The Misblown Wind

CHAPTER 3 - The alleviation

(Continuing Past)

I saw Jas lying in the operating room. I wasn't allowed to meet him until the surgery was over. I informed his aunt, Katherine, and impatiently waited outside. Joe, Larry, and Clara managed to show up in no time as soon as I informed them.

It was quick then, the doctor came out finishing the surgery.

"I'm sorry to say. But he lost one of his legs—the right one, to be precise." I couldn't believe what my ears heard.

He further said, "The truck tyres nearly mashed his right leg. Bones crushed into pieces. We tried much, but regrettably we couldn't fix it."

"Take good care of him. He'll need to stay here at least for a week." He left, patting my shoulder.

We never imagined, even in our wildest dreams, that Jas would have to undergo such a horrific phase. We were all shattered into slices. He just coped with his parents' loss. I didn't know how he would make it through this one.

After a while, a nurse came towards us, saying, "He's awake. You can see him now."

"Okay guys. Listen up. I know that by now, Jas would have desperately burst out. I don't want him to break down further by seeing our desolate faces. I want us all to cheer him up. So try to perk up yourselves." Larry's words dumped some sense into our skulls. I wiped my tears off and consoled myself.

As we got in, I saw Jas lying down, watching the closed window pointlessly. Tears rolled down from his eyes perpetually.

As we walked close to him, he twisted his head towards us, sensing our presence. I couldn't put up with his deeply torn eyes.

"Jas?"

"El!" Being broken, he poured himself into my arms. He started weeping like a child, holding me very tightly. I embraced him, not knowing how to console him.

"I was just riding along the sidewalk. And in a sudden flash of a second, I got lost in my thoughts and was riding absentmindedly." Jas paused. 

"It was slippery ahead, and I didn't notice. My bike collapsed in a flash, sliding me down. And a truck following me, unaware of this instant accident, drove over one of my legs. As the pain got into my nerves in a jiff, I swooned swiftly." I could sense the restlessness in his voice. 

"Slow down, Jas. It's okay." I tried to console him.

But he continued, "When I came to consciousness, I sensed the loss of one of my legs." He wiped off the tears and held them back from me. A dead silence prevailed for a while. We were all in absolute lack of words.

"It's really hard to accept. And I don't know how I am going to survive this." His throat choked as he said.

"Jas, have hope. It'll be alright soon. We are with you in this." Larry gave him a warm hug following me.

•••••••

A week later.

Jas got discharged. His aunt stayed with him for a week.

He appointed a maid to look after him as soon as his aunt left. She is an unmarried woman in her thirties. Susan—her name is. She was very appealing, and it wasn't hard to friend-zone her.

Jas appealed for a long sick leave and got it sanctioned from the high school. It wasn't a tough process since Mrs. Elliot helped us with the formal procedures.

After that, I made it my custom to pay a visit to him every morning before going to school.

In his earlier days, he found it hellish to do normal daily tasks. Every time I saw him struggling to walk, I felt very guilty and helpless. I desperately wanted to be his walking stick so that I could hold him tight whenever he was about to slip. Many times, he lost himself in the process of healing. It was hard for us to hold him up.