Chapter Five
Just as a note to everyone who was confused every person has two kidneys and your body can work just fine with one of them. Meaning if Gordo gives Lizzie one of his kidneys then they will both be able to survive and live healthy lives with just one kidney.
"If this is a joke Gordo, it's not funny." Lizzie is on the verge of tears after Gordo breaks the good news to her.
"It's not a joke." Gordo responds, "I wouldn't joke, not about this."
"And the tests..." Lizzie's eyes search Gordo's face.
"The tests basically say that we are as good of matches as we could be without being related."
"And your Mom?"
"My Mom is going to sign all of the papers, she loves you as much as I do and she understands that you need this to save your life."
"Gordo I don't know what to say..."
"What is there to say, other than we have to tell your parents." Gordo states.
"Gordo I can't let you do this...I mean it's a body organ. It isn't reasonable."
Gordo smiles at Lizzie, "since when have you been the reasonable one?"
"Gordo..."
"Lizzie I passed all the psych tests they made me take, I'm pretty sure the psychiatrists know whether or not I am in the right state of mind to be donating an organ." Gordo responds.
"But..."
"Will you stop fighting me on this?" Gordo requests.
"I..." Lizzie throws her arms around Gordo's neck, "thank you so much!"
Minutes later when Sam gets home from work and walks up the porch he finds Gordo and Lizzie kissing, clearing his throat he asks, "am I interrupting something?"
Both break apart and Lizzie shakes her head, "we...no...Gordo has something to tell you...you and Mom."
"Okay, well come inside and say it then." Sam states walking into the house, "we'll be waiting in the living room.
Gordo scoops Lizzie into his arms as she protests, "I can walk."
"You know you can't," Gordo responds gently, "besides in now time you'll be walking on your own."
"I hope so." Lizzie lays her head on Gordo's shoulder, the little bit of post dialysis energy she'd had was used on her excitement at Gordo's announcement and the kissing.
"What's going on?" Jo asks.
Quickly Gordo explains everything and a silence falls over the family which is broken by the amazed excitement that follows. Gordo couldn't keep track of the number of times Jo, Sam and Matt hugged him or the thousands of times they said thank you. "I've got to call your mother, and...and thank her." Jo states hurrying into the kitchen where she can be heard excitedly talking to Roberta. She returns several minutes later saying, "she had another call but we made arrangements to go out to dinner tomorrow night."
"You look ready to sleep." Gordo comments looking towards Lizzie.
Lizzie nods, "I am, I don't think I can keep my eyes open any longer."
"I'll take you up to bed." Gordo responds.
Lizzie quickly says good-night to her parents and brother before she places her arms around Gordo's neck, "you know what Gordo?"
"What?"
"I feel like a princess." Lizzie responds with a yawn.
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Gordo asks.
"Because I'm being carried to safety by my night in shining armor."
Gordo has reached Lizzie's bedroom by this time and she gently kisses Lizzie's forehead when he sets her down on bed. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I love you Gordo."
"I love you too Lizzie."
"Forever?" She questions.
Gordo nods, "forever and always."
Walking down the sidewalk in front of Lizzie's house Gordo almost gets plowed over my an excited Miranda, "Mrs. McGuire just called me, is it true Gordo? Are you really giving Lizzie one of your kidneys?"
"Well do you really think she would lie about it?" Gordo asks.
"Of course not. I just can't believe it, I mean I never would have thought...this is just so great...she will have a new kidney and she'll be all right...and everything will be just perfect again."
"Miranda," Gordo instructs, "breath."
Miranda takes a deep breath, "right."
"You have to keep in mind that Lizzie still has a long, painful, road ahead of her. We still have to do the transplant and her body still has to recover from that, it's not a simple surgery."
"I know," Miranda nods, "but this gives us all hope where we had none."
Gordo nods, "I know."
Roberta is waiting for Gordo when he gets home and her face looks pale, "what's wrong?" Gordo asks.
Roberta holds out the first paper in a stack of papers that had been faxed to Gordo's father that same morning and covering half of the page was what must have been a sticky note when it was faxed reading:
Roberta,
I can't believe you would even consider this, I refuse to sign this paper and will be flying to California tomorrow to discuss this further.
Gordo's jaw drops, "Mom he can't stop us right, I mean..."
Roberta offers a sad expression, "I'm afraid he can."
Just as a note to everyone who was confused every person has two kidneys and your body can work just fine with one of them. Meaning if Gordo gives Lizzie one of his kidneys then they will both be able to survive and live healthy lives with just one kidney.
"If this is a joke Gordo, it's not funny." Lizzie is on the verge of tears after Gordo breaks the good news to her.
"It's not a joke." Gordo responds, "I wouldn't joke, not about this."
"And the tests..." Lizzie's eyes search Gordo's face.
"The tests basically say that we are as good of matches as we could be without being related."
"And your Mom?"
"My Mom is going to sign all of the papers, she loves you as much as I do and she understands that you need this to save your life."
"Gordo I don't know what to say..."
"What is there to say, other than we have to tell your parents." Gordo states.
"Gordo I can't let you do this...I mean it's a body organ. It isn't reasonable."
Gordo smiles at Lizzie, "since when have you been the reasonable one?"
"Gordo..."
"Lizzie I passed all the psych tests they made me take, I'm pretty sure the psychiatrists know whether or not I am in the right state of mind to be donating an organ." Gordo responds.
"But..."
"Will you stop fighting me on this?" Gordo requests.
"I..." Lizzie throws her arms around Gordo's neck, "thank you so much!"
Minutes later when Sam gets home from work and walks up the porch he finds Gordo and Lizzie kissing, clearing his throat he asks, "am I interrupting something?"
Both break apart and Lizzie shakes her head, "we...no...Gordo has something to tell you...you and Mom."
"Okay, well come inside and say it then." Sam states walking into the house, "we'll be waiting in the living room.
Gordo scoops Lizzie into his arms as she protests, "I can walk."
"You know you can't," Gordo responds gently, "besides in now time you'll be walking on your own."
"I hope so." Lizzie lays her head on Gordo's shoulder, the little bit of post dialysis energy she'd had was used on her excitement at Gordo's announcement and the kissing.
"What's going on?" Jo asks.
Quickly Gordo explains everything and a silence falls over the family which is broken by the amazed excitement that follows. Gordo couldn't keep track of the number of times Jo, Sam and Matt hugged him or the thousands of times they said thank you. "I've got to call your mother, and...and thank her." Jo states hurrying into the kitchen where she can be heard excitedly talking to Roberta. She returns several minutes later saying, "she had another call but we made arrangements to go out to dinner tomorrow night."
"You look ready to sleep." Gordo comments looking towards Lizzie.
Lizzie nods, "I am, I don't think I can keep my eyes open any longer."
"I'll take you up to bed." Gordo responds.
Lizzie quickly says good-night to her parents and brother before she places her arms around Gordo's neck, "you know what Gordo?"
"What?"
"I feel like a princess." Lizzie responds with a yawn.
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Gordo asks.
"Because I'm being carried to safety by my night in shining armor."
Gordo has reached Lizzie's bedroom by this time and she gently kisses Lizzie's forehead when he sets her down on bed. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I love you Gordo."
"I love you too Lizzie."
"Forever?" She questions.
Gordo nods, "forever and always."
Walking down the sidewalk in front of Lizzie's house Gordo almost gets plowed over my an excited Miranda, "Mrs. McGuire just called me, is it true Gordo? Are you really giving Lizzie one of your kidneys?"
"Well do you really think she would lie about it?" Gordo asks.
"Of course not. I just can't believe it, I mean I never would have thought...this is just so great...she will have a new kidney and she'll be all right...and everything will be just perfect again."
"Miranda," Gordo instructs, "breath."
Miranda takes a deep breath, "right."
"You have to keep in mind that Lizzie still has a long, painful, road ahead of her. We still have to do the transplant and her body still has to recover from that, it's not a simple surgery."
"I know," Miranda nods, "but this gives us all hope where we had none."
Gordo nods, "I know."
Roberta is waiting for Gordo when he gets home and her face looks pale, "what's wrong?" Gordo asks.
Roberta holds out the first paper in a stack of papers that had been faxed to Gordo's father that same morning and covering half of the page was what must have been a sticky note when it was faxed reading:
Roberta,
I can't believe you would even consider this, I refuse to sign this paper and will be flying to California tomorrow to discuss this further.
Gordo's jaw drops, "Mom he can't stop us right, I mean..."
Roberta offers a sad expression, "I'm afraid he can."