Is he still there?

Chapter 17

"How are you Sumo?" Shravan typed a Whatsapp message but just one tick on the message. "She is still on duty" he whispered to himself looking at the time it was past midnight. He kept his phone aside and got lost in his thoughts. After a while his phone starts ringing. He looked at the screen and it was Suman's video call. He immediately sat up and picked the call. "Hey" Suman's voice. "Sumo" he sighed seeing her after so long. "How are you?" Suman asked. "I am good Sumo." Shravan then slowly noticed her there were marks on her nose and cheek bone. Her eyes clearly showed how tired she was. She looked very week. "You okay?" He asked. Suman gave her brightest smile to him. "I am now feeling better"

"Marks" he pointed to nose and cheek bones. "Umm that..Mask you know" she said. "Is it paining a lot?" He asks. "Not much but yeah a little difficult. Please don't unlove me because of these" she chuckled. "Suummmmooo" Shravan whined. "Are you out of your mind?"  "You look still very very beautiful to me" Shravan said.

"How is the condition there Sumo?" He asked. "I really don't know, I guess it's worsening" she said. "Few are really in very bad case. Shravan I really fear now. Seeing people gasping for breath shivers me down" she says shuddering. "Hey Sumo. Everything will get back to normal soon. Don't worry." He says. Suman nods. "How are all?" She asks. "Everyone misses you. Rest they are fine don't worry" Shravan replies

"Keep everyone safe Shravan and take care of yourself too. You often forget about yourself"  she says. "I will" he affirms. "Please be fine. I miss you a lot Sumo" his eyes glistened. "I miss you too a lot. I wish I could hug you right now. Shravan trust me all these works doesn't exhaust me at all. What affects me is after a long day I can't go back and have a dinner with you all, after all this hectic day I cannot be in your arms letting go off all my pains. This distance affects me Shravan. That's it" she says crying herself.

"I know...I know Sumo. But you can't lose hope. You are the hope of many others. Many others who will be teated by you, who will finally go back home to their loved ones with a happy smile. They will thank you for what you did. Trust me Sumo that will be worth everything" Shravan said. "And you have to also return to us." He added.

"I will Shravan. I have to. I can't live without you all. I now realise how much I love you all. How much you all mean to me." She said. "Okay now enough of talking you sleep." He said. "Are you given a mattress?" He asks. "Mattress?" Suman chuckles. "My dear lambu. From where the hell they will provide it" she says. "Wait i will show you my luxurious bed" she says and pans the camera. There he sees almost everyone sleeping on a stretcher or a table or by joining two chair even some have slept on the floor. "And that's mine" she shows a stretcher lying. Shravan didn't say anything just nodded. "Sleep Sumo." He said and tear trickle down. "Take care of yourself Bye. I love you" Shravan said and cut the call.

Shravan and Suman slept wishing for a better tomorrow. Unknown to them that the worst hasn't come yet. And like this 20 days passed each day with a increased number of cases surpassing each day record, wails were heard on street. People were dying now, there were now shortage of food in people's home. People were now going jobless. Days were worsening. Everyone slept dreaming for a better tomorrow but it never came true.

"Suman there is an emergency. Dr. Kalal is calling you" Suman was having her lunch when she rushed for being dressed. Her food was left untouched on the table. She immediately was ready and rushed to the ICU. "Excuse me" she said to people on the way. "Suman compression needed immediately." There was a critical patient Covid positive and a COPD background. "Okay nurse change" Dr.Kalal the head of Rapid ordered and Suman immediately took the charge. "Sister history" Suman asked while giving compression on the chest of the patient to revive his pulse and another Doctor held the oxygen mask with the reservoir. Suman constantly gave the compression but their was no response. "Sir epi is needed" Suman said looking at the patient condition. "Hmm. Nurse put 10 ml of epi and attach the defibrillator" the doctor in charge ordered. The task was done. And then after few compression a shock was given after...two more attempts the person's pulse was revived. And the machine again started beeping. Everyone sighed in relief. "Good job team" Dr. Kalal said. And everyone had a satisfactory smile on their face. Suman was really happy she could save a life for the first time in her life. Now she went for another 6 hour duty forgetting that she had not had her lunch.