"Helen ..." he whispered. She moaned. He grabbed behind her to pull her ass down.

** SYSTEM INTERRUPT **

ERROR: FRAGMENTATION.

ERROR: CORRECTED.

BRIDGE PROCESS: **RESUMED**

A head of curls filled Adrian's hands as Hector worked his tongue all over his cock. Hector reached his hand down there. Adrian couldn't stop.

"I'm sorry ... I ..."

The tears came, and he released into sorrow.

Hector finished by stroking his deflating thing. It was still sensitive and moved to his touch.

"Is there something you wanna tell me, Papi?"

"Wha?" Adrian said dreamily, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Who's Helen?" Hector looked up. Then he noticed Adrian's face and stopped smiling. "Oh, Papi. You alright?"

Adrian wiped his face and didn't answer, but eased himself up. Hector moved out of the way.

"I need to shower," Adrian said and went to the bathroom.

This would be Adrian's third shower of the day. He stepped into the stall, feeling the warmth of the flow fall over his head and shoulders. He soaped himself and pulled at his penis. He wanted to be clean. The thought of Antoine and his frail skin lying in his sickbed filled his chest. Adrian leaned on the wall as the water from his eyes mixed with the water of the shower. Hector came in.

"Papi ... You okay?"

"Yeah," he lied.

He didn't turn around.

Hector undressed and slipped into the shower. He stroked Adrian and soaped him all over - first his back, then shoulders, then his butt. Hector fingered him. Adrian didn't like this part, but it was what Hector needed.

"Ay, Papi ..." Hector reached around to Adrian's cock, pulled gently, entered him.

"Ay ... Ay ... Ay ... Ay ... Pa-pi ... Ay ..."

Adrian went away somewhere and was someone else.

Hector lifted Adrianne, she was so light. She held onto the shower rod as he pulled into her. He cupped her breasts in his hand. The water and soap made them slide. Adrian felt dizzy. He was himself again and stroked his chest. It was muscular and flat.

"Ay ... Ay ... Ay ... Ay-yay-yay ... ooooohhhhh, Paaaapeeeee ..."

Hector panted on Adrian's back and gently kissed him there. "Mi amore, Papi," he said and slipped out of the shower. Adrian rinsed himself as Hector left him alone in the bathroom. He found a towel and wrapped it around his waist, then sat on the toilet seat lid and bowed his head.

Adrian was fully dressed when he came out of the bathroom. Hector, still in a towel, had a beer waiting for him. Adrian took a few sips, tasted the light bitterness, then put the bottle down.

"Will I see you again next week?" Hector asked.

"Maybe." Adrian didn't know what else to say.

"It's alright, Papi. I understand. ... How is Antoiny?"

Adrian hated that he used his name. And no one called him "Antoiny."

"He's okay." Adrian corrected himself, "He's the same."

"Oh."

"I need to go home now. The nurse will be leaving soon."

Hector touched his face and said, "Mi amore, Papi. It's gonna be alright."

Adrian hated him for that.

He grabbed his jacket from the hook behind the door and left.

Home was a place of sorrow. A place of love. It was difficult to reconcile the two. All the silence of the world was there. It was as if they lived in a special bubble separate from all that existed in time and space. Adrian didn't want to live in that bubble. But it was where Antoine lay, so it was where he must go.

"Hey, baby," Sheila said. "You enjoy your time off?"

Adrian mumbled. Then smiled, remembering that he shouldn't be rude.

"It was okay."

Sheila had been cooking. The sweet smell of her curried meat scented the air. This was not a required duty, but she did it anyway. At first, Adrian thought she did it because she wanted bigger tips. Then he realized the true reason was much simpler, purer: she liked them.

"Here, baby, let me take your things," she said, as she carried away his jacket and gym bag. Her banter was momentarily muffled by the closet as she leaned in. It didn't matter. The rhythm of her speech was what Adrian really listened to. It calmed him. There was a lightness to Sheila that defied her heavy bulk. Adrian wished he could be like her. He didn't think he could ever be that sane. The walk back home had not been easy. He felt sick with every step. It was like he was walking in a dark misty cloud. Sheila's friendly voice was a welcome wash of clear water.

"I left something on the stove for you. You can warm it up for dinner."

"Thanks."

"You better eat it up, baby. A grown man like you shouldn't be so damn skinny." She laughed. He couldn't help but laugh a little, too.

"Is he awake?"

"Yeah, he's awake. We were just playing cards when you came in."

Antoine didn't look up when Adrian entered the room. Long plastic lines of fluids connected to drip tubes that connected to bags of liquid that connected to machines. The complex spider's web surrounded Antoine, delivering to his frail, failing body life-sustaining medicines. Antoine and the machines were becoming one. They were lucky to be able to afford all this. Since the disease had spread, such equipment was scarce and expensive.

There was a deck of cards in Antoine's hands. He used to be remarkably nimble at shuffling. He'd flip cards like acrobats, then split them into piles of two, fan them out, and shove them back together as if forming a loaf of bread. Now he slowly slid them around on his tray, lifting a corner of one to expose its face, then slid them around some more.

"Well, that's it for me," Sheila said at the doorframe. "I'll see you two next week." She pursed her lips. "And don't play cards with that sucker. He cheats."

Antoine simpered while still concentrating on the cards. "I'm not the cheater around here."

Cold blood rushed to Adrian's head.

"Well, see you guys next week."

"I'll see you out," Adrian said, leaving the room as fast as he could.

He walked Sheila to the door, accepting her goodbye hug like the friend she was.

"You okay?" she said.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

"Well, if you need anything you have my number."

"Yes, thanks Sheila. Have a good week."

"Yes, you too. Remember to take it one day at a time."

When she was gone, all the safety went with her. He faced the bedroom like a Neanderthal standing before the opening of a dark cave. Who knew what danger lurked within? Adrian opened the door to find Antoine staring into space.

"So how is he?" Antoine asked.

"Who?" Adrian replied.

"You know who, Papi."

Adrian sat down. There was no need to ask how he'd found out. It was a small neighborhood. Heifers talk. Antoine was as capable of getting phone calls as he ever was.

"You know that it doesn't mean anything."

Antoine looked down at his hands.

"Yeah, I know."

"... I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We agreed you could see other people ... I just wish it wasn't him."

The machines that chirped in time to Antoine's heart barely registered a flutter. If they had been attached to Adrian, they would sound like a conga band.

"It's just a thing. I don't care about him."

"Does he know that?" Antoine met Adrian's eyes. "He's only waiting for me to die so he can finally have you."

"Don't say that!"

The air sucked out of Adrian's lungs. All sound disappeared. The room floated around and around, spinning and spinning.

** CORE INTERRUPT **

DETECTED MAJOR FAULT @ SECTOR: 10110001.

SYSTEM RE-ROUTE IN PROGRESS.

"Don't ever say that!"

"It's true," Antoinette said. "You know it's true. Promise me that you won't choose her after I'm gone. Anyone but her."