Toby

This short story about creating a gay family is one of the first stories I wrote, and remains one of my favorites.

Toby is nine years old when he runs away from his drunk, violent foster parents. After two days on the street he is foraging for food in a dumpster behind a restaurant when his arm is shattered by a stray bullet from a robbery in progress. Finally found by the police, he is brought to the emergency room in bad shape. Once Toby is patched up Ben, the emergency room doctor, and George, the newly assigned social worker, are faced with what to do with this homeless kid with his broken arm in a cast. Telling you more would be a spoiler