"I want to talk to Dr. Hanes." She said as her body once again felt weak. It always happened, she would feel a little bit better than the pain would come back in full swing. Every time she did an operation, the pain would subside a bit for the first few hours and then it was like she was being stabbed a million times. She closed her eyes as no one had objections and she heard footsteps leave the room.
She opened her eyes to see that Melody had left and Victoria and Gregory were both pacing the room. "Why do you want to see the doctor?" Victoria questioned, curious to know what Madison would want to discuss with her. Maybe it was something about a treatment which made her really want to know.
Madison knew what she was going to do would break their heart a little bit more, but it was the best thing to do for herself. She couldn't stand living in a hospital and barely survive the days to come. She couldn't handle more pain which she knew would get worse as the days would go by. She couldn't see her family unhappy because of her. She wanted to fix things, to free herself from the pain and everyone else as well. She knew that in time the wounds would heal for them. It was the same thing either way, but she wanted to choose the route with less pain. She couldn't bear it. The pain was already unbearable, but she kept a brave face not wanting anyone to worry more than they already were.
So, instead of lying which she had no strength in her body, for she decided to just tell them the truth. "I want to sign a DNR."
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Madison was asleep while everyone was in the waiting room in silence. Amanda was back, along with Troy who felt out of place with the family.
"What do you mean by she wants to sign a DNR?" She broke the silence after minutes of not saying anything. When Melody told her about Madison's decision, no words could have escaped her lips, but she soon regained her voice again and insisted to receive answers to her questions
"I don't know," Melody whispered not knowing how else her mother wanted her to explain it. Amanda already knew what DNR meant but she wondered why Madison would want to sign one. Had she really given up on life? She held back tears and closed her eyes, slumping back into the chair she sat in. Not something a woman like her would ever do. But she was feeling as lifeless as the corpses in the morgue.
"How else is there to explain it?" Gregory grumbled frustrated that he was useless when it came to his daughter.
"Are you really going to blame this on me as well?" Amanda snarled focusing her eyes on him.
"Would you two just quit it? None of this is about the two of you. None of us is the one who is dying. Madison is and you all need to remember that. Everything is about her, not the issues you two have, okay?" Melody voiced and got up from her seat. She started to pace the room. "I am going to postpone the wedding." She said calmly looking at Troy who knew he could not reject since it would not make a difference. She should have at least discussed it with him.
"And why would you do such a thing?" Amanda asked looking at the bump of Melody's stomach.
"As I said, Madison is more important than anyone of us."
Amanda shook her head. "Your signs of pregnancy are passable now. You have to get married now before anyone else finds out about it."
Melody rolled her eyes. "All you care about is your reputation. I don't care if people know. Troy and his family don’t care. Only you do, and you know what mom if you care it is your fucking problem." She swore, and Melody never swore. But it was her pregnancy hormones mixed in with her rage that threw her over the edge.
"Glad someone else is standing up to her," Victoria said she was standing a bit distant from the rest of them.
"And what is that suppose to mean?" Amanda questioned annoyed.
Victoria shrugged. "I am not the only one who is seeing how much you care about reputation over everything else. Even Madison knows." She said calmly.
"Don't start okay. You have more faults in all of this. I go by the works of God and I know none of what I do is wrong." Amanda stood up and walked towards Victoria. "You..." She pointed her finger straight at Victoria's face, "are a bloody devil." Victoria moved from the place Amanda thought she trapped her in.
"And you are a stupid bitch." She walked in the other direction, heading somewhere she didn't know at the moment.
"I am going to go back in and wait for Madison to wake up," Melody told Troy and headed back to the room with him in tow. Gregory decided to go along as well leaving Amanda standing full of rage by herself.
****
Victoria ended up in the cafeteria. Though she felt no desire to consume any food, she sat at a table with her head in the palms of her hands.
The tears flowed silently, and she didn't bother to wipe them away since it would have been no use. It was a hospital anyways and who would have cared if she was crying?
"Are you okay?" She heard someone ask and she turned then trying to dry the tears with the back of her hands. She saw that it was Dr. Hanes and shook her head. Dr. Hanes decided to take a seat. She was on lunch and about to grab something to eat until she saw Victoria. "Anything I can do?" Courtney asked, and Victoria didn't say anything. She just looked at the plain surface of the table. "You know there is a way." That got Victoria's attention as she looked at the woman furrowing her eyebrows.
"What do you mean?" She asked curious to know what was up the young doctor's sleeve.
"I read all of Madison's medical files that were sent from her previous hospitals. Don't tell her that I got them..."
"How did you get them then?" Victoria interrupted.
Courtney took a deep breath. "I have my ways," Victoria wondered why she would want Madison's files. But then again, she was Madison's Doctor, well, kind of her doctor since the woman never operated on her. "To put it simply, Madison has been on the donor list for a while now and earlier this morning a patient died who was to receive a heart transplant as well.”
Victoria nodded, curious to where the conversation was heading. “And?” She said, and Courtney continued.
“It’s a perfect match, and it will save her life.” Victoria nodded, a sudden relief spreading through her body.
“So, why are you here and not saving her life?”
Courtney pressed her lips together and rubbed her temples. “The father is against the consent to donate his daughter’s organ, but we are getting him there, have some patience, though I know it is difficult to.”
"Can I speak to him?” Courtney bit down on her lip.
"Of course, give it a shot, the sooner we receive his consent the sooner we will be able to do the surgery" Victoria felt the tears building up and took a deep breath. Her anxiety levels were rising, and she needed to convince the man to save Madison’s life.
They both got up and Victoria followed alongside Courtney. "Why would you tell me this?" Victoria asked out of nowhere. "I mean me of all the people in the waiting room. I am not family." She said sadly wishing that she was much more.
"You seem to have the best intentions for her. Everyone else is caught up in how they are feeling. Her sister is pregnant and has other things to think about as well. You, on the other hand, are different."
"How do you know that I am different?"
Courtney smiled and placed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "I can see it in your eyes." Victoria blinked a few times before speaking.
“Just be there for her, she really needs you.”
"And how am I supposed to do that?" Victoria whispered.
"That is, simple," she looked into Victoria's green eyes, "by loving her."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
After having a heart to heart conversation with the father of the potential donor, convincing him much insistence and compassion, Victoria walked into Madison’s room alongside Dr. Hanes to see Madison had woken. She smiled and looked as everyone stood in silence obviously bothered by the situation. Then, she realized that Amanda was not there solving the mystery of why there was no confusion and why the room felt light.
"Can I get a few minutes alone
to speak to Madison?" Victoria asked as Troy and Melody's heads popped up. It was evident of the worry in Madison's elder sister's eyes. Victoria was friends with Melody for a very long time and never saw the woman look so pale.
They stood not saying anything and left the room. Madison's eyes sparkled as she finally got some more alone time with Victoria, minus the fact that Dr. Hanes was still there.
"You can go, I will handle this." Courtney nodded gratefully that their plan succeeded and left the room, closing the door behind her.
"Hi," Madison said looking at the beauty as she walked closer to her bedside. She placed her hand in Madison's and interlocked their fingers.
"Hey," Victoria said her voice causing Madison to bite down on her lip feeling overwhelmed that Victoria was in the same room as her. "You know..." Victoria trailed her free fingers down Madison's arm leaving a tingling trail of sensation. "...you still look so beautiful though you are in the hospital."
Madison snickered as Victoria placed a kiss on her forehead. She frowned wishing Victoria kissed her lips instead. As if the woman read her mind, she joined their lips in a kiss that made both women weak in the knees. "Mm, now that's better," Madison said as they parted.
"I love you," Victoria said quietly but coherent enough for Madison to hear. Madison closed her eyes and smiled letting the words repeat in her head over and over again.
Victoria felt as if she had said it a million times before though it was the first time she really did. It was something she could hear herself saying every single day for the rest of her life. "Do you really?" Madison asked biting down on her lip again questioning if Victoria actually felt that way though she already knew, she had no need to question it. She just wanted Victoria to say it again.
"Yes, I love you more than I can describe." She cupped Madison's cheeks leaning her forehead against hers. "I love you, Madison."
"I love you more," Victoria shook her head.
"I doubt it, Hun."
"Are you seriously going to argue with a woman in the hospital bed?" As that was said, the room fell silent once more. "I didn't mean to..." Madison felt the tears building up in her eyes.
"No love, you don't need to apologize for anything." Victoria smiled leaning closer placing a peck on Madison's bottom lip.
"Mmm, I love you." Victoria brushed her hand against the younger woman's cheek letting it trail down her jawline.
"I love you too, Maddy." Madison smiled feeling the sensation of love overtake her being, actually forgetting about her misfortune and how weak her body felt.
"My mother is nowhere to be found, so stay with me," Madison said not wanting the beauty to leave her side. Victoria nodded as she molded herself into a lying position somehow spooning Madison. She heard Madison flinch in pain and immediately rose.
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"You were lying on my shoulder. Just scoot downwards a little."
"How much downward?" Victoria said arching her brow. Madison smiled mischievously but knew she had no strength in her body to be doing any of the thoughts she was thinking.
"In between my arm will do." Victoria did as said and placed the palm of her hand on Madison's flat stomach. "I like this."
"Cuddling is always a must." Victoria stuffed her arm underneath Madison's back since she was in an uncomfortable position before.
"Can we stick to cuddling, woman?" Madison grinned and used her hand to play with Victoria's hair.
"Don't flatter yourself, just trying to make myself comfortable."
"Yea, yea, I know your true intentions love." Victoria didn't say anything instead she closed her eyes enjoying the warmth of Madison's body against hers.
After a few moments, Victoria found that it was time to tell Madison her true intentions, not that she did not love the romantic moment they spent together but time was limited.
"Maddy?" Madison answered 'yes' still stroking Victoria's hair. "I need to tell you something."
"Go ahead." Madison opened her eyes feeling the seriousness in Victoria's voice. She smiled loving the concern that was surely for her and only her.
"The doctors found a match..."
"You mean a heart transplant?" Madison queried surprised.
Victoria sat up straight and cupped Madison’s cheeks as a few stray tears flowed effortlessly down her face. "Yes.” Madison's eyes shimmered with hope.
"Are you sure?” Madison’s eyes pleaded for reassurance.
“Yes, baby.”
****
It was getting close to the time Madison would leave to enter the theatre for the surgery, the father wanted a few more moments with his daughter before they prepped her for the harvesting of her organs.
Madison and Victoria were enjoying each other’s presence as they waited, both having shared anxiety for the second chance Madison was receiving.
Victoria then locked at the door to see Gregory standing there with another man his age beside him, and Madison’s eyes followed her’s. "Madison, Victoria, this is Charles."
"Hi." Madison and Victoria said at the same time before facing their attention solely on Gregory.
"He is the owner of this hospital," Gregory added rubbing the back of his neck.
"I have heard a lot of wonderful things about you Madison." Madison's only thought was that he was Courtney's father.
"Aren't you Courtney's dad?" She asked, and the man nodded.
"Indeed, I am and also..." He looked at Gregory before clasping his hands in front of him looking down at the ground.
"He is my partner," Gregory said before letting out a breath of relief.
"Really?" Madison asked surprised.
"I asked Courtney not to tell you about us since I wanted to tell you myself," Gregory said walking closer to his daughter leaving Charles standing by himself. "I know that it is wrong because I am still married, but I didn't mean to fall in love. Love has a funny way of creeping up on us."
Madison smiled not giving her father any fault in finding someone to love and understand him, knowing that he deserved it. Her bitch of a mother had pushed her father away for years though she still played the role of the attentive wife.
Madison went ahead to tell the two of the donor heart she was receiving when she realized that she had not yet told her mother and sister. She got too caught up in her emotions and her and Victoria’s newfound affection towards each other.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
It had been three hours since Madison had gone into the surgery. Victoria grew more worried with each passing second. She felt someone touch her shoulder and turned to see that it was Gregory. "She will be fine." He whispered as tears ran down Victoria's face, she was afraid that the surgery would not go well, there were complications that could arise and the thought of losing Madison when they were saving her life ached her.
"I hope so," Victoria mumbled as she saw Amanda walking towards her.
"Where the hell is my daughter?" Amanda directed her words at Victoria.
Everyone who knew what was taking place with Madison purposefully left Amanda out of the loop, especially given the circumstances.
"And why would you ask Victoria that?" Gregory defended sick and tired of Amanda and her ways.
"Shut it, Gregory." She spat walking closer to Victoria. "Where the hell is she?"
Victoria wiped away her stray tears and took a deep breath. "You are her mother, figure it out." She felt the sudden sting to the side of her cheek as her head flew to the side. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Victoria said cupping her cheek.
"Amanda!" Gregory yelled pinning her arms behind her as she attempted to hit Victoria again.
Victoria then felt the anger build up inside of her. She looked Amanda dead in the eyes but decided not to do anything. She respected elders too much to ever stoop so low. But speaking her mind was not against the law.
"Do you fucking have to do all of this? To create a scene every time you are around, huh?" Victoria spat as Amanda fought with Gregory to be rele
ased from his grip.
"Don't fucking lecture me, you little dyke."
"I am glad you think so, at least you are giving it recognition. Your words can't hurt me, but everything you do and say will hurt you in the end because everyone you seem to love will leave you behind."
Victoria walked up closer not fearing the older woman. "What are you trying to say you little slut? You think Madison will leave her mother for a piece of garbage like you? She is my bloody daughter and in time I will change her ways and if not, I know God will forgive her if she dies because she was mislead into sins by a witch like you."
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