Jake walked over to the sofa and sat. Greenlee watched him and then
followed suit. Jake took Greenlee's hand and turned to face her. He took a
deep breath before he spoke.
"Greenlee," Jake said. "I love you and you know that I would never do anything to hurt you."
"I know you wouldn't," Greenlee said.
"I haven't been completely honest with you, and I think I need to be."
Greenlee didn't know what Jake was about to say, but she did know that she was about to get the answers that she had been waiting for.
"I know I told you that I was at Oak Haven on Friday with Dr. Morgan discussing a patient."
"You weren't?" Greenlee asked.
"No, I was. But the patient we were discussing..." There was a long pause. "The patient was me."
"What are you talking about, Jake? What do you mean the patient was you?"
"Dr. Morgan is a cardiologist."
"That's the heart. Why do you need to see a heart doctor? Please, Jake." Greenlee began to cry. "Please tell me this isn't serious. It can't be." Jake didn't answer her right away.
"It's not good, Greenlee." The fear was really showing in Jake's eyes. "The doctor says that I need a transplant."
"Oh, God." Greenlee shook her head. "Why didn't you tell me when you found out?"
"I didn't want to upset you."
"But you're telling me now."
"You need to know. I think I finally realized that."
"How'd you figure that out?" Greenlee asked.
"It was a few things. But mostly, it was Tad. he came to me the other day. He was concerned, as concerned as you are and... I threw him out of here. I threw him out without giving it a second thought."
"So Tad knew?" Greenlee said through her tears. "He didn't tell me? I asked him..."
"Don't be angry with him. Please," Jake begged. "I asked him not to say anything... to anybody."
Greenlee was silent for a long time, trying to absorb what Jake was telling her. "What can we do?" she finally asked. "I mean, there is something we can do, right?" Greenlee took the piece of paper into her hand once again. "David. He's a cardiologist. He can do something. Can't he do something?"
"I went to see him," Jake said, pushing Greenlee's hand back down, gently so that she would drop the paper. "He said he would help."
"So what's the problem then?"
"I told him no."
Greenlee was in shock. "What do you mean you told him no? Are you out of your mind?"
Jake stood, walking away from the sofa. "He told me that he would help me for a price. His reinstatement at the hospital with a clean record..."
"And you said no?"
"He wanted me to resign. He wanted me to resign and give my job to him. Put yourself in my position, Greenlee."
Greenlee stood and walked up to him. "I don't get you. He's offering you life and you're worrying about your job?"
"I can't give him what he's asking for."
"No. No you won't give him what he's asking for."
"Why can't you understand this? I don't trust him. How can I?"
"This goes way beyond trust, Jake. You've seen what David can do. He's worked miracles when nothing else seemed possible." She paused. "So, I'm sorry, I don't understand."
"You just expect me to go along with this? With David? Put my life in his hands?"
"Your life isn't in anyone's hands right now, not even your own. Your job at the hospital... is worthless. What are you going to do with it if..."
"Don't say it." Jake stopped her. "Don't even think it."
"Maybe somebody should. You aren't."
"Oh, I am, Greenlee. Every minute I think about it. Everyday since I found out." He paused. "You have no idea what this is like. You can't know. I go to work and wonder if I'll make it through the day. I go to sleep at night and don't know if I'm going to wake up in the morning."
"But you leave me in the dark about the entire thing. My God, Jake. What would have happened if I woke up and you were...Oh, my God." Greenlee walked back over to the sofa and sat, putting her head in her hands.
Jake bit his bottom lip and took a deep breath before he followed after Greenlee. He sat down, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her closer to him. His eyes began to water.
"I'm sorry, Greenlee," Jake said, rocking gently back and forth with her. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you. I never meant to hurt you. You have to know that I would never do anything to hurt you."
"Oh, Jake," Greenlee said through her tears. "What are we going to do?"
"Everything we possibly can do, baby. I'll even go back to David if it makes you feel better. I'll do it for you."
Greenlee shook here head. "We'll find somebody. Don't go back to David if you don't trust him."
She rested her head down on his shoulder. "We've gotten through a lot of things, Greenlee. Right? We'll get through this. Everything will be OK. I promised you I'd do whatever it takes to be there for you, didn't I?" Greenlee just looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm going to keep that promise, Greenlee," Jake said, embracing her again. "I swear I am."
"Greenlee," Jake said. "I love you and you know that I would never do anything to hurt you."
"I know you wouldn't," Greenlee said.
"I haven't been completely honest with you, and I think I need to be."
Greenlee didn't know what Jake was about to say, but she did know that she was about to get the answers that she had been waiting for.
"I know I told you that I was at Oak Haven on Friday with Dr. Morgan discussing a patient."
"You weren't?" Greenlee asked.
"No, I was. But the patient we were discussing..." There was a long pause. "The patient was me."
"What are you talking about, Jake? What do you mean the patient was you?"
"Dr. Morgan is a cardiologist."
"That's the heart. Why do you need to see a heart doctor? Please, Jake." Greenlee began to cry. "Please tell me this isn't serious. It can't be." Jake didn't answer her right away.
"It's not good, Greenlee." The fear was really showing in Jake's eyes. "The doctor says that I need a transplant."
"Oh, God." Greenlee shook her head. "Why didn't you tell me when you found out?"
"I didn't want to upset you."
"But you're telling me now."
"You need to know. I think I finally realized that."
"How'd you figure that out?" Greenlee asked.
"It was a few things. But mostly, it was Tad. he came to me the other day. He was concerned, as concerned as you are and... I threw him out of here. I threw him out without giving it a second thought."
"So Tad knew?" Greenlee said through her tears. "He didn't tell me? I asked him..."
"Don't be angry with him. Please," Jake begged. "I asked him not to say anything... to anybody."
Greenlee was silent for a long time, trying to absorb what Jake was telling her. "What can we do?" she finally asked. "I mean, there is something we can do, right?" Greenlee took the piece of paper into her hand once again. "David. He's a cardiologist. He can do something. Can't he do something?"
"I went to see him," Jake said, pushing Greenlee's hand back down, gently so that she would drop the paper. "He said he would help."
"So what's the problem then?"
"I told him no."
Greenlee was in shock. "What do you mean you told him no? Are you out of your mind?"
Jake stood, walking away from the sofa. "He told me that he would help me for a price. His reinstatement at the hospital with a clean record..."
"And you said no?"
"He wanted me to resign. He wanted me to resign and give my job to him. Put yourself in my position, Greenlee."
Greenlee stood and walked up to him. "I don't get you. He's offering you life and you're worrying about your job?"
"I can't give him what he's asking for."
"No. No you won't give him what he's asking for."
"Why can't you understand this? I don't trust him. How can I?"
"This goes way beyond trust, Jake. You've seen what David can do. He's worked miracles when nothing else seemed possible." She paused. "So, I'm sorry, I don't understand."
"You just expect me to go along with this? With David? Put my life in his hands?"
"Your life isn't in anyone's hands right now, not even your own. Your job at the hospital... is worthless. What are you going to do with it if..."
"Don't say it." Jake stopped her. "Don't even think it."
"Maybe somebody should. You aren't."
"Oh, I am, Greenlee. Every minute I think about it. Everyday since I found out." He paused. "You have no idea what this is like. You can't know. I go to work and wonder if I'll make it through the day. I go to sleep at night and don't know if I'm going to wake up in the morning."
"But you leave me in the dark about the entire thing. My God, Jake. What would have happened if I woke up and you were...Oh, my God." Greenlee walked back over to the sofa and sat, putting her head in her hands.
Jake bit his bottom lip and took a deep breath before he followed after Greenlee. He sat down, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her closer to him. His eyes began to water.
"I'm sorry, Greenlee," Jake said, rocking gently back and forth with her. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you. I never meant to hurt you. You have to know that I would never do anything to hurt you."
"Oh, Jake," Greenlee said through her tears. "What are we going to do?"
"Everything we possibly can do, baby. I'll even go back to David if it makes you feel better. I'll do it for you."
Greenlee shook here head. "We'll find somebody. Don't go back to David if you don't trust him."
She rested her head down on his shoulder. "We've gotten through a lot of things, Greenlee. Right? We'll get through this. Everything will be OK. I promised you I'd do whatever it takes to be there for you, didn't I?" Greenlee just looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm going to keep that promise, Greenlee," Jake said, embracing her again. "I swear I am."