Love you more

2: Hell!

I woke up groggy and looked about, I was in a hospital bed. My head throbbed like hell, and so did my legs.

"You are awake. Wait, I will call the doctor," said a friendly nurse and went out.

An IV was stuck up in my hands.

The doctor came in, "Hi, Miss. Ananya"

"Hi, Dr.Peter." I knew Dr.Peter, he was one of my mom's colleagues and a friend.

He checked my eyes, held out his finger, and asked me to follow it.

"What happened? Where is my mom?"

"You were hit by a truck, we have to check whether you have concussions, we are waiting for your CT scan results. If you feel nauseous or dizzy, inform immediately. You also got a ligament tear in your right ankle"

"How is my mom?"

Dr.Peter hesitated a little before answering, "She is in the ICU, she has more injuries than you."

"Can I see her?" my voice was groggy. The nurse handed me a tissue, I didn't realize I was crying.

"Not today, you will have to recover first, Ananya. You lost too much blood."

I couldn't stop crying, I was worried sick. I didn't see any truck hitting from the front, it must have hit my mom's side. I just wanted to see her, see that she is ok.

"Nurse says you haven't stopped crying, I am going to give you a sedative and I promise you could visit your mother when you wake up."

The doctor inserted a syringe with a sedative to my IV, and within minutes I was asleep.

I woke up to find Aarav and Alec waiting for me. Seeing me awake Alec rushed to my side.

"Anu, are you alright?"

"I am.." I started but I couldn't bring myself to say I was fine. Before I knew it I was crying.

Alec hugged me. Wiping my tears, he kept crooning everything will be alright.

"I want to see my mom."

They didn't say anything but looked at each other worriedly.

"Please," I pleaded.

"Wait, I will check with the nurse and find a wheelchair," said Aarav and headed out.

"Alec, how bad is she?"

Alec just held me and said it will be alright.

"Alec please I need to know"

"She is badly injured, Anu. I am sure she will recover," but he lacked conviction when he said that.

Aarav came back with a wheelchair. Alec carried me and gently placed me in the wheelchair.

Only two visitors were allowed inside the ICU, so Aarav stayed back.

I couldn't stop my horrified gasp as my mom came into view. Everything on her left seemed to be broken, there wasn't a place in her body that wasn't covered with bandages. Tracheostomy* was done and it was connected to a ventilator.

(* - A tracheostomy is an opening created at the front of the neck so a tube can be inserted into the windpipe to help breathe. If necessary, the tube can be connected to an oxygen supply and a breathing machine called a ventilator)

I started hyperventilating. I had no idea what happened, when I opened my eyes again it was dark. Alec was sleeping on a chair beside me with his head resting on my bed. He was holding my hands.

The image of my mom in the ICU filled my head, I couldn't control my tears. Alec woke up with a start.

"Anu are you awake? '' he switched on the lights.

He kissed my forehead and held my hands but he didn't say anything. Slowly I recovered. He helped me sit up.

"I want some water."

Alec fetched water and fed me. He wrapped his arms around me. We sat in silence.

Devika aunty walked in, she frowned at Alec but didn't comment.

"Doctor told me to give you water. He needs to check before you can eat."

"I gave her some," said Alec.

Devika aunty ignored him and sat stone-faced. I was worried sick about my mom to notice her.

Dr. Peter walked in. "Your CT scan results have come, you have a mild concussion. You will have to stay for three days, we will administer medication through IV to avoid seizures."

I nodded.

"Are you under any other medication?"

"No."

"Yes, you are. I remember prescribing you birth control pills months back. You should know, birth control pills shouldn't be taken along with some seizure medication" he added sternly. He knew I was doing a junior medical internship program.

"You should do a general checkup after your course, before continuing the pills."

"Dr. Peter, can I see my mom's medical reports?"

"No, you can not. She is my patient, not yours. Dr. Srivatsav is one of the strongest people I know, we are all rooting for her. We might remove the tracheostomy tomorrow."

Alec squeezed my shoulders gently as Dr. Peter left.

"I bought you some porridge," said Devika aunty, she glared at Alec pointedly till he stood up.

Alec left, mumbling about finding something to eat.

"I informed Ravi Anna*, he will be here in two days." Ravi is my mother's brother living in India.

"Maamaa* is coming?" I asked in surprise.

(Anna - salutation used for someone like an elder brother. maamaa - uncle)

"Yes, I informed him. He said he will come. Your mother is his only sister, it's natural he is worried."

I felt relieved to learn that maamaa will be here.

It was the same for the next two days, with no improvement in my mom's condition. Alec and Aarav took turns to stay with me through the night.

"Oliviya came, but you were asleep most of the time, so I sent her home," said Aarav.

I nodded.

"Anu, please don't cry. Sita aunty will get better. You need to stay strong for her," said Aarav.

"You can head home Aarav, I will take care of her," said Alec. Aarav nodded, then he did something he never did before, he kissed my forehead before leaving.

"Alec, will you lie next to me?"

Alec carefully lied next to me without disturbing my IV line and threw his arms around me. I cried myself to sleep.

When I woke up again, I was lying alone. Alec, Aarav, Oliviya, even Aadhya were there, but they were strangely silent and dejected. It felt a sense of Deja vu.

They all looked at me, but no one said a word. Devika aunty walked in, I knew what she was going to tell even before she started.

I went into hysterics. I felt like two people, one having hysterics and the other apart watching the happenings.

Alec tried to hold me, I tried to run to the ICU. If I go there everything will get normal. My mom will be well.

"Hold her hands," someone said, and they were all restraining me. With a sharp jab in my IV line, everything went blank again.

I woke up but didn't open my eyes, tears kept streaming down my eyes. Someone was caressing my head, it was Oliviya. She was crying too. We held each other and silently lamented