Elysium

Chapter 6

Meerab stood outside the room, her eyes shuffling between the ceiling and floor, refusing to meet the others' eyes. The doctors and nurses were currently inside the room conducting routine examinations and had ordered the family members to wait outside. Technically, Meerab had been the only person inside the room when the doctor's entourage came, but Mariam had gracefully intervened to announce their presence, thus sparing Meerab any further embarrassment. It was not as if she were committing a crime; she was hugging her husband in a space that had temporarily become their private sanctuary. But for some unknown reason, she found herself unable to face her in-laws.

All three women stood at different corners, refusing to acknowledge each other's presence. In her peripheral vision, she could see Mariam looking at her with amusement, one that surely dimmed at Ma Begum's pointed glare. But Meerab soon realized that even her mother-in-law had a small, satisfied smirk on her lips. Just as she let out a weary sigh, the nurse peaked out of the room, calling them in.

Her eyes instantly sought Murtasim's, and gone was the man who had wept silently on her shoulder, and in his place was the Khan. Murtasim had always been effortlessly intimidating, not that he could ever intimidate her. And in the moment, even while laying in bed with broken bones and bruises, his aura still overpowered the rest. His shoulders were squared, his eyes narrowed with predatorial precision, and the usual scowl was back in place. He reclined back with regal grace, a contrast to the dreary white of the hospital walls. And unlike the usual irritation she used to feel at Murtasim's larger-than-life appearance, this time a small smile curled up her lips. And just like clockwork, Murtasim turned towards her, his eyes softening at the sight of her smile.

The kind doctor, whom she had become familiar with during his numerous visits in the last few days but had always been too distracted with her anxiety to remember his name, turned towards her.

"The test results are all normal. We will conduct a few more over the course of the next two days. From what we know, they would mostly return positive results, but let's not take any chances and be thorough."

Meerab nodded in agreement. The doctor turned back to Murtasim, his eyes shuffling to the cast and the charts the nurse was carrying.

"We will have to keep the cast on for four to five weeks. Keep up with the regular check-ups every two weeks. Checkups need not necessarily be done here; any clinic with x-rays would suffice."

"And the bruised ribs will take about the same time as the fracture, around four to five weeks. We are lucky to not have any lung injuries. And as of the moment, there are no signs of infection or fluid buildup. So the right amount of assistance—rest and homecare only—is needed."

She let out a relieved sigh at that. They could work with home care. Even though it had been barely half an hour since Murtasim woke up, she could sense him getting antsy in the hospital setting.

"So when will the discharge be scheduled?" Murtasim asked, his rough monotone barely hinting at a thinly veiled threat.

"We were hoping to keep you here for another three days, Khan?" The doctor asked with an apologetic smile, and from the way Murtasim's scowl deepened, she knew that he did not like the answer. But Meerab and the rest of the Khans were perfectly content with the doctor's opinion.

"We can work with three days, doctor." Meerab spared no glance at her disgruntled husband. The poor doctor gave her a grateful smile before he began to fire off instructions.

"Today we will still administer painkillers, mostly to prevent migraines and overall body pain from the bruises. It might have a sedative effect, so let him rest. Semi-solid food is recommended. We have it in the canteen; I will prescribe a fiber-rich diet; all the painkillers and medicines would be affecting bowel movements."