0°Celsius: Chapter 20

Broken Angel

Somewhere in New York city

‘You think there is any chance doctor?’

Asked the nurse while looking at the clipboard in her hands.

‘I can’t say but she is surely not our responsibility…..no one claimed to know her….we are only left with the last option..’

The nurse looked up at the doctor, a little bit surprised at his answer.

‘But doctor how….how …can we…I mean she is on high dose right now…if we stop it….the results could be severe…’

‘I understand your worries Melissa but can’t you see the long line of patients dying to get a bed in here….look outside the door…there are patients who will die if they are not treated right now….she can still survive without the medicines but they won’t….’

‘Right sir….I’ll get the bed cleared as soon as possible….’

The doctor nodded while looking at the girl lying on the bed in the emergency room.

She was found fainted on the roadside by someone.

They tried contacting anyone who knows her but couldn’t find anyone.

He pitied her but couldn’t do much.

Rules were rules after all.

Her problem was a complex case.

A very rare one and that also at this age.

He just hoped she could fight on.

He felt like he needed to give it a last try…a try for her sanity.

‘Nurse!!’

‘Yes doctor!!’

‘Have you contacted every contact in her phone number?’

‘.sir there were only 3 contacts 2 were switched off and one didn’t respond…’

‘When did you contacted them last..?’

‘Few minutes back sir…no one answered the call….’

‘Find me the name of the person in whose name that number is registered….and try finding any other contact number of that person….do it quick….’

‘Yes Sir’

Alessandro’s POV

I was crossing all speed limits.

I was seeing red.

I just wanted that Neil at any cost.

My phone vibrated at the dashboard.

Seeing an unknown number I decided to ignore it.

But it again started ringing and I again ignored it ..then I saw that I had 7 missed calls from this number only.

Who is this crazy person now!!

It again rang and this time I picked it up.

‘Hello….’

‘Hello Sir I am talking from lifeline hospital….do you happen to know this number from which I am calling…..’

‘How am I bloody supposed to know who this is….you should know who you are calling and that also at this hour….!’

‘I am.really sorry for disturbing you sir but please cooperate…this is a very urgent matter….’

‘I am telling you I don’t know this number…’

I spoke irritated eager to end this call

‘See I am busy right now -‘

‘Sir please don’t hang the call….you are the only contact that is available on the patient’s phone….you must know -‘

‘My number is saved with what name in the patient’s contact list?’

I asked

‘Andro Sir’

As those words left her lips my foot jerked on the breaks.

The car came to a screeching halt as my heart literally came out of my ribs.

My body froze all of a sudden and I couldn’t listen to what she was saying.

My mind went blank after listening my own name…

Only she called me Andro..

Not even a single soul other than her called me Andro…

‘…Is the patient…..the patient…you…are …talking about a …young girl….with black hair ….fair skin….-‘

‘Yes Sir she has black hair….she is too thin …and was found by someone 2 days back….we can’t keep her in the emergency room and give her treatment for long if no one claims her identity….do you happen to know her..?’

‘Don’t you dare touch her !! I am coming!! If anything happens to her I swear I will kill you all!! Don’t you dare stop the treatment…I am coming right away…..’

‘Okay sir…’

I reversed my car and headed towards the hospital with the Nurse still on Bluetooth call with me.

‘What…What happened to her….is ….she fine….?’

I asked scared of knowing the truth.

‘We can’t tell you on phone sir….doctor will meet you and inform you in person…but yes as of now she is stable because of the medicines. She is on anaesthesia right now….’

‘I am coming…..’

With this I cancelled the call and concentrated on the road while my mind was giving me all worst case scenario…but the girl said she is fine….

I never felt like this before.

I felt like I was dying..

My heart was betraying my body and was throbbing madly in my chest…

My stomach was bowling with fear and dread.

And my eyes were fighting to control the tears that have never escaped my eyes since the day I threw her out of my house 2 years back.

I didn’t even had Sapphire’s number saved in my phone…

That’s how much I thought I cared about her.

But how wrong was I.

This beating in my chest proves me all wrong.

She no doubt was the only one who mattered the most to me.

I care for her more than myself.

I was lying to myself all these years that I hated her when I never stopped loving her.

I love you Sapphire….always did and always will..

The hospital came in my view and I rushed inside .

The emergency room itself was enough to sink my heart at its bottom.

Patient everywhere

Struggling for survival every second.

I randomly searched at each stall pulling open the curtains and apologizing.

But then I saw her…

Her face had calmness.

A calmness that created a chaos in my heart.

Afraid of the reason and her lack of action.

Her dark long hair were all sprawled on the pillow as her eyes were closed in darkness.

My body crashed a few chairs and tables around as I made my way towards her.

My hands automatically engulfed her tiny hands in mine.

The tubes on her hands and arms made me kiss her hands till I could taste the saltness of my own tears.

Finally I decided to look at her face.

Her cheek bones were more than evident to be considered beautiful and her eyes looked like shallow hollows.

Her lips were blue and chipped in contrast to her generally pump pink ones and I desperately wanted to sync mine with her to take away all their coldness.

The monitor placed next to her showed her steady heartbeat and that’s when my heart beat decided to come to the same pace at hers.

But why was she sleeping then.

..I checked her body for any injuries but couldn’t find any.

What actually did happen to her?

That’s when the Doctor arrives.

‘Are you family..?’

He asked directly

‘No….but…she doesn’t has a family…’

‘So who are you to her..’

Who am I to her…a bad friend ..a horrible person and the worst lover…

‘I was her fiancé…I mean I am her ex fiancé…’

‘Please follow me Mr Alessandro…I’ll like to talk in private….’

We entered the doctors room and he asked me to sit.

‘She is stable right now…but she won’t be for much longer…as soon as the effect of the medicines reduces…..she won’t act normal…’

‘What do you mean ..just tell me clearly?’

‘Mr. Alessandro….she has schizophrenia….her mental state is very sensitive….her anxiety attacks and depression have boosted her problem….she is in it’s acute stage…. it’s not that it can’t be treated….it can but hers is a different case…..’

I couldn’t ask more….this information was too devastating to digest….

Her anxiety attack have brought her here…

Here when she lost her sanity…

No this can be…

She was fine just few days back..

It’s all because of me….if I had been with her nothing would have happened.

I left her after getting her addicted to me.

I did this to her….

I killed my Saph……

‘…Saph….will Saph become normal….ever…’

‘I can’t say Sir but you need to shift her to some other hospital…we can’t treat her problem….we are sorry…’

‘Can…Can I take…her home..?’

‘Sir Alessandro if you wish you can get her treated at your place by arranging everything there…but you need to be careful…generally a patient with such a acute problem is kept isolated…she is no longer the person she used to be….she can be destructive to others and herself as well……’

‘I said her’s is a rare case because her body is being resistant to the medicine we gave her earlier….we gave her the maximum dose only then did her body responded….I don’t want to keep you in dark Mr Alessandro but her chances of revival are very grim….instead lack of response to medicines can be fatal as well….we just hope she recovers…’

Each and every word he spoke made me die from inside.

I couldn’t respond … couldn’t speak anymore…

I just quietly made my way out of the room and sat on the chairs outside with my head in my hand.

I wish I was there in place of her..

Haven’t she suffered enough in her small life of 25 years..

She didn’t deserved this…

I did….

Then why her…

Why am I sitting here and there she is fighting with her own monsters.

But little did I knew that this was my punishment not hers.

It will burn me….freeze me…again burn me ….again freeze me….will continue till ever part of my soul has evaporated and every emotion in me has cracked to pieces.

It will continue till Alessandro Romano’s frozen heart has burned in it’s own inferno of guilt to light the spark of lost love.

And it will finally be at zero degree Celsius.

At the state it was originally meant to be .