Shattered

5. Just Say Yes

Their footsteps echoed through the corridor as they ran. Alec saw Beth sitting outside her mother's room on the benches. Her hands resting on her knees and her fingers dug deep in her hair.

"Beth, what happened?" His mother asked. Her breathing was harsh. Her age did not support the kind of running she did today.

Beth looked up. She looked tired. "Grace, oh thank god!"

His mother bent to give her a hug. "What happened?" She asked as Beth got up.

"Grace you have to out some sense into her. She fainted, gained consciousness just a while back. She had a cerebral vasospasm. Apparently she has a blood clot in one of the capillaries. She has numbness in her arm for past three days and she never reported, no wonder it got this bad. But she is not ready go in for surgery." Beth face only had one expression, worry. Her voice was filled with fear and her eyes were haunted by the dark hooded creature himself.

"Why?" Alec asked. This was the first time he had talked to her after the party. He didn't understand much about Nora's condition but he did realise that it was critical.

"She says she won't go in for surgery until I say yes to your the proposal you had put Grace! This is outrageous. She needs that surgery, otherwise...." She didn't say further.

"Why can't she understand it doesn't work this way?" Beth looked helplessly at Grace.

"Just calm down. I will talk to her. Don't worry." Grace ran inside the room. Alec stood next to Beth out side the corridor. The air was heavy with tension. It was getting harder to breathe. They both couldn't hear their mother's conversation and could only pray Grace would be able to convince Nora.

"Don't worry, it will be okay." Alec finally said.

"I don't understand why she does these kinds of things. I can't believe she didn't tell us about the numbness in her arm. She had major neurosurgery, these are things she needs to report as soon as they appear! And now this! You know the OT was ready, we were rushing her through the emergency and then, somehow, she woke up and said refused. In emergency situation you rarely consider these things, so we continued but she," Beth looked around before speaking again. " You what she said," Alec could hear the anger masked by grief. "She said if we did surgery against her will, she will sue us all, including me. I was almost about to lose it, but then the surgeon is friend. She said that she can delay the surgery for a little while. So here we are. Trying to convince my mother to give us permission to save her life!" She sat down again.

Alec was amazed by how chaotic everything become. More than that,he was amazed at Nora who had so much guts to actually stop someone to save her life.

"I know -" before Alec could finish his sentence, his mother appeared out of the room.

"What happened?" Beth rushed toward her.

"You know Nora, she is so stubborn. She isn't listening. Beth I-"
Beth didn't bother listening to Grace further. She barged inside the room. Behind her Alec and Grace, too, entered.

"Mother! You are going for the surgery, whether you say yes or not!" She shouted.

Nora looked up. Her eyes were barely open. Exhaustion was evident on her face.

"I told you...." She a little swallowed before speaking again. "My condition." Her voice could be barely heard.

"Will you stop mother! I cannot understand why are you doing this, to me, to yourself, to all of us! Mother please...." Beth held her mother's hand. "Please, just stop. Please. I beg you."

"And I beg you to accept my condition. I beg you both." Nora looked up at Alec. He felt the ground beneath his feet move.

"Nora, please-" he tried to speak but Nora spoke first.

"You need her for that inheritance case. And I can't see her alone. "

"Please don't Nora. Don't force this on us." He said.

"Alec child-"

"Yes." Beth said. Her voice was small but sharp. "Fine, I will do it."

"Beth?" Alec looked at her with utmost horror. "No!" The ground beneath his feet had just slipped away.

"Beth this is not how I want you to make the decision." Grace said. "Nora, please, don't force this on them."

"Will you really?" Nora looked straight at her daughter, ignoring everyone else.

"Yes mother. Now will you please give your consent for the surgery."

"But I won't. No!" Alec backed away from everyone. "No!"

"We don't have much choice here Alec." Beth said, still looking at her mother.

"No! I- I can't.... No!"

"We don't have much choice here Alec! Just say yes for god's sake, otherwise she won't undergo that surgery!" Beth shouted.

"This might be easy for you but-"

"It isn't. Nor will it ever be. Try standing in my shoes, then see."

"But still I just-"

"Alec, Beth needs our help. Just agree on this." Grace rested her hand on his shoulder.

"But, it is just-"

"Not right, I know it. Do we have a choice? No. My mother has decided on this and she knows every trick in the book to make it happen. Now, it is on you to think about the outcomes that come along if you say no."

"How can you put it all on me?"

"Because it is on you whether she will go in for the surgery or not!"

"You can't just force the decision on me."

"Isn't it being forced on me?" Beth asked. Her voice straining with anger.

Alec closed his eyes. Flashes of his late wife came to his mind. He could see her smile, hear her laugh. He could feel her warm touch. When he opened his eyes, all those beautiful images were gone.

Now all he could see was an patient who refused to undergo surgery until he would agree to do something he didn't want, his mother who wanted to him to do something he never could imagine doing again and a dark haired lady asking him to yes for a marriage that would wreck his life.

His next words saved a patient's life, pleased his mother, helped a lady but broke him apart even more.

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Hi guys, back again with another update. This is one came out quickly and happy that for once I was on time with this. XD

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I will see you guys again, until then, cheerio! :*

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