He often visited Ethan’s
room to fix televisions, adjust equipment, or argue enthusiastically about football.
But Ethan had one rule about his little plastic football game.
Everybody plays.
Anyone who entered his room had to participate.
Nurses.
Doctors.
Hospital employees.
Visitors.
Nobody was allowed to simply stand there watching.
Ray was one of his favorite opponents.
He complained constantly that the toy was defective, especially because one goalpost leaned crookedly.
Ethan insisted Ray was simply terrible at football.
Their arguments had become legendary on the hospital floor.
Now Ray had brought the game to a real stadium.
Behind him stood Cody, a teenage patient Ethan admired.
A familiar nurse smiled beside them.
And then there was Leo.
Chris looked uncomfortable when he saw him.
Months earlier, Leo’s young son had been receiving cancer treatment in the same hospital.
One afternoon, Leo received wonderful news.
His son’s latest scans were clear.
