“You haven’t even responded to me from yesterday, then how is it conflict?”
Her eyes squeezed shut.
“Doctor.”
They popped open.
“I trust no one but you.”
“I failed to see this attack coming…” Her voice went low.
“I don’t believe that. I only believe that you will make it ok. I will not allow anybody but you to do it.”
Her beautiful, bright throat worked a swallow.
“Please. I will sign anything. Release you from anything. But please, you do it. I trust you. I only trust you…”
“Nilay, it…”
“Are you scared?” He asked.
“Of what?”
“Of me making a smart comment there and you killing me on the spot?”
Her teeth gnarled. He smirked — “You challenged me to be as obnoxious as I can.”
“Let me talk to Dr. Shravan.”
“Tell him I insist, call Rajiv and inform him too.”
“Ok,” she cleaned his face of the trail of tear that he himself had been unaware of. “Now, I am going to go get things in motion, and I am calling Maya and Gautam to sit with you. Maya can bring the dead alive with her motivational rants. Hmm?”
“Yeah, call her.” He took a deep breath. “And, Doctor?”
“Hmm?”
“Make me ok for you.”
————————————————————
The Cath Lab was cold. Colder than he had expected. The shiver set in just at the temperature drop. And there was still the entire procedure to go. Then the result. Nilay stared at the sterile surroundings, wondering what he would do if he got a chance to refurbish it all. That was the only way he could hold himself out of this nightmare. The nursing staff — they were really good to him, tender, joking, motivating. He remained his non-obnoxious self for them, internally ideating how he would change their drab scrubs into something… vibrant. They laid him down on the table and tucked a blanket over him.
“Cold?” A nurse asked. He nodded.
“You want another one?”
“No,” he managed, his throat drying up.
Machines began to buzz to life and some murmurs behind his head caught his attention. Nilay wanted to check, but the room was in a haze.
“Mr. Patel, good afternoon.”
In those four words, every shiver coursing through his blood went silent. His skin warmed up. She came into his line of sight and he looked at a whole other woman. Half her face covered by a surgical mask, hair tucked under a cap, winter green scrubs that, he checked — she wasn't wearing inside out. When he raised his gaze, her eyes were crinkled. Only slightly.
“Good afternoon, Doctor.”
“Mr. Patel.” Dr. Shravan came on her heels. “You finally did bring us all here.”
