"Reyhan," a voice calls to her. When she doesn't answer, she feels a tap on her arm to get her attention. "Reyhan. Sweetheart, it's been about 3 hours. You need to eat something."
She turns to stare unblinking at Kemal. He's holding out a sandwich and she can't for the life of her figure out what he wants her to do with it.
"Eat. Please. For the babies."
She continues to stare at him, at the sandwich. But she eventually just turns her gaze back to the doors leading to the surgery where Emir is right now. She finally blinks when tears fill her eyes at the thought of her husband.
"Emir," she tearfully says in a raspy voice that's been long cried away. She didn't think she had any more tears left, but apparently she was wrong.
Kemal puts an arm around her and tries to comfort her. But there's too much fear and worry for her to be truly comforted. She won't feel better until she can see Emir with her own eyes.
"The surgeons are working hard to save him," Kemal reminds her. "And don't forget. Narin is in there too. She's not going to let you down."
Reyhan has to admit that was a surprise. Narin. A doctor. A surgeon no less. Reyhan has so many questions, but they can wait. Thanks to her friend, Emir is alive. The doctors say that her quick and immediate action as soon as he was shot saved his life. The EMTs that transported Emir praised Narin's skills so much that the surgeon gladly allowed her into the operating room. And Kemal is right. Having her in there with Emir is a comfort. She just has to trust her best friend.
"Okay," she nods, letting out a deep breath. "You're right. Narin is in there. Narin won't let anything happen to him."
There's nothing any of them can do now except wait on the doctors to finish their work. And pray.
"Did you know?" she asks Kemal, trying to keep her mind off of her worry.
"About her being a doctor? I had no idea," he laughs. "I mean, I knew she had secrets and I was starting to get kind of suspicious about what those secrets were. I didn't know, but thinking back, it somehow doesn't surprise me. It kind of makes sense."
"It does, doesn't it?" Reyhan smiles. "I knew our Narin was an amazing person. So yeah, this does actually make sense. It's such a miracle how God puts the right people in our lives at the right time. I don't know what I'd do right now without her."
"She is amazing," he agrees, a slight blush coming to his cheeks.
Reyhan can't help but smile at him. Such a quiet, stoic man. But she can see how Narin has touched his heart. It makes her happy that her friend has the possibility of the same kind of happiness as she's found with Emir.
She's still smiling and absentmindedly rubbing her belly when her mood is suddenly ruined by the arrival of the last person she wants to see right now.
"How dare you sit here laughing after nearly getting my son killed," Cavidan screeches. She stops in front of Reyhan's chair and grabs her hair, trying to yank her from her seat.
"Cavidan, enough!" Kemal barks, getting in between Cavidan and Reyhan and pushing the older woman away. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought they had admitted you for observation."
Cavidan had been knocked unconscious when Emir pushed her out of the line of fire. She had been taken to the hospital in a second ambulance. A few other people from the gala had also sustained minor injuries from the panic that ensued after the shooting started.
"Once she woke up and realized Emir was shot and in surgery, she insisted on coming up here," Suna explains. "How is Emir doing? Any change from the last update?"
"He's still in surgery," Reyhan says, scowling at Cavidan. The woman has some nerve, coming here and accusing her of almost getting Emir killed.
"Narin is in there with the team. She'll let us know what's going on," Kemal adds.
"Narin? Your little nothing wife?" Cavidan screams again. "Who let that woman into the operating room. I will ruin you, Kemal, if your wife kills my son!"
"Anne, calm down. Narin abla is a doctor," Suna says. "She saved my brother's life. Stop making a scene. You promised me you wouldn't start trouble once we got here."
"I can't be here with her." Cavidan waves a dismissive hand at Reyhan. "I can't even stand looking at her. My son wouldn't have been in the line of fire if she hadn't insisted on that stupid gala."
Reyhan closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, stung by Cavidan's accusation. But she refuses to get into it with her mother in law. Not here. Not now. Emir needs all of her energy. Her babies need her. She can't let Cavidan stress her.
"Cavidan hanim, please. You're upset. We're all upset," Reyhan pleads. "Let's just all calm down."
"And now she's telling me what to do," Cavidan huffs, getting more and more worked up.
Fortunately Zafer arrives and steps in between Cavidan and Reyhan. Yonca is with him. The two had been leading the blood donation efforts. Nearly half of the gala attendees have donated blood so far. Of course not all will be compatible with Emir. But it makes Reyhan's heart feel good to know that so many people wanted to help. And that so many other people in the future will be helped by the increased blood supply.
"Cavidan teyze. What's going on here?" he says, trying to calm her. Then he turns to Reyhan. "Are you alright?"
Reyhan just shakes her head. She feels more tears coming and has to get out of there.
"Help me up, please," she says quietly to Zafer.
He grabs one arm and Yonca grabs the other one and they lead her down the hall towards the rest rooms. When they turn the corner, she finally gives in and leans against the wall, hand going to her protesting belly.
"Reyhan?" Yonca asks, startled at the woman's actions. "Are you okay?"
"Of course I'm not okay, Yonca," Reyhan cries. "I'm not at all okay."
She turns her hurt, penetrating gaze on the other woman and lets her have it.
"Your friend has made sure I'm not okay. I may not ever be okay again. My children may not ever meet their father. All because your friend Cemre has decided if she can't have Emir then no one can."
"What do you mean?" Yonca asks, but she can't meet Reyhan's eyes.
"Now you act like you don't know what's going on. Typical." Reyhan shakes her head and continues to rub her belly. She closes her eyes and leans her head back against the wall, taking deep, soothing breaths.
"I'm going to go get a doctor," Zafer says, worry in his voice.
"I said I'm fine," Reyhan insists. She pins her gaze on Yonca again.
"You still have no idea what's going on?"
Tears fill Yonca's eyes and she looks away, the guilt too much to bear.
"I didn't think she would go this far," Yonca admits. "Did she really do this?"
"I think you know the answer to that," Zafer says. "I think you alone know how far Cemre is willing to go. I think you alone know all she's already done, things you've helped her with."
"I have never helped her!" Yonca insists. "And I would never help her hurt Emir. He's my friend too. Zafer you know that. You know me. We all grew up together."
"You've been a silent accomplice," Reyhan accuses her. "That time she set Emir up to look like he was cheating on me? Ask yourself ... what did you have to do with that? The time she set our cabin on fire while we were inside sleeping?"
"I didn't know about that until after the fact," Yonca jumps in. "I swear!"
"And yet you said nothing," Zafer points out. "Every time you've kept quiet and didn't tell us anything, every time you told Cemre something she didn't need to know ... that is how you've been helping her. That is why Emir is in that operating room fighting for his life, Yonca. That is how you've betrayed him."
"I didn't know," Yonca says again.
"Now you do," Reyhan sighs. "And what you do from now on will show us how much you care about Emir. Or about our children. You can help now. Or you can continue to keep silent."
With that, Reyhan turns and leaves them there. Just like with Cavidan, she can't afford to waste precious energy on anyone else. She's running on empty and doesn't have much left.
"Hang on, babies," she whispers to her stomach. Then she closes her eyes and utters a silent plea. "Hang on, Emir."
They're going to get through this together. She has to believe that.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The detective stares through the glass of the interrogation room at the woman sitting inside. The woman has it all. Looks. Money. Influence. She could have whatever she wants. Except for Emir Tarhun, apparently. She hasn't said much of anything yet. But the detective is trying to figure out how to approach her. Looking at her, it's hard to see a woman desperate enough to do the actions he knows she's done. The key is getting her to confess to them. None of the evidence he has would be admissible in court, only hearsay and a video recorded without permission of the homeowner. And he imagines she has enough money to hire a fleet of lawyers to handle any potential charges. But for whatever reasons, she hasn't called any of them yet.
"What's going on in that head of yours, Cemre Saygin?" he wonders aloud.
He gives her one last considering glance before finally going into the room to talk to her.
"Why am I here?' she snaps at him before he can even take his seat. "Why have I been here all this time?"
"You attended a gala this evening," the detective starts. "An incident occurred and we're just trying to get statements from as many people as possible."
"Incident?" she asks, putting on an innocent look. But the detective can see the triumph in her eyes. "What happened?"
"A shooting," he explains.
"Oh dear," Cemre says. "I certainly hope everything is okay."
It is then the detective realizes he's staring right at evil personified. The only visible reaction she's having to his news is excitement. Glee, almost. The detective tries a long shot, to see if he can shake her up a little.
"Unfortunately, no. The victim didn't make it. My condolences. I believe you were good friends with Emir Tarhun."
He's spoken with Kemal and knows Emir is still in surgery. But Cemre doesn't seem to know that. He can use that fact for now.
"What does he have to do with anything?" Cemre asks, genuinely confused. "I thought his mother was shot?"
And there it is. A break in her story.
"How would you know? You said you didn't hear about the incident."
A moment of panic in her eyes before she recovers.
"I've been here so long. I must have heard someone talking about it," she explains, clearly making up lies as she goes along. "But I've just heard bits and pieces. Maybe you can explain it all. What's this about Emir?"
"At approximately 10:17 last night, a gunman opened fire at the gala. We believe his target was Cavidan Tarhun. But we were tipped off ahead of time and Emir managed to push his mother out of the way, taking the bullet instead."
That bit of news gets a reaction out of her. When the police caught up with her, she had just arrived at home. So it seems she left the gala before all the excitement. If what Talaz says is true, she must have given the orders to her shooter and left to avoid any possible connection being made to her.
"What? Emir was shot? Where is he? How is he? I have to go to him."
She gets up and runs to the door.
"You're not going anywhere until you talk to me," the detective says, grabbing her when she tries to leave. He leads her back to her seat and begins the interrogation again.
"Where is Emir?" she screams. "What happened?"
"He was shot," the detective repeats. "I told you before. My condolences."
"He's dead? He can't be. That wasn't how it was supposed to happen!"
Finally she's shaken. The detective uses this opportunity to keep her off balance and see what else she'll say.
"We have your shooter," the detective lies again. Well, not exactly a lie. They have him in the morgue. He was shot and killed on the scene. But Cemre doesn't know that. "He said that's exactly what you paid him to do."
"He's lying! I would never hurt Emir! Emir and I are supposed to be together," she cries. "I would never hurt him."
"Then tell me what happened," the detective says kindly. "Help me put this shooter where he belongs. Help me make him pay for taking Emir away from you."
That is apparently what Cemre needed to hear. She confesses all. Everything she did. Everything Cavidan did. Everything Talaz did. No secret is left untold. Only when she's placed in handcuffs does she begin to realize what's happening.
"I'm going to jail now?" she asks, her voice a hollow, distant, disconnected tone that actually begins to concern the detective.
"Yes," he answers her honestly.
But she won't be going alone. They already have Talaz in custody. It's time now to round out this unholy trifecta and make sure they all pay for what they've done.
"Listen up and don't ask any questions," he says to the person he dials on his phone. "We're only going to have one shot at this, so everything needs to be right the first time. I need an arrest warrant. For Cavidan Tarhun."