Your younger sister, Tabitha

"Tabby?" you gasped in horror. "But...but that means...."

"Yes, I'm sorry, but your sister is dead," he said with surprising tenderness and sincerity.

"But how?" you asked, tears coming to your eyes. You and your younger sister were never particularly close but you did love her. It didn't seem real that she was gone.

Dr. Saunders patted your shoulder, shaking you from your thoughts. "It was a shock to all of us. She seemed perfectly healthy at the accident scene, but she must have had a blood clot from the wreck. She had an aneurysm almost as soon as she got to the hospital. She was an organ donor and Allison had just been pronounced dead. Dr. Kerry had to make a quick decision to try to save your girlfriend and, regardless of my opinion on his methods, he succeeded." He looked you squarely in the eyes. "It's terrible about your sister. But she died, son. Now your girlfriend needs you. Understand?"

"Yes sir," you answered, regaining control of yourself.

He gave you a few minutes to compose yourself. Wiping away your tears, you motioned that you're ready to go in.

The doctor opened the door and wheeled you into the room. Inside you saw both sets of parents (yours and Allison's) waiting around the bed, talking softly to one another. They welcomed you, relieved at seeing you awake and moving.

"So, Tim, do you know..." your dad started to ask, his voice breaking?

"Yes," you answered, nodding. You explained what the doctors told you and your parents fill in the gaps. Tony and Linda - Allison's parents - looked simultaneously saddened and relieved.

"We're so grateful that Allison is alive, no matter what. But we feel for your loss - Tabitha was a lovely girl." Allison's mom blinked back some tears. "We've talked to each other and the doctors and decided that it would be best to keep this secret. So in a sense we are giving up Allison..."

Your mom put her arm around Linda. "Linda, you'll always be a part of her life. Our families are joined now - we want you to be involved."

The two women hugged, solidifying some sort of catharsis.

The parents continued to talk for awhile, working through their grief and focusing on the fact that at least in some way both daughters would live.

You just stared at your sister's form, lost in your thoughts, when you noticed Allison start to stir. "Hey!" you hissed, "she's waking up!"

Allison blinked her eyes a few times, lifted her head and looked around the room before focusing on you.