'Beeil dich verdammt! Hurry, damn it!'

Treyton shouted at the nurse who sat with him in the ambulance, as it raced away to the city's biggest hospital.

'Bitte, der Herr! Please, sir!'
The nurse assured him that they would be at the hospital in a few minutes.

Treyton turned to Erisha once again.
She looked as if she was asleep, but her face was fast losing all colour.

'Nothing will happen to my child. She's very brave..'
KK also assured him, although his face said otherwise. He was trying to control his tears, but a few happened to roll down his weathered cheeks unheeded.

Treyton didn't know exactly what he was feeling.
He was numb.
There was the shock of what had happened, ofcourse, but more than that was the weirdest uproar in his heart.
What if something happens to Erisha? What if I can't tell her how sorry I am for treating her like I did? What if I can't tell her how much I need her, want her..

The minute Erisha had gone down on the floor when the goon had shot at her, Treyton had felt a sense of loss, as if something very important had been snatched away from him.
He had screamed her name as he had run towards her, kneeling on the floor beside her. He had lifted her on his lap and screamed her name over and over, trying to get her to respond.
The man who had shot at her, had shouted to the other man, and they had both gone running back in the building.
KK who had been standing outside waiting for Erisha and Treyton, had come hurrying back in as he had heard Treyton scream her name.

'Erisha! My child! God, no!'
He had gotten on his knees as well, unable to believe his eyes.
'It's all my fault! She came here because of me! Wake up! Utho, Erisha! Meri bacchi!'

Treyton had shifted her from his lap to see blood all over his thighs, where he had lifted her.
But Erisha had been still. Ominously still.
He felt faint, as he had taken out his phone, and somehow without fumbling, had dialled Dr. Patrick's number, Laura's husband, and had only put it away when he was assured that an ambulance was on the way.

'We should inform the authorities. Huber has gone too far this time..Erisha..'
His attention had been diverted when he had felt her groan.
'Please! Don't do this! You have to be okay! I'm sorry for everything. I can't lose..you can't..'
Treyton had seen the curiosity in KK's eyes, and had stopped on the pretence of putting her head comfortably on his arm.
'Just hang in there! The ambulance is coming!'

Before he could contemplate his thoughts and words, the ambulance had arrived, the paramedics rushing in to put Erisha on the stretcher, her body looking lifeless as time elapsed.
Treyton had somehow found the sense to call the authorities, and complain about Huber, while climbing into the ambulance with Erisha and KK.
Since then, he had been sitting next to her, panicking and shouting orders.

When it seemed that he couldn't take it anymore, the ambulance arrived at the hospital.
Erisha was rushed out to the emergency room, with Dr. Patrick hurrying in with her, since he had been waiting at the gate.

'Doc! You got to save her, she was shot..I..'

'Did you inform the police?'
Patrick asked, as they rushed Erisha into a cubicle, and the curtains were closed, stopping Treyton from entering.

'Yes, I did! Hey! I want to see..'
Treyton stopped as Patrick put a hand on his shoulder.

'Let us handle it from here! Go wait outside, Treyton..'

'I'm not leaving! I want to know..'
Treyton was getting hyper and he didn't know why.

'Treyton! We need to examine her and you will just get in the way..so, please!'
Patrick pointed him to the door, and Treyton was left with no choice but to leave.

'I'm alright! Please see my granddaughter..she needs attention..'
KK was warding off a nurse who was tending to his cuts and bruises attained from the ropes he had been tied with.

'KK..let her do it..'
Treyton found a reason to stay inside the ER, and he quickly hurried to KK's side.

By the time he had been tended to, Patrick had come out from the other cubicle.
'Continue with the IV fluids, she's lost a lot of blood, arrange blood, call Dr. Thomas, she needs a surgeon..'
He barked orders to the staff, as he threw his gloves in the dustbin.

Treyton hurried over.
'Patrick! How is she? What's going on?'

'Treyton, she hasn't regained consciousness yet, and fast losing blood. I'm getting a scan done to see where the bullet is, but in all probability, she needs surgery..'

'Surgery?'
KK had heard everything too, and looked extremely disturbed.

Treyton have him a glance, before turning back to Patrick.
'So, hurry on with it! Why are you wasting precious time?'
He sounded panicked, his voice loud.

'We are getting the surgeon here, till then we will arrange blood, and ready the operating theatre.'

'Hurry, damn it! Erisha's just lying there..'

'She's not just lying there! We have already started the treatment. Just relax, will you?'
Patrick was a bit surprised at Treyton's reactions regarding the woman, his curiosity piqued.
He had never seen him so anxious or shaken; he was always so calm and composed.

'A woman is unconscious, there's loss of blood, and you are telling me to relax?'
Several people were now watching, as Treyton got louder and louder.

'Trey! What are you doing? The team is doing what they can, and your shouting isn't helping anyone. Don't create any delays. Please! My granddaughter is like my daughter, and she is all I have in this world! She has to get well, she has to..'
Saying that, KK faltered, and would have fallen had Treyton not taken hold of him.

'KK! Please! Not you too..'

'Erisha..my child..Erisha..'
KK chanted, as Treyton settled him on a bed again, while the nurse checked his pressures.

'His blood pressure is low, and so are his sugar levels. I don't think he has eaten anything in a while..why don't you go get him something? We will just infuse him with some intravenous fluids till then..'
The nurse smiled at him, but her tone was one of someone who did not like to be disobeyed, and Treyton stared at her.

It was true that KK had been tied up when they had found him in his room, in what seemed like ages ago, but infact had been just two hours or so.
So he nodded, and asking the directions to the cafeteria, went out of the ER.

***************************

'We will get back to you, Herr Elrod. This time Huber has gone too far. He will be appropriately punished.'
Officer Dane tapped his police cap in acknowledgement, and along with his team, left the hospital corridors.

The police had come asking questions, and Treyton had given them the details of all that had happened.
He continued pacing the corridors, his mind and body, both extremely restless.

Ever since the surgeon had arrived, and urged for an immediate surgery, Treyton had been on tenterhooks.
KK was in one cubicle of the ER getting a drip, and since he had been very anxious about Erisha, had been given a light sedative to rest.
So, Treyton had one worry less to think about, as he had roamed the hospital corridors.
He had called Gordon and asked him to send him some clothes to change into, since his grey pants and white shirt had blood stains all over them.
Gordon had been concerned on hearing he was at the hospital, but when Treyton had assured him he was alright, he had agreed to send someone.
After having changed his clothes, Treyton had felt considerably better, but he just couldn't remove the image of a lifeless Erisha out of his head.
I don't know why I have this strange feeling burning in my chest at the thought of not being able to talk to her, of not being able to explain why I..
God, Treyton! You are totally messed up..maybe you should see a psychiatric while you are here..

'Treyton!'

He turned at the sound of his name, and was surprised to see Laura coming towards him.
'Laura! What are you doing here?'

'Patrick told me you were here, and Erisha..how is she? What happened?'
She looked concerned for her friend.

Treyton relayed all that had happened, and watched shock replace Laura's features at the turnout of events.
'Oh, God! That's terrible! Poor Erisha! And David Huber! He should rot, preferably in Hell!'
His name brought anger for her, so she could just imagine how Treyton must be feeling.
'Is the surgery still going on?'

'Yes!'
Treyton ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
'It's been more than an hour! How long will they take?'
Their was underlying tension on his words, and Laura understood why.

'What do we know about medicine? The doctors are doing their job..here, come on, let's sit..better yet..let's go to the cafeteria and have coffee. You look like you could do with some.'

'No, I'm fine! I can't just go when the surgery could be finishing any minute now..'

'It won't be..yet!'
Treyton frowned at her words.
'I mean, Patrick told me it could take a couple of hours.'

'Couple of hours? What are they doing in there? Just save the woman, for heaven's sakes!'
Treyton said unreasonably.

'Treyton Elrod! Do you know you are behaving like a petulant child? Come on! Come with me!'
Laura almost dragged him from his position outside the theatre, and hurried him to the cafeteria.

'I really don't want..'

'Shut up!'
She rolled her eyes at him.
'Two coffees, please!'
She told a waiter, as they got seated.
'And if you don't listen to me, I'll send you home!'

'What even? Who the hell are you? The wicked witch of the west?'
Treyton glared at her.

'No! She was really ugly looking! How about Sabrina?'

'Who?'
Treyton looked irritated.

'You don't know about Sabrina, the teenage witch? Atleast she was pretty..'

'Laura! I think you should leave!'
Treyton made to get up, his expressions annoyed.

'Okay, okay! Sorry! I was just trying to lighten the atmosphere.'
Sabrina pulled his hand, and made him sit again, as their coffees arrived.
'Here! Drink this!'

'I'm not in the mood for jokes! Erisha's in there juggling with her life, and you..'
Treyton pushed his mug away.

'Treyton!'
Laura put a hand over his clenched fist, and stroked till his fist opened.
'You have to be strong!'

Treyton lifted both his hands, and rested them on his forehead.
'It's very difficult. You weren't there! You didn't see how that gunshot got her down. There was blood everywhere..'
He looked down at his hands, as if the blood was still there.
'I've never felt so helpless in my life! I don't know..it was like something valuable was taken away, and I couldn't stop it..'

'Come on! She will be fine..don't think that way..'

'How can I not? Do you know how it feels when you regret treating someone wrong..the guilt..what if I can't tell her how sorry I am for doubting her, for thinking of her as a cheater..I..I..'

'Hey!'
Laura clasped his hand again as his voice broke.
'She's a brave girl..I mean, come on, she handled you like a pro, so has to be..okay, okay, sorry..'
She lifted her palms in the air, as he made a face at that.
'She's young, has her whole life ahead. Why are you being so negative?'

'Because I feel responsible!'
Treyton smacked his fist on the table, so that the coffee spilt over.
'I was there..I know she was very brave..she went out to save her grandfather all alone. But helping her..I felt this contentment within, you know..but then that shot..and she went down..lifeless..'

'Stop punishing yourself, Treyton! It wasn't your fault! You have to chin up, and be strong. She will make it..I can see how much you care..'

'Care?'
Treyton looked a bit bewildered.
'I don't want anything to happen to her certainly..'

'That's because you have started to care for her. The guilt, these feelings..I think you have fallen in lo..'

'There you are, sir!'
The nurse who had been at the counter outside the theatre, came up to them.

Treyton stood up immediately.
'What's happened? The surgery..'

'The doctor is calling you..'

But Treyton was already running out of the cafeteria before she finished her words.
Laura ran after him, and reached just as he did.

'Herr Elrod? I'm Dr. Thomas..'
The doctor, still in scrubs, came forward to shake hands with Treyton. He had a very blank expression on his face, which had Treyton's heart thud in his chest.

'Yes, doctor! Erisha..the patient..how is she?'
He swallowed, waiting for his answer.

'The bullet was fortunately stuck in her ribcage, and didn't touch the heart..'

Fortunately, the man says..
'And..did you get it out? How is she?'

'I'm sorry...'

To be continued...