You're My Home | Complete ✔

Chapter 20

"It doesn't hurt anymore Dr. Sam!" The eight year old excitedly exclaimed.

"That's fantastic news Daniel! Now you will run, play baseball, go to parties and no more excuses for missing school." Daniel high fived her as a sign of victory. Samara turned towards his mother and noticed a sheen of tears in her eyes. She could tell they were tears of joy; she couldn't help the rush of emotions that swayed through.

"Jessica he's fine."

"Yeah I- I know. It's just that I haven't seen my child that happy in years. And I cannot thank you enough for giving all of us this happiness."

"Please don't thank me. Daniel has waited long enough. I'm glad it's over now. But before I can let you go, I want you to keep a few things in mind. Although he can do physical activities from now on, for the time being I'd recommend to keep it limited. He's just had a major heart surgery and it will take time for the incisions to heal completely. He has to take his medicines on time and be regular with follow-ups. Apart from that, just make sure he is always happy." Jessica gave her a hug to express her gratitude. It was moments like these where Samara truly felt blessed that she a doctor. The kind of joy she experienced when she saw the satisfaction on the faces of her patients was unbeatable.

*******

Her bag was full of tiny notes and receipts. It had become nearly impossible to find something small in it. Where could it go? It might have fallen in a corner. She kept looking through, praying that she kept it safely in her bag.

She did. After a few good minutes, she found her ring buried in a corner of her bag. Samara took it out and quickly slid it on her finger. She never took it off other than when she needed to for surgery. It was still very much the most precious piece of jewelry she owned. Not because of its price value, but the emotions attached to it. She picked up her bag and took slow strides towards the door of the locker room, but she stopped in her tracks suddenly. There was a smell, a strong unmistakable one. Smoke. It was instantaneously followed by a loud fire alarm.

*******

"Mike, what happened?" There was a whole crowd gathered outside the hospital building, along with ambulances and a lot of emergency equipment.

"Not sure about it exactly, but I heard one of the oxygen cylinders burst near OR 2. Some idiot was smoking in the hospital, and couldn't find a better place than beside an oxygen cylinder."

"Is everybody okay?"

"Most are. There were some interns and nurses in OR 2 preparing for a surgery. Suffered from some major burns. They were taken to the burns unit in NY Pres. The rest of the building has been evacuated, but there are still some doctors and a few nurses who still cannot be found. The NYFD will be here any minute now. The fire has been spreading like a monster."

"Let's just hope they can get everybody out safe and sound. I'll go check on the others."

She spotted a few attendants who seemed to be very worried and walked up to them, trying to provide some reassurance that all will be fine.

There was a little girl who was crying terribly.

"Oh sweetheart what happened?"

"I-I can't find my mom. She was just here with me but now I can't find her." She replied as her voice broke in between the sobs. Samara held her little hands to console her, and looked around.

"Don't worry baby, we'll find your mom. What's your name?"

"Hannah."

"Okay Hannah don't cry alright? Your mom is around here somewhere. We'll go look for her." Hannah tightly gripped on to her hands, fearing she might get lost again. They walked around the field in between the huge crowd.

"Mike do know her mom? Have you seen her anywhere?"

"Yeah that's Deleon's daughter. She's my patient. Come here little one, your mother is going ballistic." A smile of relief appeared on all of their faces. She handed Hannah over to Mike and watched her as they walked towards her mom. She too was crying inconsolably, hugging her daughter.

Samara was wondering whether she should go check on the burn victims and her colleagues in NY Pres, but just then she heard a voice calling out to her.

"Sam! Are you okay? I've been looking for you everywhere. Didn't you have a surgery in OR 2?"

"Relax Aminah, I'm absolutely fine. My surgery was over an hour ago. I was just leaving when I heard the alarm."

"Oh thank goodness. Did you meet Armaan on your way out? He's been worried sick for you."

"Armaan? What is he-"

"Yeah he came just when the fire broke out. Asked me about you. I thought you were in the OR near which the cylinder burst. I told him that, and then it was all just a frenzy. I tried to stop him, but he ran inside. Wait, you didn't meet him inside? I thought he found you and you guys came out together."

Oh my God.

"No, I didn't see him, no. That means he still might be inside." Her panic-stricken voice was shaky and her eyes were constantly searching through the crowd, desperately hoping she would spot him somewhere out here, safe.

"Which way did he go?"

"The ER. I think he was going towards OR 2 to look for you."

Everything else was a blur to her. She couldn't process any more information. There was only thing going on in her mind.

Armaan. Inside a burning building.