I look pretty good in them.I look pretty good in them. Well, I could tell he thought so, anyway. I was very tender with him. Motherly, almost. As though he were a patient. I scooted up beside him on the bed and cradled his head in my arms and held him close, supporting him against my breast. I placed the gag gently against his mouth, and flashed a brief image of myself at work feeding James, an 18 year old with cerebral palsy. He ate mostly through a straw. This was years ago, in Chicago. He was a regular, in and out for years because he didn't get adequate care at home. I think he sometimes made himself sick just to get into the hospital for TLC. It's odd to feel motherly toward someone who's nearly as old as you are. James was special. Eighteen years is a long time for someone with his problems. Pneumonia, finally. It makes me mad when I think of this old guy I've got now, complaining about everything under the sun. He should have spent a few weeks with James. |