"She's the one who insisted on taking the child and leaving. If she hadn't done that, there wouldn't have been an accident. She should be grateful her heart was still useful."
"As for Marilyn—she still has one kidney, doesn't she? What's the problem?"
"I promised I'd be a good husband and a good father going forward. That should be enough."
——
I fought to keep my body from trembling, terrified that the people in the study would hear me.
The conversation continued behind the closed door.
"The artificial heart inside Alberta Jenner is the best model available. It won't cause any issues."
"And Marilyn—I looked into it. A person can live a perfectly normal life with one kidney. I'll take care of her for the rest of her life. That's more than fair."
Nathan Abbott's voice carried a note of reluctance.
"The technology behind artificial hearts still isn't mature. Rejection reactions are common."
"And Miss James is so young. Because she only has one kidney left, she can barely manage to urinate on her own..."
Thaddeus cut his secretary off with a flash of impatience.
"So what are you saying? That I should have stood by and watched Monica and her daughter die?"