The proposed Rival

21) Harpocrates

Harpocrates

(Greek and Roman deity associated with secrecy and silence)

AUTHOR

What did the silence of a desert at noon feel like? It cannot be unheard. The deceiving winds refusing to flow, the sand stagnant, the heat blaring out its defiance to the world. It was there but it wasn't. It hung closer to the ground, casting a sudden, suffocating atmosphere around that one can never break through. Humans or animals, none could find a way out. It wasn't deadly; it was oppressive.

Like those midnights that do not give you hope, it brings out one's fear and smirks, watching it play with their sanity. The silence wraps around like a fog, clouds one's thoughts, smothering their voices. No voices are ever heard, no pleas ever reach, and no tears are ever acknowledged.

It is where time itself seems to slow down, every second stretching into an eternity. This was that silence. It demanded attention, pressing against the ears, amplifying the pounding of blood through veins, the creak of floorboards, the distant hum of hospital machinery, and whatnot. It was all there yet concealed behind closed doors, hushed whispers, and exchanged looks.

The hospital staff stepped out of the doors, breathing in relief as the guards at the door stood with blank stares, their eyes hidden behind glasses and dressed in all black. Dr. Dheeraj cleared his throat, "In my office. Three minutes." He walked away as looks of panic were exchanged.

They were the handpicked team selected by the dean himself to cater to this affluent businessman's fiancée. They didn't know their names, but the man inside who kept shooting orders to them and some more on his phone, all the while staying at an arm's distance from the woman in bed, refusing to step out, was famous, resourceful, and a VIP. The case file was locked in the physician's office, and the reports were to be delivered to the nursing station at regular intervals. They were rich and could afford it all.

Three female nurses, two males, and one intern made up a team to bring the woman back to health. All of them could either get flashing recommendation letters after this case or have to look for an alternative career path. The former seemed almost attainable, but one mix-up would drag them all toward the latter.

"Weren't you at the nurse station?" Dr. Hafiz, the intern, asked the nurses as they stepped out of Dr. Dheeraj's office after a good warning and healthy berating. That's how they kept up their spirits.

"We thought we'd take a break," one of the oldest murmured dejectedly. "That fiancée of his kept calling us every time we thought to step out. She's as annoying as a mosquito."

"Is she really with him? I heard them argue more than enough times. She kept threatening to kill him if he didn't leave."

"I heard him say she was just upset," Sheetal rolled her eyes. "These rich folks, who knows what they do in relationships. I heard they're only together for money and often step out on each other."

"Have you seen the man?" The other one spoke, her soft grey eyes and sharp features subdued by her dark complexion. "He wouldn't talk to another nurse or female doctor for more than a minute. He's been here for 18 hours and didn't leave for more than a few minutes, his eyes never leaving her. When she was in pain, it seemed like he was ready to die. I don't think he cheated on her. It must be something else."

"Then what would have happened? They look so perfect together it hurts my eyes," Sheetal mumbled to herself, her eyes flitting with interest, lingering at the closed door.

"Then shut them up and get back to work," Nihal, the brooding male, pointed out, walking toward the elevator and punching the call button with a vengeance. "That man could get us all sacked before the word 'medicine' is uttered."