77. Aiyana

Chapter seventy-seven

Aiyana

K as's tires shriek to a grinding halt as he pulls into the parking space outside of the hospital. My heart is pounding out of my chest, my body cold as exhaustion settles in, the initial shock of my mom's call fading away. The moment the car is in park, I'm flying out of the passenger seat, door flinging open. My feet hit the pavement, and I'm off, running full speed ahead toward the sliding doors, which, thankfully, open quickly on my arrival.

I nearly knock into an older woman in a wheelchair as she's exiting the hospital with her caretaker, yelling, "Sorry!" over my shoulder as I make my way to the receptionist. My hands smack down in front of me, steadying myself on the counter as I pant heavily. The bewildered receptionist looks up at me, her eyes wide with shock.

"Can I help you?" she asks me hesitantly.

"My father, his name is Qaletaqa Kaan. What room is he in?" I rush out. She nods, looking down at her computer screen to find his name.

A firm, warm hand makes contact with my lower back, and I turn my head slightly to see Kas leaning in to whisper in my ear. "Just take a deep breath, please; we'll get it sorted out," he tells me.

Shaking my head, lips pursed, I let out a long breath as new tears fill my eyes. My voice cracks as I whisper back, "You can't know that, Kas."

Just as the words leave my mouth, the receptionist says, "He's in room four-seventy-four."

And just like that, I'm bolting toward the elevators, but this time, Kas has a firm grip on my hand as he lets me drag him behind me. I frantically press the elevator button and am rewarded with the distinct ding as the doors open. Kat and Ale follow behind us as we cram into the small space, and Kas presses the button for the fourth floor.

Moments later, we arrive, the doors open, and my eyes immediately zone in on my mother across the hall. She's pacing, with her slender hands resting on her hips, her lip between her teeth as she anxiously bites the thin skin.

" Etsi !" I shout, rushing toward her, Kas in tow. Her head snaps up, and her arms open wide for me to step into her embrace. Kas releases his grip on my hand, allowing me to take my mother's small frame into my arms, crushing her to my body.

" Usdi ," she mutters into my hair.

"Where is he?" I ask her in the same breath.

"They took him downstairs for some imaging; he seems to be stable now. For a while there, we didn't know how things were going to go."

I feel my heart rate begin to slow the smallest amount as the meaning of her words seep in.

"So, he might be okay?" I ask hesitantly.

"It's not good, but they think they can make him comfortable, and we're trying to see if he qualifies to be pushed to the top of the transplant list," she tells me, her tone solemn.

Pulling gently out of her grasp, I look into her dark-brown eyes, her worried expression mirroring mine. "I guess we'll just wait for the doctors. Is there anyone I can call?"

She shakes her head in response. "No, not now. In a few hours, when people are awake, we'll call the community and get the healers here. The hospitalist on his case approved us having them cleanse his room, so we'll just wait for that. Hopefully, your father will be back any minute," she tells me, her voice hopeful.

I nod, holding her hand as we take a seat in the cold room, the white walls adding to the chill.

Kas takes a seat on the floor beside me, and I cock my head to the side, giving him a quizzical look.

"I'm staying by your side," he tells me firmly. I don't have the energy to argue or tell him why that's not a good idea, especially not now.

Kat squeezes my shoulder. "I'll go grab the nurse and see if we can get some more chairs in here."

As she turns to leave, Ale stops in front of me, crouching down so we're at eye level. He places his hands on my knees, squeezing them reassuringly. "Do you need coffee or something to eat?" he asks me, then looks to my mom.

She gives him a gentle smile, shaking her head. "No, thank you, Alessandro."

His gaze turns back to me, my hands moving to sit on top of his for a moment. "I'm okay, but thanks."

He nods, standing and heading out after Kat.

Several minutes pass by before Kas moves, resting his head on my lap as if I forget where I'm at or who I'm seated beside. My fingers absently make their way into his hair, trailing through the soft strands mindlessly.

My mom clears her throat beside me, giving me a sidelong glance but saying nothing.

***

" Edoda , should I call the healers now?" I ask my dad expectantly.

"Yes, Usdi , but just Adohi, please. I don't want to worry the whole community until we have answers."

I nod at him, his frail body lying in the hospital bed as he struggles to breathe despite the high-flow oxygen.

Just as I'm leaving the room, the doctor walks in, his tall frame towering over me. It seems he realizes the height difference, so he looks around the room, pulling over a chair and taking a seat. "I'm Dr. Achebe, the pulmonary transplant surgeon. Unfortunately, it appears that your scans have significantly worsened since you were last admitted a year ago. I've gone ahead and informed UNOS of your condition, and we're hopeful you'll be able to receive a lung transplant in the next month or so. However, I have to be clear that you might not make it another month. There are a lot of factors that play into this, and transplants are few and far between, but like I said, we're hopeful." His voice is kind, reassuring, but firm, ensuring we're all clear on the state of my father's health.

My heart clenches at the reality of the situation.

I could lose him.

"I understand that your family is Cherokee. Would your healer be able to inform me of any rituals or special religious practices you'd like us to acknowledge during the surgery? This kind of planning will help us if the time comes for the transplant and will avoid delays."

"Yes, we were just about to give him a call. I'll go do that now," I say, standing, but Kas stops me, grabbing my hand.

"You stay. I'll call him." He nods for me to hand him my phone. I don't hesitate, just hand it over. He knows the healers as well as I do, so there's no point in wasting an opportunity for a few extra minutes with my dad.

"Thank you, Kas," I say as he heads out through the doors.

We continue speaking with the doctor for several more minutes, Kas returning to inform us that Adohi will be here within the hour.

When the doctor leaves, Kat and Ale head home to get changed and bring some clothes back for me since I refuse to leave my dad tonight.