The room was almost silent. Apart from the steady, rhythmic beating of the heart monitor and the subtle gasping of the artificial lung, no sound could be heard. The room was lit by some overhead, industrial lights but they hardly made an impact on the dinginess of the room. Strips of natural light poked through the gaps in the metal blinds and formed an illusion of bars on the persons present. Jimmy noted the hint of humour in the vision.
The man in the bed was still alive. But only in the physical sense. His mind had ceased working when he impacted with the train. So his body was alive, but he would never live again. And anyway, that slight hiccup in the process was soon to be dealt with. From his seat in the corner of the room he watched the family. They stood so still, as if not daring to move for fear of causing alarm to the other. No one said anything, too lost in their own thoughts. He could only guess that their thoughts were occupied by all that they would spend the money on. Of course they didn’t admit that. Of course they played the part of the grieving relatives. They held their heads down solemnly and every now and then, wiped away the wispy tears in their eyes. But somehow it seemed forced. It was as if they were fighting a battle in their subconscious about the way they should feel and the way they actually felt.
Jimmy looked down at his watch impatiently. The doctor should have arrived five minutes ago and every minute that he was late was impacting on Jimmy’s commission. His clients needed the organs as soon as possible and paid a premium for fast delivery of the goods. Then, just as he was getting irritated to the point he might go in search of the illusive doctor, he heard footsteps down the corridor.
The doctor walked in and gave an apologetic nod to Jimmy who stood up from his chair. He then handed a clip board with a form attached to the next of kin and uttered an all too rehearsed condolence. Once the form had been signed and the family said their last goodbyes, the doctor pressed the switch and just like that the deed had been done. A young girl, no more than fifteen, let out a gentle sob that echoed the elongated; slowing sighs of the breathing apparatus, until eventually they stopped in unison. Jimmy presumed she was the man’s daughter.
Jimmy caught the arm of the wife as they made to leave the room. “Do you want the cheque now?” He asked as casually as if he’d been asking about her supper. The woman who looked aged well beyond her years stared at him for a what seemed like minutes, open-mouthed and in shock. Jimmy didn’t understand as it was the reason he was there. But then why would he understand? He wasn’t the one on the other side of the coin. When the woman had managed to compose her thoughts enough she reluctantly and begrudgingly nodded her head. With that Jimmy placed the cheque for $2,000 in her hands, along with his card “Just in case.”
He watched them all leave slowly and solemnly. It irritated him how slow they were walking. He needed to get a move on but it would be undignified to start the harvest when they hadn’t yet gone. As soon as he saw them go through the doors down the corridor he leapt into action. He was losing time and he couldn’t afford to waste any more. He searched out the Doctor who was updating his records and hurried him along.
When the harvesting was over, and the organs boxed and ready, Jimmy paid the hospital the $4,000 he owed them, making sure he got his receipt and made his way from the building with his load. It would take him half an hour to get across town to the airport and the plane would only wait so long if he was late. ‘I’d better hurry’ he thought to himself as he loaded up the car. He sped from the car park and out on to the road. He didn’t notice the figures at the bus stop huddled in a heavy hearted manner. He didn’t notice the young girl, no more than fifteen who, having just lost her father and left him behind, was shaking uncontrollably and inconsolably in floods of tears.