Angel

Chapter 24

The next morning Darlene interrupted my sleep when she started to draw my blood. The pinch of the needle entering my skin woke me up.

It scared me.

"Ouch!" I yelled.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but they need this for testing," she said, clear guilt in her voice. I could tell that she didn't want to wake me up, but she had been forced.

"By the way, Dr. Pasterik said you have been moved up on the list for an available heart. You're fourth in line." She smiled at me.

"Thank you for telling me."

"No problem," she said.

"All done," she announced after a few moments, as she untied the tourniquet from my upper arm. She pulled the needle out and stuck a bandaid on the slight wound she had made.

"What time is it?" I asked her. I knew for a fact that I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep now.

"Around eight o'clock in the morning. You can go back to sleep if you'd like."

"No, it's okay. Can you do something for me?" I asked.

"Of course," she said very politely. She was overly nice sometimes.

"Can you ask Dr. Pasterik if I can move upstairs today?"

She smiled and chuckled a little bit. What was it that she found amusing?

"I will do that as soon as he gets out of surgery."

"Surgery? Is everything okay?"

"It should be. A kid is having a heart transplant; that's why you moved up on the list."

"Oh. Well, thank you," I said uncomfortably. I don't know what it was, but something about the thought of transplants made me feel uneasy.

The feelings I was surprised I didn't feel at first all hit me at once.

I could die. And it wouldn't be my doing. My heart was enlarged. I needed a new heart. That was pretty nerve wracking.

Why hadn't I realized this before? Why was I just now freaking out?

I used every bit of effort I had to shrug it off. I decided it would be good to go visit Zack. Even if he was still in the coma, his presence would make me feel better.

I got up from the bed, went to the bathroom to pee, and got myself together as much as possible before I left my hospital room.

I went to the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor.

The tile floor was freezing on my bare feet, just like the past days that I have gotten up from my bed. I guess it was my fault; I didn't like to wear the socks that they provided the patients with. They made it feel like I was dragging two extra pounds with each foot because they were so thick.

The ding of the elevator let me know that I had arrived on the sixth floor.

The doors opened to three people: a young women and what I assumed were her two kids.

The lady looked like she was maybe 25, if that. She had blue eyes and blonde hair, and she had bags under her eyes, as if she was stressed or had gotten little sleep.

The kids were both toddlers, and they looked like they could be fraternal twins. They had their mom's blue eyes, but darker colored hair. They were both making a lot of noise.

"Move out of the way so the lady can get through," the women said while pulling her children to the side to get them out of the way.

I realized she was referring to me, so I smiled and made my way out of the elevator.