Getting handsy with the hired hand

17

BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT DAY

At 6:00 am, Jake, Dad, and I headed to the hospital for transplant day. When we get there, we get checked in and they take Dad and I to separate rooms to get prepped. I take my shirt and pants off and slip on a hospital gown. Then, I have Jake tie my gown.

"Are you sure about this baby?" Jake asked as I sat on the bed.

"Yes. I have to do this to help save Dad." I answered and gripped Jake's hand.

Soon, my doctor came and he explained to me about the procedure again. Then, we waited an hour until the surgery room was prepped. Before the nurse wheeled me out of the room, Jake planted a giant kiss on my lips and hugged me gently.

"Come back to be baby." He whispered in my ear.

"I will baby." I said and the nurse wheeled me out of the room.

"Are you ready for this?" She asked as she took me to the operating room.

"Yea, as ready as I'll ever be." I said and smiled.

"It's not a bad surgery, you won't feel too much pain." She said and pushed me into the operating room.

The anesthesiologist got everything set up and they began to put me under. With ten seconds, I was out.

I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was Jake.

"How are you feeling baby?" He asked softly.

"I'm a little sore," I said groggily.

"Throat dry?" Jake asked and I nodded.

He handed me a glass of water and I greedily took a sip. Soon, my nurse came in to check on me and she said that they're currently doing the transplant on my dad. As she was talking, I began to get dizzy. I grabbed the bag off the stand and I threw up.

"Are you okay honey?" The nurse asked.

"I don't feel well." I said before throwing up again.

"Let me check your temperature." She said and grabbed a thermometer.

The nurse ran the thermometer across my forehead and looked at it worriedly.

"You have a slight fever. We might keep you overnight to make sure you don't get any worse." She said before walking out of the room.

"How's my wifey doing?" Jake asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I hurt Jake and I feel terrible." I said softly and began to cry.

Jake laid down beside me and held me softly. He talked to me soothingly and I soon fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in a joint room with Dad.

"Mrs. Ross, you're fever has broke." The nurse said softly.

"Can I leave?" I asked softly.

"Yes, you and your dad are both able to be discharged. You just have to sign papers. I'll go get those papers" She said and left the room.

She came back and Dad and I signed papers. Jake helped me change into some clothes and sat me in a wheelchair. He wheeled me out to the truck and helped me in before helping a nurse get my dad in the truck. Jake drove us to the house and he helped each of us out of the truck. Jake got Dad settled into his room and then he helped me into our bed.

"How do you feel?" Jake asked softly as he laid down beside me.

"I'm better." I said and kissed his cheek.

We cuddled for a few hours before finally going to sleep.

The next day, Dad headed back to the hospital for some more of his cancer treatment. While he was away, Jake and I cleaned the house, washed dishes, and did laundry for Dad. After that, we cooked lunch. We made hamburgers, Mac and cheese, and French fries. As we were finishing up lunch, the phone rang. I answered it and it was the hospital.

"Is this Mrs. Meredith Ross?" A lady asked.

"Yes, this is she." I said into the phone.

"Can you and your husband please come to the hospital? Your father isn't doing very well." She said.

"We'll head that way. Thank you." I said and hung up.

"Jake we have to go to the hospital." I said and grabbed my cell phone and purse.

We turned the stove and everything off before heading out the door. Jake sped into the hospital and we practically ran into the building. A nurse led us to my dad and the sight inside the room broke me.....

My usually ran Dad was extremely pale and he was throwing up into the trash can. He looked very weak.
His doctor pulled Jake and I out into the hall and began to explain what was going on.

"Meredith, your dad is rejecting the transplant even though you were an exact match." He said softly.

"What does this mean?" I asked worriedly.

"It means that your dad is dying." The doctor said and touched my shoulder.

"No, this wasn't supposed to happen." I said and cried.

"We could put him into another surgery but I'm afraid that his body is already too weak." The doctor said.

"Is there anything you can do at all?" Jake asked.

"We can just keep him comfortable. I really am sorry to give you this news. Bone cancer is one of the most aggressive types of cancer. If you have any other questions, please stop by my office or have a nurse page me." He said and touched my shoulder before walking away.

We walked back into the room and Dad had stopped throwing up. I sat down beside him on the bed and cried into his shoulder. He put his frail arms around me and squeezed softly.

"It's gonna be okay kiddo. You'll see me again someday." He said softly.

"Dad, I can't live without you. You're a part of me that I've never lived without. You're all that I've had since mom passed. My kids will never get to meet their amazing grandpa. Daddy, you can't leave me." I cried.

"I'm sorry honey. I wish I could do something about this but god wants me to go where I belong. And I'll always be here for you. I'll be in your heart. Honey, I'll be free of pain and I'll get to see your mother. It's been too long without her." He said and smiled softly.

"I wish you both could just live forever. I miss Mom and I'm gonna miss you." I said and cried.

"Honey, I have a will. I left you the house. I don't care what you do with it. You can sell it or live in it but I just want you two to be happy. Don't be sad because I'm dying, be happy that I get to see your mom and that I'll be free of this cancer and the pain. Celebrate my life don't mourn my death." Dad said and hugged me.

"I love you daddy." I said softly.

A few days later, Dad passed. Jake and I were there when he took his last breath and I was holding his hand the entire time. We're gonna have a funeral in a few days, but honestly I'm not ready to say goodbye. I haven't stopped crying since Jake and I left the hospital. We went to the ranch and that made me cry more. Never again will I spend a day unloading bales with my father. We won't ride our horses around or joke with each other. I won't eat any of his amazing chili. And I won't hear his obnoxious laugh.