The Ghost Cruise

19 • Zakir Patel

In the quiet moments between the chaos of hospital routines, Zakir Patel's mind would often drift back to the haunting memories of the horrifying ordeal. The weight of guilt settled heavily on his shoulders, fearful that he had let his friends down, that he hadn't been able to fix the communications circuit when they needed it most.

The image of his crewmates, huddled together on the deck, their faces etched with fear and desperation, haunted him day and night. He could hear their voices, a figment of his tormented imagination, pleading for help he couldn't provide. The knowledge that he had been unable to prevent their suffering gnawed at him, leaving him feeling helpless and inadequate.

But it was the thought of his family that cut deepest. The anguish in his wife's eyes, the confusion and fear in his sons' faces – he couldn't bear the idea that he had caused them pain.

As he lay in his hospital bed, the weight of his guilt threatened to crush him. He wished he could go back, to turn back time and make things right. But he knew that was impossible. All he could do now was try to heal, both physically and emotionally, and hope that one day he could find a way to forgive himself.

In the Intensive Care ward, his treatment plan was carefully designed to address his severe dehydration and malnutrition. The medical staff wasted no time in implementing a care plan to nourish his weakened body back to health.

He was put on IV fluids and a high-calorie, nutrient-rich liquid diet.
Small, frequent meals and snacks were provided to prevent overwhelming his digestive system, which had become accustomed to prolonged fasting.

Throughout his stay in the hospital, he was closely monitored by a team of doctors, nurses, and dieticians, who tracked his progress and adjusted his treatment as needed. Regular check-ups and blood tests were conducted to assess his hydration status and nutritional levels, ensuring that he was responding well to the therapy and recovering appropriately.

Patel's physical recovery may have been progressing steadily, but his mental state remained very precarious, overshadowed by the relentless grip of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The harrowing ordeal at sea had left indelible scars on his mind.

Frequent psychotic episodes plagued his fragile mind, robbing him of moments of clarity and peace. During these episodes, he would drift into a dissociative state, disconnected from reality, as vivid hallucinations danced before his eyes, distorting his perception of the world around him. He would lash out at the hospital staff, consumed by irrational fear and paranoia, unable to distinguish between delusion and reality.

In his darkest moments, Patel found himself engulfed in a vortex of haunting memories and intrusive thoughts, reliving the traumatic events of the ordeal at sea with agonising clarity. The sights, sounds, and sensations of their desperate struggle for survival replayed in his mind like a relentless loop.

Despite the best efforts of the medical team to provide him with emotional support and psychiatric care, Patel's mental anguish remained a formidable obstacle to his recovery. The road to healing was fraught with setbacks and challenges as he grappled with the demons that haunted his troubled mind. He sometimes pulled out IV cannulas and tore stitches as he fought against the nightmares.

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Zakir's body trembled uncontrollably as he slowly emerged from another harrowing daydream. His eyes darted around the hospital room, wide with terror, as he struggled to orient himself. When a nurse approached and tapped his shoulder, Patel stared up at her blankly, lost in his torment.

"Mr. Patel, I need to speak with you about your treatment plan," the nurse said gently.

His mind still reeling from the nightmare, Patel's voice quivered as he asked, "W-where am I? What's happening?"

"You're in the hospital, Mr. Patel. We're here to help you," the nurse reassured him, her tone calm and steady.

Fear gripped his heart as he pleaded and suddenly grabbed her arm tightly, "I need my family! Please, I need to see them!"

A doctor approached, frantic but attempting to calm Patel's escalating distress. "Mr. Patel, let go of the nurse, please," she said firmly, afraid that he would hurt someone.

He clutched the nurse's arm tightly, his eyes desperately searching hers. As the nurse pushed him off of her and scurried away out of the room, Zakir screamed desperately, begging for an answer.
"No, please, don't leave me alone! I can't do this anymore!"

The doctor stood at the foot of his bed, not daring to step any closer so that he could calm down.
"It's okay, Mr. Patel. We'll call your family when you calm down, okay?" she said despairingly.

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