Chapter 9

Mike sat on the gurney, waiting to be taken into the OR or be told that he didn't match. Doctors were running a blood test to see if his kidney would work in Jake's body. Jake was asleep in a gurney nearby. Kate was holding Mike's hand and rubbing Jake's head. David and Julia walked in. Kate and Mike looked at them.

"It's a match," said David, encouragingly. Mike smiled. He would be able to help his brother.

"Jake will go in first. Mike will go in about a hour later," said David. Mike nodded and laid down. Jake woke up and looked around.

"What's going on?" asked Jake, sleepily.

"We found a match for you, honey," said Kate. Jake looked over at his brother. Mike gave him a reassuring smile. Jake smiled back as he was wheeled away.

"I'll be right back, sweetie," said Kate to Mike. Mike nodded. Kate went to be with Jake as he was put to sleep. David would be observing Jake's surgery with Julia observing Mike's. He was waiting for Kate outside the OR doors.

"You'll have a little more then a minute to be with him," said David.

"OK. How long will the operation take?" asked Kate, as she put on some OR scrubs.

"About two hours. Maybe three. I'm sure he'll do fine. He's had two operations already and he does great each time," said David. Kate nodded and followed David into the OR. Jake was already on the operating table. Kate walked over to him and rubbed his head. David watched as Kate comforted her son as Jake became more and more sleepy.

"I love you so much and I'll see you soon," said Kate. She kissed Jake on the mouth right before he fell asleep. She stepped back as Jake was put under anesthesia.

"He's in good hands," said David.

"I can't thank you and your partner enough for helping him," said Kate.

"You can thank us when he's no longer in danger," said David. Jake was fully prepped. Kate stared at him. The tube in his mouth made him look helpless. Kate sighed and went to be with Mike.

"OK. Let's begin," said the head surgeon. David watched as the surgical team made the first cut into Jake's stomach.

Mike cried as Julia and two nurses arrived to take him to the OR.

"Mike, it will be OK. You're just going to sleep for a few hours," said Kate. Kate picked him up and carried him to the OR. She held him as he was put to sleep. His crying died down to whimpering as the drugs took effect. Mike was soon fast asleep. Kate left as Mike was prepped and opened up.

Chance sighed as he walked inside. He could hear Ryan crying in the bathroom and Lisa trying to get him to cooperate. Chance knocked on the door.

"Yeah," said Lisa. Chance walked in. Ryan looked awful. He had just been jumped by five thugs at the skate park. He had been caught talking to Claire Warner. Lisa had called Chance as she was driving Ryan home. Chance cringed at the sight of his son. Ryan's nose was bleeding and he had a nasty looking black eye. Both his lips were gushing blood. His shirt was off, revealing bruises on his chest and stomach. Lisa was trying to clean Ryan up but his wounds stung too much.

"Ryan, who did this?" asked Chance.

"The same guys who beat up Jake," said Ryan, through his tears. He winced as Lisa cleaned off his lips.

"You need to go the hospital," said Chance.

Julia sighed as her beeper went off. She turned her attention away from the surgical team working on Mike. Steven was paging her.

"How much longer until you remove the kidney?" asked Julia.

"Half hour," said the head surgeon. Julia nodded and walked over to the anesthesiologist, who was monitoring Mike through the operation.

"How is he?" asked Julia.

"He's doing great," said the anesthesiologist. Julia looked down at Mike. Save for the tube in his mouth and the tape over his eyes, Mike looked fine.

"I'll be back soon," said Julia. She walked out of the operating room.

Steven was waiting for Julia in Sarah's room. He handed Julia some pictures taken from an ultrasound.

"Found out what's causing her pain," said Steven. Julia looked at the pictures and shook her head.

"A mass in her abdomen. You need to remove that so we can check to see if it's cancerous," said Julia.

"I know. This poor family. I can't imagine what they're feeling," said Steven.

"I know. And I have feeling it's only going to get worse," said Julia.