Stand by me

Part 1

Zeynep felt out of breath. The sound of the body falling on the ground was the last thing she heard. She was kneeling down, the baby wrapped around her, her eyes petrified with the horror she just witnessed. She was so shocked that she couldn't move; she felt her whole body paralyzed, unable to produce the slight movement, only her breath keeping her body in action.

Nuh ran over Mehdi, crying "Please brother, stay with us!". He touched Mehdi face, placing two fingers on his neck "There is a pulse" he tried to say with hope.

"Mehdi?!" Finally escaped from her lips. Zeynep slowly stood up, walked almost painfully to them. Tears were flowing down, her hands were shaking. "Mehdi?!" She repeated, as if expecting the one on the ground to answer. Finally, a man, hired by Ali Riza came to the scene, dialing on his phone the number of the ambulance.

Zeynep took Mehdi's hand in hers, her tears falling on his body. The only thing she repeated incessantly was Mehdi. The man on the ground, her ex-husband, got shouted four times, in front of her, in front of his daughter, baby Mujgan.

She could tell that Nuh was saying something, but she couldn't hear it for some reason. She just saw his lips moving, and everything around her seemed soundless. Baby Mujgan was still, as if she could sense what was happening.

And then suddenly, by the overwhelming of the moment, she felt abnormality in her breathing, her mind was spiraling, dizziness ran in her body. Her eyes started to look blatantly pale, she placed a hand on her heart, as if looking for something to soothe her. She was having another panic attack.

"Zeynep!"

She heard his voice almost like an echo. The more he was approaching her, the more his voice sounded real.

His voice.

The voice that had long been installed in her mind, like a program. She could recognize his voice among thousands. His voice that made her feel instantly alive, each time better, comforting and reassuring. She could never forget his voice, that she even hear in her dreams.

"Barış!"

He ran and kneeled by her side. He first took her by the hands, and started the breathing exercise they have repeated previously. One...two...three...breathe! She followed his gestures, and slowly her breathing was getting back to normal.

He cupped her face into his hands, caressing her cheek with his thumb "Are you alright? You aren't hurt, right?!" By his voice he sounded desperate, the panic in his face clearly visible, and his almost shaking hands on her. But still, he gathered himself to look strong for her. Another reason why she loved him so much.

Without saying much, she wrapped her hands around his back, taking attention to not squeeze baby Mujgan too much between them. He lifted her slowly, and took her out of the house. At the same time, they crossed path with the ambulance that just arrived.

Benal took the baby outside, and Zeynep insisted to go after the ambulance, stating clearly that she was not up to debate. Barış calmly agreed, and opened the door for her to sit down.

They drove silently to the hospital. Barış glanced at her quickly in between his focus on the road. Zeynep was silent, but her anxiety could be seen by her scratching her finger nails again.

Before arriving at the hospital, Barış stopped the car by an empty spot. "Zeynep, are you okay?" Zeynep looked at him with incomprehension, wondering what he was doing. "What are you doing? Why did you stop the car? We need to go to the-" he interrupted her "Zeynep, calm down. I am asking you how are you doing, you were having another panic attack" but she didn't respond. She looked at her laps for minutes "We need to go to the hospital" her voice was firm. "But Zeynep, you-" she was now interrupting him "Barış! Start the car or I get out" she almost ordered. He understood that this was not the right moment, and decided to concede for the time being.