Saying No to Her Kidney

It had only been three days since Dario left, and my heart had already stopped beating twice. Each time, the doctors managed to pull me back to life.

Dr. Romano was frantic. "Ms. Rossi, your renal tubules have completely failed. If this persists, you'll lose your life before you know it. I really highly recommend that you restart your medication again."

I shook my head and took two more painkillers.

"I'm fine. Please just keep my situation a secret from the others. I don't want Dario to find out."

Just as I was done speaking, my phone suddenly buzzed with a notification. It was a text message from Lucia.

"Look, my dear Ellie. Guess who I'm with right now?"

She'd also sent at least a dozen photos of her and Dario being close and intimate on vacation. The photos showed them riding on the gondola, taking pottery classes, hugging on the streets, looking at each other lovingly while under the willow trees…

Every photo was in 4K resolution, and I could clearly see the tender, loving eyes Dario had for Lucia in each and every one of them. It simply couldn't be ignored.

The last thing she sent was a video. I tapped into it and suddenly felt my breath hitch.

Lucia was wearing a beautiful wedding gown, and Dario was wearing an equally stunning suit as they stood in the Church of Saint Marco, with a priest standing between them and reading the scripture.

"Do you, Mr. Dario Ajello, take Ms. Lucia Rossi to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Dario lowered his head. I could see Lucia's shy figure reflecting in his gray eyes.

"I do," his low, magnetic voice sounded in my ears.

My phone dropped to the floor, the last scene stopping where they kissed.

I held a hand to my chest and curled up in pain in a fetal position.

My phone screen lit up again with another text message from Lucia.

"Dear Ellie, did you really think that my kidney actually matched with yours? Haha! I lied! Just be good and die without my kidney!"

…

I lay quietly in the hospital's operating room, already half-unconscious.

Dr. Romano kept checking his watch anxiously. "We've agreed to proceed with the transplant today! Why isn't the donor here yet?"

"Oh, no! The patient's health is deteriorating too fast! We must start the transplant now!"

While slipping out of consciousness, I still heard Dr. Romano calling Dario.

"Mr. Ajello? Today's the date for the kidney transplant. Is the donor not arriving yet? We're still waiting for her to begin the operation…"

"Lucia—"

Dario's voice suddenly turned blurry, and Lucia's voice could be heard on the other end of the line.

"Dario, I'm feeling dizzy. Come here and feed me some grapes…"

After some static, Dario's voice came through on the other line again, "Dr. Romano, Lucia just fainted from low blood sugar. She can't come for the operation today. Elena should still be doing fine, so tell her to wait for another day. I will bring Lucia over tomorrow for sure."

He hung up before Dr. Romano could get a word in.

"But Mr. Ajello, Ms. Rossi can't hold on any longer. She can't wait till tomorrow… Hello?"

The ECG monitor kept beeping louder and more frequent as if signaling that the end of my life was near. Dr. Romano couldn't wait to call Dario again and quickly instructed the staff to perform emergency resuscitation on me.

"Quick! Bring the defibrillator! The patient's blood pressure is dropping too much!"

The rest of the noise felt like a blur, as though I was listening to everything happening underwater. I couldn't hear much, not even the warning beeps on the machine or the doctors and nurses shouting and scrambling to save my life.

I could feel my life force slowly leaving me.

Memories flooded my mind, finally stopping on a bright, sunny day, when Dario held my hand and promised me forever.

"Lena, we've been together for 15 years. I will remain loyal to you for the rest of my life and never let you down!"

In the end, Dario and I still could never end up together. I had to leave the world first.

A single tear trickled down from the corner of my eye, sliding all the way down my cheek and onto the pristine operating table.

The erratic lines on the ECG monitor screen suddenly turned straight as a piercing siren went off in the operating theater.