3:00 a.m. Friday
Mary: Pick up..pick up daughter….(crying, stuttering)
Ashley: (in sleepy voice) Mom, why did you call me in the middle of night? All good? …
Mary: Ash, (crying..indistinct disturbances-)
Someone: Mr. Williams Christ's family? Mr. WILLIAMS' family..Mr. ..
Mary: (pulls her face away from the phone) Here, I'm his wife, Mrs. Mary Christ. Where is he??? What happened to him?
Ashley: (hears the conversation and slightly panics, ..) Where are you? Who is that?? Did something happen???
Mary was a bit too pre-occupied with the hustles to reply to her questions.
Someone: He is currently undergoing emergency treatment. Please wait near (unclear…cracking voice)
Mary: Daughter, please come here fast. I am at *********. (sobbing)
Ashley: What's wrong, Ma? Mom?? Mom??? (the line disconnects)
Mary: Williams, what in the world happened?? (shivering and scared, praying to the God)
Nurse: (exits the ER) Are you Mrs. Mary?
Mary: Yes. How is my husband? What happened to him?
Ashley drops a message in her group with Hazel and Lucas, to inform them about her father being admitted to the hospital. She takes her car keys, wears a jacket and rushes to the hospital. On reaching,..
Ashley: Nurse, where is Mr. Williams being treated?
Nurse: 3rd floor, ER-1.
Ashley: Thank you. (running, almost crashing into the people in her way, apologizing) Excuse me, Sorry. Ma, Ma. What happened to him? Don't do that. Tell me mom. (another nurse comes out and carries a few bloody surgical gauzes) Nurse, (In background, Mrs. Christ: Oh my god-on seeing the blood) Nurse, I'm his daughter. What happened?
Nurse: His condition is not very good. It's very crucial moment for him right now. The car accident seemed brutal. His life is yet in danger. We'll try our best. Please, do not lose hope.
Ashley: (falls to the ground, crying hard..) Pa, Ma, what is this? Oh sh*t, Lord. Save him, please.
Mary: (pulls her up on the seat and hugs her tightly, holding hands) Ash, be strong. (ends up crying…and faints)
Ashley: Mom, Mom..(heavy unclear voices in Mary's head) Mom, wake up. Nurse. Nurse, help.
Ashley, shocked and worried, calls Noah.
Noah: Hey, what's up so late at night? Thirsty huh??
Ashley: (cries..-) Noah, my Dad is in ER and my Mom is in general ward. What should I do?? (holding her head, driving her hand through her hair in tension, stomping her feet in helplessness)
Noah: Calm down Ash. I'll come over right now. My mom's friend is a doctor in that hospital, he might help us too.
Ashley: Thank you, hurry up please, take care, I don't wanna lose anyone. I can't…
Noah: Don't worry. And till I come, stay with Mr. Christ. His condition is serious.
Ashley cuts the call and runs over to her dad. Sitting on the bench, waiting for the doctor to come out and tell her about the situation. She had bawled their eyes out and was covered in sweat. She ran in 10 minutes intervals from her mom's bed to the ER till Noah arrived. She was so lost in her thoughts, scared of losing her loved ones.
Noah: (calls out to her from a distance) Ash, Ashley.
but she doesn't respond till he runs over to her and hugs her.
Ashley breaks down I tears. Noah hugs her tightly, letting his warmth give her the promise of safety rather than using his words. Noah pats her on the head and pulls her face up, wiping her tears.
Noah: Ash, you can't have a panic attack right now. You aught to be strong. Take deep breaths, darling. I'm here for you…always. What you're feeling is real, and it's okay to be scared. This will pass. I'm staying right here. (sits down beside her till she calms down)
Noah: Feeling better? Should I stay here? You should go to your mother.
Ashley: Call me as soon as doctor comes out. (Noah nods and kisses her on the head before she leaves.)
Noah: Mr. Liam, It's me. Mrs. Hollice's son, Noah. Uhmm…I actually need a favour. It's a bit urgent. I'm at your hospital, ER-1. My..
Mr. Liam (senior doctor, Director of the Emergency Dept.): Hello Noah. I know you. Are you alright?
Noah: Yes, sir. It's for my girlfriend. Her father is going under an operation right now. I would like to know what exactly happened and if you could help in his treatment. Please, Mr. Liam.
Mr. Liam: No need to say please, son. You can come over to my office. I'll tell you about it. His treatment would…Urghmm, it would take 2-3 hours more.
Noah: Yes sir. I will get some food for my girlfriend and her mom and then come over. I hope that's fine. I'm sorry for taking up your time. Thanks a lot for your help, Doctor.
Mr. Liam: Oh, you don't need to be so formal. Just call me "Uncle". I'll wait for you to come here. I would suggest, don't come along with your girlfriend, his situation isn't very nice right now. We need them to believe that these tragedies will pass soon.
Noah: I'll try, sir. No, Uncle.
He rushes to the cafeteria to buy something for Ashley and her Mom to eat. Then he rushes to her mom's bed in the general ward.
Noah: Ash, Oh, Hello Ma'am. This is for you both to eat. Please have it before it gets cold. You need energy to take care of Mr. Williams.
Ashley: Noah, you can't leave him alone..(gets up to leave, pulled by him)
Noah: Don't worry. Sit here. Let your mother's IV-drip be done, then you can go there again. I've called my Mom's friend. He's the Director of the ER dept. He is going to help us. I have to go to him right now. He told me that the operation might take and hour or two more.
Ashley: Is his situation extremely…like…really very bad? What should we do now Mom?
Noah: (bit frustrated, trying to calm her faster) ASHLEY, stop it! Keep your faith in your Father. He is fighting till the end. If he isn't surrendering, how can y'all be so weak? You are stronger than you think. You are not alone.
Mary: Mr. Noah. Thanks a lot for your help. We are too tensed right now to express our gratitude. You've done a lot for us. (bowing to express her respect) Thank you, Mr. Noah.
Noah: No no, Mrs. Mary. I had to do this. Please don't do that. It's my pleasure to be of some help to you at times like this.
Ashley: Sorry Noah. Can I come with you to his office?
Noah: No, take care of Ma'am and go to the waiting in ER-1. I'll handle it.
Mary: Thank you, Mr. Noah.
They have breakfast and Mr. Liam tells Noah that a drunk-and-run truck driver crashed into Mr. William's car. So, the situation was indeed a bit dangerous, but there were 20% chances that Mr. Willams would be out of danger soon. Noah thanks him for the information, contemplating whether or not to tell about this to Ashley.
Noah: (…..) This is what Mr. Liam told me. (Ashley was about to fall when he holds her and makes her sit on the bench) Ma'am, don't worry. The specialist doctors are working to save him. He'll be fine.
Mary: Ashley, please don't cry. You have me too.
Ashley: Mom….He'll be fine. Don't worry. Doctor, doctor. Please, what is going on?
Doctor: Please sit down and wait till we bring him out. He's currently out of danger. Your prayers were answered. It was no less than a miracle, surviving a truck attack.
Mary: Thanks a lot, doctor. (hugging Ashley, then Noah)
After a while, Mr. Christ is transferred to the ICU. Soon, he wakes up. Doctor tells that they had to keep him in the ICU, under observations for 8 days more.
Ashley: Mom, you go to my home. Noah, please take her there. I'll stay here with Dad.
Noah: No, you go home. Take the cab, don't drive. Get fresh, eat something and bring soe belongings and fruits for Mr. Williams.
Mary: He's right, sweetheart. Let's go.
They go to her home, have a bath, rest for some time, cook food for Noah and buy some fruits for Mr. Williams. Then, they go to the hospital again. Noah eats food, goes home through his car, has a bath and comes to the hospital again.
Mary: Child, have some rest. You've been awake all night, running here and there, taking care of us and Ash's Dad. You can't fall sick because of us, dear.
Noah: I'm fine Ma'am.
Mary: (when Ashley had gone away to inform her office about her long leave and call Lucas to tell him about what had happened,..) By the way, what's up? Who are you to my daughter? Her boss?
Noah: No no, I'm her boy…No, I mean, friend.
Mary: Not boyfriend?
Ashley: No mom. Stop pairing me with anyone and everyone. Noah, call your office to notify them about your day off. You can go if you have something urgent to do, there's no use 3 of us staying here all day. We can take care of Pa.
Noah: You sure? Tell me if you need something, immediately. Don't you dare hesitate.
Ashley: Ok. Bye, take care.
Noah: I'll visit him daily. Tell me when he wakes up. I'll met Mr. Liam before leaving.
Mary: Bye, Noah.
Noah: Good bye ma'am. Please take care of your health.