NOT A COINCIDENCE

CHAPTER - 33 : FORTY EIGHT HOURS

ANDRIANNA'S P.O.V.

I look at the door of the Operating Room for the hundredth time in the past 2 hours. I am sitting in one of the chairs outside the room. Christopher, Xavier's father is pacing in front of me, while Samantha and Brian are sitting on the chairs opposite to me.

There is complete silence amongst us, no one saying a word, just waiting for those doors to open. For someone to just give an update on his condition.

"Where is he? Where's my baby?" A woman comes yelling from my right.

On racking my brain, I realize it's Sarah, Xavier's mother.

"He is in the OR." Chris points to the closed door.

"Oh my god." Sarah palms her mouth and breaks down in the arms of her husband.

"He'll be fine, honey." Chris rubs her back softly in assurance.

"You don't know that." She cries out.

"I know that. He will be absolutely fine, don't worry." Chris says softly wiping away her tears and making her sit on a chair.

Seeing this scene in front of me snapped something inside of me, raising an urgent need to get away from here.

"I'll just come." I whisper to Brian and walk away from the door.
I don't know for how long I just walk aimlessly in the halls of the hospital till I come across a room.

Chapel.

I push the door open and walk inside, taking a seat at the very end of the room. The chapel is nearly empty with only one more man inside, seating in the row beside me. I look over at him, to see his hands joined in prayer, his eyes tightly closed, with tear marks on his face.

It seems like he is here for the same reason as I am, to pray for a loved one.

°°°°°°°°

I feel a light tap on my shoulder making me open my eyes to see Sarah in front of me.

"Hi, Andrianna. Remember me?" She asks sitting down beside me.

"Of course I do. How are you, Mrs. Black?" I ask forcing out a smile.

"I am fine dear. What about you? I hear you also had some injuries. Why aren't you resting?" She asks eyeing the bandage on my shoulder.

"Doctor said there was no need for me to stay under care. Just a few bandages and painkillers, and I was good to go." I reply glancing at her.

"You love him, don't you?" She asks me out of the blue, making me turn my head towards her.

"No, I--I--" I start stammering not being able to think of an answer when she stops me.

"Don't worry, Andrianna. You don't need to explain it to me." She says with a smile.

"I can see it in your eyes." She says after a pause.

"Just like I could see in his." She says after a pause.

"Huh?" I give her a confused glance.

"He was a mess when he came back home. My son, who was as real as he can be, no facade, no lies, no pretending, at least not in front of me, started to hide all his emotions behind that forced smile. Engrossed himself in work, even convinced his father to cut down his break from 2 months, to 1 month, to distract himself." She takes a pause sniffing.

"But I knew what was going on with him, we all knew. He left a piece of his heart in New York when he came here." She whispered the last part.

"Why would God do this to him? He is such a nice boy. Always there for everyone. And now, he is out there alone, fighting for his life." Her voice breaks towards the end.