Elysium

Chapter 4

This chapter contains medical terms and practices. I am not from a medical background, so I apologize for all the blunders that you are going to come across in the chapter. Please forgive my ignorance. Happy reading.

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Meerab looked up as Anwar Khan rushed into the waiting area, looking every inch prepared for battle, but staggered to a stop at the sight in front of him. It was not every day one would see Meerab Khan in the arms of Salma Begum, the usual air of spite and scorn replaced by an aura of shared love and hope.

Meerab tried to ease out of Ma Begum's iron grip as a slightly breathless and red-faced Haya came barreling into the scene right behind Anwar. Her comically shocked face would have earned a chuckle from Meerab if the situation were any different.

Salma Begum raised one defiant eyebrow at the surprised duo, but Anwar just let out a barely there smile and took his place against the opposite wall as if letting Haya take center stage. Barely a minute later, a clearly flustered Mariam came in, took in the scene before her, and then met Anwar's eyes in silent conspiracy.

Whatever had transpired between the trio had resulted in Haya taking the brunt of it, for Mariam, unlike her usual stance beside Haya, walked towards her mother and sister-in-law, seating herself on Meerab's left, her hand trailing gently over her cast.

There was a subtle shift in dynamics, and the resulting silence was profound.

Minutes turned into hours. With each passing moment, the shared thread of worry and hope wove around them, effectively tethering their future paths and decisions to this one moment of crisis.

And eventually, the sign above OR turned from red to green. Meerab jumped up, her lips pursing, as the leading surgeon walked out of the doors. His eyes lit up with recognition as his gaze fell upon Ma Begum and Anwar, a reassuring smile playing on his lips.

"The surgery was a success."

A collective whisper of prayers and gratitude rose around her.

"His ribs are bruised, and his right arm is fractured. There has been substantial blood loss.."

Meerab's mind flashed back to the accident scene, the blood pooling around the overturned SUV. She was aware that she was still in the same suit, drenched in blood. She was grateful for its red color, which hid the horrors to some extent. But the stench of blood clung to her, the burn of iron overpowering the sting of medicines and disinfectants.

"There is a mild case of TBI, and we have detected slight bruising in the brain."

Her breath hitched in her throat, but the doctor, after seeing their panicked reactions, was quick to amend.

"There is no need to panic. It is common in accidents of this magnitude. It is more like a bad case of concussion; complete recovery would be possible without any lasting impacts given the much-needed rest and rehabilitation. So it will be better if we keep him under sedation for a little while longer."

"How long?" Her anxiety was spiking with each passing moment.

"We will keep him under observation for twenty-four hours. And then, if everything is looking good, we can shift him to the ward. As for the sedation, two to three days at most It would also help with other minor wounds and bruising, sparing the patient from pain."

"Can we see him?"

"Yes, but after a couple of hours. We need to get him settled in the ICU."

As the doctor retreated behind the doors, a chorus of praise rose in God's name. Meerab's knees buckled at the sheer relief she felt. He was okay, and he would be okay. They would be okay.