The years after Ganny had been rough on both of them. Her mother had been depressed, and the only job she’d been able to get was that of a waitress, which hadn’t brought in much money. Ahana had gotten a job as soon as she’d turned sixteen to help with the household expenses. When Ahana was seventeen, she took the nursing assistant program through her high school and had gotten a decent-paying job at a local nursing home. Ahana enjoyed working with patients and had decided to go into nursing.
Ironically, once she’d headed off to college, her mother had found a new man, one that didn’t hit her or abuse her in any way. He was significantly older, but as long as her mother was happy, she didn’t care. In talking to Aisha in the ER, she’d tried to explain to Aisha that she could do the same.
But after the incident last evening, Ahana could only assume her words had fallen on deaf ears. Well, maybe not completely deaf, as Aisha had tried to call her.
Shaking off her depressing thoughts, Ahana finished her laundry and then settled in for a action movie. Ahana had a secret weakness for the old action movies and watched one after another, staying up as late as possible so she could sleep in before her next night shift.
The next afternoon, her ankle felt even better. Ahana stayed off of it until she needed to get dressed for work. Even then, Ahana wrapped it snuggly for extra support.
Dark storm clouds obscured the sun, streaks of lightening flashing across the sky as Ahana headed to the hospital. Ahana was hurried, trying to beat the rain, making it inside the hospital with mere seconds to spare before the sky opened up and rain pelted the earth.
Ahana grinned at her friend Jeevika. “I thought for sure you’d be off today. Didn’t you work the past two days?”
“Tonight is my last of three shifts in a row, and then I’m off for four glorious days,” Jeevika responded. “Can’t wait!”
Jeevika was lucky to have purchased a townhouse on the lake. She’d gotten a decent price because one side had suffered a kitchen fire. If Ahana had managed to save more money, she might have put in a bid for the place herself. Although Ahana was glad her friend had gotten it. Next year, Ahana silently promised. Next year she’d have enough money for a down payment.
“Are you in the trauma room tonight?” Ahana asked as they made their way over to the desk. Diya was the charge nurse, and she looked harassed as they approached.
“I don’t know,” Jeevika said with a annoyed smile. “Guess we’ll find out.”
“I’m glad you’re both here,” Diya said. “We’re short staffed tonight, so I’ll need both of you to take a team and help cover the trauma room,” Diya instructed. “Ahana, you’re team one, and Jevika, you’re team two. I have Jiya covering team three, and I’ll pitch in as needed.”
Ahana exchanged a wince with Jeevika before nodding. “Okay.”
“This is going to be a long night,” Jeevika muttered as they walked away to their respective teams. “I bet this storm is going to bring a bunch of trauma cases in. We’ll be running for sure.”
“You’re probably right,” Ahana agreed. Too late now to wish she’d gotten a doctor’s excuse. Although to be fair, Ahana was glad she hadn’t called in, otherwise she would have left Diya, and Jiya to handle the ER alone.
For the next three hours, Ahana dealt with a steady stream of patients, and thankfully, only two trauma patients had come in. She’d taken the first one, and Jiya had taken the second
“Tag, you’re it,” Jiya had joked as they passed in the hallway like ships in the night.
“I know, I know,” Ahana muttered. They were to take turns with the traumas unless there were two at the same time, and then Diya would come and assist.
Vikram walked into the ER at quarter to eleven, and Ahana realized he was also assigned the night shift. The doctors worked eight-hour shifts instead of twelve, and she hadn’t really thought about Vikram at all until now.
Memories of their heated kiss made her blush, and Ahana kept her gaze focused on the computer screen as he went over to the main census board.
“Okay, Mr. Kapoor, you’re all set for discharge,” Ahana said, walking into her patient’s room. “Remember you have to follow up with your doctor first thing tomorrow morning, okay?”
“I’ll remember,” the elderly patient said as Vikram stood. Mr.Manik Kapoor had congestive heart failure and often forgot to take his medications, which then caused him to become short of breath. In reading his chart, it sounded like his son wanted him to go to a nursing home, but the older man kept refusing.
“All right, take care, then.” Ahana helped him out to a wheelchair. Rick, one of their techs, came over to escort the patient outside.
“Hi, Ahana, I’m surprised to see you here.” Vikram’s voice broke into her thoughts. “How’s your ankle?”
Ahana took a deep breath before turning to face him. “It’s a lot better, thanks. I have the crutches in my car if you want them back.”
“No rush,” Vikram said with a shrug. The way he stood there with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his lab coat, Ahana sensed there was more Vikram wanted to say, but just then, their trauma pagers went off.
“Car versus pedestrian just off Highway ,” Vikram said out loud as he read his pager. “Victim is a fifty-year-old woman, and her vitals are bad. It doesn’t sound good.”
Her stomach clenched with dread as Ahana read the same message. Aisha was fifty years old and lived near Highway. Granted, that didn’t mean she was the victim. Still, she sent up a quick prayer for Aisha’s safekeeping.
“We should call a chopper, in case she needs to get to Bela Nagar,” Ahana suggested as she followed Vikram into the trauma bay. They were only a level-two trauma center, and if this patient was really bad, they’d need to stabilize her and get her transferred as soon as possible.
“Good idea.”
She’d barely made the call when the ambulance bay burst open revealing a bevy of paramedics surrounding a gurney. The moment Ahana saw the victim; Ahana knew it was Aisha despite the massive amount of blood.
“Fifty-year-old woman with serious head injury, unconscious at the scene. Vitals reflect hypovolemic shock. We have fluids running wide open.”
“Is there another victim?” Vikram asked.
“No, apparently this was a hit and run.”
Ahana concentrated on taking care of Aisha, but deep down, she felt certain Kumar was the one behind the wheel of the car that had hit his wife.
And she suspected he’d intended to kill Aisha.
