Introduction
By The Chronicler
8:27 am, Tuesday, December 21
"Ameila Larson, you get down here and eat you breakfast, missy, or there will be no Santa at the mall for you today!" Mrs. Larson called up the stairs before returning to the kitchen.
Her husband grinned. "Now, that aughta work." He popped a last bite of scrambled eggs in his mouth as he scrambled to his feet. "Speaking of work..."
His wife pouted. "I just hate the idea of you going off to work without a love tap from your..." her voice raised so it could be heard through out the house "DARLING DAUGHTER!"
Mr. Larson chuckled. "You want me to go and hurry her along?"
Mrs. Larson smiled. "Oh, would you? You are such a doll." She gave him a quick peck on the cheak before dropping into the kitchen chair he had just vacated and proceeded to finish what was left of his coffee.
With a shake of his head, Mr. Larson went in search of his daughter.
It took a total of 52 seconds before Mrs. Larson heard "Oh my God! Judith! Judith, call 9-1-1! Call an ambulance!"
**********
12:46 pm, Tuesday, December 21
Dr. Sidney Zwibel, a.k.a. New Jersey, hurried through the hospital corridors. He wasn't running, but the reach of his long legs forced the nurse to jog to keep up.
"She's been put in ICU, doctor, and she's awake, but..." She paused. No matter how many children came through the hospital, many going on to live full, healthy lives, many to go no further than the morgue, there was just no getting used to it.
Understanding, Dr. Zwibel nodded slightly. "But, without a new heart, all we can do is give her a couple of days... at best." He stopped in front of the ICU window and looked in in the small, fragile, 8yr old girl.
Little Ameila Larson was desperately pale. An air mask was cupped over her mouth and nose with the usual tubes and wires running from her to this and that sort of machinery. Despite the destructive heart failor only hours earlier, her doe-soft brown eyes twinkled and her redwood color curls bounced as she giggled at something a nurse had said. So full of life, yet so close to death.
"Dr. Zwibel?" came a shaky voice from behind.
The nurse leaned close. "The parents." she advised him in hushed tones.
The doctor took a deep breath, gathering what strength he hoped he had, then turned to face the couple standing behind him.
Mr. and Mrs Larson held onto each other, their eyes wide with fear and red from tears. Their enitre world, all their hopes, dreams, and love, was their one and only child. And, that morning, they found out their entire world was about to be torn away from them. It was no wonder they held on so tightly to one another.
Sidney didn't even try to smile. That would of been belittling to them, their child, and his own self respect. "Mr. and mrs Larson." he greeted. "Ameila is in dire need of a new heart."
Mr Larson took a shaky breath and nodded. "Thay told us that her heart failed." He looked straight at him, his eyes wild with desperation. "How do we get a new heart?"
"Well, we put Ameila in the computer. The first heart any where in the country that comes available and matches her will be flown straight here." he told them. "We have an operating room standing by at a moment's notice, a full surgical team prepped and ready. The best of the best in in on this." He paused, resisting the urge to look away.
The father was quick to catch the hesitation. "But?" he asked stiffly.
"But..." and this was when being a doctor really sucked, "... it will take time to find a heart matching your daughter's."
Mrs Larson glanced up for the first time. "How much time does... does... Ameila have?"
"Two days."
Whimpering, the woman buried her face in her husband's chest. Mr Larson stared at the doctor in shock and horror. "T... two days? Are you telling me that my baby girl has only two days to live?"
Sidney's fingers gripped his clip board until he could feel the edges bite into his flesh. `Keep it together, Jersey! You're a doctor, remember?!' he silently commanded himself. Out loud, he repeated "The best of the best is on this. We will do everything in our power to save your little girl!" He reached out and gently squeezed the father's shoulder. "What you can do is stay calm, be hopeful. We need Ameila to stay calm. And she will be as long as you are." He finally offered them a smile, though it was weak at best. "Can you do that for her? Mr Larson? Mrs Larson?" He looked at each of them in turn.
The parents' grip tightened, but they nodded none-the-less. They would move heaven and earth for their child. But, since that would not help, they would smile, read to her, watch cartoons, sit at her bedside, and be strong. And pray to god that their baby girl would not be dead in two days.
With one more smile and squeeze, Dr Zwibel moved away, heading for his office where he intended to spend the next forever on the phone, joining the search for a new heart for his 8yr old patient.
**********
11:12pm, Tuesday, December 21
Dr Zwibel rubbed the bridge of his nose. Twelve hours plus... his fingers hurt from dailing the phone. His ear hurt from the receiver being held against it. His head ached from hearing the words "No, sorry" over and over and over and over...
The door burst open. "Doctor, we have it!"
Sidney looked up at the man, an intern at the hospital. "A heart?"
The intern grinned. "A perfect match!"
"Where?" Sidney rose to his feet, grabbing his lab coat off the back of his chair.
"San Francisco." The girn faltered.
New jersey's heart skipped a beat. "What?"
"The whole west coast is stormed in. Nothing is flying out of there." The intern's grin vanished all together. "And they don't have any hope of the storm lifting any time soon."
The doctor dropped back down in his chair. After a long, silent moment, he weakly nodded. "Alright. Thank you. Thank everyone and tell them to keep working on it."
The intern sighed. "If we could only get it here..." he started.
"Kingdoms rose and fell on that word `if'." Sidney mumbled, repeating something he once heard Rawhide say.
The man sighed again, then backed out of the office closing the door behind him.
Sidney dropped his head in his hands. Thinking of Rawhide brought to mind Buckaroo. If only Buckaroo was here. He would get it done! He would save little Ameila! he would find a way! If only Sidney was half as good.... If only Buckaroo was here instead of...
The doctor's head snapped up. Buckaroo banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers were in San Francisco! The heart was in San Francisco!
New Jersey smiled as he began to dig in his pockets for his go-phone.
11:30pm, Tuesday, December 21 (Ameila Larson has until 11:30am, Thursday, December 23! 36 hrs starting now!)
