Page 6 of The Facilitator: Part 3
He nodded and sighed. “Thank you. I’ll ask one of the coordinators to speak with you about that.”
I knew, unless a Brit opted out, everyone was a donor and I wondered if Lauren did. Now wasn’t the time to worry about that, however.
“Sebastian will be moved to another room where you’ll be able to stay with him if you wish,” the professor said.
“Thank you for all you’ve done,” Elaine said, and she reached out to take his hand in hers. She just held it.
“I’m sorry we can’t do more for him,” he replied. “I’ll leave you now, please just let the nurses know if there is anything you need and a coordinator will be with you shortly.”
While Elaine cried, he left the room.
“Why, Mum?” Lauren asked.
“Why what?”
“His organs?”
“Lauren, if my son can stop another mother feeling the way I do right now, then he would jump at the chance.”
Suitably chastised, Lauren blinked rapidly and looked at me. I moved closer to her and wrapped my arm around her.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” I whispered into her temple.
We sat for a little while just in silence until there was a knock at the door. An elderly woman came in and just from the badge she wore and the stickers on her clipboard, she was the one about organ donation.
“Mrs. James, Professor Allum asked me to come and speak to you, is now okay?” she asked gently.
Elaine nodded. “Whatever can be used, then please do so,” she said.
I wasn’t sure Lauren would want to listen anymore. “Do you want to get a coffee for your mom while she does this?” I whispered.
Lauren nodded. “You stay with Mum, though, yes?” she asked. “Mum, I’m going to get us a coffee,” she said, and Elaine smiled sadly at her.
When Lauren left the room, Elaine spoke, “I’m not sure my daughter is in agreement with my decision but I know my son wanted to be a donor. He couldn’t have opted out, or in, whichever way round it is because he had brain damage, but he carried a donor card since he was a teen. I found it in his wallet,” Elaine said, rifling through her bag.
“That’s okay, Elaine, we don’t need to worry about that now.”
She then went on to explain what was likely and what wasn’t and eventually, Elaine signed her consent. I wasn’t sure if Lauren had listened but it seemed coincidencethat she arrived back when the meeting had finished.
“Thank you, Elaine, on behalf of the parents of those your boy will help,” she said, before she left the room.
“Shall we go back to him?” Lauren asked, and Elaine slowly nodded her head. She looked exhausted.
“Why don’t I leave you two with Sebastian for a while? Maybe you can call when you want me to collect you?” I offered.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to think you’re not welcome,” Elaine said. She reached out a hand to hold mine.
“There’s a limit to how many can be around his bed, and I’d rather it was you two. I’ll head back to the house, and Lauren can call me when you want to be picked up, or if you want to stay, I can bring some things back to you.”
“You’re a good man, Mackenzie,” she said, and placed her palm on my cheek. She handed me her door key.
“I’ll walk down with you,” Lauren said.
We didn’t speak until we left the building. Only then did her legs give out and I caught her before she fell. She wept against my chest, sobbed until she couldn’t catch her breath. People passed us by andsmiled sadly at her. I helped her to the parking lot and she leaned against the hood.
She wiped her eyes with a wet tissue. “God, I feel…I don’t know. And what was I thinking in there? Of course he would donate his organs, so would I. I’m an organ donor, you know that, right?” She rambled as tears ran down her cheeks.
“Hey, it’s okay. It’s the shock of the reality when it happens. Baby, it’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up over this, okay?”
