She parked and went inside and asked at reception about accident cases admitted yesterday.
"Can you tell the name of the patient?" Receptionist asked.
"Marcel Clark."
"Yes ma'am, he and his wife had been admitted here yesterday. You can meet them at 4th floor I.C.U."
"Thank you so much." She said and rushed to 4th floor where she asked about the I.C.U and found it at last.
She saw Marcel was sitting outside ICU with his face dug into his palms. He is surely crying she knew. She slowly walked towards him and her heartbeat increased with each step getting closer to him. She reached beside him and stood there for him to realize her presence. She sat next to him after a moment and softly kept her hand on his shoulder.
He lifted up his head from his palms and turned towards her. Her heart stopped when she saw his eyes.
His face was bruised and his eyes were red because of all the crying and tiredness. He was looking at her with plane face and suddenly he hugged her.
He hugged her like he was waiting for her since so long. But she cannot lift her hands to hold him and hug him back. She stayed in his arms holding her tears back with a racing heartbeat. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes and then separated from each other. She was still looking at him. It has been a long silence.
"How is she?" Anna finally spoke.
"She's not fine. Doctors are there inside trying to save them both but they said it would be hard to save them. They can either save her or the baby." He said looking to the floor and broke into tears as he finished.
"Don't worry they'll be fine. "she said lifting her arm to put on his shoulder to comfort him but something inside her stops her from doing so.
"Why did you came now? It's past midnight."
"I was unable to keep you all away from my thoughts. I was worried. I can't wait till morning." She said slowly.
He nodded and said "Yeah after all you are an independent woman now. You need no one."
"Yep."
Doctors came out and they both went towards her.
"How are they?" He asked.
"Mr. Clark congratulations you are blessed with a healthy boy. But your wife is not stable because of heavy blood loss."
"What do you mean unstable? I don't know doctor do what it takes just save her." He said with a gulp in his voice.
Anna was standing beside him looking at him during all this conversation.
There was love, care, worry in his eyes for Fiona. Her eyes was filled with tears to see him crying. But somehow she controlled herself.
"Doctor can we see the baby?" She asked.
"Yes. Nurse will take you. But he'll be under observation till 24 hours and after that you can take him."
"And what about Fiona?" Marcel asked.
"Mr. Clark she is also under observation. She'll be taken good care and we'll do our best. Rest is in the hands of God. Just pray for next 48 hours to pass safely. Then there's hope for her." Doctor told him and left.
Marcel was just broken by the thought of losing her. He can't keep himself on his feet and was about to collapse on the floor when Anna held his arm and take him to the chair. He was blaming himself for ruining everything and she was consoling him as it was not his fault. But all her efforts seem to be of no use since the person fighting between life and death is his wife and she is here because he lost control on car.
"Sir, come I'll take you to your son." A nurse said and left.
He stood up but his legs were not moving ahead. Anna held his arm and led him behind the nurse. And as they came closer to the room and nurse opened the door, Marcel let go of Anna's hand and moved ahead while Anna was just walking behind him. He still has the habit of leaving her hand in the middle of the path.
With her eyes stuck on him. She never wanted to look away from him she followed him.
Finally they reached the room and nurse show them the baby from inside and they saw the baby from the glass window.
"He's adorable." Anna said looking at the baby.
"Surely he is."
"Congratulations Marcel." Anna said with a gulp in her throat.
He looked at her, nodded and continued to look at the baby.
They both sat on the seats provided outside the baby's room. There was a scary silence in the entire corridor. Multiple times Marcel went to see his wife and returned with his long face looking downwards trying to hide his tears. Anna keep looking at him with concerned eyes but cannot say anything that seems comforting to him. It kept on going till 3am and when finally
his body was unable to withstand he sat on the chair beside Anna and in his unusual nap he let his head rest on Anna's shoulder. Her heart stopped for a moment but she didn't respond to him. He was not doing it purposely and she did not want to ruin his nap which was most needed by his body and brain.
With her empty eyes glued to the floor she sighed, lifted her head towards the baby and then towards the ICU, closing her eyes she prayed hard for their recovery. Her eyes were burning as she closed them but she didn't let a drop of tear to left her eyelids.
Ring ring.
The mobile rang and broke Anna's sleep. Rather her hospital chair nap was disturbed by it. She took her phone out of her pocket and silent it and to her amaze it was 7 am. As she was about to get up from her chair she realised Marcel's head was rested on her shoulder and he was yet asleep. She just sat still right there because she didn't want his sleep to be disturbed as it had been a really hard day for him yesterday.
She checked her phone then and it was flooded with Liza's call and messages. Obviously she would be worried where her sister is. So Anna messaged her,
"Hey, sorry I left without informing you love. I'm at the hospital right now with Marcel. He was all alone here. Rest I'll tell you everything when I'll come. Till then stay at home and complete your college assignments. No roaming outside. Love u."
She was not sure as to what explanations she'll give to Liza because she herself didn't knew what she is doing. Phone again vibrated and it was Liza's reply "Ok Anny. Don't worry I'll not go anywhere. Love you too."
Anna looked at Marcel and thought why is she still here. She sighed.
Suddenly a few nurses rushed from there with a stretcher of emergency patient to be shifted in ICU.
That sound woke Marcel up and he lifted his head from her shoulder.
"I'm sorry I fell asleep on your shoulder". He apologized in a deep voice.
"It's fine. Your head is not much heavy and I think my shoulder handled it well."
He smiled a bit.
She looked at him with her empty eyes as if seeing something very precious very dear, like something she yearned for ages but she cannot even touch it even though having it so close .
"What? Why are you looking at me like this?" Marcel asked.
"Because I wanted to see you smile always and I could watch you like this forever." She did wanted to say this but she didn't said it.
"Look at your face it's all swollen. Haven't you got treatment for yourself?" she replied blinking away her gaze.
"No, actually they did gave me some medicine and cleaned my wounds. They were asking me to rest on the bed there in one of the rooms like a patient but I don't want to leave Fiona here all alone. I knew they would give me pills that might give me a sound sleep of hours therefore I declined to be admitted. Rather I sat here."
"Marcel, I know you wanted to stay here for her but I'm pretty sure she would have also wanted you to have proper treatment for yourself too."
"Yeah, I know. But…"
"No but and all. Just get up and come with me." She stood up.
He was still sitting and he lifted up his head and look at her for a moment, took a deep breath and stand up to go with her.