you’re doing an anonymous donation.”
“Yes, I am. I don’t want the recipient to feel he owes me anything afterward. I want us to have the exact same relationship after the surgery that we had before it.”
“Of course.” The doctor stood and smoothed down his black and gray sweater vest. “Do you know what happens now, Mr. Webb? Did Dr. Chauncey explain the steps following our appointment?”
“Yes, sir. If you give me a sane bill of health, I should be contacted with a surgery date.”
“Exactly.”
Vaughan smiled. Truly smiled for the first time since the whole ordeal began. He graciously shook the doctor’s hand and headed to the bank of elevators that would take him to see Duke. While he watched the lighted numbers descend, his stomach growled angrily. Shit. When was the last time he’d eaten? Was it completely fucked that he couldn’t remember? Checking his watch, he saw it was only a half past three. A quick stop in the cafeteria wouldn’t hurt. While he waited in line to pay for his southwest chicken salad he called his father to inform him that he believed the psych eval went very well and he believed all was going to be okay. Quick was at the jail for a bond so he couldn’t talk long but he actually whooped out loud and that just amped Vaughan’s mood up to the nth degree. He made quick work of his salad, missing Duke and needing to see him.
He walked past the nurse’s station on Duke’s floor and got more than a few appreciative glances, but came to an abrupt halt when he heard his name called. He spun around and saw Dr. Chauncey waving him back the way he’d come. The doctor turned before he reached him and led Vaughan into a private family waiting room.
“Dr. Chauncey. Good afternoon. I just finished with Dr. Skool; I think it went well. How soon should—”
Dr. Chauncey raised his thin hand, cutting off Vaughan’s anxious babbling. “I know. The transplant coordinator already sent me the email. The psychologist has signed off, so I wanted to tell you that if you had your affairs in—”
“Oh, yes. Yes! I do! Everything is lined up with the billing office and my job, and my father will be doing all my post-op care. We’re ready to go!” Vaughan cut in, his head and heart pounding with anticipation.
“Calm down.” Dr. Chauncey smiled. “If you have a coronary, I won’t be able to operate on you.”
This was a good sign. Had to be. The doctor was joking with him.
“I have an opening on Friday at six a.m. Can you be here?”
Vaughan wanted to drop to his knees. Oh thank you, god. Thank you, thank you. Tears welled up in his eyes and he just barely contained himself from wailing. It was fate. He and Duke were supposed to be together. He knew it right at that moment. Duke could’ve been severely injured in a way that couldn’t be repaired. But the good lord was giving them a chance. Vaughan nodded his head and finally spoke in a hushed murmur, “Yes. Friday is fine.”
Dr. Chauncey looked on him with so much compassion. He simply patted his shoulder and informed him that the surgery date was set.
“Doctor. You’re still going to keep my name out of this, right?”
Dr. Chauncey looked at Vaughan like he had snot oozing out his nose. He appeared disgusted. Oh no.
“Vaughan you are my patient now. I would never violate your rights. You have asked to remain anonymous and I have to respect and honor that. Besides, it’s my experience that patients dying of kidney failure rarely insist on the details of where the kidney is coming from.”
“Yeah. But even if Duke’s on the kidney donation list, his name wouldn’t come up now if there was a kidney available.”
“Just let me handle everything, okay?”
Vaughan took a breath. That sounded freakin’ perfect to him. Yes. He’d let the good doctor handle it all.
Duke gritted his teeth at the pain in his back. Was that the kidney pain? He wanted to peer down at the collection bag hanging on the side of his bed,
“Yes, I am. I don’t want the recipient to feel he owes me anything afterward. I want us to have the exact same relationship after the surgery that we had before it.”
“Of course.” The doctor stood and smoothed down his black and gray sweater vest. “Do you know what happens now, Mr. Webb? Did Dr. Chauncey explain the steps following our appointment?”
“Yes, sir. If you give me a sane bill of health, I should be contacted with a surgery date.”
“Exactly.”
Vaughan smiled. Truly smiled for the first time since the whole ordeal began. He graciously shook the doctor’s hand and headed to the bank of elevators that would take him to see Duke. While he watched the lighted numbers descend, his stomach growled angrily. Shit. When was the last time he’d eaten? Was it completely fucked that he couldn’t remember? Checking his watch, he saw it was only a half past three. A quick stop in the cafeteria wouldn’t hurt. While he waited in line to pay for his southwest chicken salad he called his father to inform him that he believed the psych eval went very well and he believed all was going to be okay. Quick was at the jail for a bond so he couldn’t talk long but he actually whooped out loud and that just amped Vaughan’s mood up to the nth degree. He made quick work of his salad, missing Duke and needing to see him.
He walked past the nurse’s station on Duke’s floor and got more than a few appreciative glances, but came to an abrupt halt when he heard his name called. He spun around and saw Dr. Chauncey waving him back the way he’d come. The doctor turned before he reached him and led Vaughan into a private family waiting room.
“Dr. Chauncey. Good afternoon. I just finished with Dr. Skool; I think it went well. How soon should—”
Dr. Chauncey raised his thin hand, cutting off Vaughan’s anxious babbling. “I know. The transplant coordinator already sent me the email. The psychologist has signed off, so I wanted to tell you that if you had your affairs in—”
“Oh, yes. Yes! I do! Everything is lined up with the billing office and my job, and my father will be doing all my post-op care. We’re ready to go!” Vaughan cut in, his head and heart pounding with anticipation.
“Calm down.” Dr. Chauncey smiled. “If you have a coronary, I won’t be able to operate on you.”
This was a good sign. Had to be. The doctor was joking with him.
“I have an opening on Friday at six a.m. Can you be here?”
Vaughan wanted to drop to his knees. Oh thank you, god. Thank you, thank you. Tears welled up in his eyes and he just barely contained himself from wailing. It was fate. He and Duke were supposed to be together. He knew it right at that moment. Duke could’ve been severely injured in a way that couldn’t be repaired. But the good lord was giving them a chance. Vaughan nodded his head and finally spoke in a hushed murmur, “Yes. Friday is fine.”
Dr. Chauncey looked on him with so much compassion. He simply patted his shoulder and informed him that the surgery date was set.
“Doctor. You’re still going to keep my name out of this, right?”
Dr. Chauncey looked at Vaughan like he had snot oozing out his nose. He appeared disgusted. Oh no.
“Vaughan you are my patient now. I would never violate your rights. You have asked to remain anonymous and I have to respect and honor that. Besides, it’s my experience that patients dying of kidney failure rarely insist on the details of where the kidney is coming from.”
“Yeah. But even if Duke’s on the kidney donation list, his name wouldn’t come up now if there was a kidney available.”
“Just let me handle everything, okay?”
Vaughan took a breath. That sounded freakin’ perfect to him. Yes. He’d let the good doctor handle it all.
Duke gritted his teeth at the pain in his back. Was that the kidney pain? He wanted to peer down at the collection bag hanging on the side of his bed,
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