Chapter Four
Roberta and David Gordon were at a stand off in a battle that neither were willing to back down from. "I'm not signing them David, and that is all I have to say. You can't change my mind on the matter."
"Mom." The way Gordo says it sounds childish to his own ears and for such a serious conversation it's the last way he needs to sound. Taking a deep calming breath Gordo responds, "hear me out, please."
"David, I don't understand the point of hearing you out, I won't change my mind."
"Mom, please, just listen to what I have to say." Gordo pleads softly.
"Fine David, I will give you 10 minutes to try to convince me to let you give away an organ." Roberta states, hands planted firmly on her hips.
"First off they have to match a bunch of tests before the will even let me consider donating, it's not healthy for Lizzie otherwise, and that's all you are signing for, the chances of me actually being a match are low." Gordo summarizes.
"And?" Roberta looks questioningly at her son, letting him know that none of what he just said was nearly enough to convince her.
"She's going to die." Gordo states softly staring into his mother's eyes. "And if she could hold on just a little bit longer than she could probably wait for an anonymous person to donate to her, but she doesn't have enough time to hold on. Her doctor says she has maybe six months left, six months."
"David..." Roberta looks to be the on the verge of tears.
"Elizabeth Brooke McGuire, the girl I have loved my whole life and the girl you have watched grow up and counted on having as a daughter-in-law is going to die if someone doesn't do something." Gordo is pushing his own tears back as he speaks, "I just want to help her."
Roberts steps forward at her sons hear-wrenching words and places a gentle hand on his cheek, "I can't stop you from doing this, can I?"
"You could," Gordo sighs, "if you don't sign the paper."
"And the chances, they aren't high that you will be a match?" Roberta asks. Gordo nods and Roberta asks, "and the test isn't dangerous?"
"I'll have to check into the hospital for a few days, but it's just a blood test and a psych evaluation."
Roberta sighs, "I'll sign the paper for the test only, I'm not giving you permission to go giving an organ away."
Gordo nods, "I understand."
"So I passed the psych test and I made sure not to check the box that said 'I sometimes like to kill people'," Gordo makes jokes as he meets with Dr. Grace a week later and two days after he had gotten out of the hospital, he'd hidden his hospital stay with a lie, saying that he was spending time with his visiting Dad for the weekend. "So how did the anitgen test go?"
Dr. Grace's expression is unreadable at first but finally her face breaks into a smile, "I must say I had my doubts about how well you would match."
"We matched?"
Dr. Grace nods, "surprisingly well for someone who isn't related."
Gordo doesn't know what to say in response to this, "I...I can't believe..."
"Gordo we are just beginning, there's more papers your parents have to sign we have to have Lizzie prepped, this is the start of a long process and you can back out now if you don't think you are ready for this. Lizzie has no idea we even did the testing, and she doesn't have to know."
Gordo shakes his head, "I'm doing this. I have to go tell Lizzie."
Dr. Grace nods, "but Gordo..."
"Yeah?" Gordo is all ready to the door.
"Talk to your mother first, because if she doesn't agree to any of this we can't do anything until you turn 18."
"She'll say yes." Gordo assures, "she loves Lizzie as much as I do."
"Talk to your mother first," Dr. Grace reiterates.
Gordo nods, "I understand."
Roberta looks on the verge of tears when Gordo tells her the news, "this is what I was afraid of."
Gordo kneels down in front of his seated mother, "I know you counted on the fact that I wouldn't be compatible..."
"I was under the impression that there was a little chance that you would be a match."
"The chance was small." Gordo responds, "even Dr. Grace was surprised at how well we matched..."
"The risks for you are so high." Roberta points out, "this isn't like the time they took your tonsils out, it's so much more dangerous to your health."
"But it's not as dangerous to my health as not getting the transplant would be to Lizzie's life." Gordo stresses. "I could save her life, you can't stop me from doing this."
"But I don't know if I can say yes either." Roberta gently touches Gordo's chin, "I don't want to loose you."
"I could walk out this door today and get hit by a bus," Gordo states. "But I have to take this chance, I have to help Lizzie live, I can't just stand around watching her die."
Tears are streaming down Roberta's cheeks as she nods, "I understand, you have to do this for her."
"You're going to let me do this?"
"I'm going to let you do this." Roberta nods. "If you don't marry her after this..."
Gordo can't help but laugh from relief, "thank you so much."
"I want to talk to this doctor." Roberta states.
"Sure, no problem she says she will make time in her schedule for you whenever you want to meet with her."
"Get me the number, I want to call tonight."
Gordo nods, "all right."
"We have to call your father as well, he's going to need to sign those forms too."
"Why?" Gordo asks his eyes narrowing.
"Because by law we have joint custody of you, it's required that he signs them too."
Gordo rolls his eyes, "whatever. I've got to tell Lizzie."
Roberta nods, "okay."
Roberta and David Gordon were at a stand off in a battle that neither were willing to back down from. "I'm not signing them David, and that is all I have to say. You can't change my mind on the matter."
"Mom." The way Gordo says it sounds childish to his own ears and for such a serious conversation it's the last way he needs to sound. Taking a deep calming breath Gordo responds, "hear me out, please."
"David, I don't understand the point of hearing you out, I won't change my mind."
"Mom, please, just listen to what I have to say." Gordo pleads softly.
"Fine David, I will give you 10 minutes to try to convince me to let you give away an organ." Roberta states, hands planted firmly on her hips.
"First off they have to match a bunch of tests before the will even let me consider donating, it's not healthy for Lizzie otherwise, and that's all you are signing for, the chances of me actually being a match are low." Gordo summarizes.
"And?" Roberta looks questioningly at her son, letting him know that none of what he just said was nearly enough to convince her.
"She's going to die." Gordo states softly staring into his mother's eyes. "And if she could hold on just a little bit longer than she could probably wait for an anonymous person to donate to her, but she doesn't have enough time to hold on. Her doctor says she has maybe six months left, six months."
"David..." Roberta looks to be the on the verge of tears.
"Elizabeth Brooke McGuire, the girl I have loved my whole life and the girl you have watched grow up and counted on having as a daughter-in-law is going to die if someone doesn't do something." Gordo is pushing his own tears back as he speaks, "I just want to help her."
Roberts steps forward at her sons hear-wrenching words and places a gentle hand on his cheek, "I can't stop you from doing this, can I?"
"You could," Gordo sighs, "if you don't sign the paper."
"And the chances, they aren't high that you will be a match?" Roberta asks. Gordo nods and Roberta asks, "and the test isn't dangerous?"
"I'll have to check into the hospital for a few days, but it's just a blood test and a psych evaluation."
Roberta sighs, "I'll sign the paper for the test only, I'm not giving you permission to go giving an organ away."
Gordo nods, "I understand."
"So I passed the psych test and I made sure not to check the box that said 'I sometimes like to kill people'," Gordo makes jokes as he meets with Dr. Grace a week later and two days after he had gotten out of the hospital, he'd hidden his hospital stay with a lie, saying that he was spending time with his visiting Dad for the weekend. "So how did the anitgen test go?"
Dr. Grace's expression is unreadable at first but finally her face breaks into a smile, "I must say I had my doubts about how well you would match."
"We matched?"
Dr. Grace nods, "surprisingly well for someone who isn't related."
Gordo doesn't know what to say in response to this, "I...I can't believe..."
"Gordo we are just beginning, there's more papers your parents have to sign we have to have Lizzie prepped, this is the start of a long process and you can back out now if you don't think you are ready for this. Lizzie has no idea we even did the testing, and she doesn't have to know."
Gordo shakes his head, "I'm doing this. I have to go tell Lizzie."
Dr. Grace nods, "but Gordo..."
"Yeah?" Gordo is all ready to the door.
"Talk to your mother first, because if she doesn't agree to any of this we can't do anything until you turn 18."
"She'll say yes." Gordo assures, "she loves Lizzie as much as I do."
"Talk to your mother first," Dr. Grace reiterates.
Gordo nods, "I understand."
Roberta looks on the verge of tears when Gordo tells her the news, "this is what I was afraid of."
Gordo kneels down in front of his seated mother, "I know you counted on the fact that I wouldn't be compatible..."
"I was under the impression that there was a little chance that you would be a match."
"The chance was small." Gordo responds, "even Dr. Grace was surprised at how well we matched..."
"The risks for you are so high." Roberta points out, "this isn't like the time they took your tonsils out, it's so much more dangerous to your health."
"But it's not as dangerous to my health as not getting the transplant would be to Lizzie's life." Gordo stresses. "I could save her life, you can't stop me from doing this."
"But I don't know if I can say yes either." Roberta gently touches Gordo's chin, "I don't want to loose you."
"I could walk out this door today and get hit by a bus," Gordo states. "But I have to take this chance, I have to help Lizzie live, I can't just stand around watching her die."
Tears are streaming down Roberta's cheeks as she nods, "I understand, you have to do this for her."
"You're going to let me do this?"
"I'm going to let you do this." Roberta nods. "If you don't marry her after this..."
Gordo can't help but laugh from relief, "thank you so much."
"I want to talk to this doctor." Roberta states.
"Sure, no problem she says she will make time in her schedule for you whenever you want to meet with her."
"Get me the number, I want to call tonight."
Gordo nods, "all right."
"We have to call your father as well, he's going to need to sign those forms too."
"Why?" Gordo asks his eyes narrowing.
"Because by law we have joint custody of you, it's required that he signs them too."
Gordo rolls his eyes, "whatever. I've got to tell Lizzie."
Roberta nods, "okay."