Read By My Hands for Free Online

anyway?”
    “The surgeon was Dr. Rachel Tremaine.”
    “A woman?” Dick asked incredulously.
    “They can do more than clean house, you
know.”
    “Yeah, but cut you open with a knife and . . .” Slay
stopped mid-sentence realizing his indiscretion. “Sorry.”
    “That’s all right. She’s really a live wire. Came in
late Sunday night and grilled me about my illness. I felt guilty
for being sick. Then when she found out I was a minister, she acted
like I was some kind of witch doctor.” Adam pushed the control
button that lowered the head of his bed. He was still sore and
weak. “I don’t think she holds the clergy in high regard.”
    “Ah, a woman of discriminating tastes,” Slay
said.
    “Careful,” Adam said as he shifted his position in
bed. “I may never come back.”
    “Who you trying to kid? If this hospital bed had a
motor, you’d drive it to your office.”
    “Speaking of the office, how is everything at the
church?”
    “What’s the matter, afraid we’ll change locks on
you?”
    “No. Just wanting to know what’s going on.”
    “Well, everything is being handled just fine. Fannie
is watching the office, George Kellerman is preaching, and I’m
taking the hospital visits.”
    “Fannie has been church secretary long enough that
she runs the office anyway,” Adam said. “And George has filled in
for me several times. We were fortunate to get him on the deacon
board.”
    “I told you not to worry. All you have to do is get
better.”
    “How come you got the easy job?”
    “Easy?”
    “Sure, I’m the only church member in the hospital,
and I’m a pleasure to visit.”
    Slay laughed. “Wrong on both counts, Pastor. It just
so happens that as soon as I’m done cheering up your life, I’ve got
another church member to visit in this very hospital.”
    “One of our members?” Adam’s voice betrayed his
surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    Dick lowered his head and sighed. “Because I knew
you’d do just what you’re doing right now: getting all excited when
you should be resting.”
    “Well, the least you can do is tell me who it
is.”
    Slay said nothing while he debated whether or not to
reveal the information. “You promise not to do anything
stupid?”
    “Of course.”
    “It’s David Lorayne,” Slay said reluctantly. “He had
surgery yesterday.”
    For a moment Adam felt angry that he had not been
informed, but his anger did not last; after all, his church was
just trying to protect him. “How’s he doing?”
    Slay sat stone-faced. “What’s wrong?” Adam asked,
reading his deacon’s face. “Tell me everything.”
    Resigning himself to defeat, Slay explained, “No one
knew that he was coming in to surgery. You know how David is. He
never wants to bother anyone. Anyway, like I said, he came in
yesterday to have surgery on an ulcer. The surgery went fine, or so
everyone thought until last night.”
    “What happened?”
    “He slipped into a coma. No one seems to know why.
He just won’t wake up.”
    Reaching for the bed controls, Adam slowly brought
the head of the bed up until he was in the sitting position and
then gently swung his feet over the edge of the bed and stood. He
wobbled slightly and wondered if Slay had noticed.
    “What are you doing?” Slay said, leaping to his
feet. “You promised that you wouldn’t do anything stupid.”
    “This isn’t stupid,” Adam said defensively. “I’m
supposed to walk every day anyway. If I don’t, the nurses beat me.
Hand me my robe, please. It would tarnish my image to be seen
walking around the hospital bare-bottomed.”
    “I’m not sure you should be doing this.”
    “I’m fine, Dick, really. Now are you going to hand
me my robe or not?”
    Opening the small closet in the corner of the room
Slay reluctantly pulled out a green bathrobe and handed it to
Adam.
    “What room?” Adam asked firmly.
    “223.”
    “Good, that’s the same floor we’re on. Let’s
go.”
    A few moments later the two men