Chapter Nine-Until The Time is Through

Three days later…

“I don’t understand.” Katherine said to Dr. West. “She was fine the other day.”

“With transplant recipients the problems don’t always occur right away.” He explained.

“So what exactly is happening?” Lance asked.

“When a person receives a new organ the body treats it like an infection, basically it attacks it.” He said.

“But isn’t that what the anti-rejection drugs are for?” Ben asked.

“Yes, but every person doesn’t take to them the same way. The drugs are weakening her immune system and her body isn’t responding to the kidney.” He said.

“So now what is going to happen?” Katherine asked.

“Mia will have to be put back on dialysis.” Dr. West said.

“Oh God.” Katherine said beginning to cry. Ben put his arm around her.

“I’ve run a few blood tests to make sure everything else is in order. Mia will get through this. Have faith.” Dr. West said.

***

“What do you mean I can’t go in to see her?” Lance asked Kara.

“She made me promise not to let you in her room.” Kara explained.

“Why not?”

“Because she doesn’t want to see you.”

“Why?”

“Mia’s upset enough that she has to go back on dialysis and to add to that it was her boyfriend’s kidney that she rejected.”

“It’s not her fault.”

“I know that, you know that.”

Lance sighed and ran his hand over his face.

“I don’t care. I need to see her.”

“Lance…” Kara started.

“I need to see her.” He said walking past Kara into the room.

***

“Hey.” Lance said.

Mia turned her head towards Lance.

“What are you doing?”

“Why didn’t you want me to see you?”

“Because I feel so…I don’t even know what I feel. I’m sorry.”

“There’s no reason for you to be sorry.”

“How can I not be? I made you undergo unnecessary surgery and now…” Mia said as she started crying.

Lance’s heart broke in half. He wanted to go to Mia… hug her, kiss her, hold her…anything but since she was at such a high risk for infection no one could go near her.

“Baby, I’d do this all again in a heartbeat. You didn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because I love you and I’d do anything to stop any pain you were in.”

Mia wiped the tears from her eyes.

“I love you so much. How did I get so lucky?”

“No, the question is, how did I get so lucky?”

Chapter 10