Disclaimer: They still aren't mine. I've recently come to the realization
that they never will be. * Sigh.*
Author: Catgurl83
Title: Shocking News
Feedback: I love feedback. It keeps me motivated. My e-mail address is catgurl83@yahoo.com
Rating: G
Author's notes: I'm still not a doctor. See chapter two A \ N. I've been spending so much time working on this story in the last few days that I haven't had time to work on my Group. I'll get to that in the next few days.
*********
Matt sat down on the bed in the apartment above his parent's garage. He and Sarah had been staying there since they got back to GlenOke.
He shifted the baby on his lap and handed her a rattle. He smiled when Charlie tried to stuff the rattle into her mouth.
Sarah stepped out of the bathroom still running a brush through her long hair. She smiled at her husband and daughter.
Matt stood up and walked across the room. He laid the pajama-clad baby in the portable crib that had been set up for her.
Matt went back to the bed and sat down. Sarah laid her brush on the table and sat down next to him. She laid a comforting hand on his leg. "I wish there was something else we could do," she whispered.
Matt met his wife's eyes. He really hoped she meant it because she wasn't going to like his suggestion. "Do you mean it?"
"Of course." Sarah answered honestly. She hated watching Matt go through this. And Ruthie. She couldn't even imagine how Ruthie must feel.
"Anything?" Matt pressed.
"Anything." Sarah answered.
Matt sighed. "There is something we can do."
Sarah looked at him in confusion. He was wrong. They had already done the only thing they could do. They all had.
Matt tore his gaze from his wife's and looked over at the crib.
Sarah followed her husband's eyes. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach. "No," she whispered.
Matt turned back to her. His eyes searched hers. "You said anything."
Sarah stood up. "Not this."
"Anything," Matt repeated.
Sarah shook her head as she approached the crib. She ran her hand over Charlie's soft hair. "I said I'd do anything. Not Charlie."
Matt joined his wife, his eyes on the baby. "This is Ruthie's last chance."
"What about the registry?" Sarah said the words quietly.
"We both know what the chances are of the registry finding her a match in time," Matt said angrily. "This is her last chance."
Sarah continued to stare at her daughter.
"Can you really do this?"
Sarah finally looked at him. "Can I do this? How can you do this? How can you want to do this to Charlie?" She stepped away from the crib. She didn't want to wake the already sleeping baby. "I know how much you want to help your sister. I want to help her too. But not like this. I can't do this."
"You'd watch Ruthie die when there is a relative that might be a match?" Matt demanded.
Sarah refused to answer that question.
"You are suggesting that we deny Ruthie her one chance at survival," Matt went on. He softened his voice. "How would you feel if it were Charlie? Wouldn't you want Ruthie to be tested?"
"Yes." Sarah whispered her answer. "I want to help her," she continued to whisper, tears were steaming down her face, "but I can't. I don't know how you can suggest this." She sank down onto the bed. "How can you suggest that we put our daughter through this?"
Matt sat down and picked up his wife's hand. "Charlie would be fine."
"It would hurt her Matt. She is just a baby. She wouldn't even understand. How can we, as her parents, put her through that?"
Matt wiped one of her tears away. "It'll be hard but Sarah we don't really have a choice. We have to do what is right."
Sarah nodded in agreement.
"This is what is right. If it were Charlie instead of Ruthie, I would want everyone to get tested. If Ruthie had a baby I would want that baby tested no matter the age."
Sarah nodded as she pictured Charlie in Ruthie's situation. She violently shook her head to clear the devastating thoughts from her mind.
"We have to," Matt whispered.
Sarah sat in silence for several minutes. Her eyes glued to the crib and the tiny baby inside it.
Matt watched Sarah. He could see the battle raging inside her eyes. He knew that half of her wanted to say yes and half of her wanted to say no. This was a difficult decision for her.
Finally, Sarah lifted her eyes to Matt. Her eyes were devoid of emotion. "OK," she whispered so softly that he barely heard her.
Matt studied Sarah's face. He was glad she had agreed but he knew how hard this was going to be for her. He just hoped that this was worth it. That Charlie could help Ruthie. That would make this whole argument more then worth it.
**********
Author: Catgurl83
Title: Shocking News
Feedback: I love feedback. It keeps me motivated. My e-mail address is catgurl83@yahoo.com
Rating: G
Author's notes: I'm still not a doctor. See chapter two A \ N. I've been spending so much time working on this story in the last few days that I haven't had time to work on my Group. I'll get to that in the next few days.
*********
Matt sat down on the bed in the apartment above his parent's garage. He and Sarah had been staying there since they got back to GlenOke.
He shifted the baby on his lap and handed her a rattle. He smiled when Charlie tried to stuff the rattle into her mouth.
Sarah stepped out of the bathroom still running a brush through her long hair. She smiled at her husband and daughter.
Matt stood up and walked across the room. He laid the pajama-clad baby in the portable crib that had been set up for her.
Matt went back to the bed and sat down. Sarah laid her brush on the table and sat down next to him. She laid a comforting hand on his leg. "I wish there was something else we could do," she whispered.
Matt met his wife's eyes. He really hoped she meant it because she wasn't going to like his suggestion. "Do you mean it?"
"Of course." Sarah answered honestly. She hated watching Matt go through this. And Ruthie. She couldn't even imagine how Ruthie must feel.
"Anything?" Matt pressed.
"Anything." Sarah answered.
Matt sighed. "There is something we can do."
Sarah looked at him in confusion. He was wrong. They had already done the only thing they could do. They all had.
Matt tore his gaze from his wife's and looked over at the crib.
Sarah followed her husband's eyes. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach. "No," she whispered.
Matt turned back to her. His eyes searched hers. "You said anything."
Sarah stood up. "Not this."
"Anything," Matt repeated.
Sarah shook her head as she approached the crib. She ran her hand over Charlie's soft hair. "I said I'd do anything. Not Charlie."
Matt joined his wife, his eyes on the baby. "This is Ruthie's last chance."
"What about the registry?" Sarah said the words quietly.
"We both know what the chances are of the registry finding her a match in time," Matt said angrily. "This is her last chance."
Sarah continued to stare at her daughter.
"Can you really do this?"
Sarah finally looked at him. "Can I do this? How can you do this? How can you want to do this to Charlie?" She stepped away from the crib. She didn't want to wake the already sleeping baby. "I know how much you want to help your sister. I want to help her too. But not like this. I can't do this."
"You'd watch Ruthie die when there is a relative that might be a match?" Matt demanded.
Sarah refused to answer that question.
"You are suggesting that we deny Ruthie her one chance at survival," Matt went on. He softened his voice. "How would you feel if it were Charlie? Wouldn't you want Ruthie to be tested?"
"Yes." Sarah whispered her answer. "I want to help her," she continued to whisper, tears were steaming down her face, "but I can't. I don't know how you can suggest this." She sank down onto the bed. "How can you suggest that we put our daughter through this?"
Matt sat down and picked up his wife's hand. "Charlie would be fine."
"It would hurt her Matt. She is just a baby. She wouldn't even understand. How can we, as her parents, put her through that?"
Matt wiped one of her tears away. "It'll be hard but Sarah we don't really have a choice. We have to do what is right."
Sarah nodded in agreement.
"This is what is right. If it were Charlie instead of Ruthie, I would want everyone to get tested. If Ruthie had a baby I would want that baby tested no matter the age."
Sarah nodded as she pictured Charlie in Ruthie's situation. She violently shook her head to clear the devastating thoughts from her mind.
"We have to," Matt whispered.
Sarah sat in silence for several minutes. Her eyes glued to the crib and the tiny baby inside it.
Matt watched Sarah. He could see the battle raging inside her eyes. He knew that half of her wanted to say yes and half of her wanted to say no. This was a difficult decision for her.
Finally, Sarah lifted her eyes to Matt. Her eyes were devoid of emotion. "OK," she whispered so softly that he barely heard her.
Matt studied Sarah's face. He was glad she had agreed but he knew how hard this was going to be for her. He just hoped that this was worth it. That Charlie could help Ruthie. That would make this whole argument more then worth it.
**********
