“I’m afraid that Liberty doesn’t have enough time to wait. She needs a heart now. Unless her organ notification pager goes off soon, you have no choice but to prepare for the inevitable,” the doctor said sadly. He had lost many patients and although death was around him daily, Liberty was a special case. He was truly broken up about seeing her life come to an end.

“How long do we have?” A’shai asked.

“She doesn’t have long to live. A few days, a week, a month at the most. Liberty is dying,” Dr. Simmons said sadly.

“No, no, no,” A’shai whispered as his fists hit the wall in frustration. He couldn’t stop his emotions from spilling down his face. He couldn’t breathe and he saw red as he looked through the hospital window. He saw Liberty stirring from her sleep and he put his head down so that she couldn’t see his distress.

“Can I take her home?” A’shai asked. “I don’t want her to die here. I want her to be home with me… in her own bed.”

He wiped his face and pulled himself together as best he could.

“I think that’s best,” the doctor replied. “Make her happy. Think of the good times. You don’t have much time to spend with her. Make it count. You will know when her final moments are nearing. The pain will start to fade.”

A’shai nodded and then looked up to see Liberty watching him through the window. She smiled and a warm feeling instantly spread through him. Everything inside of him loved her. He could feel her spirit pulsing through him. Just the mere sight of her made the little good he possessed shine through. He smiled back and then turned to the doctor.

“Thanks, Doc, for all of your help,” he said as he extended his hand. The men shook hands and then A’shai re-entered the room. He tried to mask his turmoil, but Liberty knew him too well. No one else would have picked up on the sadness within him, but Liberty could see it in his eyes. It was in the way he blinked: slowly, methodically, to stop the tears from falling.