Chapter 7: Chp 7: At the Hospital

NATHAN

Currently, I find myself in the hospital, pacing back and forth anxiously. I still don't know what happened to her. She suddenly fainted in my arms, and I was overcome with fear. What could have caused her to pass out like that? Fortunately, the hospital was nearby, so I quickly brought her here. The hotel staff assisted me in getting her to my car, and I carefully settled her in the passenger seat before taking the driver's seat. "Terrified" would be an understatement to describe my state of mind. I couldn't think straight.

We arrived at the hospital, and I immediately carried her inside. As soon as I reached the reception, I urgently called for a doctor. The receptionist's eyes narrowed as she saw her unconscious in my arms. "What happened to her?" she asked with concern.

"She-she just pass-passed ou-out. I don't know what happened? Please call-call the doctor right now," I managed to respond, my voice trembling.

"Wait, I will call him," she replied, making the call promptly. Soon enough, hospital staff arrived with a stretcher, and I carefully placed her on it. The doctor checked her pulse and heartbeat, his expression turning to panic as he muttered to one of the nurses, "Shit! She's had a severe allergic reaction. Ready the operation room NOW!"

My eyes widened, and tension surged through my muscles upon hearing those words. The nurse nodded and swiftly departed, while other staff members wheeled her away to the designated room. Turning to me, the doctor bombarded me with questions, "What did she eat or drink? She was highly allergic to it. How much time passed before it happened?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. I began sweating profusely, overwhelmed by the situation. Observing my distress, the doctor continued, "What kind of boyfriend are you? You don't know what she is allergic to? Children these days..." His words trailed off as a nurse approached and informed him that the operation room was ready. He glared at me before walking away.

Hospitals have always triggered my phobia, and as he disappeared, my chest tightened, and my body started trembling. Using the sidewall for support, I managed to stand upright. One nurse noticed my distress and approached me, asking, "Hey, hey, are you okay? Do you need something? Wait, let me get you some juice." She guided me to a chair and swiftly returned with a glass of juice, which I accepted with trembling hands and consumed in one go. It provided some relief, allowing me to take deep breaths and calm myself. The nurse fetched another glass and inquired, 

"Are you fine now? You should be fine to take care of her. Is she your wife?"

I shook my head in response, indicating that she wasn't my wife. The nurse patted my shoulder reassuringly and said, "She will be fine, don't worry. Just pray for her." I managed a smile, and she turned away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Closing my eyes, I focused on taking deep breaths, attempting to overcome my fear and be there for her.

In the midst of my efforts to calm myself, my phone rang, and I retrieved it from my pocket to check the caller ID. It was Weston. I answered the call, and he immediately exclaimed, 

"Hey, man, where did you disappear? You know you owe me. Please come fast. If my cousin sees me leaving the party so soon, he'll inform his dad. And if he happens to call Ammi and tell her about my early departure, she won't let me hear the end of it."

"Weston... I'm... at... the hospital," I stammered in response.

"WHAT? What are you doing at the hospital? You're afraid of hospitals. Why did you go there? Wait, are you okay? Did you get into an accident? Wait, I'll come there. Which hospital?" he shouted, concerned.

"It's the XYZ hospital," I replied, my voice trembling.

"I'll be there in no time. Just wait! Don't worry. Take deep breaths and try to keep yourself calm, okay?" he instructed, well aware of my phobia and the toll it could take on me. I hummed in response and ended the call.

My gaze shifted towards the operation room as the red light continued to illuminate. After a few tense moments, the doctor hurriedly emerged from the room. I rushed over to him and held him back, urgently asking, "How is she? Will she be alright?"

"Her throat is swollen, and her heartbeat is irregular. Her pulse is dropping too. We still need to conduct some tests. Please be patient," he informed me before moving away. I sat down again, feeling another wave of fear washing over me. I needed to calm myself down, repeating the mantra of staying calm in my mind. I closed my eyes and began to chant, not wanting to face the reality before me.

"Nathan!" I heard Weston's voice, causing me to jolt awake. I stood up and saw him running towards me. He enveloped me in a hug and comforted me, saying, 

"Shhh... Everything is fine. Calm down. I am here. You don't have to worry."

Instead of feeling reassured, I broke down in tears within his embrace. It seemed like all the emotions I had been holding back came flooding out. I cried for a long while before finally regaining composure. Weston wiped away my tears and checked if I was hurt. Once he confirmed that I was physically fine, he asked, 

"Why did you come here? You know what happens when you go to hospitals, especially alone. Why did you come? Tell me what happened."

"After you called, I drove to the hotel. But you never showed up. So, I decided to wait for you in the lobby. I was waiting there when I saw her coming from the elevator. Should I talk to her or not? I wondered. I looked closely at her and noticed she wasn't in her senses. She kept coughing incessantly. Just as I approached her, she fainted in my arms. I rushed her to the car and brought her here," I explained in a low voice.

"Who are you talking about?" he asked, confusion evident in his eyes.

"Ivana," I whispered.

"She! What happened to her? What did the doctor say? Will she be alright?" he asked, widening his eyes.

"They said she had a severe allergic reaction. She consumed something she was highly allergic to. She's still in the operation room," I answered, my voice trembling once again.

"It's okay. She will be fine. You'll be fine," he assured me as I started trembling anew.

I nodded, and we both sat back down. After some time, my phone rang again. I retrieved it and saw that it was mom calling. Weston shook his head, signalling me not to answer. But I felt the need to reassure her, considering I had never been this late before.

"Hello, mom," I said upon answering.

"Where are you, my boy? I am so worried. You've never been this late. What happened? Where are you?" she asked, concerned about lacing her voice.

"I... am... at... the hospital," I was interrupted as Weston took the phone from me and replied.

"Hello, Aunt. Weston, this side. I hope you're fine. Don't worry about Nathan. He's with me, and I will take proper care of your son. We'll be late because we're going for a long drive. You..." He was cut off as mom shouted at him.

"Don't lie to me, Weston. I heard him saying he's at the hospital. Where are you both? At a hospital? You know him, right? Did you guys get hurt? Is Nathan okay? And you?" Her questions bombarded him, and he glared at me, urging me to tell the truth. Taking a deep breath, he responded, 

"Aunt, I told you I would take care of him. You need not worry. I am with him, and we are fine. I will let you know everything once we come back home. Just relax until then."

"I am trusting my son to you, Weston. I won't forgive you if anything happens to him. Understood!" Mom warned, and he hummed in response before ending the call. He returned the phone to me, giving me a look that said, 'Why did you have to tell her?' I returned a look that said, 'I had to.' She would have been worried. He sighed heavily and shook his head in defeat.

After a while, the doctor approached us and said, "She is fine now. However, she won't be able to speak properly due to her swollen throat and might experience breathing difficulties. Her stomach is also fragile, and her intestines are too weak to process heavy or oily food. Feed her light meals as much as possible and provide different types of juices for a faster recovery. Is there anything else you would like to ask?"

"Is she conscious now? Can we see her? When can we take her home?" Weston asked on my behalf, considering my current state.

"No, she is not conscious yet. You can't see her at the moment. You can take her home after we conduct further tests and are sure that she is completely fit to leave. Until then, we cannot release her," he explained before walking away. Weston and I breathed a sigh of relief at his words.

Suddenly, Weston asked, "Did you inform her family? I mean, you must have her purse, right? Did you check for her phone and contact her siblings? They must be worried about her."

I tightly closed my eyes, realising I had overlooked all of this. I should have informed them. Slowly opening my eyes, I confessed with guilt weighing on my conscience, "No, I didn't. I was so preoccupied with bringing her here that I completely forgot. And my fear of this place only made things more complicated." I hung my head low, feeling remorseful.

"It's okay. Her purse should be in your car. Let's go and check. We should inform her family. Let's go," he said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder, urging me not to dwell on my guilt.

We came to the parking lot and walked to my car. As soon as I opened the passenger seat, I saw her small purse at the side of it. I took it out and gave it to Weston and locked the car. We removed her phone and decided to call her one of her siblings. This is because we didn't have the courage to call her parents and say their daughter is admitted to the hospital. Who knows, perhaps they filed a case against us only to harm their daughter!! As soon as I ON her phone it asked for a password. I looked at Weston giving 'what are we going to do now??' look. He shrugged his shoulders saying, 'How could I know??'

But then, suddenly her phone started to ring. We saw the caller ID, it showed 'Kashish' I took a sigh of relief as she herself called. Now we don't have to unlock her phone for it. When I saw him looking at me, I asked.

"Do you want to talk to her or not?"

He vigorously shook his head saying, "NO!"

Instead, he mouthed saying just speak it on the speaker. I nodded my head and accepted the call.

"Heyy, Eve. When are you planning to come back?? Don't worry, mom and dad are not asking me to do it. They are more than pleased that you decided to go elsewhere other than the office, and so am I. The person who can take care of her messy family can also take care of her!! But don't tell me you are enjoying it. Ms. Ivana Miller is enjoying the party. Oh my god!! Date to be remembered. I...." She stopped her blabbering as she didn't get any reply. I felt upset and confused about how to tell her when she is so happy?? She again continued but with a suspicious tone.

"Hello, Eve. Are you there?? Hello..." I stopped her in between and said,

"Hello...."

"Who are you??? Ian, is it you?? Why are you having her phone?? Answer me!!" She sneered.

"I am not Ian. I wanted to inform you that your sister is admitted to the hospital as she had an allergic reaction. She's in XYZ hospital." I prayed that she wouldn't lash out at me.

"WHAT!! She ate apples. She knows how terrible it can be for her. She would never do it on her own. Someone must have made her eat it mistakenly. I am coming there right now. And you must tell me what happened exactly?? And if something happens to my sister. I will sue you. Remember that!!"

With that, she cut the call. Both of us thought that her siblings were no less than her. Now we are tense, how will we handle the bomb that is about to arrive here??