Read Online Saving Jessica by Lurlene McDaniel - Free Book Online

legs were puffy and swollen with water weight. Her once thick and shining hair looked dull. Dark circles ringed her eyes. He knew instinctively that his compatibility as a donor hadn’t come a day too soon.
    Her gaze bore into his. “I want to be happy about it more than anything. But it’s so big, Jeremy. A new kidney. Your kidney. An operation. Recovery. Being free to eat the things I like again.”
    “I’ll buy you the biggest plate of french fries in Virginia when you’re well,” he said. She didn’t smile. “Hey,” he said, “you’re not going to back out on me in this deal, are you?”
    “You still have to get your parents to agree,” she said, hedging.
    “I’ll do it.” He wished he felt as confident as he was pretending to be. “Once they see how important this is, they’ll fall in line.”
    “But, Jeremy, you’re the one who’s important to them. Not me.”
    “Then they’ll just have to realign their priorities, won’t they?”
    She smiled. “You’re very stubborn.”
    Dr. Witherspoon came over and placed his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. “I’ve been thinking; how’d you like me to talk to your parents about this first?”
    Jeremy rose to face the doctor. “You?”
    “I’m a professional, and I’m not involved to the same emotional degree as you are. I might be able to persuade them.”
    Jessica’s parents stepped up beside the doctor. “We understand their reluctance,” her father said. “It’s a hard decision for a parent to make.”
    Feeling irritated, Jeremy asked, “What’s so hard? It’s my body. I should have a say-so in what I do with it.”
    “One step at a time,” Dr. Witherspoon said. “Let me talk to them, explain the procedure. It isn’t without risks, Jeremy. Any time a person goes under anesthesia, there are risks.”
    “Such as?”
    Dr. Witherspoon glanced down at Jessica. “We can discuss them later.”
    “I don’t care about the risks; I want to donate my kidney to Jessie. My compatible kidney,” Jeremy added for emphasis.
    “I’ll call your father this afternoon and arrange for them to come to my office as soon as possible.”
    “I’ll come too,” Jeremy said.
    The doctor shook his head. “That might not be a good idea. Let me talk to them as calmly as possible in neutral territory. I’ll see what kind of progress I can make on my own.”
        That afternoon Jeremy returned to his father’s law office. He’d taken his father up on his offer to be a law clerk. Fortunately his father was in court, so Jeremy didn’t have to talk to him. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut about the test results, and he wanted Dr. Witherspoon to handle revealingthe information. Also, he didn’t want another volatile confrontation. He hated to hurt his mother, but his father was being impossibly stubborn.
    Later Jeremy grabbed a burger at a fast-food drive-through, drove to Jessica’s and called his mother, saying he wouldn’t be home for dinner.
    She said, “Your father and I are seeing Dr. Witherspoon tomorrow morning.”
    “Oh? Well, let me know what he tells you,” Jeremy said as casually as he could.
    “Your father and I love you, Jeremy.”
    Caught off guard, Jeremy stammered, “I—I know, Mom.”
    “And we only want to do what’s best for you. Even … even if you don’t agree.”
    Her statement sounded ominous. “Everybody wants to do ‘what’s best,’ ” Jeremy answered. “That’s the problem. Sooner or later, someone has to give in.”
    Once he’d hung up, he took Jessica out to the backyard. Twilight was falling, and the June night closed around them like a soft whisper. Night-blooming jasmine perfumed the air. Overhead a violet sky was deepening toshades of midnight blue, and stars flickered on like fireflies. At the far end of the yard, between two thick tree trunks, a porch swing swayed. He sat Jessica down and settled beside her.
    She inhaled deeply. “I love the smell of summer, don’t