chapter 48

Neevan obeyed and walked behind Neville. “What is it Neville? Why did you call me out? ” Neevan enquired, and Neville punched him straight into his eye. “Ouch ! Why the f*c* ? Why did you do this?”Neevan yelled at Neville in pain. Neevan held the punched part of his eye by one hand, it was watery and the punch had made the surrounding of the eye area purple. Neville moved a little closer to Neevan and got near his ear, and whispered to him, “You don't have any rights over Elsa! She is still my wife, we aren't divorced yet! I hope you keep your filthy eyes out of duty. ” Neevan still had the odasity to look up at Neville without any shame. “bro did you pay attention to her details now? You have Elena right? Then why do you pay any attention if I say anything to Elsa? ” Neevan asked with a tint of attitude in his tone. Neville was even more angry. “Neev, just shut up! My reason is simple, and you need to get that, you have no right to look at your brother's wife like that, you are basically instigating me to punch your other eye as well. ” Neville said in an angered tone. “Venessa had an affair, and we agreed to an open marriage! ” Neevan said softly. “After dumping Elsa, I can take her without any regrets! ” Neevan added and smiled with a dirty look on his face. Neville angrily stopped out of his sight and walked towards the operation ward. Neevan walked behind Neville too. It was 3 am. Neville made himself comfortable on a chair,  he was almost feeling sleepy without his hot black coffee. Until the doctor arrived again to inform about Venessa's condition. The sterile scent of antiseptic hung in the air, mingling with the distant beeping of monitors and the low murmur of hospital staff. The fluorescent lights above cast a cold glow over the waiting room, where Else sat rigid on the edge of a vinyl chair, hands clenched tightly in her lap. Beside her, Nancy paced in small, anxious steps, occasionally glancing toward the double doors marked “Intensive Care Unit.”Every minute felt like an hour.The door finally opened with a soft hiss. A doctor emerged — a tall man with tired eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses, his white coat rustling as he walked toward them. A clipboard was tucked under one arm.“Mrs. Elsa? Miss Nancy?” she asked gently, her voice calm but carrying the weight of experience.Elsa stood abruptly, almost losing her balance. “Yes, this is Venessa’s sister in law. Is she... is awake now? Is she okay? Any issues? "The doctor gave a faint, practiced smile and gestured toward a quieter corner. “Let’s talk over here.”They moved to a small consultation alcove, partitioned by a frosted glass screen. The doctor motioned for them to sit. Nancy remained standing, arms folded, her face pale.“I’m Dr. Kavner. I’ve been overseeing Venessa’s case since she was brought in.” She took a moment, scanning their faces, no doubt gauging how much truth they could bear. “She sustained significant trauma from the fall.”Else blinked rapidly. “But she’s alive, right? She’s still alive?”“Yes,” Dr. Kavner said gently. “She’s alive. But she’s in a coma. The impact caused a traumatic brain injury. We believe she fell backwards, striking the back of her head on the edge of the stairs.”Nancy covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Oh my God…”“She lost consciousness almost immediately,” Dr. Kavner continued. “By the time the paramedics arrived, her vitals were unstable. We stabilized her heart rate and performed a CT scan. There’s swelling in her brain, and she has a fractured occipital bone.”Else couldn’t process the words. They blurred into one long, horrible hum in her ears. “What... what does that mean? Will she wake up?”Dr. Kavner’s expression softened. “It’s hard to say. Comas are complex. Right now, Venessa is in what we classify as a Level 4 on the Glasgow Coma Scale — that means she’s unresponsive to verbal commands and doesn’t open her eyes, but she does respond to some physical stimuli.”“So that’s good, right?” Nancy interjected, trying to cling to any hint of hope. “She’s still reacting?”“It is a positive sign, but I need to be honest with you both — we don’t know how long she’ll remain in this state. It could be days. It could be weeks. In some cases, longer.”The words hit Elsa like a punch to the chest. She felt her throat tighten. “But ... She was just… walking down the stairs. How could this happen?”“These types of accidents are more common than you think,” Dr. Kavner replied, his voice low. “A fall like this — from even a few steps — can be catastrophic, depending on the angle and the force. It’s not about how far she fell. It’s about how she landed.”Nancy leaned against the wall, her breath shaky. “She was coming to ask me something to the kitchen.  Something about her new job. She was fine this morning. Laughing.” Nancy said with a breathless tone. “I know,” the doctor said. “And I wish I could offer you certainty, but the next 48 hours will be critical. We’ve placed her in a medically monitored coma to control the swelling and prevent further damage.”Elsa reached out, gripping the doctor’s hand with trembling fingers. “Can we see her?”Dr. Kavner nodded. “Yes. But I want to prepare you — she’s connected to a ventilator and multiple IV lines. There’s bruising and some swelling. It can be difficult to see someone like that.”“I don’t care,” Elsa said. “She’s my sister in law, and I am a doctor too... ” As Elsa blurted these words, Nancy's eyes widened. “You are a doctor? ” “Um  ... No I mean Gale is a herbal doctor, no ventilators and all you know ! Hehe... ” Elsa gave out a nervous smile and walked in with the doctor and Nancy behind her. Nancy straightened, wiping her eyes. “We’re not going anywhere.”The doctor stood with them. “I’ll take you in now, one at a time. Just speak to her. Some studies suggest that coma patients can still hear familiar voices. It may not wake her, but it can help.”As they followed her down the long hallway, the echo of their footsteps against the linoleum floor seemed to amplify the silence. Else felt like she was walking through a fog — each step closer to Venessa’s room was a reminder that this was real. Not a nightmare. Not a bad dream.They paused at the door. The doctor opened it gently. The room inside was filled with quiet hums and beeps. Venessa lay still, pale, her chest rising and falling in rhythm with the machine beside her bed.Else clutched the doorframe, her voice barely a whisper. “Venessa! ” She whispered in harmony. Nancy turned away, shoulders shaking.Dr. Kavner touched Elsa’s arm softly. “She’s in there. Talk to her. Hold her hand. We’ll keep doing everything we can.” “May be her husband Neevan can do it better? “ Elsa asked the doctor nervously. The doctor shook his head, in a yes way, intending on calling Neevan inside too, and with that, he left them in the dim quiet of the room, where the only sound was the steady beat of hope, hanging by the thinnest thread.