Chasing Abby(76)

“We contacted Mr. Burrows and it turns out he’s the lawyer who drafted Caleb’s living will. Mr. Everett’s wishes were for Abigail to have his heart.”
My knees give out and I grasp the arm of the chair next to me to keep from collapsing. Chris and the doctor kneel next to me, repeatedly asking if I’m okay.
I shake my head. “This will destroy her.”
Givens orders Jimi to get me some water from the cooler in the corner of the waiting room, then he stands up so he can address everyone. “We have a legal obligation to carry out Mr. Everett’s wishes. In the event that he were permanently incapacitated, he wanted Abigail to have his heart. Since Abigail is an adult and she doesn’t have a living will in place, we have a legal and moral obligation to preserve her life to the best of our ability. This is her best chance.”
I climb onto the chair to have a seat and sip the water that Jimi brought for me. I can’t bring myself to speak. I couldn’t imagine living without Chris and I know Abby will be devastated when she wakes up to find that Caleb didn’t make it. I can only hope that having a part of Caleb inside her will make it easier, but somehow I seriously doubt that.
Chris stands up and I watch as he and Brian exchange a silent agreement. Then Brian turns to Dr. Givens and nods. “Do it. Save my little girl.”


Chapter 32 - Abby

THIS IS THE FOURTH time I’ve opened my eyes in this hospital room. The tube in my throat is finally gone. I have vague memories of my parents standing at my bedside, wearing gloves and masks. I think I remember being wheeled into an X-ray room. I’m so thirsty.
“Mom?”
A nurse in purple scrubs and a mint-green mask over her mouth arrives at my bedside. “How are you feeling, sweetie?”
There are less machines beeping than there were the last time I woke up. My entire body feels sore, as if I did a hundred dead lifts recently. But the soreness in my chest is the worst. I’ve obviously undergone another heart surgery. I remember this pain.
“Where are my parents?”
“They went back to the hotel to change their clothes. They should be back in just a few minutes. Your… your other parents are outside. Can I send them in?”
“Where’s Caleb?” My voice cracks on Caleb’s name. “Why is it so cold in here?”
“You’re running a slight fever. You’re on a high dose of anti-rejection meds right now, and that suppresses your immune system.”
“Anti-rejection?”
The nurse finishes checking the drainage tubes coming out of my chest. “I’ll let your family explain everything.”
She leaves the room and I feel so alone. This room is so cold. It’s not a regular hospital recovery room. It looks cold and lifeless like a surgical room. And there’s a small antechamber off to my left where the nurse removes her gloves and mask before she tosses them into a waste bin. She steps out into the corridor for a moment, then she comes back into the antechamber with Chris and Claire. They spend at least five minutes scrubbing their hands and arms, then all three of them put on more gloves and masks.
As they approach my bed, something feels different. Quiet. Too quiet.
“How long have I been here?”
Claire’s eyes are puffy and glistening. “Fifty-two hours.”
“More than two days? Where’s Caleb?”
Claire opens her mouth to say something, then she stops herself and turns away.
Chris looks me in the eye and flashes me a weak smile. “Your parents will talk to you about Caleb.”
“Why? Where is he?”
Claire turns around and leaves the room without another word and Chris looks stumped.
“Please tell me what’s going on here. I wake up with tubes coming out of every hole in my body and the nurse just said something to me about anti-rejection meds. Did I get a heart transplant? What happened? Please… I’m scared.”