Encore Amour (Englot)

Chapter 13: The Last Note

The hallway felt like it was suffocating, thick with the weight of despair. Engfa's cries echoed, raw and full of heartbreak. Aoom and Meena clung to each other, stunned and silent, their faces streaked with tears they hadn't realized had started to fall.

No one could bring themselves to speak as the doctor placed a hand on Engfa's shoulder, offering a gentle but pained nod. Her breath hitched, barely able to take in the reality of his expression, his silence filling in the words that would shatter her world.

"I was too late..." Engfa whispered, her voice hollow. "I should have stayed... I should have protected her."

Each tear that fell was a weight pressing on her heart, each second without Charlotte felt like an eternity of regret. Memories flashed through her mind—moments of laughter, gentle touches, promises they'd made. Promises now buried beneath this unbearable grief.

Aoom clutched Engfa's hand tightly. "She knew you cared. She... she knew, Engfa."

But Engfa shook her head, refusing to believe it. She thought of every time she'd tried to reach Charlotte, every moment she'd been shut out, every ounce of love and protection she'd failed to give.

"What was it all for... if this is how it ends?" Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands.

The doctor glanced at Aoom and Meena, his expression unreadable, but he didn't speak. He simply closed his eyes, as though absorbing the grief that radiated around him. And with a brief nod, he stepped away, disappearing down the hallway, leaving them in agonizing silence.

In that endless moment, it felt as if Charlotte had truly left them, her laughter now a distant echo and her warmth an unreachable memory. Engfa's shoulders heaved as she sobbed uncontrollably, her heart shattering with each painful breath.

The air hung thick, unbearable in the wake of a loss so profound, the world around them felt stilled, grief woven into the silence.

The minutes dragged on in the stark, fluorescent-lit hospital corridor, where time felt suspended. Engfa sat on the floor, her hands buried in her hair, rocking back and forth as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Aoom and Meena, equally devastated, hovered nearby, unsure of how to comfort their broken friend in the face of impending tragedy.

Suddenly, a doctor in a white coat emerged from the ICU. The moment he stepped into the light, Engfa's heart sank; she felt a chill run down her spine. The doctor's expression was grave, and without knowing why, dread filled the air.

"We did everything we could, but..." He paused, the words hanging heavily in the air.

Engfa's knees buckled, and she fell to the floor, the world around her blurring as despair wrapped around her like a suffocating shroud. "No... Charlotte!" she cried, the only words escaping her trembling lips.

Just as the doctor was about to continue, another figure emerged from behind him—Charlotte's nurse, a bright, encouraging smile spreading across her face.

"Wait!" another doctor interrupted, holding up a hand as if to pause the somber atmosphere. "She's alive! We stabilized her, but she's in critical condition. We need to monitor her closely, but she's fighting."

The doctor's eyes widened in surprise, then shifted to the other doctor, his expression softening. "Yes, she's stable for now, but we can't guarantee how long that will last."

Engfa's breath hitched. "What do you mean? Is she going to be okay?"

The doctor hesitated, but before he could speak, the nurse stepped forward, her tone calming yet urgent. "We need to be cautious. She's showing signs of improvement, but the next 24 hours are crucial. She's unconscious, but she's still with us."