Bound by Hearts

36. Forgotten

Atharva's Pov.

As I rushed into the dimly lit room, my heart sank at the sight before me.

Amara lay on the floor, pale and motionless, blood pooling around her neck where a shard of glass protruded. My training kicked in, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I assessed the situation precisely, though my mind screamed with fear and anguish.

"Amara!" I shouted, my voice choked with emotion, as I knelt beside her. My hands trembled as I carefully examined the wound. The shard had pierced deep, dangerously close to her jugular vein. It was as if she had missed her aim. And I couldn't be more grateful that she missed it. If not she would have severe neck trauma and would possibly paralyse herself for life.

But the damage she had done was terrible enough to kill her if she I didn't do a minor procedure right now.

Each beat of blood reminded me of the fleeting moments slipping away.

Fear gripped me as I realized the severity of the injury.

In med school, they had taught us to handle emergencies, but this was different. In fact this was my final year as a surgical resident. And I had a good number of hours of experience but still the fact remained that this was my little sister, my Amara, fighting for her life in front of me.

I swiftly reached for a pair of sterile gloves and gauze that I had in my first aid kit, hands shaking more visibly now. My mind raced with the knowledge that any wrong move could exacerbate the bleeding, and could... no it would definitely kill her.

Advik was the second to recover from the scene in front of us. His hands shook as he dialed emergency services on his phone.

Ishani knelt beside me, her eyes wide with fear and her voice barely audible.
"You can do this, Atharva. You have to save her."

I nodded, unable to speak, and focused on stemming the bleeding. The gauze quickly soaked through as I applied pressure, trying to keep panic at bay. Amara's face was ghostly pale, her breath shallow. Everything seemed to blur around me as I fought to maintain my composure.

"How could you Amara?" I asked in an almost hushed voice. Pain throbbing in every corner of my heart.

As if she could hear me and was still dwelling with her consciousness she opened her eyes briefly. I saw the haziness in them. The delirious look in her eyes from all the loss of blood but what she tried to do numbed me cold for a whole minute. She spoke.

She tried to and that only applied more pressure on her wound. I heard a cruel gurgling of blood as she tried to speak before she stopped.

"Atharva?" Advik's voice cracked with desperation.

I glanced up briefly, meeting his panicked gaze.

"We... We... I need to stabilize her until help arrives."

Ishani placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. Even though she couldn't look at the state Amara was in without shuddering herself.

"You're doing everything you can, Atharva. Stay strong."

I nodded and looked back at the shard of glass and took a deep breath before I began the minor procedure.

With trembling fingers, I carefully stabilized the shard of glass, my movements slow and deliberate. My mind replayed the steps I had learned — assess airway, breathing, circulation.

But however professional I tried to be. There was an emotional storm brewing inside me. Amara couldn't die.

Not like this.
She didn't have the right to end her own life.