Reborn in Time: Reclaiming My Life

Chapter 10 Good News

Ava's POV

"I could use some good news today," I repeated. Then, to add a bit of levity to the situation, I added, "Don't keep me in the dark, what's the good news?"

Natalie snickered at my words. "Mia is right about your sense of humor, Ava. A little bit sassy, and a little bit dark."

I snorted with laughter, amused by her play on words. She wasn't wrong about my sense of humor.

Dr. Saunders was chuckling right along with Natalie and me. "Nothing wrong with your mental faculties, or your sense of humor, that's for sure. Yes, good news. But only if you are willing to get on a plane in the next couple of days, and fly to Toronto. My brother, who is a board certified ophthalmologist and M.D. works at the Donald K. Jonson Eye Institute at Toronto Western Hospital. There is a patient there that is being taken off life support after suffering a traumatic head injury. The family has signed the organ donation form. The size of cornea you require is compatible with the size of the donor's corneas."

I was listening intently, waiting for the next part. The part that absolutely broke my heart in my first lifetime. The part that Rowan claimed was the reason he refused the transplant surgery on my behalf. Said it wouldn't be right to take advantage of their guilt and grief. I could never figure out what he meant by their guilt. There was nothing for them to feel guilty about.

"There's just one thing though," Dr. Saunders continued with a slight hesitation. "The donor was involved in the same accident that killed your parents. The donor's family knew your parents. Their daughter was a student at Dalhousie University. Your mother was one of her professors. After a week in the hospital here, her parents had her transported by life-flight to Toronto, where they live. Her parents have requested a directed donation to you, of their daughter's corneas. That is, if you are willing to accept the donation. They kept their daughter on life support waiting for you to wake up."

I didn't hesitate. "I would be honored to accept the donation of her corneas. But how do I travel to Toronto? I can't see for love or money. I don't have the slightest clue as to how to manage this."

Natalie was the one to respond. "I'll be traveling with you, as will your lawyer, Mia Carter. I do believe she is calling in a favor with a friend of hers who owns a private jet. That way you won't have to try to navigate a commercial airline. Dr. Saunders, Mia, and I have talked about this option a lot over the past couple of weeks. There were only two things standing in the way of the transplant. You were still in a coma. And your husband."

"You mean my soon-to-be ex-husband?" I asked with a wry chuckle. "He no longer has any say in my life."

"Good thing, too," muttered Dr. Saunders. "If it were up to him? You would be buried six feet under."

"So I understand. Can I ask, did he or does he, have copies of my medical reports since the day I was admitted?"

"He does," Dr. Saunders confirmed. "Two days ago, he requested copies of your medical files, including your recovery prognosis. Said he needed the information so he could be prepared for the possibility of your eventual recovery."

I remembered the contents of that file. At the time, the prognosis had been grim. He had used the contents of my medical files to apply for government subsidies and tax credits on my behalf. Applied for a grant that was supposed to be used to make his office building accessible for me, even though I had never worked there, or even visited the building.

The amount of the grant, plus other subsidies, must have been fairly substantial, considering how he and Jane had been crowing about it. What he had done with the money, I have no idea. No doubt he will follow the same path this time. I smiled to myself, knowing that this time around, what they have for documentation is all they will get. That ought to throw a spanner into the works for them.

"He won't be given any future updates, will he?" I questioned just to be sure.

"Nope. The paperwork you signed and filed with the legal department today makes it so not a hint of a whisper of your condition gets released to him. He won't even be told if you are a patient or not." Dr. Saunders sounded quite pleased by this. I get it. Rowan would not have given off 'loving husband' vibes.

"Well, that's excellent news," I chirped. "How soon can I be cleared to travel?"

I could hear the doctor humming a bit as he flipped through my chart. "Let's remove the catheter and make sure you are able to urinate on your own. I am ordering blood work, and arranging an MRI to be done this afternoon. Once I have the results back, and if everything checks out, I can release you tomorrow. You would be good to fly in three days. Would that work for you?"

For my answer, I nodded my head. "Natalie, let's get this catheter out of me."

"On that note," Dr. Saunders said, "I'll get these tests ordered. I'll be back to review the results later on."

The next several hours were busy. With the catheter out, Natalie got me on my feet, steadying me and guiding me to the bathroom. I was a bit surprised my legs supported me after being unconscious for five weeks. Natalie let me know that Mia had arranged for me to have twice-daily physiotherapy to keep my muscles from atrophying. I had a lot of things I needed to thank Mia for.

Blood work and MRI completed, I once again lay in my hospital bed, finally alone for a few minutes. Strange as it seems, I was tired. Both physically and mentally.

Today had been a lot. And it was just the first day of my reborn life.