Stay Mine

Chapter 17 - Pony wall

Alan awoke at 4 am the following day. He needed to return to Manipal for his posting. He gently shook Fiza to rouse her, leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips, catching her by surprise before she kissed him back.

"Do you have to go?" she asked, her voice soft with sleep. Alan nodded regretfully, the responsibilities of his training pressing upon him.

"We'll plan to meet again soon, I promise," he assured her, a hint of longing in his eyes. "And for second year, I'll look for an apartment outside campus so you can come whenever you are off. I just need to find a roommate."

Fiza's thoughtful response took shape. "Faisal's looking for a roommate too. You should ask him."

A kiss on her forehead was Alan's response as he prepared to leave, a gesture that conveyed both reassurance and fondness. Fiza settled back into sleep.

The next thing she knew, Faisal was waking her up. "You only requested two days of medical leave. Did you need more?" he asked.

As she sat up, a wave of dizziness washed over her. Realizing she was still unsteady, Faisal immediately checked her blood pressure. The numbers still hovered in the low 90s over 60s.

"Come with me to the hospital. I'll start a saline drip for you. Did you experience heavy bleeding?" he inquired, looking intently into her eyes. His concern felt more personal than just a clinical inquiry.

Fiza felt herself blush slightly as she nodded in response.

Then came another question, "Did you pass a lot of clots?"

Her gaze dropped to her fingers, and again, she nodded, understanding the implication of what it meant. She had lost a significant amount of blood.

"We'll go to the lab and check your hemoglobin," Faisal stated.

Fiza nodded in agreement.

Faisal took her in his car, respecting her privacy and driving her directly to the lab. He skillfully drew her blood and initiated the IV line, setting up the saline drip.

He personally handed her sample to the lab technician, a favor that seemed easy for him to request. Her hemoglobin level turned out to be 9 - low, but not dire enough for a transfusion unless she felt significantly unwell after the IV.

After about an hour, Fiza started to feel better. She expressed her gratitude to Faisal and prepared herself for the upcoming rounds. In an admirable act, Faisal took over her duties for the time being.

During the rounds, Dr. Sundari inquired if she was alright, and Fiza simply stating that she had some gynecological issues, avoiding going into further details. Throughout the day, Faisal closely monitored her well-being, ensuring she was managing her workload and health adequately.

As her work for the day concluded, Faisal addressed her, "Bharti will be back today. You can stay in your hostel tonight, right?"

Fiza nodded, a tinge of embarrassment coloring her cheeks as she recalled the close proximity they had shared a couple of nights ago. "Thank you, sir," she finally spoke, her gaze meeting his. "Thank you for everything." Her words held a deep sense of gratitude and sincerity.

A few days later, Fiza regained her usual self and approached Faisal after their rounds. "Sir, Alan's looking for a roommate too. Do you want to get in touch with him?" she inquired.

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "Are you suggesting that I become roommates with Alan?" Fiza's initial expression turned into a small frown, realizing that her question might be misinterpreted. But then, her frown transformed into a smile. "Yes, I would like that very much. I'll get to see you again when I visit."