It was about time that some of the results were released. However, it doesn’t include the results of the 3rd donor and Ian’s. Dr. Williams looked disappointed after reading the 1st set inside his office.
“So that’s 2 out of 4 donors, huh? Both failed the screening tests.” He sighed, and then he sets out to meet Fredrick and Evon as soon as possible to inform them about it. While walking, he thought, (This lessens her survival rate…)
A few minutes later, he arrived and immediately came inside Margaret’s room. Inside, he saw Evon held her mother’s hands and hopefully said, “You’re going to be fine mama…”
Having second thoughts on saying the results, the doctor made a diversion and inquired about Evon’s upcoming birthday.
“Shouldn’t you be preparing for your debut?” He asked. She smiled and somehow agreed to what he suggested. She sighed while looking at her bedridden mother and said, “I guess you’re right, doc. But mama is…”
He gave her a pat on the shoulder and assured, “Don’t worry, she’ll make it on your precious day.”
Despite the current status, he managed to persuade her attention and thought, “Am I doing the right thing, Ian?”
Fredrick came in a few minutes after Evon went out to continue the preparations for her birthday. He sat down on a chair beside Margaret’s bed and asked, “How’s the results, doc?”
Since Evon left, it was the perfect time for the doctor to tell him the truth. He breathed in, exhaled, and said, “Half of them didn’t pass the screening tests.”
Fredrick kept calm about the bad news and followed up another inquiry about the other results, “When will the last 2 results be given then?”
The doctor gave out a straight answer, “The results will be given after 5 hours.”
He had doubts in mind that he had to tell the doctor. So he calmly breathed and asked, “What if the results turn out to be the same like before?”
However, he looked to desperate that made the doctor take a look at Margaret and think twice. But, he had no choice and but to tell him, “If all else fails, your wife will die.”
Although he was already aware of the answer, he gently caressed his wife’s forehead and whispered, “I’ll always pray for you, honey…”
The doctor leaned on the wall and pondered on some thought, (All they can do now is to pray for a miracle to happen.) and then, he closed his eyes and prayed, (God, don’t let Ian’s sacrifice be in vain, I beg you.)
Tears flow down from his eyes; he was in a mild pain. On the other hand, Dorothy stood in front of a grave at the city cemetery. It was yet to be named but she felt very sad as she recalls the moments after Ian’s sacrifice.
*START OF FLASHBACK*
Although it was against his will, Dr. Williams had to explain things to her, “Ian is in a vegetative state now and I know you’re aware of what it means.”
She nodded as the doctor continued talking, “We can’t tell whether he’s still going to wake up or not. Instead of wasting time waiting, let’s make use of his condition to help save Margaret.”
However, she begged to disagree and asked, “What if he doesn’t pass the screening test?”
“His sacrifice would mean nothing…” the doctor was blunt with his answer. With that given, she disagreed even more, but she was struck with what the doctor noticed.
“You like him, don’t you?” he asked. Thoughts in her mind and feelings in her heart raged in one corner, wanting to burst out into words. But by the time she realized her true feelings for Ian, it was too late.
She didn’t notice that the doctor already gave the approval sheet to the in-charge, and then a team of surgeons immediately attended to Ian and brought him to the Operating room to begin the heart removal operation.
“Ian is…” she softly spoke as the red light that indicates the start of the operation lit. She cried and uttered the words in her head, (Ian is my first love…)
Seeing him bedridden was her last moment before the operation started.
*END OF FLASHBACK*
She came back to her senses through a phone call from Evon.
“Yoh, twin aunt, I haven’t seen nor heard from you for days~”
Dorothy felt numb, but tried answering as if nothing happened, “You just never listen, do you? It seems something good happened for you to talk like this. What’s up?”
Evon managed to hold her feelings and told her, “I can’t be sober forever, can I?”
Obviously struck with what her niece said, she kept listening, “After all, my birthday is already near.”
With that added, she almost forgot about her niece’s debut and faintly said, “Oh yeah~ so let me guess…”
Evon giggled merrily as her aunt talked, “You want me to help out, right?”
“Yup, we have to prepare everything before mama recovers.”
Somehow, Dorothy was offended with what Evon said, but kept the anger to herself and nodded, “Sure…”
As she was about to end the phone call, she was surprised with what Evon suddenly asked, “Have you seen Ian? He hasn’t been visiting mama lately. I wonder what he is doing right now.”
Upon hearing these words made her even angrier, so she dropped the call. She couldn’t hold it in anymore as these emotions brought her to tears, and then complained, “If only you knew, Evon… If only you knew…”
On the other hand, Evon poked herself on the face and wondered why Dorothy dropped the call, “What’s with that girl right now? Getting all worked up when I asked about my best friend.”
Worried about Ian’s absence, she consulted Dr. Williams inside his office, and then asked, “Doc, has Ian been busy for the past few days?”
That question was the one the doctor was afraid to hear, so he thought, (Should I tell her or not?)
He felt like telling the truth but, a knock on the door interrupted his chance.
“Come in~” he said. A staff from the records section opened the door and stepped inside his office. He gave the doctor 2 brown envelopes and explained, “These are the last set of results, doc.”
The doctor was surprised to have it early than what was scheduled, but then he decided not to read the results unless both Evon and her father are present. So, he asked her to go with him to see her dad in Margaret’s room.
Upon entering the room, Fredrick already expected his arrival, saw the envelopes and asked, “It seems that the results came out earlier as expected, huh?”
The doctor nodded as he drew out the results of the 3rd donor and read it. Seeing his negative reactions, Fredrick knew the answer through these expressions.
“That makes 3 out of 4 donors, doc.” He bitterly said.
YOU ARE READING
18th Birthday
RomanceThis tells a story of a man's struggle in saving his best friend's mother as his birthday gift for her.
