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Fury flashed through Angel, so hard and fast, he felt dizzy with it “An operation Christ, you doctors, you’re all the same You say ‘you need an operation’ like it’s no different than telling led to sit up straighter and couldn’t The failure increased his anger “Well, Doc, you let ’e heart out and then tell me hoas If you still endorse the operation, I’ll think about it”
Allenford never broke eye contact, but the wrinkles in his cheeks seemed to deepen “I don’t know … I’ve never been a very brave man”
The words were quietly stated and honest Angel lost his hold on anger Fear slipped in to replace it, twisting his insides “My heart,” he whispered, wanting to sound cocky and sure of hiain he’d failed
Allenford stared down at him “I can’t pretend to kno you feel, Mr DeMarco, but I can tell you a little bit about the surgery Deo, heart transplants were very risky ventures, very uncertain, and reat strides in the last decade Anti-rejection drugs, tissue typing, and immunosuppressants—they’ve all played a tre this type of operation successful And you’re one of the lucky ones—only your heart has been daiven the life you’ve led This gives you a junosis Approximately ninety percent of all patients live a relatively normal life afterward”
“Relatively norht
“Yes, relatively You’ll take medications for the rest of your life, you’ll have to watch your diet and exercise No drugs, no sently “That’s the downside The upside is that you’ll be alive”
“Sounds like a great life I can hardly wait”
Allenford’s hawkish gray brows pulled together slowly “I’ve got a seventy-year-old indigent apple picker down the hall on’t even be considered for a new heart… Then there’s the six-year-old girl who has been in constant arrest for the past week—all she wants is to live long enough to see seven candles on her birthday cake Either of them would take your condition in a second”
Angel felt like shit “Look, I’m sorry, I just…”
Allenford wouldn’t let it go so easily “I know you’re a celebrity, but believein here I won’t put up with your tantrums and your selfishness In here you’re just another patient waiting for a new heart The hard truth is, Mr DeMarco, you’re going to die Without the surgery, you’ll get weaker and weaker You won’t be able toa decent breath will seeot to understand what I’ you Life as you know it is over”
Angel knew he should shut up now and pretend to be a teaiven hi, he didn’t know any other way “I could get up, walk out of here, and take my chances”
“Of course you could And you could get hit by a bus before you die of heart failure”
“I could die screwing some woman’s brains out”
“Yes, you could”
“Maybe that’s what I want to do”