A Melwood Miracle

Chapter 22

Chris POV

"Mr. and Mrs. Wood." The doctor said after we all have sat down, outside, in the hallway. "The tests are back." We were both on the edge of our seats and I felt my hand involuntarily squeeze Mel's. "Chris, you are a match." I felt Melissa drive into my arms with excitement and I felt myself get excited too, but something as off.

"What is it?" I ask the doctor as I kept hugging Melissa. Melissa leaned back suddenly at my words, and looked at the doctor with her bright smile. "Dr. Conrad?"

"The problem is we don't have enough to save Oliver." His calm statue made me enraged.

"Well, take more!" I basically screamed, but his head shook at my words.

"We can't, Chris." He said looking down at his papers.

"What? Why not? I can give you more!" I said letting go of Melissa's hand. "Please, it's my son." I felt tears well up in my eyes.

"Because we took the maximum that one can give without causing any harm. It's just not enough, Mr. Wood." His disappointment crushed me. I heard a sigh escape my lips in defeat.

"What else can we do?" Melissa asked and then before he could answer she shouted. "I can get tested!"

"The problem is as time goes on Oliver gets sicker and sicker." His serious tone, frightened Melissa and I felt her shake. My hands couldn't move to comfort her though.

"What does that mean?" I asked fearing the answer.

"It means he won't last the rest of the night." I looked at my watch in panic. It was almost 6am and I started to panic.

"No." I told him stand up in disbelief. "What can we do?! Doctor Conrad please!" I shake his arm aggressively, unable to accept this.

"There's one thing we can do." He said still unbelievably calm, and I let go of his arm feelings selfish and immature. "Your daughter, she'll be a match."

"No." I whisper shaking my head and looking from Melissa to Dr. Conrad again. "I'll go instead."

"We wouldn't need much, but an ounce." He shook his head standing up with me. "I cannot take more from you, but I promise you she'll be safe."

"How do we know she's a match?" Melissa quivered from her seat.

"Genetically, all siblings share the same bone marrow."

"What if we say no?" I heard Melissa ask weary, but my eyes remained fixed on Dr. Conrad.

"Then we'd pray for a miracle that a donor would show up soon enough with a perfect match to Oliver, or" He took a deep breath, "we'll lose him."

I look down at Melissa and look deep into her eyes. We were thinking the same thing. Save our son but spare our daughter. But it wasn't that easy. I couldn't choose between the two, nor could I lose both.

"Our daughter is three years old." I told Conrad. "Can she really survive this procedure?" I asked again.

"Yes. We will have the best doctors working on it, and like I said, we need less than an ounce." He told us, looking through his chart once more. "I promise you, if this wasn't worth the risk, I wouldn't have asked." He says as he looks up at the two of us.

I look over to Melissa who is already looking at me with eyes filled with pain. She stands beside me, clenching my hand in hers.

"What do you think Mel?" A tear runs down her eye and I hold her close to my chest knowing the answer already. I hold her tightly and look back at Dr. Conrad.

"We'll do it." I say but as he starts to leave, I stop him with my final words. "As long as I'm in there with her."

"Chris-" Melissa says stepping back to look at me. I grab her face and move her hair out of her beautiful blue eyes.

"I have to make sure she's alright. The doctor said it wouldn't take long anyway, okay?" She nods and settles down into my arms once again. I look back at Dr. Conrad and he nods in agreement before leaving us.

Melissa and I sit in the hallway, desperately hanging onto each other, hoping for an answer to our prayers. Praying that they'd both he healthy again.