The Royal Signature

Chapter 8

When Ashwin regained consciousness, he couldn't remember where he was for a few minutes. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at a white ceiling with dimmed white lights. He heard a constant beeping sound from behind him. He lay on a soft bed, staring up at the ceiling for several minutes when he finally remembered what had happened to him. He turned his head to left side to see the place where the bullet had pierced his body and immediately regretted it. He felt his head spin as he moved it and groaned as a sharp pain ripped through his left arm. It was immobilised and placed in a brace.

Someone walked up to him and asked him to lay back facing upwards. It was a nurse, and she smiled broadly seeing Ashwin regain consciousness. She did a quick check of all his vitals, finding them normal, she rushed out of the room and came back in with a doctor.

Behind the doctor was a medium height fair woman whose eyes told him that she had been crying and sleepless for several days. She looked exceedingly young for her age. It was Ashwin's mother. He involuntarily smiled and tears filled his eyes upon seeing her. She pushed past the doctor and nurse and hugged him tightly. Although he felt groggy and uncomfortable making such sudden movements, there was an inexplicable sense of calm and peace he felt in his mother's arms. After a few long seconds, the nurse pulled her away from him.
"He needs to rest, ma'am."

"It's good to see you awake Mr. Ashwin Acharya.", the doctor told him, also smiling broadly. He was a young man with a burnished skin and thick rimmed glasses. Ashwin wanted to respond but found it difficult to speak.

"Do not attempt to talk if you can't, I understand it is difficult. Your mother has been told the complete truth about what happened to you by Sanjay. You have no explanation to give.
"We will provide you with some nutrition and medicines and you should be in a position to meet people in the morning. It is 8.25 pm right now. I shall inform LOCI that you have regained consciousness, everyone there have been worrying sick about you for the past 3 days."

3 days!? I was unconscious for that long? How? What had happened to me?, Ashwin wondered. The moment he got shot felt like two minutes ago.

Seeing the confused look on his face, the doctor answered, "You had suffered a bullet wound to your collar bone and immediately underwent surgery in a military hospital in Gramyll, but,the anaesthesia used by the doctor there had excessive impact on your body. Your body reacted in an abnormal manner although the type and amount the dose given were normal.
The exact reason is unknown as of now but the anaesthesia that was supposed to wear out in a few hours kept you unconscious for several days. You were at that militarily hospital for a full 24 hours and still hadn't regained consciousness. Your vitals were all normal and the surgery was successful but you weren't conscious.
The doctors there became concerned that it could be fatal if this continued longer and contacted the top anaesthesiologist in the country, Dr. Suman, here in Dilip Memorial Hospital, Merrowall. She suggested that you be sent here ASAP. She worked on you for hours on end for two days straight and did extensive research into your habits, past medical records and your general body composition to find out why this happened and how it can be corrected and gave us anaesthesiology residents a rough time in the process."

I was shot, underwent surgery, flew to another corner of the country all without realizing it?
Damn.

"We still do not know the former but the latter seems to have worked. I shall give her the good news now and nurse Asha shall take care of you."

They both smiled again and walked out of the room. Ashwin was left alone with his mother. He soon regained the ability of basic speech. She seemed to have recovered from the shock of seeing him alive and was finally able to speak.

"I...I am so gl....glad you are fine, Ash.", his mom told him between sobs. "You have no idea how worried I was in the past few days."
"I always tell you", Ashwin replied, "my job is such that my life is always at risk. If you keep worrying that I am not safe, you will always be worried for the rest of your life. Besides, like I said my job nowadays is mostly off the field."
"You won't understand a mother's concern and I do not expect you to. You have no family of your own, therefore you have no idea what goes on in a parent's, especially in a mother's mind."
"Alright....alright..." Ashwin said in a joking manner, "You win as usual. You have the right to worry about me."
"It's not a joke!!", she said in frustration, "We lost your father in the same way. I can't stand it if the same were to happen.....", her voice trailed off as she did not want to finish the sentence.
"I will only say this", she said after sobbing for a few seconds, "There are no words to describe how proud your father would have been of you. I will leave you to rest now.", she said and walked out.