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“I’m afraid so. He said they’d move her to the top of the list, but he said finding a match isn’t as easy as it sounds. He told me it’s more than a blood type match.”
I sighed heavily and sat down in the chair by the bed. “Yes, HLA, human leukocyte antigen.”
“Yes, that’s what the doctor said. I guess it’s difficult.”
“I know. I had a transplant when I was five.”
“Oh, yes, I remember now. You mentioned it the first day I came by Rory’s room.”
“The best chance we have is to find her mother or someone else in her family. I can order one of those online DNA tests if you want. Maybe we can get a match.”
“Don’t do that; I have to get a court order, but it should be granted.”
“Do I need to cancel my weekend? I can be a witness if you need me to.” I felt desperate to do whatever I could to help Rory. Dylan would be disappointed, but I knew he’d understand.
“No. I can have our attorney file it and expedite it. Even if we get it approved, and they do the test tomorrow, it takes time to get the results.”
“Maybe they can do it here at the hospital,” I suggested. “Maybe it would be made a priority.”
“Okay, I’ll make a call to the doctors to see. You go and have yourself a nice weekend, now. There is nothing you can do in the next few days. You have been so diligent with Rory, and I’m grateful, and she is certainly attached to you. You should be realistic; even if we get the results, we might not find her mother.”
“That’s why you submit it to one of the national data bases. I’m sure they’d cooperate with St. Jude. I–I mean,” the words rushed out. “Get the test done wherever it can be expedited and then run the results through one of the commercial data bases.”
I felt my heart pound in my neck. I felt sick to my stomach.
The social worker laughed. “You know, if you don’t make it as a doctor, you could come work in our office.” His voice had become lighter. “Now, go enjoy your trip.”
“I will. Thank you. And… please call me if you find out anything!”
“Will do.”
When the call ended, my eyes returned to the little girl in the bed. Her eyes were open and her little hand reached out to me. “Remi,” she said weakly.
I moved to sit beside her on the bed, laying my arm over the top of her pillow and bending to kiss her little cheek, that was swollen and puffy from the treatment and her other medications. Her appearance had changed in just a few weeks.
“Hey, sweetie!” I tried to put brightness into my tone. “Can I have lunch with you?”
Her eyes drooped. I could see she was sleepy, and I glanced at the clock. I still have a couple of hours before I had to leave for the airport. She nodded.
“I’m so hungry. How about chicken noodle soup and Sprite?”
“Okay.”
“Guess what? I’m going to see Dylan this weekend and maybe soon, he can come here and see you.”
She sat up and put her little arms around me as far as they could reach, looking up at me with those pretty blue eyes, that ironically were a similar shade to his.
“I go, too.”
“Oh, sweetheart. I’d love that and I’m sure Dylan would, too, but the doctor said you need to stay here so you can feel better.”
It was instantaneous that her little face crumpled, and she began to sob. I held her tight as tears came to my own eyes.
“I go see Dylan, too!” Rory was full on wailing, and I wished that I wouldn’t have told her that I was going to see him. Maybe if it was just a trip with a friend, I wouldn’t have gotten this result. It never occurred to me to lie. It just wasn’t something I did, but maybe in this instance it would have spared her pain.
I swallowed the ache in my throat and tears escaped my eyes. I closed my eyes and held her, until her sobs turned to soft hiccups, and she fell back asleep in my arms.
***
