Page 6 of Christmas at Watson Memorial

Something breaks inside me every time I see that little girl smile despite everything she's facing. She still believes in Christmas, in a happy world where children's hearts neverfail. A world where doctors don't spend entire nights fighting losing battles against time.

Outside, I hear the distant thrum of a helicopter landing on the helipad. Probably Selene, bringing in an organ that will save someone's life. I wish I could see her bringing in a heart for Holly.

Chapter 4

Selene

After a full day battling hospital bureaucracy, the packages of sterilized Christmas decorations feel like an early Christmas gift in my hands. I promised Holly I'd make it happen, and I'm as stubborn as they come — I don't care how angry Dr. Winters gets about it.

“How did you get the hospital to approve the budget for all this stuff?” asks one of the pediatric nurses who volunteered to help me.

“Let's just say I owe Arya about fifty coffees and dinner at some fancy-ass restaurant, but it was worth it, don't you think?” I admit with a proud smile. “Is Holly sleeping?”

“Yeah, she's been really tired lately,” she acknowledges, lowering her voice sadly. “But wait till you see how happy she'll be when she wakes up and sees all this.”

As we sort through decorations for different kids, Dr. Winters's voice filters through the partially open office door, each word a dagger through my heart.

“The latest tests show significant deterioration. Left ventricular function has decreased another fifteen percent since yesterday.”

Holly's mother's sharp intake of breath almost mirrors my own.

“How long does she have without a compatible heart? Two, three months?” Vivian asks, her voice quivering.

“If we don't find one in a couple of days… you need to prepare for the worst,” Dr. Winters confesses, and Holly's mother's sobs echo clearly through the door.

Pain shoots through me. Raw. Devastating. I remember with crystal clarity how eighteen years ago, another doctor tried to explain to my mother why my sister Emily wouldn't live to see the New Year.

“Keep going. I need to do something urgent,” I tell the nurse, who gives me an odd look as I practically bolt toward somewhere quiet.

As snowflakes drift slowly past the window, tears fill my eyes remembering Emily's last Christmas. How she insisted on decorating her hospital room even though she could barely sit up without help. The way she made me promise that when I grew up, I'd help other kids be happy at Christmas when they had to spend it in the hospital. “It's easier to be brave with decorations,” she'd whispered, holding my hand.

I press my forehead against the cold window glass and pull out my phone. My fingers tremble slightly as I searchfor the contact — this isn't just another call to the transplant coordinator. This is for Holly, and I won't fail her.

“Marcus, it's Selene. I need a huge favor,” I try to keep my voice from breaking, though I doubt I'm succeeding.

“Let me guess, you're calling about Holly Thompson's case, right?”

“How do you know?”

“Dr. Alexia Winters already called me three times today. Each time to curse me out for not finding a compatible heart for the kid.”

“Isn't there anything we can do?”

“You know I'd do anything for you, Selene, but I can't bypass priority lists for a transplant. Let me check again. Nothing in New York or New Jersey. Boston has two critical patients at the top of the list, and Philadelphia…”

“Yeah, yeah, I just heard all that a while ago. Find something, Marcus, please. The girl is only seven years old, seven, damn it. She's full of life. It can't end like this.”

“You know I can't, Selene.”

“Please, my little sister died because the transplant never came in time. I don't want to go through something similar with this poor girl and…”

“Holy shit, wait!”

“What's happening?”

“A potentially compatible heart just came in.”

“Tell me where I need to go pick it up,” I plead without waiting for more explanation.