Page 81 of Warrior's Walk

“She’s not. But it’s not just her kidneys, it’s her pancreas as well. And it could be a matter of weeks or even days before it affects the rest of her organs.”

“So—so what? What does that mean? You can’t fix her? You can’t replace all those organs?” Rhett sputters.

My heart clenches painfully. He’s desperate, he’s bargaining, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

Dr. Anson looks sympathetic. “Even if we could, which is unlikely, her body will continue to attack new organs, and the cysts will continue to spread.”

“So, what are you saying, Doc? What does that mean?” Rhett grips my forearm. “What does that mean, Riggs?”

It means she’s going to die.

“For now, all we can do is keep your mother comfortable and keep her sedated. If she becomes agitated, she could be at risk for an aneurysm or stroke.” The doctor clears his throat. “I’ll let you know more when I have more information.”

He walks away, and Rhett is still clinging to my arm desperately. He’s looking at me like he wants me to deny everything the doctor just told us.

I fold him in my arms, rubbing my hand up and down his back soothingly. “Come on, let me buy you a cup of coffee. We can talk more about it.”

In the cafeteria, we find a table near the window, and Rhett stares, unseeing, out the foggy pane as rain beats against the glass. Clutching my coffee in both hands, I let the warmth seep into my skin, hoping it will thaw the icy pain of watching him suffer.

“They’re just gonna let her die.” His voice sounds flat, dead. “They’re not doin’ anything for her. They’re just gonna let her die.”

“They’re doing all they can. You know that.”

He turns to me, showing me his red-rimmed eyes. “What if I give her my kidney? Will that help?”

He’s killing me. Crushing my heart in his fist. “Rhett, even if you were a match, you heard the doctor. Her body will continue to attack her organs.”

“But I could buy her a little more time, right?”

“It wouldn’t be much. Not nearly enough. You would likely spend whatever time you bought her recovering from your surgery. You wouldn’t even be able to see her.”

The damn holding back his emotions cracks under the pressure, and he falls apart, sobbing, his face just sort of crumbling in on itself. “Riggs. Help me. Do something.”

Tears sting my eyes, and I drag a deep breath into my heavy chest, willing myself to hold it together, for his sake. “Babe,” my voice is thick and warbled with emotions I’m holding back. “I wish there was something I could do. But you know I can’t. All I can do is be here to support you and be strong for you. I can listen, I can hold you, and I can watch over your mama while you sleep.”

He presses the heels of his hands to his eyes, holding them there while he gets a hold of himself. “Ugh! I don’t think I can do this. I’m not strong enough.”

“You’re the strongest person I know, soldier. I’ve seen men go through less than you have and suffer way more horribly. You’re a fighter, a warrior, you get knocked down, and you bounce right back again.”

“Not this time. This time, I think I’m gonna stay down.”

He sounds utterly defeated, like a kicked dog. “Do you want to head home and get some rest? We’ll be back first thing in the morning, or would you like to head back to your mother?”

“I can’t leave her. What if she wakes up?”

“Rhett, they have her heavily sedated.”

“I know, but maybe… maybe she can feel me, ya know? Like, sense me or hear me if I talk to her. Maybe she just needs to know I’m here.”

“All right, I’ll walk you back.”

“Are you gonna go back home?”

“No. I told you, I’ll be right by your side, every step of the way.”

“So, you’re just gonna hang out in the waiting room?”

I shrug, giving him an easy smile. “I think I saw some good magazines.”

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