“Yes, Doctor,” the nurse said. Then she looked at my mom. “You can wait out here. I’ll get her cleaned up.”
“Okay,” my mom said before kissing the top of my hand and then clasping her own in prayer.
The woman hooked me under the armpits and slowly hauled me up into a standing position. Dizziness washed over me, which she told me was normal. She helped me grasp a walker and I fought through the pain as I shuffled to the bathroom.
Then I suddenly remembered my dream. “Mom. Don’t let me forget. Pete, Noah, Jack.”
My mom frowned. “Okay, honey, but there’s something you should know about Jack…”
She stopped talking because we were in the bathroom now and the nurse had shut the door.
“You can visit with her once you clean up,” she told me, and I nodded.
I really did smell and feel awful. There was a white plastic chair in the shower that I sat in as the woman assisted me in undressing, washing up, and brushing my teeth. Halfway through the shower, I made the mistake of looking down at my stomach and promptly fell into sobs. There was a network of bruises and stitches all over my abdomen. The nurse was kind and told me it would heal but that I’d lost some vital organs in the accident and even needed a kidney transplant.
A kidney transplant? My mind spun.
Once I was all cleaned, the woman braided my long hair down my back and put some leggings and a T-shirt on me. “Hey, these are mine,” I said.
“Your mom brought them. She’s been here every day during visiting hours. Doesn’t leave your side. Neither did your husband right up until the surgery.”
I frowned. Husband? She was obviously mistaken. “I’m not married.”
She winced. “Oh, my bad. The guy gave you his kidney, so I assumed he was more than a friend.”
I froze, looking at her. “He what? Who?”
Someone gave me their kidney!
She swallowed hard. “Jack something? Super rich guy who flew out a specialist from Scottsdale. He was a perfect match for you, but they found out he had an known bleeding disorder, so his surgery was complicated and he bled out?—”
Panic seized me as I grabbed the walker and yanked the bathroom door open, cutting the nurse off mid-sentence.
When I stepped into the space, my mom was there.
“Where’s Jack?” My throat tightened.
Of course he had given me a kidney. He was the most generous person I knew. That was so Jack, but if he was hurt or…worse, I’d never forgive myself.
The nurse took her cue and left us alone, leaving the door open.
My mom looked concerned. “Honey, he’s had a rough recovery. They found out he had a bleeding disorder, and during your surgery, he lost a lot of blood.”
“Mom, is he alive?” My throat was so tight I didn’t even recognize my own voice.
I remembered the dream then—Pete, Jack, Noah. I wanted that. Whatever future I’d seen with the little boy ice skating, I wanted that.
“Hannah.” His deep voice came from the open doorway.
I snapped my head in that direction. He wore a medical gown and tall socks and shuffled towards me with a huge grin on his face, which I matched.
“I’ll go get some food.” My mom cleared her throat and left, shutting the door behind her.
I hobbled across the distance between us and then set the walker aside as I stepped into his open arms. I ached for him like we’d been kept apart for years.
He gently wrapped his arms around me, and I rested my head on his chest and breathed in his scent.
Jack.A man I felt like I’d known my whole life. I was safe in these arms, and I didn’t know why it had taken me so long to find my way into them. But now, I didn’t want him to ever let go.
