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“I suppose.”
Priscilla arrives with our meals, and Bridget digs right into her lasagna. Just as well. Not as much time to talk.
Why did Falcon Bellamy get parole early?
There’s one way to find out.
I’ll ask him the next time I see him.
8
FALCON
“All right, Mr. Bellamy,” Dr. Stevens, a gorgeous redhead, says. “I’m going to take you through the steps of the procedure so you have full understanding of what will happen.”
“That’s not necessary, Doc. I’m doing this for my sister no matter what.”
“It’s our protocol, Mr. Bellamy.”
She’s hot, for sure. But my dick isn’t reacting. Not even slightly, and it’s not because I’m about to have a needle poked into my bones.
It’s because I can’t get Savannah Gallo out of my mind.
“As you know, you’re the best match for the recipient out of all your siblings. What this means is that your human leukocyte antigens are the closest to your sister’s.”
“Right.”
Hell, yeah, I know that. It’s what got me early parole. I should have been out five years ago, but that motherfucker Zion forced me to shiv him in the cafeteria.
He learned his fucking lesson, though.
“Human leukocyte antigens are blood proteins. Your bone marrow contains blood-forming cells, also known as stem cells, which we’ll then transplant into the recipient—”
“Her name is Raven.”
“Of course. Raven is the recipient.”
I cross my arms. “I get that you have a speech you have to give me, Doc, but my sister is a person. A family member who means something to me. She’s not just a recipient.”
“Of course.” Dr. Stevens clears her throat. “Your blood labs all came out normal, and you’ve tested negative for HIV, CMV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis.”
“What the hell is CMV?”
“It’s a form of the herpes virus.”
“I don’t have any of those.”
“No you don’t, but it’s protocol to test for them, especially since you were so recently incarcerated—”
I stifle a scoff. “Right. I get it. No one touched me in prison. I made sure of that.”
“Very well.” She reddens. “I’ll perform a quick physical exam today to check your overall health.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Do I look unhealthy to you?”
“It’s—”
“Protocol, right.” I resist rolling my eyes. “You do what you have to do, Doc. Just get my cells into my sister pronto. This illness of hers needs to fuck off.”
“Once I’ve cleared you after the exam, here’s what to expect.” She looks down at a paper. “You’ll be taken to an operating room where a doctor will administer general anesthesia. Have you had general anesthesia before, Mr. Bellamy?”
“You’ve got my records.”
“Yes, but I—”
“Never mind.” I breathe in slowly. She’s just doing her job, but I’m on edge. “Yes. Once, but it was a long time ago. I broke my leg in a horseback riding accident when I was fifteen. I required surgery for the repair.”
“Did you have any side effects?”
“Not that I recall.”
“Good. You’ll be lying prone for the procedure. That means on your stomach.”
“I know what prone means.”
“Fine. You’ll be intubated—”
“Which means I’ll have a tube down my throat. I know. Not all ex-cons are morons.”
Dr. Stevens inhales, pauses a moment.
I should apologize.
But I don’t.
“I’ll place a needle through your skin into the narrow cavity of your hip bone. The hip bone contains the most marrow and the largest number of healthy stem cells. I may need to insert the needle several times to get enough marrow.”
“Whatever. I’ll be out cold.”
“Yes. I’ll need to collect about a pint of liquid marrow.”
I raise my eyebrows.
“That sounds like a lot, but it’s only about ten percent—probably less in your case—of your marrow cells.”
I nod.
“The procedure will take about an hour. Do you have any questions so far?”
“Nope.”
“All right. Once we’re done in the OR, you’ll be taken to a recovery room. You’ll be monitored before and after you wake up from the anesthesia until your blood pressure and pulse are stable. The recovery nurse will also check your hip bandage to make sure there isn’t any excessive bleeding. You’ll still have an IV at this time. Once you’re fully awake, you’ll receive instructions on how to care for the wound on your hip. Once you can take fluids orally, the nurse will remove the IV. Any questions?”
“Nope.”
“All right, then. Once you’re awake and stable, you’ll be released. You’ll feel tired for the rest of the day, and you may have a sore throat from the breathing tube. You may feel slightly nauseated. You’ll be fatigued for the next couple of days. If you need help rising and going to the bathroom, don’t be afraid to ask for it. You don’t live alone, do you?”
“I do. I have my own place on my family’s property.”
“Is there someone who can stay with you for a couple days?”
“I’ll be fine, Doc.”
“I’d feel better if—”
I hold up a hand. “I’ll be fine.”
“Someone needs to be here today. For the procedure. I can’t let you drive yourself home.”
