My chest tightened. “What about his kidney?”
“Alessia—” Dorothy stopped as the door opened.
Matvet stepped in, leaning on his walking stick. His eyes caught me for a moment before they swept over Rodion.
“How much longer?” he asked.
“Two hours,” she replied.
He nodded and limped toward the bed, eyes fixed on Rodion. “Is his blood pressure still high?”
“It’s stabilizing, but we still can’t do the surgery yet,” Dorothy said.
“He’s getting surgery?” I asked, a flicker of hope lifting my voice.
“Yes, we have scheduled a transplant for tomorrow morning,” Dorothy said. “If his blood pressure stabilizes, it will be safer to proceed with the surgery.”
A wave of relief washed over me. They had found a donor. He could get a kidney.
“Monitor him first,” Matvet said, already moving toward the door.
I smiled, my gaze locked on Rodion. Slowly, I reached for his hand, curling my fingers around his palm. A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it. “I… am glad there’s a donor,” I whispered, as I lifted my eyes to Dorothy. “Can I help with anything? Does he need blood?”
Dorothy’s smile was gentle. “Calm down,” she rubbed my shoulder. “Everything will be alright.”
I clenched Rodion’s hand a little tighter, letting myself believe Dorothy’s words. Her phone rang, and she excused herself, leaving me alone with him. Sliding onto the chair beside the bed, I let my fingers drift across his cheek, tracing the line of his jaw with careful reverence. My hand moved into his hair, brushing it back, as if he could feel the warmth and quiet reassurance behind my touch.
“About last night…” My voice caught, and I forced a smile, even as my eyes stung. “We can plan another one.” Tears slipped down my cheeks. “I was hurt because you stood me up. But for a second, I thought maybe you’d gotten sick.” A shaky laugh escaped me, and I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. You would have shown up.”
My gaze dropped to his hand. “You look out of place here. So, get well and leave.” I chuckled, exhaling. “But honestly? You need rest. You never get it.”
I smoothed the sheets, trying to keep my hands busy. Onething I knew for sure was that Rodion was strong, and he would fight this. I settled into the chair beside him, keeping my eyes on his face, counting the slow rise and fall of his chest.
The time dragged by. After two hours, the dialysis was finished, but he still lay unconscious.
They let me stay. I wanted to be there the moment he woke up. But he didn’t stir. Evening pressed down around the room. With every passing minute, the fear inched closer, tightening its grip. If only I could see him wake, even for a moment, it could calm the storm inside me.
Dorothy came in once or twice, sometimes with another doctor. They drew blood, checked his vitals, and quietly left, leaving me with Rodion.
At one point, I drifted, my head resting on the edge of the bed, my hand clasped over his. Dreams came in fragments, each bleeding into the next—chaotic flashes that made no sense. In one, I heard his voice, speaking about shipments, giving orders. I thought it was another dream until Rodion’s hand twitched against mine, brushing across my fingers.
I jerked awake, clutching his hand tighter. The haze of sleep clashed with the shock of awareness. His voice cut through the fog. “Yes. Forward the records to me.”
He was awake.
Rodion’s gaze found me, a gentle smile brushing his lips despite the faint shadows bruised beneath his eyes. He was on a phone call, giving orders as if he hadn’t been unconscious all day.
“Make it quick.” He ended the call and set the phone aside.
I was still stunned, staring at him in disbelief. “You’re awake?”
“Hey.” He winked, making me chuckle.
My shoulders sagged in relief, and before I could think, I was on my feet, my hand flying to his shoulder. I hugged him as if holding him close could assure me he was here. “You’reawake? You’re really awake.” Tears of happiness burned down my cheeks. “I’ll call the doctor.”
He caught my wrist before I could move and tugged me closer again. My arms circled him. “I knew you’d wake up. Are you okay now?”
“Why are you crying?” His voice was calm.