Vince clenched his jaw, struggling to find the words.


    Timothy''s gaze was piercing. "I know she''s not dead. Whatever it is, you can tell me."


    The biggest shock for him that day had been discovering Jessica''s cancer. He hadn''t believed a word Vince said. He knew exactly what Vince was trying to do.


    Vince met Timothy''s eyes. As friends who had grown up together, he knew Timothy almost as well as he knew himself. He had staged Jessica''s death to force Timothy to set her free. And Timothy had done just that.


    When Vince remained silent, Timothy spoke again. "Is it about the liver donation?"


    "Yes."


    "Who do you need? I''ll take care of it," Timothy said, his tone resolute.


    "She."


    Timothy''s eyes narrowed. "How do you know she''s a match?"


    “It seems She has been trying to find her biological family for the past seven years and has had multiple DNA tests done at the hospital. She was also hospitalized once for drinking too much and had aprehensive liver scan to check for damage. It just so happens she did it at Herbert''s hospital, and he found her data in the hospital''s registry."


    "There was one other person who was a match," Vince added, “but he''s not a suitable candidate."


    So it had to be She.


    "Who?"


    "Your son, Henry. He''s her only direct blood rtive who''s a match. But he''s too young; his liver isn''trge enough, and thew wouldn''t permit it anyway. So he''s not a viable option."


    Timothy considered this. "Henry is my son. Everything he hases from me and her. If he''s a match, you should test me too.”


    He stood up and pulled a medical report from a drawer in the TV stand.


    "This is my liverpatibility test. Send it to Herbert. Have him run theparison." Even after Vince had told him Jessica was dead, he had gone and gotten tested. Vince took the report, photographed the entire document, and sent it to Herbert. [Herbert, look at this. Can he be a match for Jessica?]


    Vince put his phone away. Timothy''s voice trembled as he asked, "How is she...tely?"


    Vince''s heart ached for him. "Not good. She''s in pain, day and night."


    A sharp painnced through


    Timothy''s chest. He had recently learned more about the disease and knew theter stages could be. excruciating. If the cancer spread, there would be nothing anyone could do. The fact that Vince was still searching for a donor meant there was still a sliver of hope.  Timothy desperately wished his liver would be a match. He owed her so


    much, and nothing he did felt like enough to atone for for it. He hoped that now, at this critical moment, he could finally help her.


    About twenty minutester, Herbert called Vince back.


    "Well? Is it a match?" Vince asked anxiously.


    "No, it''s not."


    "But Henry''s a match. Why isn''t he?"


    "Henry is Jessica''s son-a direct blood rtive," Herbert exined "You have no biological connection to her Timothy. Your chances of being a match are the same as any stranger''s."


    Countless patients waited for organ transnts every year. Some got lucky, but most never did. Finding a match at the right time was exceedingly rare.


    Vince hung up, feeling helpless. For She, he knew they had to rely on Timothy. If any of them approached her, she would almost certainly refuse.


    Timothy stood up. "I''m going to Aetherion now."