My Husband Wanted My Kidney

Janice stood in the quiet sterile room of the hospital, the acrid smell of the hospital disinfectants infesting her nostrils as she stood in the hospital gown, her hands clutched to the consent forms that's awaiting her signature to save a life.

Only her breathing and that of Nelson, struggling for his life could be heard in the silent room.

For the past nine months, her husband, Nelson Smith  has been fighting for his life due to kidney failure, and without surgery, he has less than four months to live.

Nobody in his family matched after tests were done. Not even his siblings, parents, or cousins, except one person; Janice Capuno, his wife.

"Mrs. Smith, I know this might be  hard on you, but you have to be strong, not just for yourself, but for your husband." Nurse Tiana said calmly, patting her  back when she saw the uncertainty in Janice's expression.

"Ms. Smith, you have thirty minutes left to get yourself ready for prep."  The surgeon said when he stopped by to check on her.

Even though she had been hoping and praying for this surgery to be successful, her heart never stopped sinking, a mixture of emotions swirled inside her, excitement, fear,  and relief.

After the next thirty minutes, she'll have only one kidney to survive on for the rest of her life.

'What if that one fails in the near future and she finds it difficult to get a match?' she thought, but immediately, she  shut her eyes closed to dismiss fear and all negative thoughts.

Besides, she has made up her mind already. She's ready to cut open her body to save the man she had promised to love in sickness and in health, and nothing will make her to back down because she can't afford her husband's blood to be on her hands when she knows that she has every opportunity to save him.

Ten minutes later, the nurses came to Prep Nelson. They gave him a mild sedative to relax him before the main amnesia. 

Janice held his hands, her eyes on the verge of tears as she whispered words of encouragement and love to her husband,  while she watched his gradually failing eyes.

"Babe...my phone... switch it off... battery" Nelson muttered, pointing a finger at his bag before finally falling asleep.

Janice picked up the phone to switch it off, but before she pressed the power button, the screen light flashed as a whatsapp notification popped up. It was from Tricia, Nelson's college sweetheart, the same woman he wanted to marry years back but she abandoned him when he couldn't meet up to her financial standard.

"Babe, has the fool gone into the theatre yet?  I can't wait for this to be over. Once you get the kidney, we're done with her." The message read.

Janice blinked, her blood turned ice and her body stiffened up immediately. A sharp pain struck her heart as if being pierced by a double edged sword.

Before