For Love of a Brother Ch. 01

After lunch, it was time for another short visitation period. While Angie, Brad, and Melissa kept Serena company, Joe and Diane took Jenny with them to see Andy. He was sleeping when they arrived and Jenny thought he looked much better than she expected, especially his color. Although she hated to wake him, Diane knew it would be his only chance to see Jenny since the next visitation period wouldn't be until after supper. She tapped lightly on the glass and he was awake instantly. He turned and saw Jenny standing with his parents and a broad smile appeared on his face. They gave Jenny the phone and they talked for a few minutes, mostly about how he felt and what he had to eat, etc. Jenny didn't want to take up all of the time for his parents, so she kept the conversation short. It was so good just to see him, no matter how short the time was. She said her goodbye and then stood off to the side as his parents continued the visit.

When the visitation period was about to end, Diane handed the phone to Jenny once more. "We'll be outside the door when you're done," she said, smiling. She knew they might want some private time.

"Thank you," Jenny said.

"I'm really glad you could come. I missed you a lot."

"You can't imagine how much I missed you," Jenny said. "I've been going crazy."

"And that's different from any other time?" he teased.

"Smart ass," she retorted. "You're really looking good. I expected you to still look sick, but you look great."

"Thanks. I feel a lot better. They got me out of bed a few times and I've walked around a bit. Oh, I've got to tell you what happened yesterday morning." He related to her how he got himself out of bed to urinate. Jenny thought it was very funny.

They talked for a few more minutes before they heard the chimes indicating that the visitation period was over. Andy was tired , but he wanted to continue talking to her. He didn't know when she'd be able to come back to visit.

"I'll try to come back next weekend if my parents let me," she said.

"That would be great. I sure wish you could come in here, but heck, even my parents can't come in. Maybe by next weekend, I'll be out of here and in a regular room."

"I hope so." Several people walked by and Jenny knew she should leave. "I'd better go," she said hastily.

"I know. Thanks for coming out. Say 'hi' to your folks for me."

"I will. I love you, Andy. You're going to get the biggest hug in the world from me when you're out of that room."

"I can't wait. I love you, too. See you next week."

"Bye." Jenny put down the receiver and waved to him before she left.

The next few days went by slowly for both Andy and Serena. Slowly, but surely, Serena was gaining her strength. She was able to get herself up and use the bathroom without any assistance and made herself take short walks, even though the pain could be excruciating. When her bandages were changed, she saw her scar for the first time and it wasn't pretty. Tiny staples held her incision in place. It was a vicious purple-red color, puckered, and swollen. She knew now that a bikini would definitely be out of the question, but that didn't bother her in the least. She was fascinated by it, but she hoped it would fade over time

By Thursday, it was decided she had gained enough strength to be released. Her staples were removed in the morning and a fresh dressing was placed over it. It felt weird for her to wear regular clothes when she changed to go home. She was used to wearing nightgowns and pajamas all the time. She felt sad that Andy was being left behind, but she had a feeling he would be joining her shortly. They were already making plans for him to leave C.I.C.U. and be placed in a semi-private room, although he would have no roommate. The nurses allowed her to visit Andy in the corridor before she left, even though it wasn't visitation time. Both of them had a hard time speaking from the emotions they felt. Andy thought she looked thin and pale, but he was so glad to see her. Serena thought he looked great and could have come home with her, but she understood the precautions that needed to be taken to ensure he was in the cleanest environment possible. No one wanted him to get sick, especially this soon after the transplant.

They said their good-byes after about ten minutes and she promised him she would be back with their parents on the weekend to visit, and yes, they would bring Jenny with them. Joe and Diane visited briefly, also. They had made arrangements with Jenny to stay with Serena so they could come back the next day. They hated to leave early and not come back that day, but Andy understood. Getting Serena back home was step one. Getting him home was step two. It would be strange not seeing them in the evening, but he would keep himself occupied. He knew the Indians were on TV that evening and that would make the evening go by faster.

When they left, Andy felt sad and alone. He wished he could go home, too, but he knew that wouldn't happen for at least another week. His progress was checked daily by his doctors and they were amazed at the progress he was making. His chemistries were back into the normal range, his kidney function was excellent, and he was gaining weight. Later that afternoon, he was moved to another room and he enjoyed having a little bit more freedom. He was no longer hooked up to the monitors and he only had the IV to contend with. The first thing he did was take a long sponge bath. He also washed his hair as best he could in the sink and he felt much better after he was finished.

Any nurse or doctor would still have to wear a mask when in his room, but regular visitors would be required to wear a mask, gown, and gloves. No flowers were allowed in his room because of the dirt, but he would be allowed to receive cards and balloons. In the evening, while watching the game, he received calls from his parents, his grandparents, and Jenny. He wished he could reach through the phone lines and hug them all. He and Jenny talked the longest and he was afraid her bill would be outrageous, but she didn't think anything of it. After they hung up, Andy felt much better and was determined to get out of the hospital as fast as possible.

He would spend only five more days in the hospital, a remarkable time for this type of surgery. Eleven days was a record up to that point for the transplant unit at Ohio State. The morning of his release, many nurses who had taken care of him in C.I.C.U. stopped by to wish him well. Others had stopped by during their shift the previous evening, too. It was a glorious feeling for him as he was wheeled out into the sunny June morning. It felt so good to feel normal again. On the way home, he laid his head against Serena's shoulder. He just wanted to be near her and show his gratitude for this most amazing gift, the gift of life. Serena felt a deep peace within herself with Andy at her side. Her most deeply desired wish had come true and she had made it possible.

From her front seat, Diane marveled at the change in him over just the past few days. Although it pained her to see her daughter go through so much pain and suffering to give him a kidney, the end result was beautiful to behold. As with Andy, she could never thank Serena enough, either.

He went straight to bed when they got home and enjoyed being in his own bed for the first time in almost two weeks. He was surprised that the trip home exhausted him that much, but he still had a long way to go with his recovery. Jenny visited that evening for a short time and had a hard time keeping her hands off him. The doctors cautioned him against kissing on the mouth, at least for the first week or so, until his immune system was at it's optimum. His medications were still being juggled a bit, but his immune system would always need to be depressed in order for his body to be tricked into thinking Serena's kidney was his own. He would need to take these immunosuppressants for the rest of his life.

Jenny understood, but that didn't keep her from kissing his face and his hands. They sat together on his bed, holding each other while they listened to music on his stereo. It would be the first of many summer nights that they spent together, each content just to be with the other no matter what they were doing.

When Dr. Venkata gave him the go ahead a few weeks later, Andy didn't waste time finding Jenny. He picked her up after work and planted a long, passionate kiss on her before he took her home. He had discovered soon after the transplant that his libido had returned with a vengeance and it was quite evident during their kiss as his jean shorts were becoming embarrassingly uncomfortable. Jenny looked down at the bulge as he was driving and smiled, feeling those delicious tingles begin to go through her. Someday, she thought wistfully, someday we'll make love to each other and be together forever. She knew in her heart it was meant to be.

Andy glanced her way and smiled. He knew they had come a long way since that day in February. So much had happened in that time, so many things he never thought possible. He knew people would scoff at them because they said were in love, but he knew in his heart it was true. Their time together was just beginning and it was all possible because of one's love for her brother.