Page 160 of Gone Before Goodbye

“Porkchop?”

“First, he donated his corneas. Restored someone’s vision.”

Maggie starts to shake her head.

“Then he donated a kidney. Probably saved a life. It’s what he believed in, right? It’s what he killed my boy for. Then he donated part of his lung—not too much or he’d die. I didn’t want that. Not yet anyway. Same with his liver. And then his pancreas. I don’t remember what else.” Porkchop swallows, but his voice stays steady. “And then in the end, when I realized Oleg Ragoravich would do anything to get hold of a beating heart…”

He doesn’t say more. He doesn’t have to.

They stand there. Together. Maggie has no idea for how long. Eventually someone unlocks the door. They come into the bar. Then someone else. Someone says hi. More people come in. Maggie and Porkchop break apart, greet people, accept hugs, but all Maggie can hear is the same sound she heard when she was leaving the operating room.

BEAT… BEAT… BEAT…