Turbulence

Chapter 22

Eda paced back and forth through Bolat's hospital's waiting room. It was almost dawn, and there was still no news about Elif's state. Kemal and Aydan occupied the nurse's desk, trying to find out anything but with no success.

Eda glanced toward the corner where Serkan sat, clenching the old teddy bear in his hands. His gaze was glued to the floor. Since that fatal call, he didn't say a single word, only blindly followed her to the hospital.

Eda spun on her heel and marched toward Serkan. She sat beside him and put her hand on his shoulder, feeling how tense he was. Her heart ached to see him this way.

"I will go to find out if there is any news." She said softly, and Serkan nodded absentmindedly to the floor, not looking at her.

Eda quickly left the waiting room but didn't go to the nurse's desk, instead, she turned toward the emergency stairs and climbed two stores. She opened the door and looked carefully inside. At this hour there were not many people around, so she didn't have any trouble slipping unnoticed into the room where she knew doctors kept their spare clothes. She grabbed the first clean lab coat she could find, removed the name tag, and put it on.

Since she started visiting this hospital with Elif a couple of months ago, Eda has managed to familiarize herself with the floor plan pretty well, so it was easy to find the section where Elif was being treated. Eda used another set of back doors to avoid passing the nurse's station, grabbed the first random blank chart, and went straight to the emergency units.

She passed a couple of opened doors, checking the rooms one by one but all beds were empty. The door at the end of the hall opened and two doctors left and walked in the opposite direction. Eda looked at them, pulling the collar of the lab coat up to cover her face. It must have been there.

She walked confidently toward the room, and none of the nurses in the hall questioned her presence. She knocked lightly on the door and quickly entered inside to see Elif sitting on the bed, connected to many monitors and IVs. She was pale and visibly tired, but the moment she saw Eda, her face brightened with a smile.

"How did you get here?" She asked when Eda approached the bed.

"I sneaked in when no one was looking," Eda answered, sitting on the chair and examining Elif's face. She asked softly. "How do you feel?"

"Not bad." Elif shrugged, but when Eda raised her brows questionably, she added. "Really, it's nothing serious. I was tired and dehydrated. I forgot to take my medications in the morning after I had my night shift, and it was just too much stress for one day. The doctors said I'll be as good as new after they are done with me."

Eda reached for the clipboard and read Elif's patient's chart. She exhaled in relief when she quickly went through the medications listed there and didn't find anything concerning.

"See, I told you." Elif remarked teasingly and reached for Eda's hand. "And don't you even think about blaming yourself."

Eda looked at her, inhaling heavier. She did blame herself, but most of all, her mother because if not for her, Elif wouldn't be there, Serkan wouldn't be sitting terrified in the waiting room, and his parents wouldn't be losing their minds from worry. It was all that evil woman's fault.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, blinking her tears back. She didn't want to cry like a baby and make it all about herself when it wasn't she who was in the hospital bed.

"Don't be. I'm fine." Elif said with a small smile, squeezing Eda's hand. "It happens from time to time. I've got used to it, but my family still goes crazy whenever it happens."

Eda looked at her soon-to-be sister-in-law's face, admiring her strength. She was so young, only nineteen, and she had already gone through so much in her life, but she never lost her spirit and cheerful attitude. Even now, she was making sure that everyone around felt calm and not scared, putting others' feelings above hers.