The Bucket List

reconnecting

"Hey honey!" A new doctor comes into my room the next morning. "My name is Dr. Banane, I know, it sounds a lot like banana."

"Where's the other doctor?" I ask, confused.

"Who, Dr. Jamal?"

"I mean, I guess. She never told me her name."

"Typical. Honey don't tell her I said this but she is literally the dumbest doctor I know." I laugh at her words.

"Any sign of my blood type?" I ask, hopefully.

"No, but I did do some searching, we had one guy come in last night and donate O-negative blood last night."

"What does that have to do with me? I'm A-negative."

"Damnit, Dr. Jamal!" She says, "she's so dumb, she doesn't know that O-negative blood is universal, meaning it can be given to patients with any blood type."

"It can?" I ask, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, like every doctor should know that." I grab my phone and go to call Liam and Kevin. They have the universal blood type.

I call Kevin first, because I know he was going to ask around for me first thing in the morning.

"Hello?"

"Kevin, stop searching."

"What, why?"

"You can give me blood."

"No I can't. We're different-"

"It works. The doctor just told me. Now, get over here, Julian and Addison are already here getting blood taken." I say, and hang up on him before saying anything else. I quickly call Liam and we have roughly the same conversation.

Before I know it they're here, getting their blood taken for me.

All for me.

All of my friends, willing to give themselves to me in order for me to survive.

I feel special, loved.

•••

One short cry of joy and a blood transfusion later, Kevin drives me home.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes again.

"Why do you keep apologizing?"

"Because I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm perfectly fine. I promise."

"Okay." He says, "hey, how does it feel to have the blood of your friends and family literally be pumped into you?"

"Well, that's one way to think about it." I say, tilting my head to the side. "But to answer your question, I didn't really feel anything."

"Really? I was hoping it would feel cool."

"Well... Sorry?" I say, not knowing what to say.

"Are you tired?" He asks.

"I'm so tired that I'm not." I say, taking a deep breath. He takes my hand as he pulls into my driveway. He sits in his seat for an extra minute as I wait for him to walk with me into the house. "Are you coming?"

"What? Yeah." He says, swinging the door open and stepping out.

"You haven't gotten enough sleep, have you?"

"Not a chance." I smile at him as we sit down on my couch, sinking down into it. I almost forgot how comfy it was. He wraps his arms around me and I lay on his chest, his body heat radiating against me, warming me up.  "Hey, Morgan?" He asks.