Look for Me in Rainbows
I Have It Too
"Maggie." She took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, but you are not eligible for a transplant."
"What?" She asked. "You said I was most likely going to get one."
"I know, but you tested positive for a bacterial infection that has almost a one hundred percent change of spreading to your new lungs, and can continue to make you sick. The transplant committee cannot approve you because of the bacteria." He answered.
Maggie's heart sank. Her lip quivered and her eyes welled up.
"The transplant is not necessary now. We can still control your symptoms at your age."
"Not forever though." She said.
...................................................................
Maggie skated her fears away. Lap after lap, shot after shot, she began to feel better. What was going to happen to her? Was she going to have to wait for her body to deteriorate? She couldn’t take it, but she had to. She never wanted anyone to think differently about her, or feel bad for her. She was pretty used to dealing with these things since she was a small child. She always put on a brave face and took whatever her life had thrown at her.
She looked up at the glass for a second, and she noticed someone watching her. It was Patrick. Why was this kid still following her? He was cute, but he looked different that he did yesterday. She finished up and stepped off the ice. Patrick approached her.
“I’m so happy I found you here?” He smiled.
“Why?” She asked.
“I wanted to tell you that I heard what you said, and I want to change my life.” He said. “I wanted to thank you, and say I’m sorry for being a dick about it yesterday.” She nodded. She took a deep breath.
“Cool.” She said.
“I thought you’d be happier, ya know, leaving your mark and changing a life.” He said.
“I’m happy for you.” She said. “But I’ve had a rough day.” She turned to walk away, but he stopped her.
“Sorry.” He said. “I know its not my place, but do you want to talk about it?”
“I don’t know.”
“We could get coffee and not talk about it?” He asked. Maggie pursed her lips.
“Sure.” She said. She thought she’d humor him. She could use a distraction as well. “Let me change.”
.............................................................
“I still don’t understand how you can play hockey with that much hair!” Laughed Patrick.
“I swear you get used to it.” Said Maggie. “Besides I always wear it like this.” She touched one of her blonde french braids that brushed the middle of her back. “And I tuck them into my jersey. Some girls leave their ponytails outside their jerseys and whip you in the face.”
“Glad I don’t have that problem.” He said. They both laughed. Maggie’s stress melted away.
Patrick drove them back to the ice rinks so Maggie could get her car. When they got there, Maggie stepped out of the car, and met Patrick behind it to say goodbye. When he was about to start talking, Maggie got a phone call from a number she didn’t want to see. She looked up at Patrick.
“I really have to take this.” She said. He nodded.
“I’ll wait.” She nodded and walked a few feet away to take the call. All Patrick could hear were Maggie’s responses.
Hello?
How is she?
No. Maggie’s eyes filled with tears.
No.
I’m so sorry. She closed her eyes.
Bye.
Patrick took a few cautious steps towards her. Tears streamed down her face. Patrick put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him.
“She’s gone.” She said. Patrick was confused, but he didn’t want to ask any questions. She wrapped her arms around him. He rubbed her back. “They wouldn’t give her the transplant she needed, and she just kept getting worse, and now she’s dead.” Patrick felt her quivering in his arms. He lead her to his car where they sat in the row of seats behind the driver's’ seat. She took a couple deep breaths.
“Abigail was one of my best friends.” Maggie started. “She died of respiratory failure last night. She had cystic fibrosis. It causes buildup of thick sticky mucus in the lungs, digestive tract, and sinuses. She had just turned thirty.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I just talked to her mom.” Said Maggie. Her heart beat faster. She took a deep breath, she didn’t do this a lot. “I have it too.”
"What?" She asked. "You said I was most likely going to get one."
"I know, but you tested positive for a bacterial infection that has almost a one hundred percent change of spreading to your new lungs, and can continue to make you sick. The transplant committee cannot approve you because of the bacteria." He answered.
Maggie's heart sank. Her lip quivered and her eyes welled up.
"The transplant is not necessary now. We can still control your symptoms at your age."
"Not forever though." She said.
...................................................................
Maggie skated her fears away. Lap after lap, shot after shot, she began to feel better. What was going to happen to her? Was she going to have to wait for her body to deteriorate? She couldn’t take it, but she had to. She never wanted anyone to think differently about her, or feel bad for her. She was pretty used to dealing with these things since she was a small child. She always put on a brave face and took whatever her life had thrown at her.
She looked up at the glass for a second, and she noticed someone watching her. It was Patrick. Why was this kid still following her? He was cute, but he looked different that he did yesterday. She finished up and stepped off the ice. Patrick approached her.
“I’m so happy I found you here?” He smiled.
“Why?” She asked.
“I wanted to tell you that I heard what you said, and I want to change my life.” He said. “I wanted to thank you, and say I’m sorry for being a dick about it yesterday.” She nodded. She took a deep breath.
“Cool.” She said.
“I thought you’d be happier, ya know, leaving your mark and changing a life.” He said.
“I’m happy for you.” She said. “But I’ve had a rough day.” She turned to walk away, but he stopped her.
“Sorry.” He said. “I know its not my place, but do you want to talk about it?”
“I don’t know.”
“We could get coffee and not talk about it?” He asked. Maggie pursed her lips.
“Sure.” She said. She thought she’d humor him. She could use a distraction as well. “Let me change.”
.............................................................
“I still don’t understand how you can play hockey with that much hair!” Laughed Patrick.
“I swear you get used to it.” Said Maggie. “Besides I always wear it like this.” She touched one of her blonde french braids that brushed the middle of her back. “And I tuck them into my jersey. Some girls leave their ponytails outside their jerseys and whip you in the face.”
“Glad I don’t have that problem.” He said. They both laughed. Maggie’s stress melted away.
Patrick drove them back to the ice rinks so Maggie could get her car. When they got there, Maggie stepped out of the car, and met Patrick behind it to say goodbye. When he was about to start talking, Maggie got a phone call from a number she didn’t want to see. She looked up at Patrick.
“I really have to take this.” She said. He nodded.
“I’ll wait.” She nodded and walked a few feet away to take the call. All Patrick could hear were Maggie’s responses.
Hello?
How is she?
No. Maggie’s eyes filled with tears.
No.
I’m so sorry. She closed her eyes.
Bye.
Patrick took a few cautious steps towards her. Tears streamed down her face. Patrick put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him.
“She’s gone.” She said. Patrick was confused, but he didn’t want to ask any questions. She wrapped her arms around him. He rubbed her back. “They wouldn’t give her the transplant she needed, and she just kept getting worse, and now she’s dead.” Patrick felt her quivering in his arms. He lead her to his car where they sat in the row of seats behind the driver's’ seat. She took a couple deep breaths.
“Abigail was one of my best friends.” Maggie started. “She died of respiratory failure last night. She had cystic fibrosis. It causes buildup of thick sticky mucus in the lungs, digestive tract, and sinuses. She had just turned thirty.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I just talked to her mom.” Said Maggie. Her heart beat faster. She took a deep breath, she didn’t do this a lot. “I have it too.”