Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

30: Terrified Flu(Mumbai)

Flu was terrified.

She had felt this before; six times to be precise in the last seven years. Nothing good ever came with this feeling! Foreboding! She was cold. Goosebumps all over her arms! That metallic taste in her mouth! Taste of iron on her tongue! Suddenly everything around her was bathed in red! Like someone had switched off all the bright lights and switched on red lights. The taste in her mouth was getting worse. She felt like her mouth was filling with blood.

She was going to throw up. She heaved. Generally the first heave brings up nothing. She held a hand to her mouth knowing it was no use but it served as a warning to others to stay away. She needed to get to a washroom. Why was the hotel lobby so crowded suddenly? She was in the midst of a sea of humanity. People everywhere! All around her! Then the first spasm of vertigo hit her. Someone steadied her; guided her through the jostling crowd; pushed her through a door in a suddenly deserted lobby.

Flu panicked yet the room seemed familiar; sparkling tiles everywhere. She was relieved. She rushed to the washbasin and threw up. Someone came up quietly behind her and rubbed her back slowly; reassuring her not to worry; to relax; simultaneously giving instructions to someone else. Then there was a static crackle of radio and click of clipping the handset to a belt. The heavy flat palm moving up and down her back was comforting. She tried to see who it was. Bad move! Vertigo hit her again. The person held both her upper arms from behind in a firm grip and pulled her up just as her head was about to hit the basin. Flu threw up again.

Flu heard the door open and shut. Stilettos on the tiles! Some hurried exchange in a foreign tongue. Stilettos retreated! Door opened and shut!

In 15 minutes Flu had brought up everything she had eaten. She was ashamed of the mess she had made. Sense of shame meant she was feeling normal feelings again. She was out of her panic state. But all the heaving and retching had drained her out.

Few minutes later, Flu was sitting on the floor with her left side and head reclined against the wall. The lady in charge had squatted behind her and continued to rub her back and now her arm as well; continuously reassuring her that she will be fine soon; the doctor would be here any moment. She encouraged Flu to breathe in deeply; exhale slowly.

The door opened and 2 pair of feet hurried in. Flu did not have the courage to look up; afraid the vertigo will return.

One was a lady doctor. She took her pulse, heartbeat, BP... She reassured her a little later that there was nothing to worry. The panic attack had run its course but she should give herself another 5-10 minutes to catch her breath. Everyone relaxed. The doctor and the lady with the stilettos stood up and waited a little distance away. The lady behind Flu continued to rub her hands, back and arm alternately.

A little later, after a few attempts, Flu found her voice. She apologized for the panic and the mess and thanked everyone. They helped her stand up. The cleaning lady was staring at her surreptitiously while wiping the now sparkling clean washbasin with some strong deodorizers. The overpowering smell made Flu nauseous again. But Flu was braver now. There was nothing in her recently emptied stomach to bring up; till she tasted the bile collecting in her mouth. She hurried to another basin and quickly rinsed her mouth and splashed water on her face.

10 more minutes and Flu was ready to step out. Flu walked with unsteady gait to the hand sanitizer dispenser and rubbed her hand with a generous amount of the gel. She looked at her palms and waited for the gel to evaporate as she put herself together mentally.

She took each lady's hand in hers and pressed as much thanks as she could into the gesture. She read their names & designations from the name-tags pinned to their uniforms, committed them to memory and made a mental note to send each of them a thank-you card with a tiny gift charmed with good-luck.