Esther.
Once they reached the hospital, Andrew found an area away from the traffic to tie the horse. He would use Patsy as an excuse not to stay in the room long, he decided, walking into the main lobby.
Levi pushed the elevator button. “Is this where you fainted?” he asked.
“Jah . ” Judith closed her eyes, either avoiding more of Levi’s questions, praying, or possibly feeling nauseated by the upward motion.
The elevator stopped, and they stepped out. The paintings on the walls drew their attention.
Judith pointed ahead. “His room is down this hall.”
Martha’s pace slowed. Her face contorted, and she sniffled as they reached the room.
Judith opened the door, and Samuel saw them enter and brightened at once.
She held up the baggie. “I brought you some cookies.” She looked at her mother sitting next to the bed. “If it’s okay with Mamm .”
Mrs. Fischer gave her daughter a slight smile and nodded.
As Samuel reached into the baggie to choose a cookie, Martha edged closer to the bed. He paused and raised his brows at his sister. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I was worried about you.” Martha rubbed her eyes.
Samuel’s smile widened as he withdrew a peanut butter cookie. “I get to eat in bed here.”
All of them chuckled nervously, and the tension in the room eased a bit.
“Don’t get used to that,” Mrs. Fischer warned. She looked over to Judith. “How are things at the haus ?”
“Gut . ” Judith looked around the room. “Where’s Daed ?”
“He read in the paper the wedder is expected to change, so he headed to David’s haus to ask his help to bring in the crops.”
Andrew stepped forward. “I’ll help them.”
“ Jah , me too,” Levi added.
“ Denki .” Mrs. Fischer gave them a weary smile. She asked about the pumpkins and thanked him and Levi for the work they’d done. She asked if Rebecca was still with Ellen and David and if Lilly was dropping by to check on them. But she didn’t mention anything regarding Samuel’s condition.
Several silent intervals passed where no one found a topic to discuss. Samuel ate his cookies, seemingly unaware of how uncomfortable everyone felt. After an hour lapsed, Andrew wasn’t sure he could bear another passage of awkward silence.
“I should check Patsy.” He tapped Samuel’s foot. Even through the covers, his foot was stiff. Cold. Andrew withdrew his hand. “You get well.”
“It’s getting late. You should all go,” Mrs. Fischer said.
Samuel swept his hand over the blankets, and crumbs spilled onto the floor. “Will you kumm back to visit me again?”
The boy’s gaze pierced Andrew’s heart. “ Jah , soon.” He turned away the moment Mrs. Fischer stood to straighten Samuel’s bedcovers. As he headed for the door, Judith and Martha were saying their good-byes, and Mrs. Fischer was softly scolding Samuel for messing up the hospital floor with his crumbs.
Levi followed, and once they were in the hallway, he blew out a breath. “That was hard.”
“Jah,” Andrew replied.
Judith and Martha came out, shutting the door behind them. They took a few steps away from the room before Martha broke down, sobbing.
“I can’t see him like that. He’s just a boy.” Sobbing harder, she turned into Levi’s arms and buried her face against his chest.
Levi patted her back. “It’s hard, but you need to stay strong. Do it for Samuel.”
Martha lifted her head off Levi’s chest. Still, they stayed practically nose-to-nose as they talked. “Why would God do this to a child?”
Levi guided her head back to his embrace and rested his chin on her head. “I don’t know.”
Andrew looked at Judith, standing off to his side. She too was weeping. What was he supposed to do, hold her? He should’ve checked on the horse sooner. He couldn’t comfort her, not the same way Levi had with Martha. He leaned toward Judith. “There’s a water fountain down the hall. Maybe a drink would help.”
She nodded and walked
Once they reached the hospital, Andrew found an area away from the traffic to tie the horse. He would use Patsy as an excuse not to stay in the room long, he decided, walking into the main lobby.
Levi pushed the elevator button. “Is this where you fainted?” he asked.
“Jah . ” Judith closed her eyes, either avoiding more of Levi’s questions, praying, or possibly feeling nauseated by the upward motion.
The elevator stopped, and they stepped out. The paintings on the walls drew their attention.
Judith pointed ahead. “His room is down this hall.”
Martha’s pace slowed. Her face contorted, and she sniffled as they reached the room.
Judith opened the door, and Samuel saw them enter and brightened at once.
She held up the baggie. “I brought you some cookies.” She looked at her mother sitting next to the bed. “If it’s okay with Mamm .”
Mrs. Fischer gave her daughter a slight smile and nodded.
As Samuel reached into the baggie to choose a cookie, Martha edged closer to the bed. He paused and raised his brows at his sister. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I was worried about you.” Martha rubbed her eyes.
Samuel’s smile widened as he withdrew a peanut butter cookie. “I get to eat in bed here.”
All of them chuckled nervously, and the tension in the room eased a bit.
“Don’t get used to that,” Mrs. Fischer warned. She looked over to Judith. “How are things at the haus ?”
“Gut . ” Judith looked around the room. “Where’s Daed ?”
“He read in the paper the wedder is expected to change, so he headed to David’s haus to ask his help to bring in the crops.”
Andrew stepped forward. “I’ll help them.”
“ Jah , me too,” Levi added.
“ Denki .” Mrs. Fischer gave them a weary smile. She asked about the pumpkins and thanked him and Levi for the work they’d done. She asked if Rebecca was still with Ellen and David and if Lilly was dropping by to check on them. But she didn’t mention anything regarding Samuel’s condition.
Several silent intervals passed where no one found a topic to discuss. Samuel ate his cookies, seemingly unaware of how uncomfortable everyone felt. After an hour lapsed, Andrew wasn’t sure he could bear another passage of awkward silence.
“I should check Patsy.” He tapped Samuel’s foot. Even through the covers, his foot was stiff. Cold. Andrew withdrew his hand. “You get well.”
“It’s getting late. You should all go,” Mrs. Fischer said.
Samuel swept his hand over the blankets, and crumbs spilled onto the floor. “Will you kumm back to visit me again?”
The boy’s gaze pierced Andrew’s heart. “ Jah , soon.” He turned away the moment Mrs. Fischer stood to straighten Samuel’s bedcovers. As he headed for the door, Judith and Martha were saying their good-byes, and Mrs. Fischer was softly scolding Samuel for messing up the hospital floor with his crumbs.
Levi followed, and once they were in the hallway, he blew out a breath. “That was hard.”
“Jah,” Andrew replied.
Judith and Martha came out, shutting the door behind them. They took a few steps away from the room before Martha broke down, sobbing.
“I can’t see him like that. He’s just a boy.” Sobbing harder, she turned into Levi’s arms and buried her face against his chest.
Levi patted her back. “It’s hard, but you need to stay strong. Do it for Samuel.”
Martha lifted her head off Levi’s chest. Still, they stayed practically nose-to-nose as they talked. “Why would God do this to a child?”
Levi guided her head back to his embrace and rested his chin on her head. “I don’t know.”
Andrew looked at Judith, standing off to his side. She too was weeping. What was he supposed to do, hold her? He should’ve checked on the horse sooner. He couldn’t comfort her, not the same way Levi had with Martha. He leaned toward Judith. “There’s a water fountain down the hall. Maybe a drink would help.”
She nodded and walked
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