Saving Each Other

1:It Begins with Loss

"Code blue! We need a crash cart!!!"

"No no! HELP HIM!! Don't let him die!!" I screamed!

"Charge to 300! Eliana! You need to leave, right now!"

"No, no! Im not leaving!"

"Clear!" The doctor yelled. Every doctor took a step back, not a second later the machine made a noise and my father seemed to have been shocked again.

"Start compressions" called out the doctor. Someone else started doing compressions. A woman with different colored scrubs than the doctors.

"He's still on Vfib! Charge again! clear!" The woman stoped compressions and stepped back again. My fathers chest got chocked again.

The doctors paused to look at the monitor, and so did i.

"No, dont give up, no..." but my whispers where interrupted by the steady beeping of the machine.

"Ok, we got him." The doctor smiled. "Come on kid. You cant be here right now. Your brother just got out of surgery, and is asking for you." I nodded slowly.

"Does he know about mom?" I whispered. She only looked at me with pity but after a second shook her head 'no'.

"Is my father going to make it?"

"Im sorry, i need to speak to the next of kin,m"

"My mother just died and my father is in a coma right now. I think im the best you've got" i snapped as a tear fell

"Im sorry but you are a mino-"

"As of today, i am an adult." She sighed.

"Is nobody coming? Grandparents, aunts?"

"My mother is a single child and my father lost his brother to cancer 7 years ago. As of grandparents, all gone except for my mothers father, who left her when she was born... How is he? is he gonna be ok?"

She looked shocked. Clearly not what she expected

"Well your father- he has has fallen into cardiac arrest four times already and he is not getting better." She said, head down. "Each time is taking longer to bring him back" she now looks at me in the eye "Our head of Neuro cant find any signs of brain activity" She looked embarrassed, pained and almost teary but i just nodded. I could not stop the tears and my throat was burning. "Im sorry" she said

"He does not want extraordinary measures taken."

"What do you mean?"

"He is on life support right now, isnt he?" She nodded "He doesnt want that."

"Mam'" wow, you are 18 and suddenly you are called mam'?! "With all due respect, he can't survive without life support, we take him off, he Will die."

"'With all due respect' he is already dead." I said, with no hesitation. She looked down once again, nodding.

"Where is my brother? I need to tell him that both our parents are dead."

"He is in pediatrics, floor above us. Only sustained minor injuries. A few cuts and bruises. But we can tell him, if that's what you want"

"Thank you, but i need to be the one who tell him."

"Someone will bring you the documents you need to sign for us to remove your father from life support and some donation papers"

"Donation?"

"You do not know? His license states that he wants to be a donor. If that is what you wish as well, you need to sign a consent form."