They knew Lucas was still in danger. But now it seemed he was on the upward swing. Things were getting better.
Chapter 20
It was four days before Dr. Li had any definitive news to offer them.
"Before you start," Karen said, "just tell me this—is it good or bad?"
"Some of both, I'm afraid," Dr. Li said.
"As usual," Karen said with a sigh. "Go ahead."
"Very well," Dr. Li said. "First, the good news. Young Mr. Scott seems to have very nearly defeated the infection. Within another day or two, I would expect it to be gone completely. Also, his lungs are showing signs of improvement. His dependency on the ventilator has decreased significantly, and I hope that we may soon take it out. His digestive system is functioning relatively well again." He took a deep breath. "Now for the bad news. First of all, young Mr. Scott's kidneys are completely nonfunctional. I do not expect that he will regain function of them. This, in and of itself, is not too terrible—we will place him on a donor list, but it may take a while to get an organ. Until then, he will be on dialysis, a machine which artificially performs the functions of the kidneys. Dialysis is most inconvenient, since patients must sit attached to the machine for two hours a day, three days a week—or more. But still, not too terrible. The real trouble is, young Mr. Scott's liver is also nonfunctional. Again, he is to be placed on a donor list today. But there is no telling how long it will take to get an organ that will match, either from a cadaver or a live donor."
"Excuse me," Karen interrupted. "But how can a live donor give a liver? We only have one, and it's vital, is it not?"
"Right you are, Ms. Rowe. But a donor may give a portion of their liver, leaving himself enough for survival, and giving enough for the survival of the other patient," Dr. Li said. "In any case, now we must wait for a donor. You will notice that young Mr. Scott is slightly yellowish—that is jaundice, and it will continue to worsen until an organ is found. I pray we find one in time."