CHAPTER 5

February 2, 2008.

His mind kept drifting from past to present, reminiscing and enduring torture altogether.

What happened? How did my dream shutter right before me and turn into a nightmare?

"What's the situation?" He heard the doctor and nurse, "Doctor Derby diagnosed it as CHD." Everything sounded like jibberish to him, all he wanted was his baby back.

Rae, his little chipmunk, was lying still in bed like a fragile, pale porcelain doll, her eyes stayed shut and unmoving, chest barely moving. The hospital room is occupied with machines all doing one common job, keeping her alive.

Why her? Where did he go wrong as a father? He played the cards right, he prayed and did everything upright. What did he do to deserve this? The common questions someone asks when something unrealistic happens to them.

His wife, Miranda, was distraught. Distraught could not begin to express her deep emotion towards this situation. He sent her out to get him breakfast because she couldn't stop crying, she was sceptical about leaving but she needed fresh air.

"Mr McKenzie?" Paul looked in the direction of the doctor, realising that he had been talking to him and not the nurse.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I'm sorry Mr McKenzie, I'm doctor Curtis, your daughter has what we call Congenital Heart Disease CHD. It's present at birth and we have reason to believe that it has caused a Ventricular Septal Defect between the right and left ventricles, meaning... Your daughter has a hole in her heart.

" Mr McKenzie? Are you..." The nurses' lips were moving but he couldn't hear anything. He let his back slid against the wall he was leaning against till he was squatting.

Is this some form of revenge from the universe or from some form of fucked up supreme being that finds pleasure in the suffering of others?

How could he let this happen? How didn't he see this coming? And how was he going to solve this?

Karma is a bitch, is it because he locked up bad guys for a living, karma should be happy about that, right? It should reward him not to punish him.

"Sir, we have assessed the situation and the only possible solution right now is a heart transplant."

Perfect! The miracle he needed. "Of course, how do we organise this?" He finally croaked in disbelief.

"We have a list of potential donors, once we find a match we'll contact you, but it's going to take time and she'll be put on a waiting."

"Wait, what? Why?" He stuttered as he felt his stomach drop in disappointment.

"Sir please try and understand, she's not the only one with a heart condition, others younger than her suffer from the same disease, please have patience. In the meantime she'll stay here till she's stable, we're doing the best we can. Please see that.

" Thank you." With that the Doctor and nurse dismissed themselves.

Paul moved closer to his little chipmunk and dubbed to his heart content. He would have to think of a way to get a donor and transplant before it's too late. Just the mere thought of them losing their precious jewel was heart wrecking, what of the reality of it? He would have to find a way.

As he sat there thinking of possible solutions to the problem, the heart monitor began to beep at an ear shuttering rate, he called for help as Rae began to convulse on her bed. This was it, the end for them. Sweat began to drip down the sides of his face in fear that he would see his only daughter breath her last breath.

Doctors and Nurses burst in through the door and into the room, each knowing what to do without being told.

"Mr McKenzie I'm sorry but you have to leave."

On shaky legs, Paul left the room and ran straight for the restroom. The scene was both horrendous and stomach heaving, he spelt his stomach contents before he could reach the toilet bowl.

Getting up, he walked towards the sink and washed his face. His reflection in the mirror, a comparison to what he felt on the inside, tired and depressed.

He hand reached his pocket and fetched his phone. He knew it was absurd but he had to. He dialled the only number on his mind, after a few rings,

"Yeah?"

"Hey, it's Paul, Paul McKenzie. I need your help." If the possibility of him hearing a smile was present, then he sure as hell developed It.

"I knew you'd come around, you know where to find me." With that, the line cut. It was a terrible idea and before he could let his conscious judge him for it, he left the restroom and trotted towards his destination.

***

The air whispering through the Willow tree, the sound of laughter and children playing at the distance, oh this was what she needed. Peace and serenity. The bench near the lake always did its best, the family boats reminding her of the times they would go for picnics and play under the sun. It's mostly short-lived but it's worth it.

Three months... Three months since her family disintegrated, three months since Rae... Oh, Rea. Three months since she last saw her husband.

She had just left the coffee shop near the hospital when she got a call, "Hey, Paul. I'm almost there with your breakfast."

"Meet me at our parking spot." He didn't sound like the certain Paul she knew, her heart picked up "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, just meet me there." With that, he cut the call.

She couldn't help but have a feeling of dread and her guts are never wrong. Her mother always insisted to trust her gut and she knew this was cooking up a storm.

She picked up her speed as she spotted her car and saw her husband prop his elbow on the roof of it so to lean.

"What happened?" Was the first thing she uttered, with fear laced in every word. "Everything is fine, I just need to leave town for some time."

"What? Why? You can't leave now Racheal needs you for God's sake, Paul!"

"Don't you think I know that! I'm doing this for her, for us." She could sense the earnestness behind his words and eyes.

"What exactly are you going to do? Where are you going?"

Stared at his feet, almost in shame "That's information I can't share with you, not yet at least."

"Paul, you have to. You can't leave." She couldn't stop the tears from streaming as he turned his back on her and got into the car. "Paul, don't you get in that car and leave me here."

"I'm sorry my love. I love you and Rae, I'll be back before you know it."

With that the car sped ahead and out the parking lot, leaving her in despair. That was the last she saw of him.

She missed him dearly.

She never gets this alone in her entire life. The devastation was beyond her. She thought she felt alone when cancer took away her mother and she lost her father ant the bottom of a whiskey bottle but this... This took the cake.

The sound of something vibrating brought her to the present.

"Miranda speaking."

"Voice as beautiful as ever."

"Paul?" Her heart bypassed a beat.

"I did it, I'm coming home. Rae will be okay."

Relief would be an understatement.