either side of Sean while the doctor removed tape and bands.
"Okay, Sean, I am going to take this out. If you understand, please blink twice." Sean blinked.
"You may feel like you need to throw up. Please try not to do that. My wife hates washing my nasty clothes that have puke on them."
He was smiling. He was distracting Sean by talking to him. In one swift move, he pulled the tube out. Sean lurched in the bed. The nurses were rubbing his shoulders and helped him ease back down. Another nurse came up with a wet cloth and started washing Sean's face.
"My gosh, you are handsome like your daddies. Three handsome men in one room." "Wait, are you saying I am not handsome?"
"Nope, doc. You don't count." She laughed. The doctor pouted.
"You know we swoon over you, you handsome devil, you."
The doctor pouted even more and said it wasn't fair. He then smiled like a Cheshire cat. Sean had a smile on his face by the time they finished the short procedure. The staff had a way of distracting patients while doing their work. They arranged Sean on the bed and said he was on the road to recovery.
After the nurses left, the doctor said he wanted Sean to stay in the ICU until the next day.
"I need for him to have this level of care until he is fully stabilized. He has pneumonia in both lungs, and we are treating that. He is still very sick, and while he is not in a crisis right this minute, it may happen again. I like to get patients off of ventilators as soon as possible. I find they heal faster that way. I read his medical history this morning, and we are going to be rather aggressive in our treatment. He will not be going home until he is completely free of pneumonia, and with his history, that may take a while. The social work department will notify the school system so they can send over a teacher to help Sean while he is here." The men nodded in their understanding of what the doctor had said.
"How are you feeling, Sean?"
Sean could barely talk and whispered to the doctor that he was fine. The doctor gave him a skeptical look.
"I feel like shit."
Joe yelped. Sean grinned.
"I think that is a correct assessment. You will feel like shit for a few more days, but I think a diet of homemade soup and gingerbread cookies may help."
Sean grinned.
"I'm sleepy, can I go to sleep."
The doctor looked at him. "Can you try to stay awake for another 30 minutes? Let your dads talk to you."
As the doctor was leaving, he motioned to Joe, who walked over to him. Joe nodded his head in understanding as the doctor spoke to him. The doctor looked at Thomas.
"Remember that gingerbread cookies are also my favorite."
Thomas grinned and said he would have a container of the cookies in the unit by suppertime.
Joe and Thomas talked to Sean and made him stay awake for two hours. It was not easy, but the doctor had said the longer they could keep him awake, the better it would be for him.
Thomas kissed Sean on the forehead and Joe on the lips before he left to make more cookies.
On Friday morning, Sean was not appreciably better, and the doctor said he was bringing in a pediatric infectious disease specialist from the medical school. He then took Sean and Thomas into the hallway.
"Your son is very sick. His prior history of tuberculosis is complicating what we are doing. I don't want to wait until Monday until we do something. I am not going to release Sean from the ICU yet. The specialist will be the lead provider moving forward, and I will back him. I also need to notify the CDC of this case. They may send someone by."
All of the air suddenly disappeared in the hallway. Joe realized that Thomas was holding him up. Thomas and the doctor got Joe to a chair where he sat, and the doctor conducted an assessment of Joe.
"Joe, I think you need to go home to get some rest. You are not helping Sean or yourself if you end up in a hospital bed."
Joe looked at the doctor like he had two heads.
"I can't leave my son. He and Thomas are all I have." Joe's eyes filled with tears. He realized he was exhausted and couldn't respond appropriately.
"Joe, I am going to call Thelma to come to sit with Sean while we go home to take a shower, have a nap, and for me to make some more cookies. I need you to say yes." Joe knew he had lost and feebly said yes. He was failing his son, and his partner was complicit in the failing.
Thomas helped Joe back into the unit and then called Thelma. He told her of Sean's love of gingerbread cookies. She said she knew a bakery that made them and would stop on the way to the hospital. Thelma arrived with a large bag of cookies. She never did anything halfway. She dropped some at the nurse's station, had a container for the doctor, and then waited for Joe and Thomas to come out to the waiting area. When she saw Joe, he looked like a shell of himself. She knew what to do.
"Son, Joe, look at me. Mama Thelma is here. I am going to look out for your son until you get back. I am not going to take no for an answer. You know me. I can be as tough fighting for him as anyone in the world. I love him. He is my only grandson and I will go to my grave, making things right for him. Now, I need you to take care of yourself for a couple of hours. No questions. Do it now before I have to switch your bottom." Joe smiled.
"Yes, ma'am. You are a fierce grandmother. Please protect my son. Don't let anything happen while I am gone."
The nurses admired the men as they saw Thomas lead Joe to the elevators. They only wished that all fathers loved their children as much as these two men loved Sean.
Thelma had brought a book and sat beside the bed reading while Sean slept. Her intuition told her that he had opened his eyes. She quickly turned and looked at him.
"Hello, my darling Sean. Are you hungry? I brought gingerbread cookies."
Sean's eyes focused, and he processed what Thelma had said.
He quietly said yes, he wanted a cookie. Thelma poured water into a cup as these were bakery bought cookies, and she didn't know how dry they might be. He sat up, took a nibble of the cookie, and then a sip of water. Sean laid back down. He then sat up and took another nibble. He took a sip of water and then put his head back down on the pillow. He didn't want more. Thelma worked hard coaxing him to eat the entire cookie. It was hard work, but she succeeded. After he finished eating the cookie, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
The nurse came in to adjust his meds and asked Thelma if he had eaten anything. Thelma told her and the nurse wrote it in his chart. Thelma said she worked in hospice and knew how to chart; the nurse said that was great, but she wasn't allowed to chart in the hospital record. The nurse encouraged Thelma to write down everything she observed, and the nurses would transcribe it into the chart. Thelma now had a job that would help Sean, and she was happy.
Thomas undressed Joe, got in the shower with him, put him to bed, and then went downstairs to bake cookies and bread. After baking everything, he went upstairs to find Joe sleeping soundly. He decided that the man needed his rest, and so did he. They awoke when there was a call from the hospital. Joe panicked and Thomas took the call. The pediatric infectious disease specialist was at the hospital and wanted to meet with them as soon as possible. Thomas promised they would be there in thirty minutes. Thomas packed a container of gingerbread cookies for the nurses and doctors and also took them two loaves of bread.
The specialist confirmed what Sean's doctor had told them. Their son was very ill. The treatment would be aggressive and challenging. He said that Sean would probably get worse before getting better. Joe swooned when he heard that. Thomas held onto him. The doctor said he would be Sean's primary doctor at the hospital and in the future. While they were meeting, a CDC staffer arrived. She talked with the doctor and then with Joe and Thomas. She had lots of questions, but the men had very few answers. She said she would research his medical records to try to determine what information she needed. She said that Joe and Thomas should wear masks when they were with Sean and that he was being moved to a negative- pressure isolation room immediately. Thomas couldn't help himself and teared up. He and Joe clung to each other. She also said she was taking TB titers on both of them, and the health department would be measuring titers every six months in the future.
When they got to the ICU, they found Thelma sitting alone. She said orderlies dressed in gowns, masks, and gloves suddenly arrived, grabbed Sean's bed and started moving him. They wouldn't tell her anything. They told her she could not come and had blocked her from getting on the elevator. She was furious with the staff and with herself. She felt that she had failed her two sons and grandson. She had tried to find out what was going on, but nobody would tell her anything. In her frustration, Thelma screamed at a nurse.
They sat in a daze until a nurse came over and sat with them. She explained what was happening. She immediately established rapport and gave them all of the information she could. Thelma said that Sean was crying when they wheeled him out of the ICU.
"I will take care of that. That should not have happened that way. They should not have treated you that way. I apologize. They were scared, but that is no excuse. Let me see if he is settled so you can see him. Just so there are no surprises when you go to see him you will have to mask, gown and glove." Thomas could see the fire in Joe's eyes.
"No. I will not do that. He is my son. That will scare him."
"It is to protect you."
"NO! I will not do that. Please make sure they understand."
"We will then have to mask him and you cannot touch him. We are concerned about transmission of TB to you. We are running cultures right now to see if he is infectious."
"NO! If my son dies with TB, then I will die with TB. Thomas, don't let them do this to our son. Please, don't let them do this."
The horror of the night ended when Jimmy and Thelma helped Joe and Thomas up the steps to the rectory. They came in for a brandy before heading home. All four were emotionally distraught and physically exhausted. Joe got drunk and passed out in the library. He slept on the Chesterfield sofa in front of the banked fire. Thomas was up and down all night checking on him.
Thomas realized his personal concept of hell was never fully formed until the following week. As the doctor had predicted, Sean suddenly got worse, and he had to be intubated again. It was touch and go for several days. Joe said he wanted to die. Thomas knew that hell was living with a dying child, a partner who wanted to die, and he knew for certain that he did not want to live if they died. Thomas felt like his prayers were meaningless. He raged and screamed at God to hear him. He wrestled with the angels who hovered over his shoulders. He and Joe screamed at each other for the first time. They were both so horrified afterward they didn't know how to talk about it or to each other. Their worst natures had come to the fore, and they both knew how vicious and mean they could be. They were each living in their own private hells and not able to help each other because their pain was so deep. The monitor in Sean's room continued to beep and beep and beep and beep. Their son was in an induced coma, and they could only look at his small body as an extension of the equipment that was keeping him alive.
The Bishop showed up, looked at both men, and was horrified at what he saw. Earlier, he had sent one of his assistants to visit with the men, but the report he received did not accurately capture their pain and distress. He knew that there was a deep breach that needed healing. He sat with them for an entire morning, talking and listening, and joining in their plaintive lamentations. He then cried with them. For the first time, he understood the unfathomable love there was between these two men and their son. He knew the healing between the two men would take a long time, if it was even possible.
Michael, the fireman, showed up and sat with them. He disclosed that his son had cystic fibrosis, and he had spent many hours at the hospital, sitting, crying, and wanting all of the pain to end. He told them how he and his wife divorced because of the pain that had reduced their love to a mere remnant of what it had been. His wife needed Michael to be superhuman, and he could never meet her expectations. He said the most horrible parts of what they said to each other were not forgotten by either of them. He looked at Joe and Thomas and told them to support and love each other. His sobering message was received and heard. Both men, without speaking, decided that would not happen to them. Somehow, they would find a path forward. The hospital chaplain came to see them each day, as did the Bishop.
On Friday morning, eight days after he was admitted to the hospital, Sean turned the corner and started getting better. He was extubated again. Joe and Thomas could only stare at the readings on the equipment to see if he would live without the ventilator. He slowly came out from the induced coma, opened his eyes, and stared at the ceiling. He was non-responsive. Joe was startled thinking they had a son who would be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life. Thomas sat in a chair by the bed, held onto Sean's hand, and talked to him endlessly asking Sean to squeeze his hand if he heard him, to give them some sign. Any sign. To please provide them with a sign. None came.
Hours went by with both men talking to their son, holding his hand, stroking his cheek, rubbing his hair, and crying. They went into the hallway to cry because they didn't want Sean to hear their anguish.
When they had given up hope and least expected it, Sean started talking to them. It was more like a whisper because he was so hoarse from the tubes that had been down his throat. Sean told them of horrible dreams where they had left him alone and that he wandered through forests looking for them. He would see his dad and papa, and then they would flee. He could hear their voices in the distance saying they loved him, but he couldn't find them. One night he saw bright angels and decided he was now in heaven. He saw his mother, Mary Agnes, and she told him to go back; that he wasn't ready to die. She told Sean she loved him, as did his daddies. Joe and Thomas remembered that horrific night when they thought he had died. The beeping had stopped and the screeching flat line filled the room until doctors and nurses came running in and pushed them out of the room.
The two men huddled in a hallway corner like beaten animals. They clung to and supported each other in yet another moment of unimaginable horror. They saw more people running in and out of the room. Finally, all of the doctors and nurses filed out of the room and closed the door. Joe yowled in pain. Thomas held him while tears ran down his face. A nurse came to them, sat with them on the floor, hugged the men, cried with them, and told them that Sean was alive. She said he had died, but they had restarted his heart. The nurse couldn't promise the future but said he was alive right then. She said it would be one minute at a time moving forward as his heart was damaged.
Now Sean was awake and talking. They prayed the darkness of the past week was gone. Sean continued to whisper to them and then exhausted himself. He fell asleep with both men holding his hands. When Sean awoke again, he smiled and asked Thomas what a boy had to do to get a gingerbread cookie. Thomas and Joe grinned with happiness. Those were the magic words. Thomas called Thelma, and within the hour, she and Jimmy were standing in the room with a bag of gingerbread cookies.
Orderlies moved Sean to a step-down unit on Saturday afternoon. He was not infectious with tuberculosis, so he placed on a regular unit. Michael showed up with his son, Todd, who had on a gown, mask, and gloves because of his cystic fibrosis. Todd explained that he wore it out of habit when he came into a hospital. He couldn't afford to catch something from someone else. The two boys sat and talked while their dads went to the cafeteria to get some supper. They were the same age, and each found a comrade to help the other through medical difficulties. They made a solemn promise to support each other.
The next morning, Sunday, Thomas brought his communion kit, and the three of them celebrated Mass in the hospital room. Thomas realized he had missed two weeks of services and was growing concerned that the church leadership would be unhappy. Thelma called all of Joe's customers and explained why he had to miss their appointments; one and all sent their love and said they would wait for Joe because they didn't trust anyone else. The three were sitting in the room eating their lunches of homemade soup, sandwiches, and cookies when the telephone rang in the room. Thomas picked it up, and a voice said to look out the window. The person who called hung up. Thomas was confused but walked up to the window. He burst out crying; what he saw pushed him over the edge. Joe jumped up from his chair to see what made Thomas cry. He looked and then started crying. They turned and helped Sean get out of his bed. Thomas held the IV pole while Joe helped Sean walk to the window. Outside in the parking lot was a fire truck with its ladder fully extended. Standing at the top were Michael and Todd holding a sign: "Get Well, Sean." Looking down, they saw a parking lot full of people. Standing in front of the group was the Bishop. The telephone rang again, and Thomas picked it up. All he could hear was people singing. The congregation from St. Anselm was in the parking lot. Joe opened the window and Sean waved to the crowd. They went wild with enthusiasm.
The group continued to cheer and cheer. Finally, the ladder was retracted, and the crowd went home. Sean was a rock star at the hospital because patients throughout the building were standing at their windows being entertained. Thelma, Jimmy, and Kevin walked into the room, grinning. Joe and Thomas saw Thelma's hand at work. They stayed for a short while; when they were leaving, Jimmy cryptically said, "Be sure to watch the news at 6."
Joe turned on the news. The first visual was the crowd in the parking lot. Reporters from all three local stations had shown up to film the event. The station showed the picture of Sean used in the Philadelphia Inquirer at Christmas and a picture of the set he had painted. There was mention of the two fathers, Thomas and Joe, who had been at the hospital the entire time and had never left his side. Thomas knew that wasn't true, but it made for a good story. Then there was a shot of the three of them standing at the hospital window waving at the crowd. The newscaster then said that a fund to help the family with the medical expenses was established. She further said that Joe was self-employed and not been able to work for two weeks and it wasn't clear when Sean would get out of the hospital or when Joe would be able to work again. Finally, the Bishop appeared on the screen and said his office was collecting the money and for people to be generous.
Thomas, Joe, and Sean made a pact during the last week that Sean was in the hospital. The three of them would be there to help other families in need. Mike's comments to Thomas and Joe had helped them realize how life-affirming their relationship was. Without that conversation, Thomas wasn't sure that he and Joe would be sitting together. The Bishop's support had been useful, but Mike's comments were more impactful; they talked with someone who had been on the front line. Todd's daily visits with Sean helped their son realize that he wasn't alone with his health struggles. He now had a new friend.
Two weeks later, Sean was sitting in a wheelchair as he exited the hospital. There was a group of doctors and nurses who were at the doors to wish him well as he left. They all joked and said they never wanted to see him again. They all laughed because, generally, there were too few laughs on their units.
Kevin had his police car ready to take them home. He helped the young man into the front of his car while Thomas and Joe sat in the back. Kevin showed Sean how to turn on all of the lights and sirens. Sean was fascinated and tried them out all of the way home. He couldn't wait to be home with his two dads. They pulled up in the front of the rectory, and the street was filled with members of the congregation to welcome them home. Thomas knew they had been to hell and back, and being back was so sweet and wonderful. He now truly knew they were in heaven.