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%u00a9Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights ReservedHOW TO LEGALLY QUOTE FROM THIS BOOKWhat They Did to the Kid 141Mike hesitates. He begins to unbutton his cassock.%u201cTrust me,%u201d the priest says. %u201cThis is different than you think.%u201dMike hands him the cassock. He sees himself standing in the mirror, black khaki trousers and white T-shirt.%u201cJesus loves you, Michael.%u201d Dryden stands next to the mirror. He and Mike%u2019s reflection stand together. %u201cYour body is good, Michael. Good as your soul. Jesus loves both, because both are you. Jesus loves you. Do you believe that, Michael?%u201d%u201cYes,%u201d Mike says. %u201cYes, I believe it.%u201d%u201cDo you believe your body is good, Michael?%u201d%u201cYes, Father.%u201d%u201cHave you ever looked closely at your body, Michael?%u201d%u201cYes. Kind of, well, athletically, like, am I strong enough for football.%u201d%u201cTake off your shirt, Michael, and look at your body.%u201d%u201cI don%u2019t really think I should,%u201d Mike says.%u201cRelax, Michael. Your virtue...%u201d%u201cYes, Father.%u201d%u201cVirtue.%u201d%u201cYes, Father.%u201d%u201cVirtue comes from the Latin word, vir, a man, a male, the quality of a man, goodness. Trust me.%u201d The priest advances a step. %u201cJesus cured many by virtue of His touch. Open your shirt. Let me touch you, Michael. Give me your shirt.%u201dMike retreats behind a chair.%u201cDon%u2019t be afraid,%u201d Dryden says. %u201cTrust me.%u201d%u201cLook, Chris, I%u2019m twenty-one-years old. I don%u2019t think you%u2019re right about this.%u201d%u201cYou%u2019ve got to believe.%u201d Dryden spills a stack of Holiday magazines across the floor. %u201cThe others believe.%u201d%u201cI%u2019m not the others,%u201d Mike says. %u201cI%u2019m myself. I have that much identity.%u201d%u201cI%u2019m a priest and I love you as I love the others.%u201d Father Dryden%u2019s bright eyes burn in his athletic face. %u201cYou%u2019ve all been isolated here with no adult attention. Now you wonder what is the connection between a priest%u2019s natural body and the chastity of his soul. The other priests touch your intellect. You let them. The spiritual director guides your soul. You let him. But none of those priests really loves you. A priest needs to love the persons under his care. They need to know a priest loves them. Really loves them for what they are.%u201d He falls kneeling to the floor looking up at Mike. %u201cMichael, I love you for what you are. A real priest loves you, loves you all.%u201d His hands palm-to-palm implore Mike. %u201cMichael, you must