I've Been There Before

“What … do you mean?” Payne was surprised. Grace turned around. He quickly grabbed her arm tightly and said, “Did you really find a donor?”

He stared at Grace nervously. Grace lowered her eyes when noticed Payne’s nervousness, anxiety, and hope.

The hope of survival.

She smiled and answered, “Yes, I did. You won’t die.”

Pulling his hand away, she seemed to have made up her mind.

When she walked to the door….

She smiled at him. He would never forget that smile.

“Payne, stay strong and enjoy your life.”

Then, the door was closed.

Payne didn’t even have time to say “thank you”.

The next moment, he called Mrs. James excitedly, “Mom, I’m saved! I won’t die!”

He was overjoyed.

Mrs. James couldn’t believe it. She kept asking, “Really? Who is so kind?

I must show my thanks to the donor.

I’ll call your ruthless sister. She actually refused to save you!

Even a stranger was willing to do it.

She should be guilty!”

Payne blushed. He said with embarrassment, “Mom, don’t do that. Grace found the donor for me.”

Mrs. James was surprised at first. Then she said, “Whatever. She is not the doctor. She found a donor for you just because she doesn’t want to donate her own bone marrow.

Do you think she did this for you?

She did this for herself.”

Payne’s face turned even redder. “Mom, I’m tired. I must hang up now.”

Not long after, his attending doctor came and told him that he could have a bone marrow transplant.

Payne hesitated for a moment, but he didn’t ask who the donor was.

The doctor only said, “You’re lucky. From today onwards, I’ll prescribe antibiotics for you as preoperative preparation. You have to take this. After your body indexes return to normal, I’ll arrange an operation for you.”

The doctor added, “I need to talk to your family. The result would come out one month after the operation.”

…

are you sure you

person with only one kidney, medically speaking, can still

have poorer health and can’t lift heavy things.

know

marrow. The bone

Before donating, you need to be injected with growth factor for four to five days in a

condition is

fail, and the collection of hematopoietic stem cells is not entirely safe. There is still a small risk. Although it is small, it can’t

your condition

are you sure you’re

signed her name on the donation

James?” The nurse

surname is

The nurse was puzzled….

…

she saw a

the urge to leave

She said slowly.

dark eyes. “OK,” he said in a

you call

agreed to let me

Why was he here?

meant he

He didn’t deny that.

still

“Where did you go?”

was an ordinary

her pockets and said calmly, “I didn’t go anywhere.

“Oh … I see.”

was implication in his words. But she was

be busy with work at that time. He couldn’t know where she had been and what she had

you not going

she did not take out the keys to open

calmly, “You promised to leave me

suddenly squinted as he looked at her.

and walked into the elevator,

for me for the rest of your life,” he said

suddenly trembled, and she lowered

elevator door had closed. She took out her

aware of the dangers of bone marrow donation. Even the risk should have been small, it might not be

bone marrow was her

depended entirely on

take the

the right track, grandfather’s efforts

the James was not ruined in her hands. She didn’t let her late grandfather

had returned home, she had already made the decision to find a bone marrow donor for her brother. If

up her mind when she returned

Payne would take