The Courtyard

12.

It had been two weeks since our engagement. Izhar and I would text here and there but we both were so busy with work that neither one of us took offence if the other didn't reply. He spent most of his time in his office but would would sometimes have to travel abroad for meetings and such. I, on the other hand, was at the hospital 24/7. Today I was assisting Dr. Riley with a surgery. The patient had been admitted at the hospital since he had gone into heart failure. It has been two months and today was finally the day we would perform his heart transplant. Every day, every patient, every case, makes me realize more and more why I chose to come into this field. The fact that I am helping these people gain back their health is my biggest accomplishment. I most definitely believe that God works through people and doctors are some of those people.

I was currently scrubbing in before the surgery. I would play a song in my head that matched the exact time I was to scrub in. Not a minute too soon and not a minute too late. I proceed to tie the mask on to my face and make my way into the OR. One of the scrub nurses helps me put on my gown and I go to stand on the opposite side of Dr. Riley. The patient, Tyler, was still awake since the anesthesiologist was waiting for our signal.

"How are you feeling, Tyler," I ask him quietly.

He looks up at me from where he was laying on the table. "I have been waiting for this for months now. I'm excited but also really nervous. My parents are out there and I'm in here. Neither of are gonna know how this is gonna go and that makes me scared," he told me truthfully.

I place my hand on his shoulder and try to reassure him, "I want you to know that we will do everything we can for the surgery to go smoothly. You just relax. If you'd like I can step out and give your parents updates every twenty minutes or so?". I see him nod quickly to that and I tell him not to worry. Dr. Riley asks Tyler to count back from ten and before five he is put under. Now, it was our time to begin.

The surgery was a success. I was currently scrubbing out and washing away the blood from my hands. There were many times in the surgery where the patient rejecting the organ but we had gotten it to accept. After cleaning up, I made my way to Tyler's parents to tell them how the surgery went. They were currently in the waiting room. I see them spot me and they both jump up.

"How is he? Did it go well?," his mother asks me frantically.

I smile and both of them and tell them that the surgery was a success. They both sigh and the mother hugs me. I hug her back and tell them they can go meet him once he's woken up. I leave them to talk as head to the locker room. It was finally the end of my 35 hour shift and I could go home now.

I was just heading out when I receive a call from Izhar. We usually never talked on the phone cause of our busy schedules but sometimes I would call him or vice versa every now and then. Amma said it was important to know the other person and so every call I made was because of her.

"Hello?" I say into my phone.

"Hi," replies his deep husky voice. "How are you?"

"I'm good, how are you?" I ask back

"I'm good as well. I was just wondering where you were right now?"

"I'm just leaving the hospital. Why? Is everything okay?" I ask quickly.

"Yeah, everything's perfect," he says with a chuckle. God, that laugh of his does something to my insides. Astagfirullah Syra. "I'll just talk to you when I see you."

"When you see me?" I ask a bit confused.

"Yeah, look up," he instructs.

I look up and there he is, standing outside the hospital. What was he doing here? I hadn't seen him since our engagement. It actually felt nice to see him here after so long. I make my way to him. Since it was fall I see him wearing a long brown wool coat. Underneath, he's wearing a sweater paired with dark jeans. On his feet are his infamous Blundstones. To say the least, he looked really nice. His hair wasn't gelled back this time and instead loose. I could see the brown more in his hair and it really suited him.