I press the button, then jump over the desk and run they open. through the doors just as they open. "Can I help you?" a nurse asks when I pass her in the hallway. I round a corner and see a sign that says patient rooms are to the right and surgery is to the left, I turn left As soon as I see the double doors to the operating rooms, I hit the button on the wall to open them. Before they're even open far enough, I try to squeeze myself through them, but a man pushes me back. "You can't be in here," he says. "No! I need to be in there!" I try to shove past him. He's a lot stronger than I am. He pushes me against the wall and lifts his leg, kicking the button with his foot. The doors close behind him. "You aren't allowed in there, he says calmly. "Now, who are you looking for?" He re-leases his grip on my arms and stands back.

"My girlfriend," I say. I'm out of breath. I lean for-ward and put my hands on my knees. "I need to know if she's okay."."I've got a young woman who sustained injuries in a vehicle accident. Is that the person you're referring to?" I nod. "Is she okay?" He leans against the wall next to me. He slides his hands into the pockets of his white coat and pulls one of his knees up, settling his foot against the wall behind him. "She's hurt. She has an epidural hematoma that's going to require surgery." "What is that? What does that mean? Will she be okay?" "She experienced severe head trauma that has caused bleeding in her brain. It's too early to give you any more information at this point. Until we get her into surgery, we won't know the extent of her injuries. I was just coming to speak to the family. Do you need me to relay this information to her parents?" I shake my head. "No it's okay I'll relay this information to them." He straightens up and walks back to the doors and presses the button. He turns just as they open. "What's your name?" he asks. "Ishaan." He looks me in the eyes. "I'm Dr. Chhetri," he says. "I'll do everything I can for her, Ishaan. In the meantime, go back to the waiting room. I'll find you as soon as I know something." The doors close behind him.

I slide down to the floor in an attempt to regain my bearings. She's alive. When I make it back to the waiting room, her parents are the only ones there. "Where's Dhruv?" I ask. "Nurse called. Gavin went outside to meet him," aunty says.

"Did you hear anything?" Uncle asks. I nod. "She's in surgery." "So she's alive? She's alive?" He jumps up and wraps his arms around me. I return his hug. "She's alive," I whisper. I sit down and gently guide him back into his chair. "Uncle, she's hurt pretty bad. It's too soon to know anything, but they'll keep us updated, okay?" I grab a tissue from one of the many boxes scattered around the room and hand it to him. He wipes his nose. We all sit there in silence. I close my eyes and think back to the conversation I just had with the doctor. Were there any hints in his expression? In his voice? I know he knows more than he's telling me, which scares the hell out of me. What if something happens to her? I can't think about it. I don't think about. She'll be okay. She has to be.

"Anything?" Dhruv asks as he walk into the waiting room. "I had grab you a shirt," he says, hand-ing it to me. "Thanks." I give Dhruv his jacket and pull the shirt on. "Adriti's in surgery. She's got a head injury. They don't know anything yet. That's all I know. What about Nitya?" I ask. "Have you heard anything else? Is she okay?" He nods "can we go see her? Her parents asks. I nodded. They all left. I'm alone. I close my eyes and lean my head against the wall. I take several deep breaths, but the pressure in my chest keeps building and building and building. I try to keep holding it all in. I try to hold it in like Adriti does. I can't. I bring my hands to my face and break down. I don't just cry; I sob. I wail. I scream.

I'M IN THE BATHROOM SPLASHING WATER ON MY FACE when I hear someone talking outside the door. I swing it open to see if it's the doctor, but it's Dhruv and Adriti's parents. I've started to shut the door when Dhruv reaches in and stops me. "Ishaan, your uncle and aunt are here. They're looking for you." "My uncle and aunt? Who called them?" "I did," he says. "I thought maybe they could take Adriti's parents for you." I step out of the bathroom. "Where are they?" "Around the corner," he says.

I see my uncle and aunt standing in the hallway. My uncle has his coat folded over his hands. He's saying something to my aunt when he catches a glimpse of me. "Ishaan!" They both run toward me. "Are you okay?" my aunt says, brushing her fingers against the bandages on my forehead. I pull away from her. "I'm fine," I say. She hugs me. "Have you heard anything?" I shake my head. I'm getting really tired of this question. "Ishaan, the nurse is asking about paperwork. They need it. Have you finished filling it out yet?" my uncle says. "I haven't started it yet. I don't feel like doing paperwork right now." I begin walking back to the waiting room. I need to sit down.

Dhruv and Adriti's parents are seated in the waiting room. They all look awful. I didn't notice before, but Dhruv's arm is in a sling. "You okay?" I ask, nodding in the direction of the sling. "Yeah." I sit down and prop my legs up on the table in front of me and tilt my head against the back of the chair. My uncle and aunt take seats opposite me. Everyone's staring at me.