Live, Love, Lose - 32. Chapter 32

They were at the hospital, the same hospital they had already gone to, waiting. Paul joined them not that long ago.

It was dead silent. No one seemed to be willing to speak. They were just waiting in anxiety.

Once again, the waiting seemed to be endless. But Paul was pacing up and down the hall as he had done in the room.

Mrs. Hopkins ended up breaking down at some point.

“Mum…” Paul got closer to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

“How could we not see that he was feeling so depressed to the point of ending his own life…?”

“Because he didn’t show anything. He just pretended it wasn’t so bad. We could’ve never foreseen he would do that.”

“No! We should have seen it, we should have been more present for him—”

“Mum, don’t start blaming yourself. It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault.”

He started rubbing her back.

But it didn’t seem to be really helpful.

“But what if…—”

“No, Mum. Don’t. He’s gonna live. The only time he’s gonna die is when I kill him myself for what he did.”

“Paul…”

He suddenly hugged her tightly, whispering soothing words in her ear.

The doctor ended up arriving a little while later, and they all started walking abruptly to approach him before he could get near them. The distance was really short anyway. It was the same doctor they had seen last time, the one with the light stubble, the blue eyes like his own, the wavy brown hair neatly styled. The tie and the long white coat.

“How is he, Doctor? Is he going to make it?” Mrs. Hopkins asked, sounding completely panicked.

But the doctor didn’t look optimistic…he didn’t reply immediately.

“Let me be honest with you. He has lost too much blood already. And if he isn’t given a transfusion in the minutes to come, he’ll die soon.”

They were dead silent once again.

“We…managed to stop the bleeding though. So, tell me, is there one of you whose blood type is B- or O-?”

Again, silence.

“His father had B blood type…” Mr. Hopkins said. “But none of us either has B or O blood type…”

The doctor didn’t seem to be able to speak any longer.

“And what about the youth right there…What’s his blood type?”

The Hopkins family instantly turned around, and with the doctor, they were all staring at him.

“Carl…? We don’t know, actually, Doctor…” Mrs. Hopkins replied.

She was quick to get closer to him.

“What’s your blood type, Carl? Your. Blood. Type.”

He just blinked at her blankly as a response.

“I don’t think he understands what you want to know. ‘Could be that he doesn’t even know himself,” Paul interfered.

She turned her head to look at them.

“We can do a quick test to find out,” the Doctor suggested. “But we can’t wait too much, so we have to go now.”

“But…what if his blood type isn’t compatible?” Mrs. Hopkins asked. “What will we do?”

Silence, once again. This heavy silence.

“We have to pray that it will be, Madam.”

The doctor then approached them both.

“Carl, you’re going to go with the doctor, okay? For George. Don’t worry, everything will be alright,” she said as she rubbed his shoulder lightly.

But he didn’t react.

“What’s…I mean, is he alright? He doesn’t look really…willing to do it. I mean we can’t force him to give his blood if he doesn’t want to.”

“No, no, no, Doctor. There is no need to worry about that. I can’t imagine Carl refusing to do such a thing. He wants to save him as much as we do. He is just in a state of shock. He is the one who found George in the bathroom, you see…”

Again, he didn’t reply immediately. He just nodded in acknowledgement.

He stared straight into his passive eyes as he put one hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, it’s not about giving your blood for now. It’s just a quick test. So we can determine if you can be a donor.”

But he still didn’t react, didn’t even blink.

The doctor slowly withdrew his hand. He glanced at Mrs. Hopkins who gave him a small nod in return.

“This way,” he gestured with his arm, “Let’s go.”

He just followed the doctor placidly under the Hopkins’s silent gaze.

They ended up arriving in a room, a huge and white painted room. They stopped near a kind of raised mattress. The doctor gestured for him to sit on it, or was it to lay down?

He just sat on it silently. He wondered where George was exactly. Was he near them?

“It’s just a test, so don’t take fright.”

He was holding a strange kind of tube in his left hand. There was a needle at the end of it, like the kind of needle you use to mend clothes.

He put it down on a huge metallic tray and took something else instead. A piece of rubber. He approached him and took hold of his left arm before he fastened the rubber around it. He squeezed it way too much; it was really tight. But he didn’t complain or make a face.

Then the doctor examined his arm carefully. Then he ran a finger on it.

“This one will do,” he said solemnly before he let go of his arm and turned around, and quickly became busy doing something on the huge grey tray.

He turned back around with the tube in hand again. He took hold of the same arm again.

“You can close your eyes if you wish. It will just prick a little.” He glanced at him before he aimed the needle at his arm.

He flinched slightly at the foreign contact of the needle with his skin.

“Are you alright?”

Their eyes met and he gave a small nod. Rapidly, he noticed blood was filling the tube.

His body started shivering again.

Blood…all that blood…

His jaw tightened as he abruptly looked away. His heart caught in his throat again.

“Hey, are you okay little chap?”

He found the courage to glance at him and nodded again.

“Relax, it’s going to be alright. I’m not going to take much of your blood. I’m almost done.”

He still didn’t react.

He didn’t really understand what they were up to…what were they supposed to do with that? Was it for George? Well, who else could it be for?

“There you go. Your calvary is finally over. But if we’re lucky enough, it will start again soon…”

He could feel the needle being withdrawn from his arm, and something else being pressed against it, something much softer. He glanced curiously to see it was a cotton pad. The doctor quickly put something on it so he wouldn’t need to press.

“Don’t worry, the bleeding will stop fast. It’s only shallow.”

Then he removed the piece of rubber and put it away.

His shoulders loosened up and the shivering died down.

The doctor turned around again and did whatever he had to do. After a few moments, he turned back around and locked eyes with him.

“Just wait for me here, okay? I will be back soon.”

Karl just nodded, and he swiftly walked away. He just stared at the wall in front of him. And he waited silently, patiently.

*

“If Carl’s blood type isn’t compatible, he’ll die…!”

“Margaret, please, calm down. As long as we do not know for sure, there is no need to panic.”

She was just too horrified at the thought to think about calming down.

“Yes, Mum, Dad’s right. You should keep hoping. You’re the faithful one. So if you stop believing, we’ll all fall apart.”

“How can I keep hoping when there is one chance in a million that it will work?”

“Because your optimism is your strength. And you need it. We all do. Mum, just look at me. He won’t die today. Or anytime soon, okay?”

Someone suddenly cleared their throat.

“Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins?”

“Doctor! So? Are they compatible? Will you be able to save him?”

But the look on his face told her that he wasn’t going to tell them what they wanted to hear…

“No…”

He unexpectedly smiled at her, a faint smile, but it was still a smile.

“We’re really lucky. The little chap has O- blood type. So this means the transfusion is possible.”

This was a real miracle. Paul had been right. She shouldn’t have doubted and lost her faith.

“Thank God. Thank you…”

The doctor’s smile widened a bit, but then it faded.

“I guess he’s underage though…Am I right?”

“Yes, he’s only eighteen years old. Is this a problem?” Paul inquired.

“Yes and no. I mean since he’s underage, I need his parents’ consent so he can give his blood, besides his own consent, but that’s another matter.”

This hadn’t even crossed her mind.

Why, my Lord, why?

They needed his blood to save him. To save a human life. Was this really more important than saving a sacred human life?

“You’re not his parents, are you?”

“No, but we’re like parents to him. They’re not here anymore. They left him in our care a few months ago…”
She spoke without thinking at all.

She couldn’t take any risk. They could never save George otherwise. No matter if it meant lying to some degree. His life was much more important.

“Oh, I see…Erm…I’m sorry…”

“Please, just save George. That’s all we’re asking you. He is like a son to us too.”

She was growing anxious again, she could feel it.

“We will, Madam. We’re going to proceed to the transfusion immediately. I’ll leave you to wait here.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

She could only be relieved. He nodded at them before he left them.

She hugged her husband tightly. He must have been so relieved too, even if he wouldn’t show anything. He hugged her back, and they appreciated each other’s comfort. She could only smile.

Things would get better soon. They wouldn’t let things get to this point ever again. They could overcome all the obstacles and ordeals God put them through all together.

She knew it.

*

The doctor was finally back. But he didn’t look too reassuring. He couldn’t be about to tell him some good news.

“Well, little chap, I’m sorry for you, but your calvary is going to start soon again…but trust me, it will be worth it if you keep in mind that it’s only to save your friend.”

Friend…

“Friend…?”

“Yes, your friend, George, you know.”

“We’re not friends.”

The doctor looked like he was quite taken aback by his words.

“But you still want to save him, don’t you?”

“S-seive…”

The doctor suddenly kneeled down before him and put both hands on his legs.

“He needs your blood to keep living. You’re the only one that can save him. If you refuse to give your blood to him, he’ll die.”

Die…

“die…”

“Yes, die.”

What was that supposed to mean...?

“Look, you and I are both alive, living. And George is almost dead.”

Dead…

They both remained silent for a while, staring into each other’s eyes.

“Doctor Spencer, we are ready for the blood transfusion.”

Karl turned his head to see who had said that. It was a female voice. A female voice that belonged to a woman that was probably in her late thirties, or early forties. Well, she looked younger than Mrs. Hopkins.

“Perfect. Thank you, Mary.”

He looked away from her. His heart skipped a beat. He started shivering again.

There he was. Lying in the same kind of bed he had been sitting on for eons. He was still unconscious. There it was again. The same awful and aching feeling in his stomach.

The doctor moved the bed, moved it so it would be next to his. Then he turned his attention back to him.

“You see, he’s still unconscious. If you want him to wake up, he needs your blood,” he touched the spot where the cotton pad still was.

His mind finally clicked.

They needed his own blood to replace all the blood he had lost.

“So—”

“Do it.”

The doctor stared at him with uncertain eyes.

“Are you sure?”

“Do it,” he repeated.

He didn’t think twice, he just wanted it to be done.

“Fine. But you need to be aware that we will need much more blood than what I took earlier.”

“Do it,” he repeated again, but not curtly this time, rather placidly.

The doctor nodded.

“Let’s get started then.”

Soon enough, he was doing the same thing again, fastening the same piece of rubber around his arm, still as tightly as earlier, then he ran his finger on his arm, tapped the vein that was on his forearm.

“This one will do this time.”

Before he knew it, another needle penetrated his skin. He flinched slightly again.

“Just breathe, okay?” Their eyes met again. “You will both be alright.”

He nodded, again, and the doctor didn’t say anything else. Instead, he focused on the transfer of blood. He couldn’t see the blood being taken from him this time. The small tube was red/orange. But he could imagine it flowing through it. The shivering was back. He had to stop thinking about that.

His eyes landed on George’s sleeping face. Because it’s as if he were sleeping, right?
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Minutes passed, he couldn’t know how long exactly, but all he knew is that it seemed to be endless.

“I promise, this time your calvary will soon be over.”

Karl looked at him silently. He suddenly thought about something that was now intriguing him as he kept waiting.

If he gave George the equivalent of blood he had lost, it meant he would be in the same state as him, unconscious and almost dying…but…this didn’t make sense.

He froze, and his shoulders stiffened.

But then if someone had to give their own blood to him, it would be a never-ending circle… But at the same time, they wouldn’t be doing that if they knew this was going to happen to him too…

…………………

“There you go, little chap, this is over for good. Hopefully, this won’t happen again…” He said after another while. He muttered the last part, but it was still audible.

The needle was withdrawn from his arm like earlier, and another cotton pad was pressed against the skin instead.

He was feeling light-headed, and kind of dizzy.

“Are you feeling alright?”

He just nodded, but mechanically rather than to say he was really alright. Because he obviously wasn’t.

The doctor seemed to notice it because he was looking rather skeptical.

“You don’t look like you’re alright. Just lay down for a while, will you?”

He bent a little, started grabbing his legs, and held his shoulder with his other hand. He shifted his position so he would be lying down. He just let him do. He didn’t feel like moving at all anymore anyway.

“There is already your friend who’s still unconscious, so I’d like not to have you pass out.”

He stared at the white ceiling.

“I’ll be right back, okay?”

He heard his footsteps, but he didn’t look.

“Is he going to wake up now?” He was surprised at how his voice sounded croaky and small.

He turned his head with difficulty and saw the doctor approaching him.

“He’s not going to wake up immediately. It’s too soon. It will take some time for him to wake up. But don’t worry, he’s safe now. He won’t die. His body just needs time to recover.”

He thought he would wake up instantly. Since he had a lot of his blood now, it should be all good. But apparently, it wasn’t that simple…

“Well, congratulations; you’ve just saved a life,” he saw the smile on the doctor’s face as he said that. “It’s really an amazing feeling, isn’t it?”

Save a life…huh… Well, never had he thought he would have been doing this one day. Giving his blood to someone else so they would be safe. It sounded a bit weird when he thought about it.

“Well, I’m going to let you rest for now.”

With that being said, he walked away.

“Mary?” He heard him call as he was getting further and further away. “Have we got some sugar?”

He turned his head so he was staring at the ceiling again. He could suddenly feel his eyelids grow heavier and heavier. The light was practically blinding him. And his mind became foggy. He struggled to keep his eyes open, even though it turned out to be quite hard.

What was wrong with him?

Now his vision was starting to become blurry. He struggled again and again, but he was feeling too tired to keep doing it.

Oh no; it was happening…

And he couldn’t do anything against it.

He let his eyes close themselves as the noises around him were fading out.

“Blød…”