Chapter 10 - Blood and Water
The days following the surgery were a blur of sterile gloves, vital sign charts, and small, monumental victories.
Leo was moved out of the ICU within forty-eight hours. The yellowish, sallow hue of his skin began to fade, replaced by the faint pink blush of restored kidney function. Down the corridor, Clara was already walking with the aid of a nurse, her abdomen sore but her spirits remarkably high.
On the fifth day post-op, Clara was brought into Leo’s room in a wheelchair. Julian walked beside her, carrying a drawing he had made of a giant brachiosaurus wearing a superhero cape.
Leo was sitting up in bed, sipping apple juice through a straw.
"Look who's here, Leo," Elena said gently, adjusting the boy’s pillows.
Clara wheeled herself to the side of the bed. Leo set down his juice and looked at the bandage visible beneath Clara’s hospital gown.
"Did it hurt?" Leo asked quietly.
"Just a little bit," Clara said with a warm laugh. "Like doing five hundred sit-ups all at once. But look at you. Your cheeks are pink."
"My tummy feels warm," Leo said, touching his side where his surgical dressing was taped. "Mom told me your kidney is living inside me now."
"It is," Clara said softly, her eyes welling with tears. "A little piece of me is going to stay with you forever, helping you grow big and strong."
Leo nodded solemnly. Then, with the unadorned honesty that only a seven-year-old can muster, he asked the question that had been hovering over both families like a thunderstorm. "Does this mean I have to go live at your house now?"
The room fell completely silent. Elena held her breath, her hand tightening around David’s arm.
Clara looked at Leo, then reached out and took his small hand in hers. "No, sweet boy. You belong right here with your mom and your dad. They love you more than all the stars in the sky. I'm just your extra mom now. And you have a brother named Julian who wants to teach you how to build Lego castles."
Leo looked across the room at Julian. Julian grinned, holding up the drawing. "And I have an Xbox," Julian added helpfully.
May you like
Leo smiled, the tension evaporating from his small shoulders. "Can we play it together?"
"Every weekend," David said, his voice thick with emotion, stepping forward to rest a hand on Julian’s shoulder and another on Leo’s bedrail. "Every single weekend."
