perfect strangers.”
Jeremy saw red. “Jessica isn’t a stranger. You said you liked her. You told me that you and Mom both liked her.” He looked to his mother again.
“We
do
like Jessica,” his mother said hastily. “She’s a wonderful girl. That’s not the point.”
“So what is the point?”
“She’s not family, and she’s not at death’s door. Let her go on a waiting list like other patients. Sooner or later, a donor will be found.”
Jeremy sputtered, “B-But she’s not doing well on dialysis. And waiting for another live donor could take years.” What was wrong with them? Why couldn’t they understand? How could he explain it better?
All at once his father stopped pacing the floor and leveled a look of indignation straight at Jeremy. “I know what’s going on here. She’s using your attraction to her to make you
think
this is
your
idea. Jessica put you up to this, didn’t she?”
Chapter
9
F or a minute Jeremy was shocked speechless by his father’s accusation. His hands shook, and his legs quivered with pent-up rage. He leaned heavily against the back of a chair, braced himself and took several deep breaths. “You have no right to say that. You have no right to
think
it. Jessica would never do such a thing. This was my idea and mine alone. When I told her about it, she told me no.”
“At least
someone
is being sensible in this situation.” His father must have sensed the depth of Jeremy’s outrage, because his voice sounded less accusatory.
“But her parents were beside themselves with gratitude,” Jeremy added.
“Her parents? You discussed this with her parents before you broached it with us?” His father’s voice had grown hostile again. “Where do you get off—”
“Stop it!” His mother had risen unsteadily to her feet, her eyes brimming with tears. “I can’t stand this! Do you hear me? I won’t listen to the two of you tear each other apart. I won’t!”
Frank Travino bounded across the room and pulled his wife into his arms. He glared at Jeremy. “Now see how you’ve upset your mother.”
She jerked away from him. “You’re both upsetting me. You can’t fight like this. I can’t take it.”
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Jeremy mumbled, feeling contrite. “I—I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that Jessica …” his voice trailed off.
His mother asked, “Don’t you think I understand what her parents are going through? I know what it’s like to stand by and watch your child die.”
Jeremy winced.
Of course she knew
. Tom had died in the emergency room while his parents held his hands.
“This discussion is over,” his father said tersely.
“Hear him out, Frank.” His mother’s command surprised both Jeremy and his father. She sat down on the couch, looking straight at Jeremy. “Tell us what you want to do.”
Warily Jeremy stepped from behind the chair he was using for support, came to his mother and crouched down in front of her. “Thank you for listening to me,” he said. Then he told them all he knew about organ transplantation. “Jessica’s doctor, Dr. Witherspoon, can answer any questions you have,” he said in conclusion. “We can go in together and talk to him if you want. He’d be in charge of the surgery, and he wants what’s best for both Jessica and me.”
“There are risks in surgery.” His father renewed his objections. “You wouldn’t be his primary concern. A doctor always puts his patient’s interests first—just the way an attorney always puts his client’s interests first.”
“Frank, please,” Jeremy’s mother said, cutting off the counterargument already springing to Jeremy’s lips. She looked into Jeremy’s eyes. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. In order foryou to be a donor, you need to be some kind of match at the genetic level.”
“Yes.”
“And if you aren’t a match, then this whole thing is dropped.”
He didn’t have the heart or the stamina at the moment to tell her
Jeremy saw red. “Jessica isn’t a stranger. You said you liked her. You told me that you and Mom both liked her.” He looked to his mother again.
“We
do
like Jessica,” his mother said hastily. “She’s a wonderful girl. That’s not the point.”
“So what is the point?”
“She’s not family, and she’s not at death’s door. Let her go on a waiting list like other patients. Sooner or later, a donor will be found.”
Jeremy sputtered, “B-But she’s not doing well on dialysis. And waiting for another live donor could take years.” What was wrong with them? Why couldn’t they understand? How could he explain it better?
All at once his father stopped pacing the floor and leveled a look of indignation straight at Jeremy. “I know what’s going on here. She’s using your attraction to her to make you
think
this is
your
idea. Jessica put you up to this, didn’t she?”
Chapter
9
F or a minute Jeremy was shocked speechless by his father’s accusation. His hands shook, and his legs quivered with pent-up rage. He leaned heavily against the back of a chair, braced himself and took several deep breaths. “You have no right to say that. You have no right to
think
it. Jessica would never do such a thing. This was my idea and mine alone. When I told her about it, she told me no.”
“At least
someone
is being sensible in this situation.” His father must have sensed the depth of Jeremy’s outrage, because his voice sounded less accusatory.
“But her parents were beside themselves with gratitude,” Jeremy added.
“Her parents? You discussed this with her parents before you broached it with us?” His father’s voice had grown hostile again. “Where do you get off—”
“Stop it!” His mother had risen unsteadily to her feet, her eyes brimming with tears. “I can’t stand this! Do you hear me? I won’t listen to the two of you tear each other apart. I won’t!”
Frank Travino bounded across the room and pulled his wife into his arms. He glared at Jeremy. “Now see how you’ve upset your mother.”
She jerked away from him. “You’re both upsetting me. You can’t fight like this. I can’t take it.”
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Jeremy mumbled, feeling contrite. “I—I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that Jessica …” his voice trailed off.
His mother asked, “Don’t you think I understand what her parents are going through? I know what it’s like to stand by and watch your child die.”
Jeremy winced.
Of course she knew
. Tom had died in the emergency room while his parents held his hands.
“This discussion is over,” his father said tersely.
“Hear him out, Frank.” His mother’s command surprised both Jeremy and his father. She sat down on the couch, looking straight at Jeremy. “Tell us what you want to do.”
Warily Jeremy stepped from behind the chair he was using for support, came to his mother and crouched down in front of her. “Thank you for listening to me,” he said. Then he told them all he knew about organ transplantation. “Jessica’s doctor, Dr. Witherspoon, can answer any questions you have,” he said in conclusion. “We can go in together and talk to him if you want. He’d be in charge of the surgery, and he wants what’s best for both Jessica and me.”
“There are risks in surgery.” His father renewed his objections. “You wouldn’t be his primary concern. A doctor always puts his patient’s interests first—just the way an attorney always puts his client’s interests first.”
“Frank, please,” Jeremy’s mother said, cutting off the counterargument already springing to Jeremy’s lips. She looked into Jeremy’s eyes. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. In order foryou to be a donor, you need to be some kind of match at the genetic level.”
“Yes.”
“And if you aren’t a match, then this whole thing is dropped.”
He didn’t have the heart or the stamina at the moment to tell her
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