Page 79 of Shape Of My Heart
Chapter17
Her ears rang,and she couldn’t hear properly. Her poor heart thudded loudly within the cavity of herchest.
What was Dr. Carson saying? What was hesaying?
Amy felt like she’d gone crazy and her life had turned into an abstract where nothing madesense.
“Listen,” Dr. Carson continued. He sounded hesitant. “I know your situation, but I have to make you aware that we won’t be able to do the planned surgery. Your mother’s heart is too far gone and she will need a transplant. Because of the severity and the urgency, she’s listed as a priority. We have a heart that we can use but the funds need to be secured first, and it will be at least twice the cost of what wasquoted.”
Tears gripped her, holding her within the grasp of despair, ripping her insides apart. Her strength completely left her and she dropped the phone as her knees buckled, falling to the floor in a crumpled pile ofgrief.
She’d failed. She couldn’t save hermother.
After all she’d done, in the end she wouldn’t be able to do anything. She waspowerless.
She didn’t have that kind of money. She didn’t haveanything.
Josh rushed up to her and gathered her wretched state inhisarms.
“Amy, whathappened?”
She could barely hear him too. “My mom,” she cried. “Mymom.”
Panic filled his eyes. “What happenedtoher?”
She was crying so much she couldn’t talk and had to gasp to catch herbreath.
“Baby, please tell me whathappened.”
“She’s in the hospital,” she managed, and then told him the rest in stutters. Before she could even finish he picked her phone up from the ground and re-called Dr.Carson.
“What are youdoing?”
Heignoredher.
“Josh.” When she reached out to him, he heldherface.
“Hi, this is Josh Mancini, I’m speaking on behalf of Amy Rose,” he said into the phone. Amy just stared at him, wondering what he was reallydoing.
He waited a little, listening to Dr. Carson. Amy could hear him telling Josh about the heart transplant and the procedure. “That’s fine. Do what you need to do. Send us the details and I’ll transfer the funds straightaway. We’ll see you in a fewhours.”
Her blood drained as she listened and she felt fainter than when she got the news. As he hung up she shookherhead.
“No,” she said as more tears spilled down her cheeks. “Youcan’t.”
It was that thing again where her focus was thrown and she didn’t want him to think he had to do this, or that her being with him was aboutmoney.
“Stop it. Yes I can and I am. Damn it, Amy, this is your mother.” His hand shook and pain filled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter where help comes from, you take it if it can saveherlife.”
“I didn’t want you tothinkthat—”
He didn’t allow her to finish. “Amy, I don’t think anything. I just do, and I’m trying to do what’s right. This isn’t about anything besides that. I would do anything to see my mom again. Anything. Allow me to saveyours.”
She gazed up at him through her tears and covered her mouth to keep from crying out. She couldn’t believe he would do thisforher.
“I’ll giveitback.”
“Jesus, no, you’ll do no such thing.” He smiled. “Come here.” He pulled her into his arms and held her. “I told you I’d take care of you. Here’s metrying.”
