Tatum couldn't stop thinking about her Mom. She was exhausted as she sat on the chair in her office, watching as Brady pedaled on the stationary bike. She could barely focus, honestly. She just stuck him on there twenty minutes ago and hadn't even thought about taking him off for another exercise. She stayed up all night researching the success of heart transplants after a blood transfusion. The odds of it succeeding were better as time went on. It was nearly a year after the transfusion and odds usually got better after the first year mark. Tatum understood why they were hesitant, but her Mom was completely healthy otherwise. Between that and the lack of any other genetic conditions preventing it, the surgery should work as planned.

She hadn't heard back from Doctor Ashford. It had only been a day, but she was sure she would have heard by now if he was going to call her back. She wouldn't be surprised if she didn't hear back at all. She couldn't even blame him. If someone had called Tatum crying into the phone, she wasn't sure what she would do. It wasn't exactly a situation one could prepare for. She would just have to find a way to convince Doctor Porter and the other doctors to do the surgery. She could do that.

Brady seemed to notice her focus was elsewhere, eyebrows furrowing as he watched her zone out. Tatum knew that he was probably wondering why he was still on the bike considering she typically only used it as a warm up. Truthfully, she was too tired and stressed to focus on his plan today. She knew Brady was pushing himself harder than usual with the plan so that he could play in the next game. She had been evaluating his progress with the plan carefully over the last few days and it was likely that he would be fine to play in the next game so long as he didn't get into anymore fights.

"Hey, what's up with you?" Brady asked, nodding at her from the bike. "Something's wrong."

"Hm?" Tatum quipped, snapping from her thoughts.

"Proving my point," he continued, slowing his pedaling. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she tried quietly as she played with her fingers to try and distract herself.

He scoffed, swinging himself off the bike. "You're a horrible liar."

"Am not," Tatum denied in a soft voice, her focus barely there.

Brady bent down in front of her, looking at her intently. He took one of her hands into his own to stop her from fiddling with her fingers. His hands were warm and she instantly felt her body relax a bit. "Tatum, come on. What's going on?"

Tatum sniffed, trying to put on a good face. "It's just some stuff with my Mom."

She didn't want to get into it. Brady had enough to worry about. He was still caring for Jamie after the surgery when he could. He had a hockey career to focus on. His schedule was busy enough without her dumping her issues onto him. There was no point in worrying him. There was nothing he could do, anyway. She had to handle this herself.

"She okay?" Brady asked in concern, eyebrows knitting together.

"Mhm," she lied in a tight voice. "Just... hoping to visit her soon."

He paused, seeming unsure of overstepping as he offered, "I could go with you next time you see her, if you want. Wouldn't mind meeting her. You've met my entire family, seems right."

Tatum chuckled, shrugging. "True. Guess it's only fair."

"Let me know," Brady said tentatively, seeming to pick up on the fact that she was hesitating. She nodded briefly, trying her best to muster up a smile so that he wouldn't worry.

He had other things to deal with. Tatum didn't need to put this on him too.

She could handle it herself.

●・○・♥︎・○・●

After her session with Brady, she decided to check on her Mom. She didn't want to miss a single thing that happened next with her. The doctors all but decided to not do the surgery when she wasn't there. Maybe if she stuck around more often, she could prevent something like that happening. She had printed out some research on other cases similar to her mother's where the transplant was successful. The doctors shouldn't just throw them to the side based on one worry that had been fine in other cases. And in those cases, they were in worse conditions than her mother. If the doctors read the research, maybe she could change their minds.

Tatum tucked her hair behind her ears as she headed into her mother's room. She flipped through the pages she printed as she marched down the hallway. Keeping an eye out for Doctor Porter, she made sure to keep her spiel ready to go. But there was no sign of her. Tatum wouldn't be surprised if the doctor was ignoring her entirely out of fear. But Tatum wasn't about to let that stop her. Finally, she reached her mother's room and headed inside, slapping a smile on her face for Eliza's sake.

But then she paused at the door.

Tatum blinked once.

She blinked again.

The scene in front of her was unchanging but she was sure that she had to be imagining things.

Doctor Ashford was standing next to her mother's bed.

"You must be Tatum," he greeted her, holding his hand out.

It took Tatum an embarrassing amount of time to snap out of her daze. She shook her head and stalked forward, holding her hand out hesitantly and shaking his stretched out hand. Her voice was meek and confused as she said, "Hi."

"Doctor Ashford," he introduced himself.

"I know," Tatum said with a gulp. "Hi."

"Hi," Doctor Ashford said with a chuckle, glancing down at Eliza who was watching with a wide smile on her face. "I was just talking to your Mom about scheduling a heart transplant for later today."

It took everything in Tatum not to gasp. "What?"

"We're transferring your mother to my hospital," Doctor Ashford told her, holding her Mom's medical chart in his hands. "I've already coordinated everything. She's scheduled for later this afternoon."

Tatum had nothing against pinching herself. She did it three times behind her back for good measure. But she wasn't dreaming. This was happening.

She forced herself to stop gaping at him like a fish so that she could ask, "How did you even know she was here?"

"Saw you worked here from your resume, took a lucky guess," Doctor Ashford told her with a shrug. "And I have some pull. Asked around."

"I- I don't know what to say," Tatum admitted breathlessly. She was never the type to be at a loss for words. She could probably talk forever if she wanted to.

He pulled on his coat, nodding at Tatum. "After we've finished here, let's talk about an internship."

Tatum let out an incredulous laugh, unsure if she heard him right. "Wait, what?"

"Tatum, the internship was yours the second Doctor Evans called me about you. Your resume nearly broke my printer," Doctor Ashford told her with an amused quirk of his lips. "You're one of the smartest students I've ever come across. Think I can help you out if you want to be a surgeon. I work at a teaching hospital, doesn't hurt to know someone who can vouch for you when the time comes."

"I—" Tatum stuttered, trying to push through the shock. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Doctor Ashford."

"You have a very impressive daughter, Miss. Hartley," Doctor Ashford told her fondly, glancing back at the woman in the bed.

Eliza beamed proudly. "I know."

"I have a few things to take care of. I'll be back," Doctor Ashford told the two women, nodding once formally. He swept by Tatum, making his way down the hallway.

Tatum turned to her Mom, letting out a perplexed laugh. She shuffled towards her Mom's bed excitedly. "Oh my god, I can't believe this is happening!"

Eliza took her daughter's hand. "And it's because of you. You did all of this, sweetheart. I'm so, so grateful."

She beamed at Eliza, throwing her arms around her firmly. She was worried to hug too tight considering the current state she was in. But as soon as her Mom hugged her firmer than she ever had before, she knew she could reciprocate it. She felt the most at home she had ever felt in her mother's arms. She always did. Tatum closed her eyes, soaking in the hug and remembering every detail of it. She inhaled deeply, taking in every moment.

"I love you," Tatum told her weakly, holding her mother in her arms.

Her mother held her as tightly as she could, eyes closing as she told her, "I love you."

Tatum just prayed that wouldn't be the last time she heard her mother say those words.

●・○・♥︎・○・●

Bit of a short one, but leading up to many things!

Eliza being so proud of Tatum :(