Holly had slipped into a coma.
None of this was a good sign.
Armand and Gus phoned everyone that could be phoned.
Robin was in such a state that she had run away. No one had heard from her since Holly slipped into the coma.
And here he sat with nothing in his mind.
A part of him wanted it to be over, but he wouldn’t be able to deal with it if it was. If Holly died, there would be no coming back for him. It would be forever.
She hadn’t even said goodbye, because they hadn’t allowed her to, even when she wanted it, and he would never forgive his own stubbornness for it.
“I can’t be here,” Jake said and left.
“She is going to wake up. Devenn will find a kidney, Jake!” Amelia yelled after him.
He went to his office and an anger he never felt before washed over him.
He threw all his certificates that hung on the wall on the floor, then swiped the contents on his desk to the floor, smashing his laptop in the process.
He picked up one of his paperweights and threw it at the window. It shattered, the glass fling in every direction. He fell to his knees and screamed until his throat was hoarse.
The anger didn’t want to dissipate and neither did the sadness.
He didn’t know if he should yell or cry.
A pair of manly arms hugged him tight from behind.
“It’s going to be okay, bud,” Leo said. “Scream if you have to scream.”
Jake screamed again and again until his throat burned, then he started to shake as he broke down.
Why her?
Was it so wrong to do what he did to Kate?
Holly was his true love, his soulmate. He couldn’t lose her.
Destiny or Fate knew that he would do that if she came back.
Why was he being punished for loving her so fucking much?
She was the mother of his children.
Why, why, why!
He struggled to breathe. This was worse than the time he found out what his mother did.
Ten times worse.
The same ache when he discovered that Romy died crept into his heart and unseen claws tore at it.
“Jake,” Leo said a few times. “Help!” Leo cried. He dropped Jake and ran out of the room.
Jake gasped for air, but it wouldn’t fill his lungs.
People ran into the room, and he felt something pierce the skin in his arm. Finally, his lungs took in air as darkness overpowered all his senses.
* * *
ROBIN
Her phone beeped.
“You better find a kidney. Jake is in the hospital. He had a panic attack. Love you.”
The message was from her sister.
Robin started to cry and hit the steering wheel hard. She didn’t want to stop.
“Why, why, why?” She yelled. This couldn’t be the test. She lost many lives to get here where she was now.
They beat the cancer only to discover that both her kidneys and liver was failing.
Devenn, that worked with her on this was trying hard to get what she need and the two times they thought they did, it went to other pasients needing it more. She fucking needed it.
Why was He doing this?
Why couldn’t she fucking find a match.
Why was it so hard, so difficult just to save her.
What did she do that was so wrong.
She knew the why.
It was because of who she was fighting against.
She couldn’t beat Him. Not this time. And she needed the win. Not for her, but for her brother.
He is going to become the stranger again.
The one she didn’t know or love.
The one that wasn’t him at all.
She couldn’t bare that again.
The pretending that he was fine. He would never be fine. Not this time
“I need the win, please!” she yelled over and over and cried some more. “You have one already, don’t take the other one too.” She remember that Jake told her Holly was part of an identical twin.
She couldn’t go back into that hospital, into that room that was smelling already like death.
She started her car and drive. The tears were laying in thick pools inside her eyes, blinding her vision, and she swirled out of the way just as the oncoming traffic was going to slam into her.
She took a corner and down another street, up a hill and round a curve, passed gates that opened and finally stopped where she cry some more.
The door opened.
She didn’t even know where she was and a pair of familiar arms wrapped around her.
“Robin,” he mother’s voice asked. What was she doing here?
“Shh,” she speak.
She missed her mother so badly and in her blindness, her heart must have guided her back home to the one woman she always knew had the answer.
But she wasn’t so sure about that anymore.
It felt as if that woman had died too, the day the truth came out of what she did to Jake.
“Come into the house, please.” Mara begged and she guided her out the car.
She was still sobbing with tears. They entered the house and both women sat on the couch in the lounge.
The one crying and the other one comforting.
“What is going on, what happened?”
She sniffed, recollecting herself and couldn’t believe she was home.
“I’m sure Dad told you.”
“We don’t speak about you, Jake, or Amelia. I wanted to so badly but he refuse.”
Robin sniffed. “It’s Holly. She fell into a coma.”
“What?” Mara asked.
“You got your wish mom. She’s out of his life and this time for good.”
“I never wanted that?” Mara had tears in her eyes too. “I’m so sorry.” She said and whispered Jake’s name.
“Don’t, he is not going to want to see you mom. I would be soon joining your little corner as he is going to blame me too. I couldn’t save her life because I couldn’t help Devenn find a damn fucking kidney or liver because she is O-,” she yelled got up and broke her mother’s lamp, smacking it hard to the floor.
Her mother grabbed her.
“Calm down, sweetheart. Calm down.” Her mother kept saying.
“I failed him mom. He begged me to save her life and I failed him. We are going to lose him again.”
“Shhh,” Mara closed her eyes. “Calm down. You are putting so much on your shoulders sweetheart.”
“None of us are a match. Not even Jake.”
“I’m sorry baby.”
“I’m so tired.”
“Go take a bath, okay. And get some sleep. I promise you will find an answer soon. She will be fine.”
She knew her mother was lying. If Mara had seen Holly she wouldn’t have told her these things. There was no way.
But she took a bath and had a glass of wine with the tablets that was in her mother’s hands.
Her phone got switched off and she slept in her old room.
She needed to make peace with the fact that Jake was going to hate her too.
She failed him, she failed Jamie and she failed the twins.
The next morning she woke up.
Someone was shaking her and she found her father.
“Sweetheart.”
She started to cry as she saw the tears pooling into her father’s eyes.
“She’s gone, isn’t she.”
Gus hugged her. “No, she is still fighting, but you are breaking my heart.”
She just cried harder.
“Mom said I would have the answer, I don’t. I failed him dad.”
“We all did sweetheart. You need something to eat and then I think it’s time to pray.”
“I don’t think that is going to work. He doesn’t like me dad. I mend in His business too long.”
Her father just stared at her and chuckled.
“It’s not funny dad.”
“Oh,
no it’s not. But you have it all wrong baby. We are not working against Him. We are the miracles He send people to receive. And it pains me that you don’t know that.” He wiped her tears away. “Why do you think we all became doctors. That we all carry the statuses of being so good at what we do sweetheart, because He created us for this purpose. He made you to save His children from horrible sickness, Armand to save little ones, your mother, so that hearts could beat a little longer. He made us to give them more chances. He is really pushing your brother though, but Jake is more complicated. He needs challenges.”
She chuckled. “We are going to lose him Dad.”
“I know, but God always have a plan sweetheart.”
“It’s not going to work this time Dad. Jake is going to fail it. I can feel it.”
“Then we need to pray for his eyes to see, Sweetheart.”
She sniffed.
Her father’s phone rang.
“Gus,” he sniffed.
She could hear a voice on the other side.
“Yes, she is right here. Devenn what is going on.”
Devenn.
She took the phone and speak to him.
“I found a kidney and a liver, where are you.”
“Is it ours?”
“Yes, it’s ours.”
“What?” she climbed off the bed.
“Just get your butt here. I’m going to harvest it soon.”
“I’m coming.” She ran out the room. “They found a kidney and a liver dad.”
“What?”
“Let’s go. Mom.” She yelled as she ran out the stairs with her father on her heels, but no answer came. She was right. The answer did come. She still knew everything.
“Mara,” Gus yelled too.
“Just leave her a note, dad. Please.”
Gus scribbled on something while Robin put on her shoes.
They left the house and she phoned Jake’s phone.
“Jake’s phone,” Amelia answered.
“We found a kidney and a liver. I’m going to pick it up soon.”
“What, where.”
“Just tell Jake.”
She put down the phone as she start her car and drove like a mad woman. Not knowing where, but Devenn would give her the address soon.
“You made me to give others their miracles, give me mine, please.”
“Watch the road baby. Pray later.” Her father took the wheel.
“Sorry Dad,” a chuckle escaped her lips.
The call came from Devenn; pickup was at P&E.
The call got disconnected. “Right under our noses.” She smiled and took the turnoff to P&E.
She ran into the hospital with her father at her side.
“OR Two” one of the nurses yelled. Devenn must have said something.
“Go,” her father said, “I’ll wait here.”
She ran to go get the kidney and liver, and met Devenn at the entrance. Everything was already packed and ready.
“Where is the donor’s family.”
“Go, they know that you need it. I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay. See you in the OR.”
She ran back, couldn’t find her father.
“He said you go, he’ll be there soon. Emergency.”
“Just our luck.”
She ran out of the hospital with her kidney and a part of her liver in the container.
An ambulance waited for her and they took her straight to Downsend.
Please just hold on. It’s all you have to do.
She prayed to God, to not take Holly. To help her to fight as her brother would lose this test if he was going to take her. To ask God to give another test to Jake where Holly was at his side.
He would pass everything if Holly is at his side. But not this test.
The sirens wailed all the way to Downsend and once she was there, Holly was already waiting in the OR.
The operating nurses took the kidney and the liver.
“Robin,” Jake’s voice was right behind her. He looked awful. But it wasn’t a shock. “Please, just bring her back to me.”
She hugged his brother. “I’ll give everything I can okay. Pray, like you never prayed before.”
He nodded and Leo was standing right beside him.
“I need to get ready. Devenn is on his way.”
“Good luck,” Leo said and he lead Jake away.
Please God. I hope you are listening.
Twenty-One
JAKE
* * *
He sat and waited with Jane, Bernice, Amelia, Leo, and his three children in the waiting room. He prayed like he never prayed before.
He started to get restless a few minutes into the operation. He was never great at being on this side of the line—a loved one waiting on the doctor’s news.
He kept on seeing the container carrying the huge P&E logo on the side.
The organs were so close, right here in Boston.
He knew that the donor’s family would still be at the hospital.
“I can’t sit here,” he said to Leo.
“Where else are you going to go?”
“I need to go to P&E, the donor’s family might still be there. I need to speak to them.” He got up, told Jane where he was going, and kissed Jamie on the head. “I’ll be back soon. Call me if there’s any news.”
Jane nodded.
Leo stood up. “I’ll drive you.”
Jake handed him the keys to his SUV when they reached the car and they got in the car and sped away.
The traffic was practically nonexistent, but it was Sunday morning, so he hadn’t thought there’d be any traffic.
Please, God. Let her be okay. Bring her back to me.
Fifteen minutes later he walked into P&E.
Rebecca smiled as she saw him.
He looked at the board. His mother’s name wasn’t on it.
Thank God for small miracles.
Jake headed up to the nephrology ward. He went straight for the elevator, with Leo hot on his heels.
Once inside, he leaned agains the wall. Fresh tears pooling in his eyes.
“You okay, bud?” Leo asked.
“Yeah, I just… I need to thank them. They need to know that their lost one’s organs is going to someone special.”
“I get it, bud.”
The elevator opened, and Leo helped Jake to his feet.
He sniffed and wiped his face with his sleeve as he strode to the reception desk.
One of the nurses, Florence, gaped at him in surprise.
“I’m here to see the—”
“—your mother didn’t want you to know.”
“I’m sorry?” Jake asked. He could’ve sworn he heard her say that his mother didn’t want him to know.
“You don’t know? Why are you here?”
“I’m here to thank the donor and their family. What did you say about my mother?” he asked through clenched teeth.
“Give me a minute, Jake. I need to check with the patient and see if they will see you”
He was shocked that she didn’t address him as Dr. Peters, but then he remembered it wasn’t his turf anymore, it was his mother’s.
She came back and took him to one of the private rooms.
The door was closed and she knocked.
“Jake, just… be calm, okay.”
He entered and stopped mid step when he saw his father in the room, sitting next to the patient’s bed. The patient who was his mother. She closed her eyes and he could see her jaw muscles clenching.
He stared at his father who sighed.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Jake asked.
His father shook his head. “Jake…”
Jake glared at his mother. “Is this one of your ploys to get me to forgive you?” He rounded on his father. “Did you put her up to this? Did you think I would magically forgive her if she did this?”
Mara was silent, and Gus sighed. “Jake, I didn’t even know. I put two and two together when Robin came to fetch t
he kidney this morning. Your mother wasn’t home and I just knew that the woman I loved would do this. I guess she came finally home.” He got up and kissed Mara on her head. “I’ll be just outside okay, darling?”
She gave him a wane smile and nodded.
He squeezed Jake’s shoulder as he passed him, but he didn’t say anything.
Silence lingered between them.
“Why? Why you?”
“I know it’s not fair. I didn’t want you to know.”
Jake sniffed and wiped a tear away. “You raised me. You should’ve known I’d want to thank the donor and their family.”
“I didn’t think you’d want to do that while Holly was in surgery. I thought I’d have time to seal the records.”
“Yeah well, I couldn’t sit in the waiting room.” He paced around the room, then he slumped into the chair. “I need the truth. I need you to be completely honest with me. Did you do this so I would forgive you?” A tear rolled over his cheek as he said the words.
His mother gaped at him, a frown furrowing her eyebrows. “Sweetheart, no. I messed up, badly, and this was my chance to rectify that mistake. I wasn’t planning on telling you, ever.”
He shook his head, put his hands in his jacket’s pockets and tried to control the tears.
His eyes were burning. He was so tired of all this.
“Why, Mom?”
“I just told you.”
“I need a better explanation than that.”
“Robin was devastated,” she sniffed. “I knew something was wrong with Holly. But nobody would tell me anything. Not your father, not her. But last night she came to me and she yelled at me. Robin has never yelled at me. She told me she felt like a failure. I didn’t want another one of my children to hate me. You and Amelia already hate me more that I struggle to breathe.”
“So Robin asked you to donate.” He sighed. His mother still didn’t get it.
“No, Robin just told me what she needed. But why didn’t you come to ask me?. You must have known I was O negative.”
He shook his head and sniffed. “Believe it or not I didn’t, and even if I did, you would be the last person I’d have asked. I fucking hate you,” he said through clench teeth. “You lied to me when you told me you were on board with Holly’s pregnancy, when I told you I wanted it. You tricked me. That is premeditative shit. And because of that, one of my daughters is dead.”
Endless Love: The 4Ever series #3 Page 20