On any other day, I wouldn't have minded. But today was one of the rare evenings when Madi and I were both scheduled to be free and were off the next morning. That called for celebration, in the only way we knew how to these days: an online movie night. She hadn't replied to my earlier text, but I decided to send her more anyway.
Me: Hey Madi. Hope your tele-clinic is going well. Where do you want to order from tonight?
Me: I am thinking the halal taco place in downtown.
Me: Let me know and I'll order.
With that I got back to putting on my protective gear and was ready to do what I born to do. We examined, tested and treated innumerable patients with respiratory symptoms. We tested for a slew viruses knowing well that over 90% would be COVID positive. It was like all other viruses had accepted defeat and disappeared. A very puzzling phenomenon.
As the day wore on, the sun began its descent towards the horizon, signaling the approach of evening. Glancing at my watch, I realized that it was nearly time for my shift to come to a close.
Finally, it was 4 pm. I texted Madi to let her know that I was going home and was looking forward to seeing her virtually. When she didn't reply in the next 10 minutes I decided to check if she was in the chief residents office. She hadn't replied to my text from this morning either, and while I knew she looked forward to these evenings as much as I did, with her added duties she was also extremely busy. It wouldn't have surprised me if she lost track of the days in the midst her hectic schedule.
She wasn't there in the chiefs office, but her co-chief resident was.
"Hey Lisa, any idea where Madi might be?"
She looked at me curiously. "I assume at home. It hasn't even been three days and she still has pretty significant symptoms."
Suddenly, my throat felt dry, haunted by every patient I had seen in the ER that day, those that I had taken care of in the weeks prior, those that never made it back home.
"She has significant symptoms from what?" I heard myself ask. I knew the answer all too well. These days there was only one reason people had symptoms. Yet, human nature has a peculiar way of clinging to hope, even in the face of the most unmistakable signs.
"Sorry Omar, I thought you knew," Lisa replied slowly. "Madi tested positive for COVID three days ago. Last, I know her O2 sats were hovering in the low 90s."
"When was the last time you spoke to her?"
"Two days ago. She hasn't been replying to my texts or - "
I didn't wait for her to finish that sentence.
*******
"Open the damn door Madi, before I break it down," I yelled in desperation.
I was at Madi's apartment just a few minutes after rushing out of the hospital. Like Lisa, my frantic phone calls to Madi went unanswered. My texts from earlier that day remained unread. I had no choice but to show up to her apartment and bang on the door.
I kept telling myself that she should be fine, she was young and healthy, not the demographic that were at highest risk for severe disease. Yet, my mind kept going to the rare patients that did have severe disease despite being low-risk like her. Neither, could I stop myself from thinking about the dream I had where she disappeared into a COVID+ patient's room.
Were those an ominous sign or just my anxiety? I wondered.
After calling out a couple more times, a weak, hoarse voice finally replied from inside, "Go home, Omar, I am in isolation."
YOU ARE READING
Mending Broken Hearts
Romance#2 in the desi medical romance series He couldn't get over his ex-fiancé who had unceremoniously broken off their engagement just five days before their wedding. She was engaged to a man who did not respect her or her work. Neither were looking for...
26. Isolation
Start from the beginning
