ME & ELVIS

Kidney

I had been home for three months now at Graceland, without Elvis. I was scared. Scared to be cheated. I was scared to find out he's been with another girl. Gladys was the only one to keep my mind at ease though. She has kept me company both at home and at work. She came with me one day and just enjoyed being around the horses.

I would get a phone call from Elvis every chance he could pick up the phone, but it made my heart throb every time I had to say goodbye. Again I was very distracted, but it was good. I had a wedding to plan after all. The folks I stayed with in Germany were invited of course. I couldn't not send an invite to the family whom not only opened their homes, but their hearts as well to me.

I couldn't sleep this very night though. I couldn't lay in bed either. I was experiencing a bad ache in my stomach....and just as I reached the kitchen my eyesight became white, a blinding white and I stumbled into the China Cabinet with a lot of Gladys new chinaware. The items that were closer to the edge knocked off and fell to the ground just as my body hit the floor.

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When I woke up, I was in the hospital, in almost unbearable pain. I looked around and tried to sit up, but the pain in my abdominal region made it impossible to do so. The room was vacant, scared and alone, I cried out for help.

The door flew open and a woman dressed in a white uniform appeared, "Oh my stars, you are awake!"

"I can't feel the baby," I cried out, the feeling of having the child inside me was no longer there. Difficult to explain other than an emptiness.

She gave me a saddened and guilt-ridden look, "I am sorry...Miss. Mathews we did everything we could, but the fall-"

Tears fell down my face before I even realized my eyes swelled with them, "What?...I-I didn't fall that hard...I the baby wouldn't have died from that kind of fall."

"Miss. Mathews... the fetus was already in distress due to your Kidneys weakened state. The fall, even it being not the biggest...well the baby didn't survive. We did try our best to save him, but he wasn't fully developed yet."

I rested my head back on the pillow, "Who else knows?"

"Um.."

"Who else knows?!"

"Elvis Presley...he's on your emergency contact list and also his family, the ones who brought you here..."

I said nothing else, staring at the ceiling as silent tears fell down my face. It was a boy.

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They discharged me, not the next night but the following night because of blood loss during the miscarriage. Gladys made sure I was under her watchful eye. E was definitely spoiled with her love when he was younger. I waddled as she led me to the Jungle Room and helped me sit on the couch. I lightly kicked off my flats and put my feet up leaning deeper into the couch.

"I'm gonna fix you up something good and healthy to get you going again."

I watched as she fluttered from the room to the kitchen. I leaned deeper into the couch. I heard footsteps running through the house.

"Mama?! Grace?!"

It was Elvis, my heart instantly jumped, and my stomach fluttered. How was he going to handle being around me? I just lost his baby. Our baby. He would surely hate me...I saw him not moments later and I could see some tension visibly leave his shoulders.

"Hey," his voice seemed so soft as if he were afraid to shatter me with his usual tone. He walked over to me quickly and keeled beside me. I couldn't help but throw my arms around him even if it hurt.

"I'm so sorry, E" I whimpered softly with my face buried in his neck. I felt him inhale sharply as he turned his head to press his lips to the top of my head his hands running my back.

"I'm sorry too, Darlin'," he whispered back as he pulled back and kissed me softly, "I'm sorry I wasn't there...How are you feelin'?"

His eyes bore into mine so if I tried to lie, he'd be able to tell. 

"I'm hurtin," I told him honestly, "But it's nothing that isn't barrable."

Gladys came in then with a tray filled with tasty yet healthy looking fruit and a sandwich. She saw E and didn't even seem surprised that he was there. But she was however very happy to see her son. She instantly raced over and placed the tray down on the couch, before giving him a tight hug.

"Oh, my baby boy, I'm happy you're home. I am so sorry."

"I'm just happy I didn't lose the both of them."

I teared up but refused to cry once more. The doctor had come in before I was dismissed and informed me my body wasn't going to be able to carry the baby to full term because my left kidney was shutting down, he informed me it was working at a rate of 56%. That he knew I was going to have to wait a while for the surgery regardless because of the miscarriage aside from also being on the waiting list for a kidney. He did say however, with the surgery and healthy kidney I would be able to have kids down the road.

Elvis kneeled beside me once more taking my hands in his, "We will make sure you get all the help I can find. I'll get you that kidney, I will find the best doctors. And before you know it, we will be on our honeymoon far away from everything."

I know he was trying to distract me and cheer me up, but the wedding and honeymoon were not the first thing I would have on my mind for a while.