Transplant List

Now when Chuck talks about his own health, he speaks carefully. He doesn’t want to alarm me or perhaps himself, and his voice is measured as he explains his condition. His doctor is thinking about putting him on the transplant list. This is terrifying, no matter how the news is delivered. I say something calm in return.

“I’ll take care of you,” I say. “When you come home.”

“I know,” he says.