AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maisie nodded, the epitome of calm even though she must have a storm circling inside. If she felt even a tenth of what Zane was feeling, she was in purgatory. And Lori was her daughter. That meant her fears were far, far worse.
“I’d like to see her, please,” Maisie stated.
“Of course.” He set his eyes on all three of them. “If we could keep to one or two visitors at a time. I don’t want her getting tired.”
Zane motioned with his hand. “You go.” He wasn’t ready to face Lori yet, and besides, Maisie was her mother. Of course she should go in first. “I’ll wait here.”
As Maisie and Jim walked away, Zane croaked, “Tell her I love her.”
Maisie glanced back at him, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Oh, Zane, darling. She already knows that.”
Alone once more, Zane slumped back into the hard plastic chair and wrapped his arms around his abdomen. People came and went, dashing about with purpose. Some laughed, and he despised their ability to find joy when he was crumbling inside. Others were somber, and a few passed with tears streaking their faces. He discovered solidarity in their misery.
Maisie and Jim returned ten minutes later. They weren’t crying, but they weren’t laughing either.
“How is she?”
“Her cardiologist just arrived, and Lori wanted to see him alone.”
“What does that mean? Is she worried? Is she scared?”
Maisie took the seat next to him and started up with rubbing his back once more. He found comfort in her ability to comfort him, but surely it should be the other way around?
Jim stuffed his hands into his pockets. “She’s a tough one, our Lori. You know this, Zane. Stubborn, too. Let’s wait and see what the cardiologist says before we go off half-cocked and tear ourselves down with worry.”
Jim was right, but listening to his sage advice was a lot easier said than done.
“We did so much today. She wanted to play tourist, and it’s so cold, and the wind is biting. And we walked so far. I should have taken better care of her. I should have known this was too much. I should have—”
“Zane, stop.” Maisie’s sharp reprimand pulled him up short. “We know how you feel. Believe me, when Lori first got sick, I wanted to wrap her in cotton and never let her out of my sight. And I did, for a while. After her transplant and through her recovery, I wouldn’t let her do anything. Then one day, about six months in, she sat me down and said if I didn’t loosen the reins, she would divorce me.” Maisie chuckled. “I told her that a child couldn’t divorce her parents, and she said ‘wanna bet?’”
A faint smile touched Zane’s lips. He could hear Lori saying those exact words.
“After that, I learned to hide my fear, and gradually, it waned. Leaving her in India was the hardest decision I have ever made, but she flourished without me fussing over her every five minutes. If I’d smothered her, she wouldn’t have grown into the successful, confident, wonderful woman she is today.” She angled her head to the side. “I can see where your mind is going, and my advice is don’t. Lori will fight you, and that fight will cause fissures in your relationship. Whatever is going on with her, we will deal with it. Together. But suffocating her, even if it’s done with the best of intentions, is not the way to go.” She squeezed his arm. “Trust me.”
“I’ll try.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “But damn, it won’t be easy, Maisie.”
“We know, sweetheart. We know.”
They drank coffee and switched between sitting and pacing until Lori’s cardiologist appeared around an hour later. He called them into a family room. Zane’s heart raced to the floor, his chest constricting as he prepared himself for the worst. Trembling, he reached for Maisie’s hand, and she took it.
“I’ve examined Lori and carried out a few tests. She’s going through the early stages of organ rejection.”
Zane wavered, and so did Maisie.
“So she needs a new heart?” Jim asked.
“Oh god,” Maisie muttered.
The specialist doctor shook his head. “Not necessarily. This kind of thing often happens in the weeks or months after transplant, but it is not uncommon for it to happen years later.”
“So what do we do?”
Jim again. Thank goodness he was asking the right questions. Zane couldn’t find the words.
“I’m going to increase her immunosuppressant medication. In most cases, this is enough to stabilize the situation, avoiding the requirement for a further transplant.”
“And if it doesn’t work?” Zane asked, then cursed himself for focusing on the negative. The man had just shared good news, and there he was, bringing everyone crashing down to the fucking earth.
