Thirty-Eight
I RETURN TO MY PRECIOUS flock, a tired shepherd, anxious to be back with his sheep. I am stunned at how close I came to trading the love of all these wonderful people for the love of one, even if it was Helen. I want to tell her that, when she’s awake, when she’s recovered, maybe when we’re on our honeymoon.
I am smiling softly when Clark and Vivian approach. They sit on either side of me, wrapping me in a figurative and literal blanket of humanity. Before they can say anything, the nurse comes out.
“Father Greer?” she calls.
“Go,” they both say in unison. I follow the nurse down the hall, until we stop before a closed door. “Now Father,” she says softly, “Have you ever visited an ICU before?”
“No,” I whisper. “Why?”
“Because things are different here. You’re going to se
