Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Yes. I understand. Thank you for calling.”
The call disconnected, but Riley still held the phone in her hand. Her stunned gaze went to the man outside her office. As if he could sense her eyes on his back, he turned and peered in the window before stepping into the doorway.
“Another call?”
She stared back at him.
“Riley? Did he call you again?”
She shook her head. “Um, no. That was the donor registry.”
His forehead furrowed. “The bone marrow registry?”
“I’m a match.”
His jaw fell as he dropped into a chair in front of her desk. “So quick? It usually takes a few weeks. What’s it been?”
“Twelve days. The preliminary test on my swab came up a potential match for a critical patient, so they fast-tracked the processing. They want me to come in tomorrow for blood work and a physical.”
“Tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry. I know it makes more work for you guys.”
“Are you kidding? This is important. We’ll get on it right now.”
He clicked his finger against his ear. “Jamison, Paxton, Riley’s a donor match, and they want her at the hospital tomorrow for labs and a physical.
Let’s start gathering intel. Trevor, I’ll relay the info from Riley to you so you can call the hospital for the names of staff she’ll have to see.
Get them over to Tech Ops. Paul, get on the horn with transportation and logistics.
How we’re getting in and out of the hospital, what floors and departments she’ll need to be in. ”
He waited a beat and smiled. “Yeah, it’s cool. Let’s get started.”
After clicking to disconnect his mic, he grinned back over at her. “I’ve been waiting for this call for four years. I can’t help but be a little jealous right now.”
Excitement replaced the shock of a moment ago. “I-I can’t believe it. This is what I wanted to happen so badly, for somebody to get the gift of hope for Christmas. But to actually get their transplant by Christmas? That I never imagined.”
“By Christmas? From what I recall when they explained the process to us for Theresa, it can take a couple of months.”
“It usually does. But apparently, this little boy doesn’t have much time. He was diagnosed four months ago, but it’s progressing quickly. He’s been in the hospital for treatment the past two months. And he’s right here in Houston. This has God’s hand all over it.”
“That it does. So, they can process you that quickly?”
“Seems so. If my labs and physical show me to be a valid donor, they can pull my marrow as soon as they can get it on the schedule.”
“You’re donating marrow, not stem cells?”
“Stem cells via apheresis is the most common way they handle bone marrow donation, but for children with an adult donor, straight-up bone marrow is a better bet to prevent rejection.”
“That’s really brave.”
She flipped her hand toward him. “I’ll be under, so I’ll never even feel it.” Despite her bravado, her stomach pitched a little at the idea of the needle they would use to extract her marrow.
“Except for the next few days afterward.”
“I’m ready. It’s a small price to pay compared to what that little boy has already endured.”
Hands down, the best day he’d ever spent on a protection detail.
Colton stood inside the playroom at the hospital Thursday afternoon. The children who could ambulate on their own, and a few on crutches or in wheelchairs, surrounded Riley as she passed out dolls and stuffed animals, coloring books and crayons, sketch pads and markers.
They’d been at the hospital for three hours already, but he was in no hurry to leave, not with all the smiles and laughter going on around him.
He’d stayed with Riley while she gave several vials of blood for labs and filled out an extensive medical history.
During her physical examination, he’d remained outside the door, but she’d invited him in with her during her consultation with the anesthesiologist.
“As Chairman of the Board for the foundation,” she’d said, “this might be good information for you.”
He’d agreed, since Theresa’s course of treatment never progressed that far. Now, more than ever, he hoped he would get the call somebody needed his marrow. He couldn’t think of a better way to honor his wife than to give to somebody else what she had so longed for herself.
A little girl with a knit beanie on her head stood from the child-sized table where she’d been earnestly drawing for the last several minutes. To his surprise, she walked straight over to him and held up her picture.
“Here, Mister.” Her pixie face turned up to him with the slightest of grins. She couldn’t have been more than seven years old. “I drawed this for you.”
“For me? How nice.” Deciding Riley was safe where she was for the moment, he kneeled to the child’s level. “Tell me about your picture.”
“That’s you.” She pointed to a tall man in the photo, standing in front of an open doorway, with yellow hair, blue eyes, a big smile, and wearing a suit. Or he supposed the black square around the body and bulky pants constituted a suit.
Had he been smiling? He didn’t usually on a detail, but today had been all kinds of different. “Wow, that’s great. You made me look lots better than real life.”
Her giggle brought a warm flush to his skin. “You’re silly.”
He pointed to the other person in the picture, a tiny girl in a frilly dress with long brown hair holding his hand. “Is this you?”
“It’s me and you. We’re married.”
“Oh, I see.” He had to swallow to hold back his chuckle and schooled his features to reflect the seriousness of the one peering up at him. “Well, you are beautiful. Thank you for this lovely picture.”
“You’re welcome.” She grabbed him around the neck, and he held her with one arm encircling her tiny waist. Lord, please let this little girl grow up to be a bride.
His little artist let him go with a kiss on his cheek. “See you later, Mister.”
Oh, how he hoped so.
He stood and grinned down at the drawing. It would definitely go up on his fridge next time he was home.
He scanned the space, and his gaze met Riley’s, staring at him from the middle of the room, surrounded by children involved in various activities.
Her gentle smile caused his pulse to skitter, and, as it had the day they’d shared Thanksgiving at the estate—and that moment at the bridal shop two days ago—everything melted into the background.
Except her.
Those stunning green eyes, her dark hair spilling around her shoulders, the flowery blouse with blue slacks belted at the waist accentuating her figure.
I think you might be on your way.
Paul’s words of two weeks ago came rushing back to him. On his way to falling for Riley? That couldn’t happen. She needed him at his most vigilant, which meant no distractions. Not even her.
A male nurse walked in, pulling his attention away from Riley to check his ID. It matched with the intel he’d received from Tech Ops, so he nodded his approval.
The young man gazed around the room and back to Colton. “Nursing desk said you needed a fifteen-minute notice, correct?”
“Yes.”
“The kids should go back to their rooms at three-thirty.”
Colton consulted his watch. “We’ll head out in ten.” He clicked his com. “Jamison, we’re leaving the peds floor at 3:25.”
“Copy,” Paul said through his mic.
“Trev, meet us at the elevator.”
“On my way.”
The younger man scanned the room. “This was an unexpected blessing today. Thank you all for coming and doing this for the kids.”
“It was all Miss Hudson.”
“As if giving her marrow isn’t enough. Do you mind if I thank her?”
“No problem.”
The nurse walked over to where Riley knelt in front of a little girl in a wheelchair, listening to something that must have been of great importance, judging by the earnest way Riley focused on her and listened with her whole self.
She stood and accepted the nurse’s handshake.
Smiling, she shook her head and gestured back to Colton with her arm.
Humble as always. Never taking any credit.
Watching her now, bringing smiles to these children who were dealing with challenges they shouldn’t even know about, he couldn’t help but think Theresa and Riley would’ve been friends.
Different in a lot of ways, yet in others, so much the same.
The same heart of compassion, the same love for the Lord.
The same work ethic and humility when others tried to give them their due.
Theresa would’ve loved being here today.
And, maybe, in a way she was, since the toys and art supplies—ordered from a department store yesterday afternoon for delivery to the hospital today—were given in the name of the Theresa Blankenship Foundation for Bone Marrow Matching. All paid for by the Hudson family.
His chest filled with warmth. While he kept a constant watch for anybody coming and going from the room, his focus always came back to Riley.
Kneeling now beside a small boy, wearing a surgical mask and seated in a wagon outfitted with pillows and blankets to keep him comfortable.
With his parents on the floor next to him, she watched as he drew something in a sketch pad.
The dark circles under his eyes, bald head under a knit cap, the port in his chest for his chemo treatments, and the IV lines for his nutritional needs were only the outward signs of his illness.
The evil ravaging his body was silent, invisible. And cared not who it destroyed.
The boy showed her his picture, and at her look of awe, his eyes lit up with delight at his accomplishment. She’d clearly made his day.
Colton’s heart jumped. They’d not seen another little boy as ill as this one.
Could he be looking into the face of his miracle?