The Final Gift

“Jake, it just breaks my heart to see you so torn up like this. There is a heart coming in tonight and they are sure it will be a match for the boy in 12B. I know your son, strangely enough, could also be a match. I’ve talked to the staff and they have agreed to look the other way if you want to put your son at the top of the list. You saved this hospital when we were nearing bankruptcy, and if not for your shrewd, if somewhat unethical business sense, none of us would have our jobs today. We were completely baffled as to why you were willing to come to this out of the way place when you could have chosen any hospital in the country.”

“Thanks Van. I appreciate the offer, but this goes much deeper than what appears on the surface. Once this is all over, you’ll understand why I have been so vague. You will never know how much I value your friendship and that is why I’ve asked you to stop by my office before leaving today. I have admired your skill and ingenuity from the day we began working as a team. If the heart is a match, would you be my son’s surgeon?

“It would be my privilege.”

“Thanks; we’ll talk further tomorrow. I have a few more details I need to share with you.”

 The small stuffy office with dark heavy wood trim and furnishings might have seemed drab or depressing to some, but to Jake, it was his sanctuary. The old slatted blinds were stuck in a half open position, allowing just enough light from the late afternoon sun to make visible the dust particles floating in the air. With a heavy sigh, Jake turned his attention to the documents on his desk; all the while reflecting on the events that had led him to this point.

This could not be reality, but rather an abstract nightmare from which he could not awake. After all, how likely would it be that two boys from two distinct families, with the same type of rare heart defect, and being a match for the same heart both end up under his care? He could go home tonight and tell his wife that their son had been placed at the top of the list. They would now have some semblance of hope to cling to and Jake would be her hero. He might even see the light at the end of the tunnel if not for the certainty that any decision he made would result in profound grief and the never ending torturing guilt.

The guilt first began when Jake learned that his son’s heart defect was congenital. After his father died of heart failure at a young age, the doctors had informed Jake that it could be passed down to his own children. He should have told his wife, but he desperately wanted a family and was willing to take the gamble. After all, his defect was quite minimal and needed no intervention. There was little that he could do in order to assuage his wife’s anger and hurt when she learned of his deception.

Then, due to his own indiscretions, there was the loss of his former position that brought them here, to this smaller, less sophisticated hospital. Now, because of his selfish actions, his son may not get the heart that would save his life.

Nevertheless, he knew what had to be done; but could he muster up the courage to see it through?  Time was running out for the boy in 12B and without this transplant, he would not leave this hospital alive. Jake’s son, being a few years younger, had only been placed on the transplant list a couple of weeks ago with his condition being at a less critical point than that of the boy in 12B. He had the chance to make things right with his wife, but at what expense?

Jake had talked to the boy’s mother nearly every day for the last couple of weeks as she pleaded for her son’s life. He was all she had; her husband having left them when the stress of his son’s illness had become unbearable. The child was so sick during the past year that she had to quit her job to care for him, and by now her entire savings had nearly been depleted. But none of that mattered if only her son could be saved.

They had been a happy family until a few years ago when her son was diagnosed with the heart defect that could eventually end his life. That child was her husband’s whole life and he was so supportive and caring in the beginning. However, he gradually became more and more distant, leaving early in the morning and not coming home until after their son was asleep. It was as though he felt in some way responsible for their son’s illness, but she couldn’t understand why he would feel that way. No stone was left un-turned as he arranged for consultations with some of the top clinics. It was after they returned from a two day road trip to the last clinic that he just gave up, and without so much as a goodbye, he walked out of their lives. She’d heard that he’d remarried and had a child, but at this point, that was not her concern. She would fight with her last breath to save her son and would go to any length to see that he had this last chance to live.

As the dusk began to swallow the last few rays of sun, Jake turned on his desk lamp. Its dim light revealed cobwebs on the ceiling and in crevices that, up until now, had gone unnoticed, much like the hidden, bits and pieces of his own life. He had left this town when his first marriage had failed, but was forced to return when he was politely asked to resign from his former position at a large metropolitan hospital. His unscrupulous practices had caught up with him, but due to his outstanding reputation as a surgeon, the board members agreed to drop charges upon his resignation. He was being given a second chance to make restitution and he knew what he had to do. He would talk to Van in the morning and finalize the plan.

“Van; it’s Jake. I need you to come to the hospital now. They are prepping the boy in 12B. Remember our conversation this morning. As you know, I can’t operate, but I have decided to be there to observe. Can you do it? I chose you because I only want the best for this child.”

“Hey Jake; I am on my way. We got this.”

As Jake emerged from the operating room, he heard her voice and turned to see her flushed, beaming face.

“Jake; our son made it! The surgery was a success!” exclaimed the boy’s mother as she ran down the hall to embrace him. I can’t thank you enough for pushing this through. One more day and we would have lost him.”

“I couldn’t stand to lose him either. I owed it to both of you. I need to go in to see him one last time. Oh by the way, here’s my attorney’s card. Call him as soon as you can. I have set up a trust fund for our son.”

“Van; are we cleared?” asked Jake as he rushed to catch up to his friend in the hallway. "I just went by the operating room and they are almost finished setting it up.”

“Jake; are you sure this is the only way? We still have time. Maybe we’ll get another heart.”

“No Van. It has to be this way. I just can’t choose between my sons. My wife is on her way here with our son. I would like you to be the one to tell her when it’s over. She will be sitting in the waiting area, by the table in the corner. Let’s go do this.”

“Hello ma’am. I am Dr. Van, your husband Jake’s friend. He asked me to talk to you after the surgery. Your son’s transplant went well. The surgery was a success.”

“Thank you so much doctor, but I haven’t seen my husband. Does he know? Who was the donor?” she queries as she sits on the edge of her chair, looking around excitedly, expecting to see him any minute.

“Yes ma’am, he knew. I am sorry. Your husband was the donor.”