Earth and Sky

next to the truck, then got in and played piano on the dashboard before getting out again. He kept staring at the door Hunter had disappeared through. Damn! He wanted to be in there with Hunter, with his lover. He hated the fact that he would never be recognized as Hunter’s partner. He would always be his “friend” and nothing more.

    Just as Grant kicked the front tire of the truck in frustration, Hunter walked out. Grant couldn’t read his expression; Hunter seemed excited, but he didn’t look happy. That wasn’t a good sign.

    “So?” Grant asked when they were both sitting inside the truck.

    “Start the engine.”

    “Not until you tell me what happened in there,” Grant said, feeling more and more uncomfortable.

    “Could you just drive me to Mercy Hospital, please?”

    Grant started the car. “That’s quite a drive.”

    “Just drive, Grant.”

    Grant pulled away from the curb and drove to the Interstate. At the last stop light before the on ramp, Hunter finally spoke.

    “I’m a dad, Grant. I have a son.”

    Grant smiled and looked at his lover. “Congratulations, Cowboy. It’s not all good, though, is it?”

    Before Hunter could answer, cars behind them started honking their horns.

    “Hang on,” Grant said as he accelerated beyond the traffic light and found a space to park just before he had to get on the Interstate. “You’re going to have to tell me before I keep driving, because if you’re going to spring things on me, I won’t be responsible for the consequences.”

    Hunter grabbed Grant’s hand and squeezed it on the bench between them. “Miranda was inside the house. She says she doesn’t want to see him.”

    Grant’s mouth practically dropped open. “She doesn’t want to see her own son?”

    “She says she can’t cope with a sick child. Grant, just drive me over there so I can see him?”

    “So what’s wrong with him?”

    “ Grant !”

    “Okay, okay.” Grant pulled back into traffic. He was going to need all his concentration to drive safely, but he wanted to know what Miranda had told Hunter. What did she mean by “a sick child”? Was it just that he was born early and could still die? Or was there something worse?

    Hunter didn’t say anything all the way over to the hospital, and even as they pulled into the parking lot, Hunter remained eerily silent. Grant feared the worst.

    Hunter seemed to know what to do, though. He had the name of a doctor to ask for, and they were directed to the pediatric intensive care unit.

    “Mr. Krause? Miss Bocanovic told me you would eventually show up.”

    Grant wanted to defend Hunter against the female doctor’s disdain, but he bit his tongue instead. Hunter was big enough to fight his own battles.

    Hunter was surprisingly calm. “I just found out I have a son. I’d like to see him.”

    This seemed to mellow the doctor. “Very well. What has Miss Bocanovic told you?”

    “She said he has some deformity and that he’s going to need surgery?”

    She nodded. “She signed a release but doesn’t have the funds for the operations.”

    “There’s more than one?”

    Grant gently put his hand on the lower part of Hunter’s back in support and hoped it wasn’t too obvious. Hunter didn’t react.

    “He has spina bifida,” the doctor continued in her professionally detached tone.

    “What does that mean?” Hunter asked.

    “It means he has a defect at the bottom of his spine. We need to operate on him to close it and reduce the damage. On top of that, we’ll need to put a shunt into his brain to drain excess fluid.”

    Grant could tell the doctor’s explanation was only adding to Hunter’s confusion, so he stepped in. “Practically, what does this mean to the baby? Will he end up with a disability?”

    “Most likely,” the doctor answered matter-of-factly. “It’s hard to predict, but most spina bifida children have significant problems walking and controlling their bladders and/or bowels, and some have developmental problems as well.” She didn’t stick around for more questions. “I’ll go see if he’s stable enough for you to visit him, Mr. Krause.”

    “We both want to see him,” Hunter replied, much to Grant’s surprise.

    She looked at Grant and nodded, clearly not entirely happy with the situation but unable to deny them.

    After she left, they were standing alone in the waiting room, and Hunter turned into Grant’s arms. Grant squeezed him tightly. “It’ll be okay,