Heart Of Gold

Episode 13

The transplant was postponed for 4 days and on the fourth day, the doctors certified Declan fit to be taken to the theatre. As he was being wheeled away, he held on to his wife’s hands.

Declan: “pray for me and stay strong for me, okay?”

Stacey: “I am praying and I will continue to pray until the procedure is concluded. I love you so much my baby” she said to him with tears in her eyes.

Declan: “whatever happens, whatever be the outcome of the surgery, just know that I love you and I will always do. If paradventure I don’t return alive, please take care of my unborn baby and tell him or her that I had to do what I did because of the love I have for my father” she said.

Stacey: “you will come out alive. Nothing shall happen to you in that theatre, you will come out stronger than you are going in. Please come back alive for us, I cannot live without you. I need you and so does our unborn baby” she said touching her stomach.

Declan kissed her tummy and waved her off. As he was being wheeled away, she noticed that he was shedding tears. She sat down on the seats provided and began to weep too.
Her mother in law who was happy that the transplant was finally taking place came close and wrapped her arms around her shoulder.

Mrs Ogar: “don’t worry, you husband will be fine” she said.

Stacey: “Are you sure? I am afraid that something terrible may happen to him in there” she let out her fears.

Mrs Ogar: “Trust me, he will be fine. This hospital is very good and so are their doctors so you have nothing to worry about” she assured her.

Stacey: “than you mum” she heard herself say.

Mrs Ogar: “I saw you touching your stomach fondly and I saw him kissing it shortly before he was wheeled away. Is anything in there yet?”

Stacey smiled as she felt proud that she had conceived for her husband in about three months after marriage.

Stacey: yes ma, I am 7 weeks gone” she said.

Mrs Ogar: “wow! Good news. It calls for some celebration which we will do after our husbands recover. The doctors said the surgery will take up to 8 hours, we cannot sit here and wait for that long. Let us go to the clinic cafeteria and relax there a little” she said and led her daughter in law away.
Liz and Frank were having a good time in their room when Ann knocked. Liz barricaded the door as soon as she saw that it was Ann at the door.

Liz: “yes, what are you doing in my house?” she asked.

Ann: “ah-ahn, what am I doing in your house? Are we not friends again? Anyway, you said that you would come to the library but I didn’t see you, I thought of coming to check on you myself” she said.

Liz: “well, I am fine” she said impatiently.
Ann made to enter the room but Liz stopped her.

Liz: “I said I am fine, can you leave now” she said.

Ann: “at least let me come in and drink water now” she said.

Liz: “which water? Please leave my house, I don’t want to ever see you close to me again. I am not interested in us being friends anymore, so just leave”

“baby who is at the door?” Frank said from the bedroom.

Liz: “it’s Ann, don’t worry, I will soon join you in bed” she said to him.

Ann: “oh, so he is the reason why you don’t want me to come in right? This same Frank is the one that is taking over your head that you now skip your daily studies?”

Liz: “shut up your mouth jare. I already know the kind of person you are, I know that you have eyes for my boyfriend and that is why you are trying to cause problems between me and Frank. But for your information, nothing and no one can come between me and Frank. Rapists couldn’t even come between me and him so don’t even think you can. Our relationship has gone way beyond the level you think”

Ann: “what gibberish are you vomiting? That I have eyes for Frank as how? What will I do with him when I know fully well that he is your boyfriend?”

Liz: “listen, we were in the middle of something before you came in so if you please excuse us now” he said.

Ann: “is this the end of our friendship? You want a man to come in between us?”

Liz: “What have I been saying all this while?” she sighed and entered the room, locking her friend out.

The transplant took eight hours as the doctors had predicted and after the surgery, the two patients were transferred into the intensive care units of the hospital.
Their wives had indicted interest in seeing them but considering how delicate their conditions were, they were denied access to them until the third day after the surgery.
Stacey couldn’t help but break down in tears when she saw her husband lying unconscious with an oxygen tube fixed in his nose.
The recovery process was slow and tedious and it took its toll on Stacey who was just a few weeks pregnant.
For two months she stayed by her husband’s side, attending to all his needs and helping the nurses to clean him up.
After two months, her husband was able to sit up and take liquids. The most surprising thing was that his father who was the receiver was recuperating faster than him.
Although his recovery was slow, Declan never wasted time to tell his wife how much he loved and appreciated her efforts anytime he felt strong enough to talk.
Declan: “thank you so much for standing by me all through this period. I am so proud of you” he said to her.
Stacey: “common love, it is my job to take care of you. If I don’t take care of you, who will? Remember that your step mother is also busy taking care of her won husband” she said.
Declan: “I feel weak, I wish I would be discharged right away” he said.
“don’t worry, in a month’s time, we will leave here, okay?” she said and gently planted a kiss on his forehead.
Declan: “I am feeling very weak. I hope I make it out of this hospital alive?” he said startling his wife.
Stacey: “weak as how? You must make it out of this place alive o. We came here together and we will all leave together in good health. What do you want me to do if you don’t make it alive? Please don’t even think about that again. Let me help you to lie down very well” she said.
Declan: “My ribs hurt, I am finding it very difficult to breathe. I feel very weak. If anything happens to me, just know that I love you very much and even if I am no more, I will never cease to love you” she said.
Stacey: “what are you talking about” she asked and then stopped when she saw him struggling for air.
Stacey: “baby, what is happening? What is wrong with you?” she asked trying to shake him.
“ge…get me…the…the doctor” he said and his pupils became dilated.
“Doctor, doctor!” she screamed.