Unforgettable

UNFORGETTABLE By Doyle Maleche

UNFORGETTABLE Chapter 1

THE DRIVE

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In a small Illinois town, the snow is falling hard; visibility is only as far as the hood of the car. Tony is driving frantically to get his pregnant wife, Ruth to the hospital. Managing her contractions, Ruth tells Tony, “Hurry, I can’t hold on any longer!” As she pants, sweat is pouring from her brow, and her exhaled breath is fogging the windows “Honey! I am driving as fast as I can. The road is icing fast, and I can barely see out the window! Damn, heater!” as he bangs on the dashboard. Tony then wipes condensation from the windshield in front of him and turns the wipers to fast. Ruth cries out; “Oooooohhhh, please, please, hurry!” She grimaces and continues to pant in an attempt to subdue the sharp pains. Tony accelerates a little to show her that he is responding. Within a few minutes he has a disturbing premonition when he realizes he is about to cross the old bridge to town, but then it is too late to slow, and in the distance he sees headlights. “Oh God no! please no!”. Turning to avoid the oncoming vehicle, the car is put into a fast spin. Ruth starts to scream and pushes against the dash as her water breaks; “GOD NO! My baby! Nooooo”, she whispers and tightly closes her eyes, reaching between her legs to block the baby from coming. Tony reaches his arm across her chest to brace her against the seat while trying to regain control. The car violently spins on the icy bridge. It seemed like an eternity before the car hits the old concrete rail and comes to a stop. Nauseated, Ruth opens her door and crawls to the ledge and vomits. She slowly opens her eyes and sees the flowing river under the bridge. Suddenly, the cold black water calms her fears; she is mesmerized and feels a warm sensation in her chest and abdomen and smiles while looking at the river. Blood and embryonic fluid slowly drips over the side and falls into the river below. “Ohhhhh”, she sighs. There is a connection with the water that she can not yet describe. “Ruth! sweetie! Are you alright!” Tony yells as he exits the car towards her. Ruth cups a fist of snow from the rail and cools her face. “Yes, yes, help me to the car”, she replied. She falls to her knees, holding the rail - her cheek against the cool cement, she reads the engraved number in the concrete; “1942”. With her bloodstained hand she traces the engraved numbers with her finger. Tony picks her up and embraces her and kisses her cheek over and over; “thank God you’re ok” as tears well in his eyes. 3 of 33

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Pointing, while holding her swollen belly, Ruth says in pain, “in the car, please, the baby is moving! Let’s go!” Tony helps her back into the car and notices the tail lights of the other vehicle pulling slowly away. “Ass hole!” he mumbles. He returns to the driver’s seat and with a tight grip on the steering wheel, maneuvers the car towards town. “Slow down, Tony, I’m fine, the baby is fine”, Ruth says calmly then, closes her eyes and concentrates on the image of the slow moving river water – it again, soothes her. The moment is quiet with the exception of windshield wipers, ‘tick…, tick…, tick…, tick…’ and the sound of Ruth’s controlled, calm breathing. After a few minutes, the snow subsides and Tony turns on the radio. Moonlight Sonata fills the car. Ruth smiles as she opens her eyes again, massaging her stomach. “what music is that?”; she asks. “I don’t know - sweetie”. Tony answered. As he is reaches to change the station, Ruth softly touches his hand, “no, don’t, I like it, I don’t know why, but I do” and closes her eyes again. Ruth continues to listen intently while thinking of the river. -She starts to weep. “Sweetie! What’s wrong?” Tony asks. “nnnnnothing…”, Ruth answers, “this melody affects me somehow and I don’t know… AAAooooowww!”, contractions interrupt her thought. “I think we need to hurry, just a little bit, ok Honey?” she exhales and closes her eyes once more. “Ok. “, Tony replied, “we are almost there, I can see the hospital sign ahead.” Under the dash comes a squealing noise then, ‘clunk!’…the heater fan starts. “about damn time!”, Tony yells. Still listening intensely, Ruth does not hear him. Arriving near the emergency entrance, Tony parks the car and summons for help; “yo! Hey! Can you guys give me a hand!?” two nurses’ aids extinguish their cigarettes and rush toward the car. “We are about to have a baby!” Tony says. “Good evening ma’am, how are we doing?” the nurse asks while helping Ruth into the wheelchair... “Wait, wait!” Ruth exclaims, “I want to hear the end of this melody!” A moment passes and the song ends and with a long sigh Ruth responds; “I’m ready now”. 4 of 33

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Ruth no longer feels the uncomfortable pressure of the pregnancy, nor the 28 degree night air…she starts to glow with a calming warmth of what she can only describe as an emotion of love and calming peace about everything. No worries... The assistants wheel her into the reception area where Tony and Ruth are met by the attending night physician. “Hello, I am Doctor Holding, how far along are your contractions” he asks. “Three minutes apart” Ruth answered. “Let’s get you prepped for delivery, then. I will need to examine you further, is that ok?” the doctor inquires. “Yes, perfectly fine. I think I am ready” she says with a smile. Tony begins to stroke her hair and face. Ruth reaches and kisses his hand. A young woman wearing a white smock approaches Ruth and Tony. “Hello, my name is Dana Ellis; I am the resident intern who will be assisting you this evening” “Hello” Ruth responds. Tony shakes her hand. “What field are you in?” “I am moving towards Surgeon. Now let’s get you ready.” Dana replied. Taking the wheelchair, Dana rolls Ruth down the maternity ward into a private room. “Let’s get you into some hospital gowns, so the doctor can examine your progress, ok?” “Thank you.” Ruth replies calmly. Doctor Holding examines Ruth, “six centimeters, over half way there! You’re doing well.” he says with a smile. Tony stands by Ruth’s side and wipes her forehead while she controls contractions as they become shorter and shorter. Three hours pass and Doctor Holding examines Ruth once more. “Doing great Ruth! You’re at ten centimeters, so let’s deliver a baby!” he exclaims Tony dons a hospital gown over his clothes before entering the delivery room.

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UNFORGETTABLE Chapter 2

THE ARRIVAL

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“Tony!” the doctor beckons, “this is what you will use to cut the umbilical cord” As the doctor explains the procedure, a nurse adjusts the fetal monitor on the baby and turns it on. ‘Beep, Be, Beep, Be, Beep, Be…” the nurse checks the connections and adjusts sensitivity and thresholds. ‘Beep, Be, Beep, Be” Ruth starts to contract more deeply. “Ok, here we go!” replied Holding As the nurse continues to adjust the fetal monitor she mumbles under her breath, “something’s not right!” The heartbeat monitor starts to show intermittent ventricular fibrillations. Be, Be, Be, Be, Beep, Be…” The fetal oximeter displays a 32% SpO2. “Doctor, we need to deliver fast!”, the nurse announces. Doctor Holding briefly glances at the monitor. “Ok, Ruth, time to push”, Ruth complies. The monitors indicate that the baby is in distress, more alarms sound. “Nurse!, quiet the monitor!”, “yes, doctor”, she answers. The alarms silence. “What’s going on doctor?”, Tony asks. “We’re delivering a baby, hold on to your hats!”, the doctor replied. “push, push!, doing great!, Ruth, one more time”. Gripping the birthing chair rails, Ruth bears down and pushes for a final time. “Goooood, gooooood, excellent!....it’s a….GIRL!...mark the time Nurse”, “07:42 Doctor” replied the Nurse. Tony cuts the umbilical cord as the doctor previously instructed, kisses Ruth on the lips; “I love you, I love you, I love you. Thank you for our beautiful girl, I love you.”, then kisses Ruth’s forehead. As the nurses aspirate the baby, no cries fill the room. The nurses quickly reach for oxygen and take the baby to the intensive care unit. “I’m sure everything is fine, I will check on her”, the doctor says calmly while watching the nurse exit. “The assistants will get you cleaned up and bring you to your room. Congratulations again folks, I will see you soon”.

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For two days Ruth and Tony wait for news about their little girl. Doctor Holding stops by and gives them the news. “Here is what we know”, explains Doctor Holding. “The baby has a very weak heart, thin aorta walls and erratic heartbeat.” The doctor pauses and looks at the chart. “She will need a pacemaker when she is strong enough for surgery, however… “A pacemaker for an infant?” Tony interrupts. The Doctor continues “not for an infant, but when she gets older”, answers the doctor. “however….at this point, we are not certain that the baby will make it. She is fighting to breath and we…”, “LET ME SEE MY BABY, I WANT TO HOLD HER….PLEEEEAAASE”, Ruth begged. The doctor lowered his eyes, patted her hand, and turned to leave. “Where are you going?...Doctor, please…let me hold my baaaabbbyy”. Tony leans into Ruth’s bed and embraces her. The hospital chaplain enters the room, and introduces himself. “I am Father Braun, hospital clergy.” He approaches Ruth’s bedside and takes her hand and asks, “What is the name given to your child?” Nodding and looking into Tony’s tearing eyes, she answers. “Isabella” “Ahh….yes, Isabella, consecrated to God…a beautiful name for a child” he replied. “I am here to administer last rights, and ask that you follow me to ….” “OH GOD NOOOOO, Please god, no….my baby! I need to see my baby!”, Struggling to remove the blankets holding her legs, Ruth ripped the IV hose and monitor leads from her arm and chest. “Get out of my way!”, she screamed. Tony grabbed Ruth from behind and spun her around to lock her in his arms. Holding her face with both hands, he looked into her terrified eyes; “Shhhhhhhhh, Sweetie, let’s go together” he said calmly.

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Time seemed to slow during the long walk to the intensive care unit. Ruth struggled to stay upright as Tony braced her. Entering the ICU they could barely see her tiny body through all the support tubes extruding from the incubator enclosure. Ruth tried to hold back cries of agony. “Can I touch her?... please?…” Ruth asked the nurse. “yes, ma’am , through this opening” Ruth reached in and with her finger and thumb, gently grasped the small hand of the pale being in the plastic case. Cold to the touch and grey in color, an almost lifeless body of a baby, her baby. Ruth began to weep silently while staring at her child. Tony and Ruth embraced while the Priest moved toward the case, donned his vestments and prepared for the child’s last rights. Reaching into the enclosure he anoints the child’s head; “"Through this holy anointing and his most loving mercy, may the Lord assist you by the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that, he may save you and in his goodness raise you up, "Per istam sanctam unctionem et suam piissimam misericordiam adiuvet te Dominus gratia Spiritus Sancti, ut a peccatis liberatum te salvet atque propitius allevet.…Amen". “Amen” is echoed in the room by all. The only sounds are from monitors beeping, air supply systems, and the low weeping from everyone. Tony and Ruth take turns kissing Isabella on her cold cheek and hand, then turn to walk away…. ‘Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep…’, the monitors pick up a faster pulse, the sound is deafening. “Hey, look! The baby’s heartbeat is stronger, look!” The nurse cries out. Doctors rush to Isabella’s side and notice her body changing to a pinkish color. “Increase the oxygen!...good girl!, fight it, fight it!” The beeping sound intensifies as Isabella’s heart struggles to beat normally, then a gurgling sound followed by the high pitched, wonderful screech of a baby crying as she breathes deeper with every scream. Ruth pushes her body through the doctors and nurses to get a glimpse of her crying baby. Hovering over Isabella’s face, she kisses the cold enclosure while tears fall on its surface. Isabella, stops crying for a moment and stares in recognition of her mother voice. Ruth whispers “Isabella, Isabella, my sweet little angel Isabella”

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UNFORGETTABLE Chapter 3

THE DELICATE FLOWER

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The years pass and at 19, Isabella is a beautiful young woman with long silky white hair and light blue eyes. She still requires a heart transplant to improve her health, and tests continue to show a slow decline. She becomes weaker as the months pass. Ruth and Tony restricts her activities in fear of straining her fragile heart, as doctors strongly advised. No hard playing, no running, and no excitement. Her everyday life is regimented, lonely, and ingrained with strict rules. To make matters worse, Isabella was teased at school for her fair complexion and cold and clammy skin as a result of her heart condition. Few girls ever wanted to hang around someone that looked at death’s door. Boys were a different story all together – no guy looked at her for any period of time at all. Her paleness and cold skin made her seem from another world. Isabella relished the summer season, and although she wore sweaters and thin gloves, she could never stay warm. She eagerly awaited the opportunity to sneak away from home and lay on the hay stacks on the near by farm. Atop the stacks where she lay, her hair shimmered in the rays and goose bumps traveled her arms as the sun slowly bathed her with warmth. Her heart seemed like a marble stone in her chest, but beat a little faster during these times -this was her only happiness. One fateful day when Isabella climbed on one of her favorite warm haystack she disturbed a copper-head snake also seeking the warmth. Coiled and poised to strike within two feet, Isabella screamed and tried desperately to stay perfectly still. Her heart starting pounding harder, and faster, faster than she ever tolerated. Isabella quickly felt faint and noticed a dark tunnel forming in her sight. Her ears began to ring, and cold sweat beaded her face. A sharp pain struck her chest and nausea set quickly as she went limp and rolled down the stack. “I’ve been bitten!” she thought before she completely blacked out. Although the snake was startled, it could not detect her body heat to strike. The snake slithered over her cool limp body and crawled under the big stack. Hearing the scream, a young farmer, Jonathan, saw Isabella fall. He ran across the field toward the hay stack. When he arrived he was stunned by her pale beauty, but shocked to see her limp body. “Where did she come from!” he thought.

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He knelt beside her and put his hand on her neck. A faint pulse responded to his touch but having felt her cold skin, he feared the worse. Jonathan carefully picked her up in his arms and quickly carried her to the nearby tractor in the field, her body and arms lifelessly bouncing as he jumped over mounds of dirt. Climbing in the seat, he placed her in his lap, driving with one hand and holding Isabella’s head with the other as he drove towards town. The jarring of the tractor over the plowed field palpitated her back and heart. As she opened her eyes, she saw the fear on this stranger’s face. The warmth of his body was like the hay stack, she thought. Never had she felt this, especially with another person. She reached up to touch his face but soon collapsed again. Despite the failing and smoking tractor, Jonathan reached the hospital where he was met by the chief surgeon, Dr. Ellis, who immediately, recognized Isabella. “I need a gurney out here stat!” she yelled. Dr. Ellis checked for a pulse on Isabella’s neck, “tell me what happened!”, Ellis barks. “I heard a scream and found her this way by the hay stack, honest!” Jonathan replied. “She opened her eyes for few seconds, and then went limp! Is she going to be ok? Who is she?” Isabella was rolled into the trauma room for examination. Adrenaline and shock paddles were used to revive her, but only for a short while. As the trauma team pushed to revive her again, Isabella started dreaming. She saw her mother and father, and reflected on the happy times, the warm sun and how it felt on her skin. “CLEAR!” WHAP! Came the sound of defibrillation paddles, followed by a long tone. “Damn it, CLEAR!” – WHAP!! As Isabella’s vital signs fade, she continues to dream. She sees a bright light and feels warm and secure. She floats towards the new sun in her dreams, extending her arms to touch the bright glow. This is her place – her happiness. She then remembers another kind of warmth and a stranger’s face, Jonathan’s face. Looking down, she can see her white body under the bright surgical lamps. Her hair reflecting a halo around her head, and breathing tubes protruding from her mouth, her blue eyes barely open, but a distant and fixed stare. She sees the stranger standing outside the room looking up at her with an outreached hand. “Why do you see me and no one else?” she asked. There was no reply. The stranger placed his hands in his pockets, turned and walked away from Isabella, “hey!, what is your name? Don’t go!” she yelled. “wait for me, please!”. As she looked up again, her white sun began to shrink, smaller and smaller. 12 of 33

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Soon, she no longer felt the warmth…. “CLEAR,” WHAP!! Then…a heartbeat, weak but steady.. “GOT HER BACK!”… Isabella’s parents arrived at the hospital eager to see their daughter. “Isabella!, Isabella!” Ruth called. “Ma’am, please, let me help you I’m the head nurse on duty. Your daughter is in room 197 bed number 9. Let me take you there. Ruth had flashbacks of the same long walk the day Isabella was born. “Is she ok? What happened?”, Ruth asked. “Doctor Ellis will be here soon to answer your questions. Here is your daughter’s room” As Ruth approached Isabella’s bed, her heart dropped when she saw her daughter’s blue lips and heard the monitor echo her child’s heartbeat. Grabbing the rail of the near by bed, Tony catches himself before his weak knees give. He, too, remembers. Doctor Ellis interrupts Ruth’s thoughts. “Ruth, do you remember me? I’m Doctor Ellis, I’ve been following Isabella’s history through the hospital staff meetings. She suffered a mild myocardial infarction or small heart-attack. If it wasn’t for the young man who brought her in, she would not be with us.” “Yes, I do remember you. How is my daughter? Who brought her in?” Ruth replied. As Doctor Ellis points to chairs in the room, she continues, “Please sit and I will have the cardiologist explain her condition; this is Doctor Benjamin Doyle, Chief Cardiologist” “Thank you Doctor Ellis…Folks…I have carefully assessed Isabella’s condition and this can be difficult to accept for such a young person. Isabella requires a pacemaker, soon. It should sustain her until a compatible heart donor is found. Given the condition of her health and weak aorta wall, surgery is a great risk. However, the best we can do is to install the pacemaker to control and steady her heart rate. She cannot sustain additional stress. Do you understand?” Ruth holds her hands to her mouth and tries to answer, but Tony acknowledges, “yes, Doctor, we understand. We tried to keep her safe, but it is obvious that she needs the surgery. What do we have to do?” “We can operate in two days” the doctor replied.

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The next morning Isabella wakes to find her parents standing over her bed, and the doctor examining her pupils. “how do you feel?” the doctor asks. “do you know what day it is? Do you know where you are?” Isabella struggles but responds in a weak voice; “yyyes…the hospital” “Can you wiggle your toes?” Her toes move. “Good,…how about your fingers, can you feel my hand?” the doctor asks. She looks at his hand and slowly squeezes it. “Good, I don’t see any signs of paralysis, it is safe to continue.” Resting from surgery, Isabella wakes to find the stranger sitting in the corner chair with earPods and listening to music, “Hey!” she said in a weak voice. The stranger did not hear her, so she painfully clears her throat, “Heyyy!” waving her wrist. “Whoa!...Hey you’re alive, I..I mean you’re awake, that’s good right?” the stranger replied “I’ve seen you before, what’s your name?” she asks. “iTunes…” he replied walking to her bedside. By then the stranger removed the earPods. “Itunes? What kind of name is that?” she replied. “Uuhhmm, no..no, I mean Jonathan, my name is Jonathan. I thought you asked what is that?...Sorry.” He replied. “What kind of music do you listen to, Jonathan” she said in a weak voice. “Oh…all kinds, Country, Blues, a little Rock, and the music my parents listen to - like this one” Jonathan reaches over her bed, tucks her hair behind her ear, and carefully places the earPods in Isabella’s ear. “tell me if it is too loud ok? By the way what is your name?” he said in loud voice. “Turn it down!” she replied with her sore throat. “Tammy Downs? Never heard of you!...oh..oh yeah, wait”

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Jonathan stops the music…”Isabella, my name is Isabella…let’s try it again” Being so close, she notices that Jonathan has green eyes but the left iris has a small light blue ring. It reminded her of a dog she once had - she laughs, then coughs. “What?....” he replied. “Nothing…” she giggles. Jonathan lowers the volume and starts the music. Slowly she hears the melody, a piano playing softly, then crescendo into a beautiful arpeggio. Finally, the music softens. It starts to affect her, overwhelming her senses; she looks at him and starts to tear up. Thinking she is in pain, Jonathan reaches to shut off the player, but is stopped by Isabella’s hand, “no, please, it’s so beautiful, please let me hear it all”. She continues to touch his warm hand. Listening to the music and feeling his touch, filled her cadenced heart with warmth she had never experienced. Overwhelmed with happiness, she placed her hand other over her heart and clutched the gown tight against her chest, squeezing Jonathan’s hand in the process. Jonathan looked into her blue watery eyes and starts to well up. He was moved by her beauty and passion, but it upset him to see her cry. As the music finishes Isabella sniffles, “what is the name of this song?” “I don’t know, look on the screen” he answered wiping his eyes on his sleeve, then laughing to hide his embarrassment. Isabella looked at the little screen on the player and waited for her tears to drop and clear her vision. Letters started to scroll horizontally. Piano Sonata #14 in C# Minor – Quasi una fantasia “This is so beautiful, do you have more?” she asked. “Uh, yeah, I can get more…what do you like?...I can get all you want!” he replied.

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“I like this. Who is the band that plays this? I never heard it before!” “I think it was some old dude who died a couple of years ago. My parents listen to this a lot” Jonathan replied. Isabella’s father enters the room with Doctor Ellis. “Hey there Isabella, how are you doing today?” she asks. “It’s a wonderful day! Meet my new friend, uh…Jon..Jonathan” Isabella replied while wiping her tears. “I know this young man. He was the one who brought you in. Hey, how about that tractor of yours, it looked in bad shape that day…” the doctor exclaimed. “TOAST - I had it towed back to the farm and it needs to get fixed before next harvest” Tony extends his hand, “Hello, Jonathan, I am Isabella’s father, Tony, I also happen to be a mechanic. Please let me look at it for you. My wife and I owe you a lot. The doctors say that you brought Isabella here in time to save her life.” “Oh, yes sir, I can sure use all the help I can get…thank you…but you don’t owe me anything…” shaking Tony’s hand. The doctor interrupts, “Let me brief you on Isabella’s new pacemaker. Generally, pacemakers correct an abnormally slow heartbeat by sending electrical impulses to one or more chambers of the heart. Isabella’s pacemaker regulates both chambers at a steady pace. It cannot compensate for strenuous activity or react to emotion. Consider it a drumbeat or clock to regulate your heart…So, Isabella do you have any questions?” “No ma’am” she replied “How about you Tony?” Tony looks at Isabella and says in a caring tone, “We will have to be a little more careful. Won’t we Isabella?”. She nods. “Additionally, Isabella will need to take antibiotics. I will prescribe them for you. It was nice to see you again, Jonathan!....Good day, Tony” The doctor exits. Tony approaches Isabella and Jonathan. “OK. Are we all clear on Isabella’s limitations and concerns?…Jonathan?”. Isabella nods her head. “Yes sir” Jonathan replied. 16 of 33

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The installation of the pacemaker was a success, and following Isabella’s recovery, she and Jonathan quickly became close friends. She no longer must sneak out of the house to go on the farm. Jonathan checks the stacks for snakes and critters so she can climb the giant castle of hay he built for her. He always tries to build it taller, close enough to reach the sun - the way she would like. There in the quiet hay top they would share thoughts, listen to music, and talk of college next year. As the months turn into a year, they stay together, gravitating to each other with every phone call or message. Jonathan and Isabella are very aware of their feelings and emotion they have for one another, but on occasion they slip and it goes a bit further each time. On the last day of summer, Jonathan and Isabella climb a ladder leaning on the highest hay stack he built for her. Exhausted when they reach to top, they collapse on the peak. Isabella takes Jonathan’s hand and places it above her left breast… “I am so happy…do you feel it?...my heart I mean.” She asks. Jonathan quickly pulls his hand away, “hey, be careful!” Isabella sensing rejection starts to cry, covers her face and turns away from him. “Isabella?....please…Isabella, I’m sorry…I don’t ever want to hurt you or cause you pain…please understand that.. You know, your condition…your heart…I respect you so much. I know that this cannot be. We must wait until the time is right and things get better with you….please, let me help you!” Isabella turns on her side, to face him, “do you think I’m pretty or even cute?…I will accept nice, too!” she says wiping her eyes. “I can’t feel anything inside, but my brain says one thing and my heart…well my heart is what it is…a piece of cold marble….I’m always so cold!” she sobs. Looking into her eyes, Jonathan slowly reaches for her blouse and unbuttons the first two…he pauses. Isabella finishes the rest, but quickly covers the surgical scars and closes her eyes. “Promise you will always be with me, Jonathan….Please.” “I..I promise” Jonathan replied Jonathan strokes her face. The warm sensation of his hands, reassures her trust in him. Jonathan gently places his head on her bare chest and sings. “Isabella’s heart!...this is Jonathan…you are not cold, ok? Isabella’s heart,….I must to tell you something, but it is a secret so listen carefully…” 17 of 33

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Jonathan lowers his voice to whisper, but Isabella can still hear him as he speaks softly, “hey, Isabella’s heart….I LOVE YOU” Isabella responds and wraps her arms around his shoulders, placing both hands on his head. Jonathan kisses her scars and chest, softly repeating the words to her heart, “I LOVE YOU…….I LOVE YOU” Isabella feels a rush of adrenaline; her face becomes flush and chest warms for the first time. Even though her heart is governed by a constant electronic pulse, she knows it is affected. She holds Jonathan tighter and sobs loudly, kissing the top of his head, then resting her cheek where she kissed. This warm sensation floods through her body, her arms, fingers, legs and toes. She cannot stop crying. For the first time Isabella experiences the true meaning of love, passion, and living. She sobs uncontrollably because she knows her time on this earth is also governed by forces, that she has no control. Life without Jonathan is difficult to imagine. As the evening passes, Isabella and Jonathan stay on the stack and together, they watch the summer sun set and the moon rise. The night is extremely crisp and clear. A shooting star passes directly overhead. “OH MY GOD, LOOK, LOOK” yells Isabella. “QUICK make a wish!” She shuts her eyes tightly and mumbles. She giggles with excitement and claps her hands. “THAT was so cool!” she yells. “DID YOU MAKE A WISH?...DID YOU?...tell me please!” “I can’t tell you, or it won’t come true!...you know that…and don’t ask me again.”, he answered. In his mind Jonathan screams, “I WANT YOU TO GET WELL!, I WANT WHATEVER YOU WANT!, I WANT YOU TO LIVE!” and smiles at her. As night continues to fall, the temperature drops to a point where Isabella can no longer tolerate the chill. “I have to go” she said kissing Jonathan on the lips. “Thank you for showing me Love…I truly appreciate you…you are my night in shining armor, my king with a castle…my soul mate….I will see you tomorrow…OK?” “You all right Isabella?” Jonathan asks.

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“Oh, yes,..yes…yes…yes….I’m a little tired, but I feel wonderful!” and kisses him once more. They climb down the stack and Jonathan takes her hand and walks toward her home. He notices she is shaking and begins to cough. He gives her his coat. “Thank you….that’s a little better” she said. As they reach her home, they stop at the bottom of the porch steps. Jonathan and Isabella slowly let their fingers release as she walks up each step. Their finger tips end with a final touch. Isabella turns and stumbles on the last step. “I’m OK…silly me” and coughs once more. Jonathan is a little concerned. “OH, be careful!...I’ll come pick you up tomorrow” Jonathan slowly turns away and walks down the dirt driveway. He looks at the great stars above and debates with himself, “Should I ask her THE question?....I so want to be with her…forever, but….maybe we’re too young…she has goals, plans, I’m stuck on the farm…but hey!...It pays the bills and it’s a steady job.…Besides, it’s the only thing I know…yep..I’ll ask her….tomorrow!”

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UNFORGETTABLE Chapter 4

THE WISH

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Two months pass, and Jonathan is reluctant to make good on his proposal to Isabella. He keeps busy with the farm and extra jobs, vigilant about saving money to help Isabella pay for school and their future together. He has resigned himself to encouraging her to move forward in her education and concentrates his efforts in supporting Isabella’s goals by working longer hours at a remote ranch repairing fencing. “This is HER time…when she is well; it will be OUR time…Isabella comes first…no distractions!” he exclaims to himself. It is 8am and the night snowfall stopped and the sun is out. The fields are covered in a soft and plush blanket of new snow. Everything looks clean and crisp. This is Isabella’s favorite time of the morning because she loves seeing the warm orange glow that fill the room from the sun through the kitchen curtains. But this morning, unlike every morning, she is not seated at the breakfast table with her mother. Ruth stands at the bottom of the hall stairs and calls out, “ISABELLA!” No reply. “ISABELLA, get up!” Typically, Ruth hears water running or the hairdryer around this time of morning, but today is different…silence. “I guess I’ll let her sleep some more. She came in late last night” her mother mumbles. Tony shuffles his feet to the kitchen and yawns. “Yahhhammm, good morning sweetie, do we have any coff….” His sentence is cut short by Ruth’s question. ”did you see Isabella up and about?” Tony, leaning on the door of the open refrigerator replies “Nope, it’s pretty quiet up there and…CHRIST NO!” Tony and Ruth race up the stairs “ISABELLA!...ISABELLA?”. Tony turns the door knob to Isabella’s room and leans into the door, but it only opens a few inches and he feels something blocking the swing. “ISABELLA?...angel are you OK?...ISABELLA!”. Tony drops to the floor and reaches behind the door. He feels her body and moves his hand toward her head. “Angel!, honey, wake up…” no answer. “RUTH! Get the car ready, call the hospital!” Ruth screams as she runs down the stairs, “NO, GOD NO. PLEASE.I beg you…” Tony pushes against the door until Isabella’s body moves with it. He squeezes through the small opening. “ISABELLA, hey… baby…can you hear me?” he pleads. 21 of 33

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He touches her cheek and neck – it is cool and clammy, her lips are slightly grey. “BABY! WAKE UP…PLEASE” he screams. Tony turns her on her back and sees his daughter’s eyelids barely open, blue eyes staring through him. He puts his ear to her chest and hears a faint swishing sound, almost mechanical. He knows that the pacemaker is still working, but she is not getting enough oxygen to her brain. Tony tilts her head back and frantically blows in her mouth, but air escapes through her nose on his cheek. “RUUUTHHH!....RUUTH!” he calls out. He takes a deep breath and blows into her mouth again, but this time, pinches her nose. Her chest rises, then falls as the air leaves her body. “JESUS, please” he begs. Again he listens to her heart and there is still a sound, but different - a little stronger. “OH…OH…yes, baby, come back to me please!...RUUUUTH!”. Tony rises on his knees and expands his chest looking to the ceiling and inhales filling his lungs until it hurt. He tries again and exhales every last breath, pushing even more. Her chest again rises but he holds her nose and mouth shut to prevent air from leaving. Hoping his breath would give her life. “OH GOD, please help her”. He begs. Seconds past before he releases her nose and removes his hand from her face. This time her chest slowly falls and a weak moan is heard deep in her throat as the air passes her vocal cords. “BABY…hey!...can you hear me?” Tony sobs as he watches her chest stop falling. “Th..the car is ready, how is she?” Ruth pants. “I don’t know. She is not responding. Help me get her to the car honey..OK?” She sees Isabella’s lifeless body “OOOOOHHH NOOOO she’s dead…our baby is gone!”. “RUTH! LOOK AT ME, Look in my eyes!” Ruth complies. “Listen sweetie, we need to put her in the car, NOW…OK …are you with me?” “Yyyess” Ruth answers. “Grab her arms, I’ll get her feet” Tony maneuvers around Isabella legs and grasps her ankles. Ruth pulls on Isabella’s wrists. “OK, now PULL!”

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Isabella’s body is lifted off the floor as her parents struggle to carry her. Ruth suddenly loses her grip and drops her daughter’s body hard on her back. “AAAAYYYY” Ruth screams. “It’s OK, it’s OK, try again…but we need to hurry.” As Ruth regains her grip on Isabella’s wrists, she feels a tug, fighting her pull. “OH MY GOD, TONY…I think she moved her arm away from me!” Tony looks down at Isabella and sees her head slowly move side to side. He drops her feet. “Isabella, can you hear me baby?....look at me!” Tony cries. Isabella’s head rolls back, her arms shoot from her sides. Gasping for air, she takes a deep long breath, exhales, then gasps faster and coughs violently and starts to cry. Ruth and Tony join her on the floor and cradle Isabella in their lap, gently rocking and sobbing together. Caressing her face, Ruth softly sings a lullaby in her daughter’s ear. Moments pass, the tears stop. The only sound is the grandfather clock down stairs ticking as the pendulum sways. It is a soothing moment. They stay on the floor until Isabella starts talking. “I’m hungry…what’s for breakfast?” her parents laugh while helping Isabella on her feet. She stumbles at first but regains her balance with the help from her father. “How do you feel?” Tony asks. “A little dizzy…and hungry” Isabella replied, coughing. “I don’t think you should eat right now. We need to take you to the hospital.” her father said in a stern voice. “Ok, juice…I want juice…please.” she asked as she coughed. Ruth helped Isabella get dressed while Tony cleared the drive way of snow. They carefully helped Isabella down the stairs and into car and headed toward town.. Isabella rested her head on the foggy window and began to draw a heart with her finger. She stared at it for awhile and watched the condensation drips and distorts the shape. “This is my heart.” she said in her mind. With a long breath, she exhaled and fogged the window again. This time she drew a bigger heart and wrote; Jonathan + Isabella 4 Ever. It made her feel better.

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She continued to stare in the distance at passing cars and trees. A smile came to her face when she caught a glimpse of a big red toy rabbit in the snow. Children were trying to turn it into a snowman. Tony slowed the car when they approached the old town bridge and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. As they passed the center point of the bridge, Isabella saw the engraved number “1942” in the concrete and followed it with her eyes. There is something about the bridge she cannot explain but it draws her to it. A warming sensation floods her chest and limbs and she gasped unexpectedly. “Are you ok, Isabella?” her mother asked. “OH, yes…just tired.” she sighed. The sign ahead reads “West Branch Memorial”. Tony turns into the hospital parking lot and shuts off the ignition. BANG! BANG! The car backfires and the engine stops. “WHOA, I need to fix the timing!” Tony said with a laugh. He looks at Isabella in the rear view mirror “Ready?” “I think so.” she replied. Ruth and Tony help Isabella walk to the hospital entrance. The receptionist recognizes them and pages Doctor Holding. “Good morning!” the receptionist said in a musical tone. “Good morning” Tony replied “Our daughter collapsed this morning and we are here to have her checked out. Can we…” Isabella exhausted, loses her balance and starts to fall. “Whoa, honey…let’s get you seated!” Tony said as he carries her to the waiting area. An orderly brings a wheelchair to Isabella and assists Tony with getting her seated. He looks at her face. She can barely keep her eyes open and her head up. Her lips are dry and flaky. “Want some water Angel?” Isabella nods in response. Doctor Holding arrives and approaches them. “Good morning folks. I received an update from your phone call this morning. Let me see what we have.”

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He sits in front of the wheelchair, takes her wrist and checks her pulse. He places his fingers under her chin and lifts her head and looks in her eyes, then strokes her cheek. “I think we should keep her here tonight for observation, and as precautionary measure. I want to run some tests. The receptionist will have more information for you. I will see you folks later, please excuse me” The doctor departs. The day is long and Isabella is put through a lot of agonizing tests. She thinks of Jonathan every minute to soothe her pains. “Do you think we can call Jonathan soon?” she asks her mother. “He is at the Gielow ranch, in the field. I will call and ask if they can relay a message to him, OK?” her mother responded. “OK…I miss him” Isabella says with a low voice. Tony walks towards them “OK ladies, I’m going to the car parts store for a new timing light and spark plugs so we can get home safely. I’ll be back soon. Do you need anything?” “Find me a heart like the tin man. It will probably work better” Isabella replied. Ruth stands and approaches Tony “Don’t be gone long. The doctor is supposed to give us his diagnoses soon” she kisses him on the lips and pats his cheek. Tony walks away smiling and proceeds to the hospital entrance. The snow is starting to fall again and the temperature is dropping. He sees a man with a logo on his shirt ‘HONDA REPAIR SPECIALISTS” and approaches him. “Hey brother, can you tell me where the nearest auto parts store is located” “Sure thing! Take a right on Johnson Creek, then left on Oasis, head South until you cross Interstate Eighty. It will be on the next corner” the man explained. Tony thanks the man and heads out. Six hours pass and Isabella’s condition slowly deteriorates. She is on heavy oxygen and very weak. She gets colder by the hour and requests more blankets. Doctors and nurses are in and out of her room all day checking vitals and monitoring her status.

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Doctor Holding enters the room and sits on the edge of her bed and takes her hand. “Isabella. Our test results show that your heart is struggling to pump blood through your body. We have a team checking the registry for a donor, but it’s a long shot and I want you to know that. We will do everything to make you as comfortable as possible, OK?” The doctor rubs her hands and lifts her eyelids to examine her pupils. “Thank you doctor. You are so kind” Isabella responds. Tony arrives from the parking lot after fixing the car and approaches Ruth. “Hey, sweetie” Doctor Holding joins them “We are doing the best we can, and her condition is not good. Without a transplant soon, she will continue to struggle, but she is fighting hard.” Tony and Ruth embrace and look at Isabella’s weak face. In a raspy voice Isabella asks “Have you heard from Jonathan?” Ruth replies “I let Mr. Gielow know two hours ago, and he said he will drive out and inform Jonathan. It may be awhile” “The roads are getting covered” Tony adds Before Doctor Holding leaves, he makes a subtle comment “Tony, Ruth, this may be difficult to accept. I suggest you consider special arrangements in the event Isabella does not make it through the night. She cannot keep this up very long”. Ruth sobs. Tony clearly remembers the events the night Isabella was born. “Ruth, Ruth listen! We need to be strong for her. I want the priest to visit her again. What do you think?” Tony asks. “OOOOHHH, Tony. It scares me to think that our…..Ooohh nooo” Ruth sobs. Two hours pass, and Isabella is intubated.with a ventilator to help her breath. More sensors are placed on her body and attached to monitors. The room soon fills with the sound of mechanical and electronic rhythms. Isabella is no longer responsive. Tony and Ruth sit on opposites sides of Isabella’s bed, each holding her cold hands. Ruth holds one hand to her cheek to warm it. Tony clasps the other with both his hands, bows his head and softly prays.

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Moments pass and the sound of running shoes echoes in the passageway. Doctor Holding and Ellis rush into the room. Doctor Ellis is out of breath “We….We…hhhaave a donor and a match!” She explains “Nurses will be here soon to take her to surgery. I am going to go scrub now and prepare.” She leaves at a quick pace. Doctor Holding reviews Isabella’s EKG strip and again checks her pupils, LVEF shows less than 18%. “Hold on Isabella, hold on…we’re almost there” he says quietly. Nurses and residents arrive and unlock her bed for transport while Doctor Holding and a nurse manage her sensors. Isabella is whisked from the room. It falls quiet again. Tony and Ruth sit alone, staring at the empty space where their daughter lay only moments ago. The wait begins…

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UNFORGETTABLE Chapter 5

THE PROMISE

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The twelve hour surgery was successful, and Isabella is back in her room. After two days, she slowly opens her eyes and squints. The sun shining in her room is almost blinding. The audible beeps of the heart monitor slowly increase and sound much stronger. Isabella takes a deep breath and struggles to touch her chest. She places a hand on her scares and feels something different…a strong presence in her body - the new heart. As the reality sets in, blood pumps faster, coursing through her body. She can hear her heartbeat in her ears. She smiles and opens her eyes wider. Raising her hands in front of her face she no longer sees the pale grey tone in her skin only soft and pink. She touches her face with both hands to feel the warmth. Tony, Ruth, Doctor Ellis and Doctor Holding enter the room. “How are we feeling this morning?” Holding replies looking at her EKG. “So wonderful! I can’t believe it! Oh my!” she exclaims. Her parents share tears of joy while stroking her legs. Doctor Ellis sits by her side and brushes her hair back “I have something to tell you sweetie, and I want you to listen closely…your heart is…” Jonathan’s parents enter the room and go to Isabella’s side. Ann, Jonathan’s mother is weeping and leans over to kiss Isabella’s forehead while placing her hand on Isabella’s chest. “Where’s Jonathan? Is he still on the ranch?” Isabella asks. Jonathan’s mother kneels at the bed side while Doctor Ellis explains “Jonathan’s car went over the old town bridge when he tried to avoid an oncoming car in his lane. The other car turned over and was stopped by the railing. Jonathan did not make it out and drowned in his…” Doctor Ellis was interrupted by Jonathan’s mother. “He loved you so, so much. We wanted you to have….” Isabella pushes against her chest with both her hands and arches her back, bursting in agony she cries out “OOOOOOHHHHHH, NOOOOO….Jonathannn!!” Her hands shake as she crosses them over her new heart. Isabella softly sobs while everyone touches her. Ruth and Ann embrace Isabella to console her. Isabella reminisces about her time with Jonathan. His face, touch, and warm passionate kisses. Visions of the hay stack and their intimate conversations flood her memory. She then realized that he kept his promise…he will always be with her. Again her body surged with warmth she only experienced with his touch. Her face and arms, limbs and toes flooded with the sensation she once shared in his arms – she felt his love coursing through her heart. 29 of 33

UNFORGETTABLE Chapter 6

THE ANGEL

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Isabella recovered well and graduated college. After five years of study, she became a assistant instructor at the local college. She still thinks of Jonathan often and on occasion, randomly experiences his presence with surges of emotion warming her entire body. She has to stop what she is doing and regain her composure after these events. Touching her heart each time she whispers “I love you too, Jonathan” and smiles. While sitting in the cafeteria, she catches a glimpse of a stranger staring at her, but he quickly turns away. Thinking nothing of it -the event happens…”Whoa, Jonathan! Slow down” she exclaims. For months she continues the see this stranger staring at her, but he averts his eyes and disappears when she tries to get a longer look at him. “What a freak!” she cautions herself. But each time she experiences Jonathan’s presence in her heart. In the following winter, Isabella feels compelled to take a walk in the snow on campus. Following the path of the sidewalk she enjoys the sunlight and crisp air. The snow looks beautiful and blankets the terrain. She stops and falls on her back then rotates her arms and legs making the impression of an angel with wings. She gets up and writes “Jonathan” at the bottom of the image. Her walk continued until she came upon a sound in the distance. Music, soothing – she closed her eyes and listened intently. It was drawing her. She left the sidewalk and traversed through the knee high snow toward the melody. It was familiar! Pushing the heavy doors of the old building, she let her ear guide her through the halls that echoed a calling. The music stopped and she froze, then the echo faded. As she turns to leave, she hears scales from a piano and moves toward the sound again. Turning the corner, she peeked around the door’s threshold and saw the phantom stranger sitting at the keys. She quickly threw her back against the wall and gasped. “OH MY GOD! It’s HIM! THE FREAK!” she whispered into her hands. Isabella turns to retrace her steps and leave when the melody started again. She paused and listened. It calmed her fears as she listened with her eyes closed. Her heartbeat slows and she exhales quietly. With her arms straight at her side, she made tights fists with both hands and turned back around, slowly walking into to the music room. She took small steps cautiously approaching the stranger playing the piano. Closer and closer, even more quiet until she could feel the vibrations from the sounding board of the piano. It moved her and she relaxed her fists.

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“YAAHHH! “the stranger screamed. The piano key cover slammed shut catching his fingers. He quickly placed his hands under his arm pits to soothe them. “OH MY GOD! I’m sorry…sorry. Are you alright?” she asked. Looking up he is stunned to see her. The girl he felt drawn to for over a year, but afraid to approach. “Yeah, I’m good. You startled me a little. I sometimes get caught up in the music and tend to block out reality.” he explains. “Oh, I know what you mean!” Isabella replied with a laugh. “What is your name, and what do you do here on campus?” she continued The stranger replies “I’m sorry. My name is Gabriel, I’m the music teacher and I came here last year to…” As Gabriel answers her, Isabella sees a scar on his right temple. His voice becomes distant as he continues to talk. She now sees his eyes – green and one has a light blue ring on the iris. She reaches to caress the scar and interrupts his conversation “How…How did you get this scar?” she asks. Seeing the solemn look on her face, he explains “I don’t remember much, but about five years ago I ended up in the wrong lane on an icy bridge. I collided with another car and lost both eyes by shattered glass. At the hospital, they replaced them from a donor. I am forever grateful for that.” Isabella finally understands and experiences her emotional event. Her eyes well with tears as she stares deeply into his. Still touching his temple, her hand slowly slides and strokes his cheek. With both his hands, Gabriel gingerly removes her hand from his face and grasps it tight “I…I can’t explain it but, this melody kept picking at my brain every time I would see you and…” “Moonlight Sonata” she interrupted. “I know it. It is my favorite.”

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Still looking into Gabriel’s eyes, she manages the courage to ask him “Would you like to join me for some hot chocolate?” Standing and grabbing his coat, he quickly replies “I would LOVE to! You don’t know how long I’ve been trying to get to know you or ask your name.” Holding out her hand, Isabella replies “I know how long….” He takes her hand and they leave together. Isabella now understands that this is Jonathan’s wish and promise. He wanted her to always be happy. To be loved- forever.

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