10

 

“I’m sorry, Shayna.” Nate reached for her hand as he spoke.

“What’s going on?” Her fingers trembled, and she struggled to make sense of why Nate was here…in Dr. Garrison’s office, staring at her with such an odd expression on his face. She wondered why they’d closed the door and spoke in hushed voices. Her heart was racing, her palms damp with nervous tension. Then, as she slumped into a chair, Nate’s blue eyes captured hers, and the tenderness nearly stole her breath. She choked back the lump in her throat.

Nate’s voice was gentle as he spoke again. “I promised you no more surprises, but this one is out of my hands.”

“I don’t understand.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she reached for a tissue from the dispenser on the desk, sniffling. “How bad is it? Just tell me, please.”

“It’s not bad, Shay. It’s good…really, really good.” Nate came around and knelt at her feet. He placed one hand on her knee and brushed a tear from her cheek with his other. “Dr. Garrison has located a donor for Zac.”

“Oh, Nate.” Relief, coupled with disbelief, flooded her. She covered her trembling lips as tears spilled over. She could hardly speak. “Where? Who…how?”

“Shayna, listen to me.” Dr. Garrison’s voice drifted across the room, sounding as if he stood miles away. Shayna’s head began to swim, and she felt as if she were being drawn into a tunnel. They’d found a donor. Her prayers had been answered. “Nate is Zac’s donor.”

Time paused for the slightest moment, a gasp just before the deep inhale. Had she heard right?

“Shayna, honey, stay with us,” Nate coaxed, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. “Please, breathe.”

“It can’t be.” Shayna’s skin tingled, and a rush of shivers racked her as the room began to sway. She wrapped her arms around herself, rocking forward in the chair. “Are you sure?”

“We ran a second battery of tests this morning to confirm.” Though merely a few feet away, Dr. Garrison’s face refused to come into focus. A freight train rushed through Shayna’s ears, making it difficult to make out his next words.

“They’re almost a perfect match, Shayna—as perfect as two unrelated people can be. Nate’s an answer to our prayers—in more ways than one.”

“Oh, God…” When Shayna slipped from the chair, Nate caught her. He gathered her in and she pressed her cheek to the warmth of his T-shirt as her shock gave way to sobs. “I don’t believe it. I can’t…Thank You, God.” Tears swam in her eyes, turning the room to a pool of water. “Oh, thank You.”

“We’ll have to begin preparing Zac right away. It’s going to be hard, Shayna. We need at least thirty days to bring him to day zero—transplant day.” Dr. Garrison stood and eased around the desk, closer to her. “There’s a lot to do, and it won’t be easy on Nate, either.”

“I hadn’t thought…” Shayna lifted her head to gaze into Nate’s tender, blue eyes. “Oh, Nate, are you sure about this?”

“Yes.” He nodded, smoothing a strand of hair from her damp cheek. “It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever been given—the ability to do this for Zac.”

“But it’s not a gift…at least not for you.”

“Oh, it is, Shay.” He stroked her cheek gently. “More than you know.”

 

****

 

Nate found a quiet place down the hall to dial a quick call to Stan. He made short work of bringing his friend up to speed.

“It’s a miracle, Stan.”

“I get that, but do you fully understand the ramifications of this decision, Nate?”

“I do. I’ve been through all the details with Dr. Garrison, and he’s told me what to expect. I’m fully aware of all the possible complications, and I’m in agreement with pressing forward.”

“And you think you can still be ready for training camp?”

“I’ll be there.”

“What if there are lingering effects?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it—if we come to it.”

“And you don’t want the press to know?”

“You heard me the first time. This needs to be kept on the down low.”

“I’ve got it covered.”

“I’m counting on you, Stan.”

He rustled some papers. “Oh, by the way, I got word just an hour ago that all charges against you have been dropped. The girl came forward—the one you were trying to protect that night outside the restaurant—and she gave a full statement to the police. Believe it or not, now you’re a hero.”

“I couldn’t let that guy get away with harassing her the way he was. The poor girl was just trying to make a living.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?” Stan groaned in a manner that had become familiar over the years. “It would have made things a lot easier.”

“As I recall, I tried. You weren’t in much of a listening mood.”

“Well, I stand corrected. The oaf who was harassing her has been banned from the restaurant, and the girl issued a statement to the Tennessee Today newspaper and all the local stations.”

“Good. So, you need to keep the press off my tail for a while. They’ll all want a piece of the action. Just issue a statement for me if it’s necessary, Stan. I don’t want to talk to any reporters—not now.”

“I’ve already taken care of it. Check out the five o’clock news, and you’ll hear the statement.”

“No need. I trust you to handle things.” He paced the hall, anxious to get back to Shayna. “Thanks for everything, Stan, but I’ve got to go.”

“The kid waiting for you?”

“Yeah, and his mom, too.”

“I’m glad, Nate.” Stan sighed. “You know, my friend, if I’d tried to write a book about this, no one would ever believe it. But I have to say, this transformation in you is the most amazing miracle of all.”

“And I have you to thank for it, Stan. If you hadn’t insisted on me contacting the Moments for Miracles foundation—”

“It wasn’t my doing, Nate. I believe God had a plan.”