Page 77 of Doctor Neighbor

Kim speaks again, her voice firm. “We’ll wait for the first round of possible matches before considering other treatments. This is the best way forward. We need to give the transplant the best possible chance to succeed.”

I nod, absorbing their words. “So, we have about three to four weeks of waiting and managing her condition?”

“Correct,” Jonah confirms. “We’ll use that time to keep her stable and prepare for the transplant. We’ll need your help to ensure she stays positive and strong through this.”

My mind races, but I know this is the best plan. “I’ll do whatever it takes. Consider me part of the team; I can be a liaison with the family since we have that relationship. I will stay out of your way, but let me know how and where I can help. I will do whatever I can. Let’s get this done.”

The doctors nod in unison, a shared determination filling the room. We have a plan, and now it’s time to execute it. For Maddie, for Cole, and for the future we all desperately hope for.

Friday, August 30

2:19 pm

I step out of surgery. My entire body is still tingling from the precise movements I've just performed. My normal ability to shut everything out while in surgery has been challenged like never before these last several days, and I am on edge about everything to do with Madeline.

With trembling fingers, I reach for my phone, my heart racing, never sure what I might find when I've been away from it.

There it is—a message from Kim Nguyen.

I'm a match for Maddie.

The world around me blurs. The bustling hospital corridor fades away, and I'm left standing in a bubble of surreal stillness. My extremities go numb, and I have to lean against the wall to steady myself.

I'm a match. Which I also realize means that I am likely her father.

The certainty of it hits me like a physical blow. I've known it was a possibility, but now...now it's real. Tangible. Undeniable.

My breath comes in short, sharp bursts. I'm a surgeon, trained to remain calm in the most intense situations, but this—this is beyond anything I've ever experienced. Joy, fear, and an overwhelming sense of responsibility crash over me in waves.

I look down at my hands, which have saved countless lives, and realize they're shaking. These hands will now save my daughter's life. My daughter. The words echo in my mind, foreign yet achingly familiar.

I close my eyes, trying to center myself. The corridor slowly comes back into focus, the sounds of the hospital filtering back in. But I'm changed. At this moment, I'm no longer just Dr. Buster Hankel, surgeon. I'm a father. Maddie's father.

With a deep breath, I push off the wall. I need to find Cole. We have a future to fight for.

TWENTY-SIX

Cole

2:27 pm

I'm sitting in the uncomfortable hospital chair, flipping through the latest People magazine without really seeing the pages. My eyes keep darting to Madeline, watching her slight form curled up in the bed, her eyes glued to Moana on the TV. The familiar songs wash over us, a stark contrast to the beeping machines.

I called Steele earlier and left him a second message that I needed him to come in to test for a match. He never returned my call from the day they gave me the news.

There is a part of me that wants to put that off for infinity. The thought of talking to him about Maddie and pleading for him to do something for us for her makes me want to scream. I wonder if he would even do it…

Suddenly, the door bursts open. Buster rushes in, his face flushed and eyes wild. My heart leaps into my throat. Before I can ask what's wrong, he's kneeling beside me, gripping my hands.

"Cole," he pants, "I have amazing news."

I hold my breath, afraid to hope.

"I'm a likely match for Madeline," he says, his voice cracking. "There's still more testing to be done, but... it's huge. We may have found someone so quickly."

The world stops spinning for a moment. I can't process what he's saying. A match? So soon? And it's Buster?

Before I can form words, he wraps me in a tight embrace. I feel his body shaking and realize he's crying. Tears spring to my eyes, a mix of relief, hope, and overwhelming emotion.

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