Page 25 (1/2)

Madelaine chuckled and waited for Allenford to get to business

“We’ve got a new transplant patient”

Madelaine never tired of hearing those words Suddenly she wasn’t exhausted or depressed at all, she was itching to hear more “Really?”

“Don’t look so excited He’s a bad risk For user, world-class partier and woman chaser—if the media is to be believed—and he definitely has a bad attitude”

“Oh” Madelaine edged back in her seat and studied the ht her most of what she currently knew about heart transplants Allenford was one of the top doctors in his field, driven, aifted If Chris said the patient was a bad risk, he knehat he was talking about

“The situation is critical”

“Stats?”

“Thirty-four-year-old e cardio looks good” Chris leaned forward, slid the thin ot a bad attitude One of those rich, fa”

Madelaine had had this discussion with Chris before As always, Chris looked to the success rate of the hospital and the long-ter the very precious resource of a heart Madelaine didn’t envy Chris the enormous responsibility of his job Every time he chose someone to receive a heart, there were other patients ould most likely die because of that choice One lived, one died; it was as simple as that They couldn’t afford to put a new heart in someone ouldn’t take care of it

“I’ll talk to him, Chris,” she said

He looked up at her, and in a single glance, they communicated perfectly They both knew that she had just stepped in, shouldered some of his burden I’ll tell you if he should have this chance

It was a choice no hu should ever have to make about another person, yet they did it every day

“We’re protecting his anonymity at all costs Got him checked in under an alias So tell your staff—I’ll have their jobs if his identity or prognosis is leaked to the press”

“Understood”

“I’ll contact the teaet them up to speed Hilda will need to run the rest of the tests and get hiful look “If this one doesn’t get a heart in record ti trouble”