18th Birthday

9 - "A Hero's Decision"

Rico didn’t understand what his grandpa meant. Nevertheless, he just smiled back. They continued walking until they reached a fruit market. Rico kept on pulling his grandpa’s hands asking him to buy some fruits, “Gramps! Let’s go buy some blueberries!”

The old man held Rico up and asked, “So you want some blueberries, huh?”

Rico smiled and nodded. Then he put him down, pinches his nose and said, “Okay boy! Lemme check my wallet…”

While checking his wallet, Rico dashed to the blueberry stand. On his way there, he noticed a suspicious looking man suspiciously staring at him. When the old man managed to budget his money, he lost sight of Rico, so he started searching around the market stall by stall.

A couple of minutes later, he noticed one stand swarmed by a lot of people. They were screaming as if something bad happened. He decided to go near, and then his eyes enlarged upon seeing Rico held hostage by the suspicious man.

“Rico…” he whispered. The boy screamed for help as the hostage taker pointed a knife near his neck. The old man thought that a direct attack might endanger his grandson, so he walked around and positioned behind the culprit.

Confident with the situation, the hostage taker demanded for ransom money. The people around tried calling the police, but he warned them, “Try calling the cops! This kid is dead meat if you do!”

Rico shivered as he felt the sharp edge of the knife and slowly whispered, “Gramps…”

Right after the cue given by a bystander, the old man dashed behind and chopped the culprit’s hand that held the knife.Rico managed to escape and ran towards his grandfather. He embraced him and cried, “GRAMPS!”

The old man told Rico to run to safety. However upon seeing him run, he almost got hit by a punch from the culprit behind him. They engaged into a fight through exchanging punches. For an old man, he was on par with the culprit’s strength. At the same time, several bystanders decided to call the police.

The fight continued with each blow dealt to one another seemed explosive. By a split moment, the culprit missed a punch, giving the old man a chance to knock him out with one more hit.

*BAAAAMMMMM*

The culprit laid down the floor looking unconscious and the old man was almost out of breath as well. Rico jumped for joy for the old man’s victory, but that wasn’t the end of the culprit. He grabbed two empty bottles from a stall, ran towards the old man, and bashed it on his head.

With that one hit, the old man fell on his knees and blood was spilt all over the floor. It was about time that the police arrived, but it was too late. The old man was bathed his blood and had lost consciousness. Rico saw everything and couldn’t help but cry, “GRRAAANNNDDDPAAA!!!!!!!!”

His voice echoed all over the place.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

Reminiscing the past and telling these details to the doctor reminded him of how the old man saved his life. He kept on crying and told the doctor to go out. Ian heard everything as tears fell from his eyes and said, “Poor Rico… for 15 years, his grandpa was like that all the time.”

He stood up and slowly walked away. The day ended, deducted from the one and a half week deadline for heart donors. He then pondered a thought, (I already have had four failed attempts and Aunt Margaret’s days are limited. What should I do?)

He drove back home to take some rest while Dorothy accompanied Evon to stay on guard outside the Intensive Care Unit. Fredrick also did his part of the work, searching for potential heart donors at other hospitals. Dr. Williams on the other hand, acquired a potential heart donor. He got permission from a prominent family to have their mother rest in peace.

He then sat on the chair inside the office and reviewed the patient’s medical history, adjusted his glasses and sighed, “Even if this was submitted for screening, I doubt these details can pass the compatibility issue.”

Although he saw through the flaws of the patient’s heart composition, he stamped the screening papers for approval. From the office, Dr. Williams proceed to the department in charge of the screening process. He wondered how his son was doing, so he thought, (Has he found any donors? It’s a tough job, son…)

He then smirked and said, “Nothing’s impossible for that boy when it comes to Evon.”

The screening takes two days to finish. While waiting for the results, he immediately pursues another potential donor. Back at home, Ian couldn’t sleep because of Rico’s situation. He thought, (Even if that waiver gets signed, it would still be hard to persuade that guy.)

He noticed it was already morning by the time he decided to sleep. But for a few minutes later, a call startled him. He grabbed his phone from the desk and answered the call.

“Ian?”

He recognized the voice, it was Rico’s. Ian was surprised to have a call from him and talked, “Rico, is that you? What’s up?”

“I need to talk to you. Don’t ask how I got your number. Just see me outside gramp’s room.”

And then Rico dropped the call. Ian was still drowsy at that time but he immediately dressed up and went back to the hospital. Outside the old man’s room, he saw Rico waiting for him. His arrogant nature was still there, but his eyes seemed tame. Ian sat beside him, then there’s that awkward silence between the two. Rico was hesitant, but he had to say it.

Rico:”I’ll allow you…”

Ian’s gloomy and worried look seemed to have brightened up upon hearing those words and clarified, “You mean, you’re giving me permission?”

He looked bitter, but tried to be strong and smiled. He looked at Ian comfortably and said, “Gramps used to tell me that being a hero is not about power, but heart. If he were to decide this, I’m sure he’d give his heroic heart.”

Ian smiled and thanked him for reconsidering. After signing the permission waiver, he asked a favor, “Make good use of gramp’s heart. If it doesn’t work out with the person you want to save give it to someone else.”

He nodded and immediately proceeded to the department. Before he could leave, he said, “I’ll put his heart to good use, Rico.”

Rico stood behind and said, “What an ungrateful guy…”