Give and Take

Give and Take

It was 6 months ago today that Lily found out that her chronic kidney disease had gotten to stage 5. It means that she needs a kidney transplant within a year or she will die. It hasn't been a good year. Jackson found out 2 days after that that he has aplastic anaemia and without a bone marrow transplant he too will die soon. Over this time they became very close. They talked often about everything, including that they might die. It was hard for their families to accept and there were things that Miley would just not talk about with Lily or could not understand.

Two weeks after Jackson's diagnoses Lily found out that her parents, Miley, Oliver and Mr. Stewart were not a match and could not donate a kidney to her. On the same day Jackson found out that his father, sister, Oliver and Lily's parents (who had become close to the Stewarts after both diagnoses) were not matches and could not donate bone marrow to him. Jackson and Lily had helped each other come to terms with their now grim prognoses.

It was 6 months after her diagnosis that Lily had the idea. She needed to ask a doctor if it was possible but first she'd tell Jackson. She went to the Stewarts house when she knew that Miley and Robbie Ray would be out. When she arrived she saw Jackson on the couch, she went in.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey, how are you?" he asked.

"Good, you?"

"Good, so what's up?"

"I have an idea."

"Cool, I'm listening." He said settling next on her on the couch.

"I got tested."

"For what?"

"To see if I was a match to you…I am."

"Lily…"

"Don't say it, I wanted to. Anyway I was thinking that I could give you my bone marrow, don't worry its good stuff, it's my kidneys that are shot." She said smiling at his unsure face.

"Lily, you're sick, I can't take a sick persons bone marrow, and even if I would accept your offer, can you even donate?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to ask your doctor tomorrow to find out."

"Lily…even if you can, surely because of your bad health it makes the procedure more risky; it's a risky procedure as it is, I can't let do it."

"Please Jackson, if I can, I want to do this for you, I don't want you to die." She told him welling up.

"Ok, if you can donate, I'll accept your marrow on one condition."

"Ok, whatever it is, I'll do it. What's the condition?"

"That if it works, when I get better, you'll take one of my kidneys."

"But Jackson you don't know if you're…"

"I am a match. I got tested at the same time as dad and Miley; I just didn't tell anyone I was getting tested or about the results, there wasn't a lot of point unless I got better or died. So, deal?"

"Yeah, deal." She said as they hugged.

"Oh Jackson, lets not tell anyone, they won't like it and I also don't want us getting anyone's hopes up, not that I'm saying it won't work its just, one of the hard things about being terminal is being given hope by doctors and then the treatment failing, I don't want my parents to go through that again."

"Agreed, I saw how hard it hit my dad and Miley last time a treatment didn't work, I completely understand."

The next day Lily and Jackson, under the excuse of going to a meeting for terminally ill people, went to Dr Bernard to talk about their idea.

"So let me get this straight you two want to know if it's medically possible to for you to donate your bone marrow to Jackson and if that works for Jackson to then donate a kidney to you." Asked Dr Bernard

"Yes, so what do you think?" asked Lily

"Well, yes it is medically possible, though it does come with risks."

"Such as?" asked a concerned Jackson

"Well, Lily you'll need to have had dialysis not long before the bone marrow harvest and because of your illness, it will make the procedure more dangerous. Jackson, if it works Lily will be getting low on time so you'd have to donate as soon as your body's up to it. It's risky and not done very often but considering your alternatives, I think it's a good plan."

"How soon can you do the harvest?" asked Lily

"Lily are you sure about this? You heard Dr Bernard, it's risky and made more so by your condition, are you sure you want to do this?" asked Jackson holding her hand in his.

"Yes, I'm sure, more sure than I've ever been about anything, I get the chance to save your life, its an amazing thing I'm going to get to do and just think, you might get to return the favour and if not I will have done a really commendable thing."

"Ok, thank you Lily, let's do it, so how soon can you harvest the marrow?"

"Well, when did you last have dialysis?"

"Yesterday."

"And how often do you have sessions?"

"Every second day."

"Ok, today's Monday, mmmm, how does Thursday sound?"

"Really, that's great, thank you doctor."

"Yeah, thanks doc."

"Your welcome, but I think you should be thanking Lily."

"Yes, of course, I'm going to treat her to something special as soon as we leave here."

"Jackson, you don't have to do anything."

"Yes, I do."

After they left the doctors office Jackson took Lily to a fancy lunch to thank her, they talked and laughed and afterward went for a walk along the beach in front of the restaurant. After they had walked halfway along the beach they stopped under the shade of a weeping willow on the grassy area before the sand and sat leaning against the trunk. Lily spoke first.

"Jackson, you know when we found out we were both terminal and we promised each other totally honesty for as long as we had left, well, I've been keeping something from you."

"You have? Why?"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want what little time we have left to be awkward, I'm sorry."

"It's ok, tell me now."

There was a long silence while Lily worked up the nerve to say what she had been feeling for the last 6 months.

"I love you." She said looking down waiting for rejection. He put his finger under her chin and gently tilted it upward. When she was looking him in the eyes he spoke.

"I love you too Lily." He said.

At this her smile grew to the biggest he'd seen it for a long time, since her diagnosis she didn't smile as much. Then he leaned forward and they kissed; when the need for air became too much to ignore they stopped. When they stopped she leaned her head on his shoulder and put her arms around his waist, he leaned his head on top of hers and put his arms over hers, embracing her. After they had been sitting like this for a couple of minutes they were seen by Miley and Oliver who had decided to go to the beach as they were bored. Miley unhappy about the way their position looked proceeded to get close enough to eavesdrop without being seen.

"Miley what are you doing?" whispered Oliver.

"Trying to spy on Lily and Jackson."

"Why?"

"Because they look awful chummy, don't you think?"

"Well they have become close because of their illnesses."

"Yeah but the way their sitting they look more than close, duck down would you I don't want them to see us." she said as she pulled Oliver down behind a bush.

"Lily."

"Yeah?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"What about Miley?"

"So that's not a no?"

"It's definitely not a no." she said then kissed him passionately.

"It's a what about Miley; she won't be ok with it."

"Well considering we're both dying maybe she'll make a exception."

"Maybe, but if our plan works we wont be, then what."

"Well, in that case you would have saved her brothers life so I think being ok with us would be the least she could do."

"Good point, now its not that I'm not enjoying our conversation but I can think of something more fun we can do with our mouths." She said smiling. They then proceeded to lie on the grass, Jackson on top of Lily, making out. That was until they felt a shadow on them, stopped and looked up to find Miley and Oliver standing over them.

"Miley, I um, we uh…" Lily started.

"Lily its ok, tell me about this plan and I'll consider giving you to my blessing.

So Lily explained the plan to Miley and Oliver whose faces were full of concern throughout the explanation.

"Lily, I don't know about this, it all seems very risky." Miley said after Lily's explanation.
"I know Miley but I want to do this and neither you nor my parents can dissuade me, I love him."

"Wow, way to be upfront girl, Jackson how do you feel about all of this, and of course Lily?"

"I am worried about her doing this for me but I know she's made up her mind and it's also the only way I can save her, I love her Miley."

"Ok, well you got my support and blessing."

"Mine too." Oliver chimed in

"Support I mean." He added.

"Thanks it means a lot, so you two will be there when we break it to my parents and Robbie Ray?" asked Lily.

"Yeah of course girl."

At 7.30 that night, in the Stewarts living room, Lily and her parents were having a heated (and loud) discussion about the plan which Lily had just told them.

"Absolutely not, no way are you risking your life to possibly save Jackson's, sorry Robbie Ray." Said Mr Truscott

"It's ok, I understand, no way am I letting Jackson have a risky procedure like that after what his immune systems been through these last few months."

"See Lily, Robbie Ray isn't letting Jackson donate, and no way are we letting you."

"You don't have a say in the matter, I'm 18, I'm legally and medically responsible for myself now. I brought you here tonight to inform you not to ask your permission." She stated firmly.

"Same goes for me dad, I'm telling you not asking you." Jackson added. Lily continued.

"Since we're being open, Jackson and I are dating."

"Since when?" asked Mr Truscott, reading Robbie Ray and his wife's mind.

"Since today, but I've loved Lily for the last six months." He Jackson said to a surprised Robbie Ray. Lily's Parents turned to her for her explanation.

"Yes, we got Miley's blessing today but I've loved Jackson for six months too."

So with her parents unhappy and Robbie Ray, Miley and Jackson eternally grateful Lily had the bone marrow transplant on Thursday as planned. After she had come round she was wheeled to Jackson's room to be with him while he got the marrow.

She entered as the bag of marrow was being hung, she watched as the tube connected to that bag was hooked up to Jackson's IV. She took his other hand.

"How long will it take?" she asked.

"Two hours, you don't have to stay."

"I want to."

"It's amazing huh? That what's in that bag, that came from inside your bones is going to save my life. Thank you."

"You are most definitely welcome." She said as she stared at the blood like substance in the bag.

She sat with Jackson the whole time and came over nearly everyday to see how he was doing. Just over two weeks later they were lying side by side in an operating room holding each others hand."

"Time to say good bye." Said a masked and gloved surgeon.

"I love you Lily, see you when you wake up, good bye kidney, you be good to Lily." He said patting and looking at the right side of his abdomen, causing Lily to laugh.

"I love you too Jackson."

Four hours later the surgery's were finished and went really well but only time would tell whether Lily's body would accept the kidney. Six days later Jackson was discharged from hospital, and four days after that Lily was discharged. Two weeks after she was discharged from hospital Lily went to have follow up tests to check the function in her new kidney. All the tests came back that it was working well.

6 months later Lily and Jackson went to their final follow up appointments and were given clean bills of health. After their appointments Lily and Jackson were walking along the same stretch of beach they had walked along 6 months ago. When they got the tree under which they confessed their feelings for each other for the first time Jackson stopped. He pulled a black velvet box from his pocket, opened it and got down on one knee.

"Lily Truscott, it's because of you that I'm standing here today, you saved my life and stole my heart, I want to spend the rest of my, now long, life with you, will you marry me?"

Lily fought back her tears.

"Yes!" she said. He got up and slipped the diamond ring on her finger. She jumped into his arms and kissed him passionately. When they had calmed down she said.

"Jackson no matter what happens in our lives; I will always have a piece of you with me."