Norma wrenched her hand free. The look she gave me was the look you'd give your worst enemy.
"Duane Fox! Haven't you had enough of this act?"
"When I was critically ill, it was Percival who donated a kidney to save me! Now you've driven him to poison himself, put his life in danger, and you want to steal his doctor?"
"Fine! Since you love performing so much, I'll give you something to perform about!"
Norma dragged me off the hospital bed and drove her heel into my body over and over.
I curled up on the floor like a dog, begging her to stop, but it was useless.
Only when the operating room light flickered back on and Percival was wheeled out did Norma finally stop her near-frenzied assault, rushing over to fuss over him.
Percival leaned weakly against her, but his words were calculated.
"Norma, I'm fine. Maybe you should have the doctor check on my brother."
"Even if he's faking it, he's still my brother."
His words were gasoline on a fire. Disgust flashed through Norma's eyes.
"Check on him for what? You just got out of surgery—you need the doctor here."
"As for that piece of trash who has to compete with you over everything? He'd be better off dead!"
Norma carefully guided Percival toward his room, but her words drove into my chest like a blade.
But I didn't die. Penelope Whitney—the daughter of the man who used to buy my study guides—happened to pass by and found me. She called for help immediately, and I was rushed to the emergency room.
I survived. But my one remaining kidney had completely failed. I needed a transplant, and fast.
"The patient previously underwent kidney donation surgery, which compromised his metabolic function. With proper care, one kidney would have been sufficient. Unfortunately, he ingested a large amount of toxins."
"Not only was treatment delayed, but he also sustained blunt force trauma. Even the strongest kidney couldn't withstand that."
I knew the truth. My wife, Norma, had destroyed my only kidney with her own hands.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror—gaunt, hollow, wasted. I should have had a healthy body. Now I had nothing.
And without a donor, even my life would be taken from me.
My feelings for Norma had been my undoing.
Tears fell before I could stop them. Penelope saw them, and her fists clenched.
"Duane, I know everything that happened. I'm going to make that monster Norma pay!"
I shook my head.
"She'll never admit to it."