THE CODE THAT LINKS US ©

Chapter Forty Three

GEORGINA

The scene I find when I enter the lab melts my heart. Madison and Levy are both in the small bed, cuddled against one another. Madison's head is on Levy's shoulder, sleeping between his comforting arms. They look lovely, they have always been like siblings to each other and making sure to keep each other safe no matter what.

"How is she?" I ask with my eyes on her through the glass. She looks so small.

"Far from good," replies Wen. My eyes tear away from Madison to him. "Her liver has worsened to the point where she vomited blood this morning. Her kidneys aren't any better, and she has tachycardia..." he shows me her organs on the screen. All of them are flagged with red. Some of them are more urgent than others.

"A transplant," I say quickly and he raises a brow. "A transplant would give her more time."

"A transplant of what, Georgina? Of a body?" he asks, scrutinizing my words. I know. "We don't even know what's wrong with her."

"Her liver needs immediate attention," I reply quickly and he lets out a laugh shaking his head.

"Then what Gina? Her heart? Her kidneys? Her lungs?" he asks making me realize that what I am saying is foolish.

"There must be something we can do," I say, my eyes filling with tears as I think. He sighs.

"I think the best thing you can do now is to prepare for what is imminent." The thing I really didn't want to hear comes out from his mouth. I break instantly into a million pieces.

"Why are you saying that? That can't be true... there... there are thousands of things we could try, she's strong..." I try to put myself back together. "We can't give up."

"We are just going to make it worse if we keep going blindly," he replies. "We are hurting her more than we are helping, Georgina."

"But..."

"The only thing we can do is to ease her pain and get her as comfortable as we can during the time she has left," he says and I shake my head. I begin to hyperventilate at the same time I am shivering.

"No, I need to do something Wen, she's my child," I cry and that makes him pull me in a hug I never thought I would receive from him and less after what I did, but I need it. I need someone to tell me everything is going to be okay even when it is not, to stop the pain and guilt in my chest, to help me to survive this. I am going through so much stuff at the same time; raising a child on my own without the help I had like I did with Madison, the hours of studying to find out what's going on with my daughter, her health, the war against the labs and the divorce. I lost the control of my life in a wink and taking it again would cost more work than what I could ever imagined.

The alarm of the control panel begins to sound with intermittent beeps again and again. Wen's head whips towards the screen and releases me. The screen is bathed in red with a flashing WARNING sign. I turn to look directly at Madison who coughs inclined over her legs, spitting what seems to be more blood over the bed sheets.

I stay frozen looking at the terrible image in front of me while Wen analyzes the situation before calling for Sean. They both sweep into the room. Levy is awake and on his feet, his hand on Madison's back without knowing what to do or say, just like me.

I force myself to walk and the glass opens when the sensor detects me letting me in. "Gina," says Levy with relief over Madison's terrible coughs. I run straight to my daughter.

"I am right here Maddie," I say the best I can, holding her hand which immediately grips mine. All while she keeps coughing..

"What's going on?!" says Levy paled right before Sean comes in pushing the respirator car. The bracelet on Madison's wrist continues beeping scandalously without stopping to announce that something is clearly not right.