There was the sound of a door opening, then shutting.I didn’t hurry her, knowing she had to be rattled.Lavender never cried.Even the day I’d sent her away, she’d only shed a single tear.She hadn’t acknowledged the drop of moisture on her cheek when she begged me, “Please don’t do this.”I’d told her to fuck off -- which is when a second tear fell -- and she lifted her chin, gave me a nod of concession, and left.Hearing her this shattered meant she’d reached her breaking point.
“Sorry.I didn’t want to wake Brynn.”
“It’s fine.Are you somewhere you can talk and still be close to her?”I might not know Lavender now, but I knew who she used to be.Lavender might have a delicate name, but I knew she’d protect her daughter.That included staying by her side no matter what.
“Yes.I’m just outside the door.She knows everything.It’s just hard for her to sleep and I hate to wake her.”
“You don’t have to explain to me, Lavender.You’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do.Just take a deep breath.When you’re ready, tell me everything.OK?”
I heard her take in a shuddering breath, then she started.“Eight months ago, Brynn got sick.She hates going to the doctor, so she doesn’t tell me she’s sick until she’sreallysick.”Her voice broke again, but she cleared her throat and continued.“Um, I work, um, a lot.”I could tell she felt uncomfortable about something, but I couldn’t tell if her anxiety stemmed from her thinking I’d judge her for working too much or if she was trying to hide the fact money was tight.“Anyway, I didn’t notice she was sick until they called me at work to come pick her up from school.I took her to the doctor where they gave her a shot of penicillin and a prescription for more to take at home.She seemed to get better, but then she got sick again.By the time her doctor finally figured out what was wrong, she was so sick they sent her here.”
“To Cincinnati.”
“Yes.We live in Columbus, Indiana.She stayed at a local hospital for a couple of days until her kidney function started to worsen.Cincinnati’s the closest, so that’s where they sent us.She got better, for a while.We got to go home.But she never really bounced back.She got so sick the second time, she got septic and she had to have a blood transfusion.That was six months ago.”
“What happened that she’s in the hospital now?”I wanted her to get to the kidney transplant part but didn’t want to rush her.
“After she had the transfusion, they were finally able to get all the strep bacteria killed and thought she’d turned the corner and would be OK.But before they got her discharged, her kidney function started getting worse.A bunch of blood tests and imaging later and they determined she’s in renal failure.They said then she would eventually need a transplant, but she could live on dialysis if they couldn’t.”
“That’s no way for a kid to have to live.”The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“No.”She sniffled then continued.“Anyway, they started the battery of tests they needed to find her a donor, only she has something in her blood that makes it hard.”
“Something in her blood?”
“Rhys, I don’t… I don’t understand it all.I’m trying, but this stuff is way over my head.”
“It’s OK.Just get as close as you can and we’ll figure it out together when I get there.I just need to know what to expect so I can be prepared.”
“OK.”Her voice shook again, but I knew she’d keep going.“Um, I think they said it was an antibody?Maybe?They said it was likely caused when she had the blood transfusion.Something about her body already fighting hard against an infection, then being transfused with blood not her own.Her body was already fighting so they called it being ‘highly sensitized.’So now her body doesn’t like any foreign tissue.They said it will even be hard to find compatible blood if she needs a transfusion again.”
“Foreign… tissue.”I mulled over the words.“So she needs tissue genetically similar to her own.”Things made sense now.
“Right.And I’m not a match for her.I don’t know my parents.I had no way to contact your parents.That’s when I submitted Brynn’s DNA to every site I could find.It was a shot in the dark, but I literally had nothing else I could do.”
“Have they started dialysis on her yet?”
“No.They don’t want to until they absolutely have to.Something about the chances of her body rejecting the transplant because of how hard dialysis is on the blood vessels.”
“And since she may only get one shot at this…”
“Yes.You’re the best hope she has for long term quality of life.”She let out a long sigh.“I’m sorry about all this, Rhys.I know you don’t want me in your life.I made my peace with that.But I’m begging you.I’ll do anything.Give you anything I have.Just please…” Her voice broke again.“Please at least get the testing done.If you’re not a match, you don’t have to do anything more.You don’t have to see her or me.”
“Hush, Lavender.”She was breaking my fucking heart.“I’m coming to you.I’m four hours away, so hang in there.You have my number.I expect you to call me if you need me or if something changes.Do you understand?”
“Yes.”She sounded so small and helpless.
A thought occurred to me.“You have me listed as her father?”
There was a pause, then she let out a defeated breath.“Yes.I wanted to make sure if you happened to be looking for us you could always find us and the hospital staff wouldn’t give you grief.”
“Christ, Lavender.”I scrubbed my hand over my face, sinking into my desk chair, my legs suddenly unsteady beneath me.“You have no idea who I am now.”
“No.But I know who you were.I will never ask you for another thing, Rhys.”
“Enough, baby.We’ll talk about this after we take care of our girl.”There was a pause long enough, I thought she might have disconnected the call, but I kept the phone to my ear anyway.
“Rhys?”
