Friday Morning 6:00 am

Dr. Liu entered Jimmy's room. "Mr. Carrick, it's time."

Jimmy looked up at the transplant specialist. "Are you ready? Did you get a good night sleep? Anything I should be concerned about?"

Dr. Liu tapped the metal chart against the frame of Jimmy's bed. "Have you always been a smartass?"

"Pretty much. Yeah."

"Yeah?" Dr. Liu checked the itinerary for pre-surgery. "Christina will be here in five minutes to take you to our surgery studio and prep you for the operation."

"Studio? Like recording?"

"Yes, my students will observe and we will be recording." Dr. Liu smiled. "You agreed to it yesterday."

Jimmy frowned. "I signed papers to go through with the operation in my condition."

"And to have my students watch, poke fun and oh yeah, rake my leaves every fall." He turned to the door.

"Hey Doc." Jimmy called out. "Have you always been smartass?"

The doctor stopped. "Pretty much, yeah. See you in surgery, Mr. Carrick."

Windy snuck into his room before Christina arrived. "Jimmy?"

"Win!" Jimmy smiled. "Am I happy to see you!" He reached out for her.

"Thought I'd sneak in for a quick visit before you go in." Windy looked at her man. "You better be okay!" She leaned on his bed and kissed Jimmy to make him aware of what to fight for if he needed a reason.

She eased herself away from Jimmy and left his room. There were no tears today. No words left unspoken. No emotions hidden away. They both knew how they felt.

The Operation

The newest operating room in VGH specifically designed for living organ donor is equipped with a viewing area, three high definition cameras, and easily mobile operating tables. The lights were bright, cameras recording, with loved ones and students looking on.

Four nurses lifted Jimmy from his gurney to the operating table. He faced Jordan who had been prepped for surgery first. The team began prepping Jimmy as he and Jordan made eye contact.

"Jordan was adamant she'd be awake to see you before the operation." Christina smiled as she laid a warming blanket over his body.

"Hey Jordan!" Jimmy winked.

"Sleep well?" Jordan weakly asked.

"Like a baby." Jimmy smile.

"A big baby!" Jordan chortled and the nurses prepping Jimmy laughed.

Embarrassed Jimmy closed his eyes before proclaiming. "I'm ready."

The anesthesiologist patted Jimmy's shoulder. "Mr. Carrick, count backwards from one hundred." 

"Wait! Dad?" Jordan waited for Jimmy to open his eyes. "I love you!"

Jimmy winked again as he started counting down. "One hundred. Ninety-nine."

Jordan watched him go under before closing her eyes and echoing her father's words. "I'm ready."

Dana, Brad, and Windy watched from the gallery with Dr. Liu's students. The three barely spoke a word, visibly concerned, and anxious for Jordan and Jimmy. The students spoke freely about the steps to be performed in sequence further adding fuel to already heightened tensions.

Dr. Liu began narrating his each move from the angle of his scalpel to the suctioning of the blood pooling inside Jordan's body. He proceeded with the removal of her left kidney. He looked to the viewing area to remind his students to pay even closer attention with the first stage completed. "If, as the surgeon, you require a short break, this is your only time to do it. Refocus and return with clear game plan. I will not be stopping today."

Dr. Liu explained his reasoning. "Patient A is our fifteen-year-old recipient that has been weakened by two years of dialysis. It is critical we do not linger today."

He continued by turning around and immediately addressing Jimmy. "Patient B, our living donor, has had a series of regrettable events befall him in the past five days. His questiona..."

Dr. Liu restated his comments about Jimmy. "His activities landed him in our emergency room after an apartment building fire. He then followed that up the next day by being in a high speed car accident. He suffered from smoke inhalation, blood loss and a concussion."

The doctor pointed to the bag of blood hanging above Jimmy. "Patient B has had significant blood loss in the past forty-eight hours and is in need of blood prior to the removal of his left kidney."

Dana whispered to Windy. "A concussion? How did he get that? Forget it, I don't want to know!"

"No, you don't!" Windy responded. She watched as Dr. Liu followed the marked dotted line with his scalpel. Blood flowed from the incision. She added. "Be okay, Jimmy."

Dana wrapped her arm around her friend. "He'll make it."

Brad sat silently. He had witnessed his daughter go through painful chemotherapy and radiotherapy years earlier to rid her body of cancer. This day would be different. A single operation to determine the rest of her life. There are no other donors to draw from. Jimmy is it. The stress written on his face needed no words.

Dr. Liu's voice seemed to pacify the adults as he performed both surgeries. "Always check both patients vital signs throughout the surgery. At present both patients are doing well."

Brad leaned to his right and pulled Dana closer when he heard the doctor relay how Jordan was fairing. 

Dr. Liu proceeded to remove Jimmy's left kidney. "Be careful when removing the donor kidney. Do not... Hang on. Patient B has internal bleeding." The doctor motioned for his head nurse. "Get Dr. Cordova. Hurry!"

Windy stood and Dana grabbed her hand to pull her back down. Brad reach around his wife and placed a hand on Windy's shoulder.

"Hello Ma'am. My name is Hilary." The student took the seat next to Windy. "Dr. Liu is my professor and the best transplant surgeon in the country."

Windy looked to the student. "What happens now?"

"I think he called another doctor to assist him." Hilary pointed to a stout eldery doctor entering surgery with Christina. "There!" She pointed to the doors. "That's Dr. Cordova. An ER surgeon."

"Doctor." Dr. Cordova greeted Dr. Liu who had been suctioning blood from Jimmy's body cavity. "Can you see where the bleeding is originating, Doctor?"

"Not as yet." Dr. Liu responded.

"Remove his kidney and leave this patient for me." A confident Dr. Cordova suggested.

"It's risky but agreed." Dr. Liu proceeded at a quicker than normal pace to allow the ER doctor to find and deal with the unknown source of bleeding.

Dr. Cordova looked at the IV of blood. "Another bag of blood and force it in." The old school doctor relied on his experience from thousands of trauma cases. "His pulse is too low for me."

Dr. Liu worked with precision as Dr. Cordova worked with a feverish pace increasing the incision size and inspecting Jimmy's internal organs. "The colon is clear. I am going to check his spleen."

The viewing area went silent. Windy looked at Hilary. "Why did it go so quiet in here?"

"Let's just hope it isn't the spleen." Hilary avoided eye contact with Windy.

"Not the spleen!" Dr. Cordova updated Dr. Liu on his search.

A collective sigh could be heard from the students watching.

"Wait! Suction, here." Dr. Cordova pointed to an area. "Sponge." He waited for a moment. "More suction. The same area."

Dr. Liu checked with his colleague. "Anything, Doctor."

"I am going to clamp the tiny hole and inspect for more trouble spots." The ER doctor methodically lifted and sponged each area. He checked and checked again around the intestines and colon. "I believe I found the trouble spot, Doctor. I will suture and perform a final inspection."

"Great work, Doctor!" Relief could be heard in Dr. Liu's voice. "I knew I could count on you, Alejandro!"

The hospital intercom broke the congratulatory atmosphere. "Dr. Cordova to the ER. Dr. Cordova to the ER."

"You've been summoned, Doctor." Dr. Liu released the ER surgeon.

"That I have. I will see you after my shift with my report, Thomas." The rotund doctor moved as quickly as he could to yet another emergency.

"I thank you again, Sir!" Dr. Liu showed his appreciation then looked to the viewing area, finding Windy before giving a thumbs up.

"Thank you God!" Windy drew in a deep breath. "Geezus, Jimmy you know how to make me crumble." She lowered her head into her hands and just breathed.

"I think he's in the clear now." Hilary patted Windy on her hand and headed back to her fellow medical students.

Dana intently watched Dr. Liu finish suturing Jordan's incision. "Please be okay, Baby." She looked to the heavens. Brad embraced his wife showing his support.

When Dr. Liu completed his last suture he step out from between his two patients signaling the end of the operation. He took a few moments to address his students in the balcony.

Windy watched Jimmy being moved and she bolted from the balcony.

"There are days when we are faced with the challenges of a Patient B. He would not have known about the injury to his abdomen. And there was no way to stop him saving his daughter on this day." Dr. Liu defended his patient.

"Today was really a learning moment, students. As doctors we make decisions that quite possibly will determine our success or failure. The final call came down to me whether to proceed or wait. If we lost either patient, well, that would have been on me. And never be afraid to ask for help. I have been operating for twenty-three years and things simply happen and nothing is completely fail-proof. Thank you for showing up this morning. Enjoy your day."

Dr. Liu exited the operation studio in search of both patients. Brad and Dana looked at each other then bolted as Windy had passing the students still talking about the surgeries they just witnessed.

Noon in the Recovery Room

"Mr. Carrick." Christina gently moved Jimmy's hand. "Mr. Carrick!"

"It's Mr. South." Jimmy groggily responded to the nurse.

"Mr. South?" Christina frowned. "Weird."

Windy chuckled from her chair in the corner but waited to see how this played out.

"Mr. South?" Christina queried again.

"Jimmy South? Sounds like an alias." With his eyes still closed he smiled. "Jimmy South, yeah ~ it's beginning to grow on me!"

"On second thought, no!" Windy spoke loudly.

"No?" Jimmy opened his eyes searching for Windy.

Windy leaned over the bed to speak with her man. "Absolutely not, Jimmy! You are always doing crazy things. You will attract too much attention to me!" Windy wagged her finger. "Not happening!"

"You're right!" Jimmy agreed. "I am crazy!"

Christina gently interupted. "Miss South, give us about ten ~ fifteen minutes to make sure he is ready to leave the recovery area."

"Sure. See you in a bit, Jimmy." Windy smiled and Jimmy winked in return.

"You are a lucky man, Mr. Carrick." The lead nurse suggested.

"Hundred percent. I am a very lucky man." Jimmy agreed. "How's Jordan?"

"She is looking good." Christina assured the father. "Now lay back and relax."

Windy took a walk down the hallway that connected with the ICU department. The automatic double doors opened to a scene that would be of great interest to Jimmy.

Joey Fortune.