Page 30 of Saving Hanna
Chapter Twenty-One
AIDEN
“Help, someone. Please, help me.”My focus was only on Hanna. Why didn’t she listen to me? With her limp body in my arms, all I wanted was for someone to help me. Doctors and nurses were running around like crazy. It was as though I was invisible. Something must have happened that brought all these people to the emergency room. Just like Hanna, they were covered in blood. Why wasn’t anyone listening to me?
“Mr. Drake, Ms. Marsh is in recovery,” I heard a voice say.
Opening my eyes, a nurse wearing surgical scrubs stood before me. Adjusting my position, my body was stiff. Rubbing the back of my neck trying to get the kinks out, I looked up at her and asked, “How is she?”
“Ms. Marsh is stable, but in critical condition. The doctor will be here shortly to fill you in on her condition. Do you know if Ms. Marsh has any family?”
Thinking back to the events of the night, I realized the only family she had left was gone. Why the hell did Carter have to lift his gun? Things could have turned out differently. “No, she doesn’t have anyone.”
“I will make sure she gets on the list then.” I had no idea what she was talking about.
Standing to my feet, I asked, “List?”
“The doctor will be here momentarily to discuss Ms. Marsh’s condition.”
“Wait. Can I see her?” I asked as the nurse began walking away.
“Yes. As soon as she has been moved to ICU.”
Taking my seat, every possible thought imaginable had entered my mind. The only list I had ever heard of was a donor’s list. If that was the case, it could be months before Hanna would get what she needed. There wasn’t anything I could do but wait to talk to the doctor. It was evident that the nurse wasn’t going to give me any information.
Looking at my watch, the minutes continued to tick away. It had been twelve hours since I brought Hanna in and I still had no word on how she was doing. I was going crazy with worry. Raking my hands through my hair, I did the one thing I hadn’t done in a long time. I prayed. I prayed that God would forgive me for every bad choice I had ever made in my life. I promised that I would be a better person if he would just let Hanna be okay. I pleaded for his forgiveness for causing a man to take his own life.
Tipping my head back against the wall, I looked to the ceiling, hoping that he heard my plea. Hearing the doors swing open for the umpteenth time, finally a doctor dressed in the same colored scrubs as the nurse came through and looked around before heading my way. Standing to my feet, I tried to gauge his expression to decide whether or not the news he was about to share with me was going to be good or bad.
“Mr. Drake, I’m Dr. Donaldson. I performed surgery on Ms. Marsh,” he stated, holding out his hand in what was an awkward introduction.
“How is she?” I asked hesitantly.
“She has a long road ahead of her. There was extensive damage to her kidneys from the bullet. We were able to stop the bleeding that the bullet caused, but there was no way to save her kidneys. One of them we had to remove and the other is barely working. We have her on a dialysis machine to help filter the impurities. She is going to need a transplant. We have her on the list as the highest priority since there aren’t any living donors. I’m sorry, Mr. Drake. The only thing we can do now is wait and hope that a kidney comes available soon.”
This was by far the worst day of my life. There had to be something that I could do. Before the doctor got too far away, I asked, “What about me?”
Turning to face me, he replied, “Excuse me?”
Walking closer to him, I asked again. “Can I be the donor?”
Scratching his head, he replied. “If you are a match. First, we will need to run a blood test. Then there is the process of cross-matching to see how Hanna will react to your kidney. Once it has been established that you are a match, there are a series of other tests that will need to be done prior to the transplant. Are you sure you are ready to do this?”
There was no doubt in my mind. My life without Hanna would mean nothing. “I couldn’t be surer about anything in my life.”
“Well, Ms. Marsh is very lucky to have you. I will get the paperwork started.”
~*~*~*~
When the nurse finally came back to let me know that I could see Hanna, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face her. Eventually she would need to know the truth about her brother. When the time was right and she was strong enough to hear what he had done, I would tell her. For now, she was my only concern and saving her would be my only focus.
Entering her room, I remembered the doctor had warned me that she was heavily sedated due to the extent of her injuries. Other than the equipment that was hooked up to her, she looked like she was just resting. Pulling a chair next to the bed, I took hold of her hand. Her skin was warm, just as it had been yesterday.
Sitting in silence, with only the monitors beeping, Hanna was the only one I heard. I had to be a match. I had to be the one to save her. I had taken so much from her. I needed this. Even though I hadn’t officially said it, I loved her more than life itself. Lowering my head, I kissed the back of her hand. As I lifted my head, I realized that I had left a single tear on it. Wiping it away with my thumb, I knew then that love had indeed entered my heart.
Hearing a tap on the glass door, I turned to find Dr. Donaldson standing at the entrance. Rising to my feet, I released Hanna’s hand and followed him out of the room. Stopping just outside the door, he looked up at me and said, “The blood test came back good.”
“What’s next?” Relief had washed over me and I knew that Hanna would be okay.
