Read Online Till the Last Breath . . . by Durjoy Datta - Free Book Online
Authors: Durjoy Datta
Ads: Link
relentlessly any more and had regained some of her strength. She could sit up and read on her own. The sensation in her hands was coming back, though they were still far from being perfect. Her parents were happy they were getting their daughter back.
But things weren’t as rosy as they seemed to be. A month later, Dr Arman asked her father to get her admitted to the hospital. The symptoms had shown relapse in the case of many patients in the clinical trials.
7
GKL Hospital
Three boxes and most of them were books. Pihu had finished packing her life into boxes labelled
‘FRAGILE’
. Her parents were waiting outside, their eyes hollow and devoid of hope. They held hands. Occasionally, a teardrop streaked down their cheeks. For the last two months they had been the happiest they could have ever been. They had watched helplessly as their daughter almost died lying on her bed, and then saw her gain her strength back. Now, they were scared she would go back to her previous condition. The drugs, after the initial promise, had stopped showing combative properties against the disease. As a result, all the symptoms were back in the case of a large chunk of clinical-trial patients in New Delhi. Dr Arman had asked them to admit Pihu into the hospital too.
‘Let’s go?’ Pihu said and held out her hand. Her mom held it with both her hands and caressed it. She could see the pain in her mother’s eyes and false hope in her dad’s. They got into the car they had hired to take them to Delhi. Her father had taken a transfer to Delhi. His boss, for the first time, was sympathetic.
The taxi reached Delhi at eight in the morning. They went straight to the hospital instead of the apartment they had rented. Dr Arman had scheduled some tests for her. By mid-afternoon, they were done. She also selected a room which she would move into later that night. Her parents wanted her days in the hospital to be comfortable, but she still chose a double-bed room.
‘Beta, why don’t you take a single room? It will be much more comfortable,’ her mom suggested.
‘Mom, I don’t need a single room. Plus, it’s very expensive, Maa.’
‘As if …’
Her mom broke down and Pihu wrapped her arms around her. She kept weeping and mumbling in sobs till the time they reached home. The taxi driver unloaded the boxes and carried them to the apartment. He was instructed to keep the boxes near the door itself. Her dad went back with the driver to get some food and check in with the hospital about the arrangements.
Pihu felt bad for her dad. Not a single teardrop had escaped his eyes. He knew it would make his wife feel worse. But Pihu had noticed every time her father tried to look away from her. He did his best not to make any eye contact with her, to stem the barrage of overwhelming feelings he had held back behind those stoic eyes. At times, she would think that it would’ve been better if she had just died the first time around. She hated the false hope the experimental drugs had momentarily generated.
‘Dad’s not talking to me,’ Pihu said as her mother laid down lunch. ‘I am not going to be here for long, I think he should.’ Her mom’s mouth went dry and the colour drained from her face. Seeing that, Pihu apologized, ‘I am sorry. I won’t say that.’
Sometimes, she felt suffocated. She wanted to crib and cry and shout at how unfair it was. But she couldn’t, becauseit wasn’t just she who was suffering. Her suffering would end with her last breath while her parents’ would just start.
‘I have cooked everything you like,’ her mom said.
‘I can see that.’ She giggled and loaded her plate till it almost tipped over. She didn’t know if she would be able to eat solid food again. They smiled at each other.
‘Your dad was saying that the doctor might try some new treatment on you? Do you think the new treatment will help? Has anyone been cured? How many patients have shown signs of relapse?’ her mom asked as she
But things weren’t as rosy as they seemed to be. A month later, Dr Arman asked her father to get her admitted to the hospital. The symptoms had shown relapse in the case of many patients in the clinical trials.
7
GKL Hospital
Three boxes and most of them were books. Pihu had finished packing her life into boxes labelled
‘FRAGILE’
. Her parents were waiting outside, their eyes hollow and devoid of hope. They held hands. Occasionally, a teardrop streaked down their cheeks. For the last two months they had been the happiest they could have ever been. They had watched helplessly as their daughter almost died lying on her bed, and then saw her gain her strength back. Now, they were scared she would go back to her previous condition. The drugs, after the initial promise, had stopped showing combative properties against the disease. As a result, all the symptoms were back in the case of a large chunk of clinical-trial patients in New Delhi. Dr Arman had asked them to admit Pihu into the hospital too.
‘Let’s go?’ Pihu said and held out her hand. Her mom held it with both her hands and caressed it. She could see the pain in her mother’s eyes and false hope in her dad’s. They got into the car they had hired to take them to Delhi. Her father had taken a transfer to Delhi. His boss, for the first time, was sympathetic.
The taxi reached Delhi at eight in the morning. They went straight to the hospital instead of the apartment they had rented. Dr Arman had scheduled some tests for her. By mid-afternoon, they were done. She also selected a room which she would move into later that night. Her parents wanted her days in the hospital to be comfortable, but she still chose a double-bed room.
‘Beta, why don’t you take a single room? It will be much more comfortable,’ her mom suggested.
‘Mom, I don’t need a single room. Plus, it’s very expensive, Maa.’
‘As if …’
Her mom broke down and Pihu wrapped her arms around her. She kept weeping and mumbling in sobs till the time they reached home. The taxi driver unloaded the boxes and carried them to the apartment. He was instructed to keep the boxes near the door itself. Her dad went back with the driver to get some food and check in with the hospital about the arrangements.
Pihu felt bad for her dad. Not a single teardrop had escaped his eyes. He knew it would make his wife feel worse. But Pihu had noticed every time her father tried to look away from her. He did his best not to make any eye contact with her, to stem the barrage of overwhelming feelings he had held back behind those stoic eyes. At times, she would think that it would’ve been better if she had just died the first time around. She hated the false hope the experimental drugs had momentarily generated.
‘Dad’s not talking to me,’ Pihu said as her mother laid down lunch. ‘I am not going to be here for long, I think he should.’ Her mom’s mouth went dry and the colour drained from her face. Seeing that, Pihu apologized, ‘I am sorry. I won’t say that.’
Sometimes, she felt suffocated. She wanted to crib and cry and shout at how unfair it was. But she couldn’t, becauseit wasn’t just she who was suffering. Her suffering would end with her last breath while her parents’ would just start.
‘I have cooked everything you like,’ her mom said.
‘I can see that.’ She giggled and loaded her plate till it almost tipped over. She didn’t know if she would be able to eat solid food again. They smiled at each other.
‘Your dad was saying that the doctor might try some new treatment on you? Do you think the new treatment will help? Has anyone been cured? How many patients have shown signs of relapse?’ her mom asked as she
Similar Books
