Chapter 4 SURGERY

"What!" He yelled, his voice shaking as he fumbled for his car keys. He ended the call abruptly, darting towards the door. "Open the gate!" He shouted at the guards, his hand trembling as he bolted for his car.

The world around him blurred as he sped towards the hospital, his heart pounding with fear and confusion.

Charles rushed into the hospital, his heart racing as he walked towards the reception. "Hello," he blurted out to the receptionist, who glanced up at him, but before she could respond, Charles continued, his words tumbling over one another. "My wif..e was in an accident. Her name is Ashley Davies."

"Okay, sir," the receptionist said, her fingers running through the laptop as Charles watched her with bated breath. After what seems like forever, she spoke again, "Yes, she is in room 34. Turn left, it's the third room on the right." The receptionist had barely finished the description when Charles moved swiftly towards the hallway.

Outside the ward, he met a woman sitting on the bench, her face streaked with tears. Hailey. On seeing him, Hailey wiped her tears in an attempt to stop her tears, but it was a difficult thing to do.

"You called me?" He asked Hailey in a low tone. Charles has never met Hailey, as he wasn't particularly interested in Ashley or anyone and anything connected to her.

"Ye-s I did," she replied, with a nod as every word was difficult to voice out. Her heavy heart was evident. She was shivering from head to toe. "She's inside," she added as she stepped aside, gesturing towards the door.

Without another word, he walked into the ward. His whole body was trembling in fear as he approached the lifeless body on the bed. Her face was pale, and her body was fragile. An oxygen was put in her nose to aid her breathing, but one could still see her struggles in every shallow rise and fall of the chest.

As he moved closer shakily, his eyes locked on her. He could hardly recognise the woman before him. Her skin was ghostly white, her face gaunt, and the soft beeping of the machines resonated in the room.

His heart raced with fear, and his legs lost balance as he staggered backward and sank onto the chair, his hands gripping the armrests as if to steady the world that was spinning around him.

The doctor walked in almost immediately, his face etched with worry. "Mr. Davies?" the doctor asked, his voice calm, though it held a weight that immediately made Charles sit up straight. Charles couldn't find his voice to respond, so he nodded.

"Your wife's accident was fatal," the doctor began stepping closer. We ran a series of tests and discovered that she needs brain surgery," the doctor said, pausing and fixing his gaze on Charles, who was still finding it difficult to grasp the situation.

Then he continued. "Broken glasses penetrated her skull, causing internal damage."

Charles eyes widened in shock, and he used his hand to cover his mouth, barely containing the shock that rippled through him.

"There's something else," the doctor's gaze flustered with sadness. "We found out she was pregnant with twins, but the foetus got hurt...we need to perform a procedure to remove them."

Charles gasped, his world suddenly crashing down around him. "Twins?" The word barely made it past his lips.

He'd know that Ashley would never cheat on him. He was the one who disvirgined some months after their wedding. He knew that the pregnancy was his, but he was just too focused on ending the marriage that he failed to acknowledge the pregnancy.

"My babies... I hurt them. I shouldn't have divorced her." Charles lamented silently, blaming himself as he held his head with his hands, sinking into the chair.

"I'm so sorry about your loss, Mr. Davies," the doctor's voice came again, patting his shoulders gently. "But we really need to act fast so we will be able to save your wife's life. You need to sign the surgery consent form.

Charles nodded weakly as he tried to maintain composure. He eventually followed the doctor to his office to sign the agreement with shaky hands.

With the paperwork complete, Ashley was prepped and wheeled into the operating room. The operating light came on.

Outside the operating room, Hailey paced back and forth, distraught. Charles stood nearby, his mind a blur of regret and helplessness, both of them praying silently as they waited for any news.

Inside the sterile, brightly lit operating room, Ashley was unconsciously fighting her emotions, all her memories contradicting each other's.

****

In a vivid dream, a young Ashley stood outside her parents bedroom door, overhearing their cold, heartless conversation.

"When will Ashley be gone?" Emily asked Thomas in a cold tone, devoid of affection.

"Gone?" Thomas replied, taken aback.

"Yes," Emily answered, her voice icy.

"That child is going to fetch us a lot of money. Let's still keep her," Thomas responded dismissively.

"But she makes my skin crawl," Emily objected again.

"Bear it, dear. She would be of good use in the future," Thomas stated in a final note.

Ashley staggered away from the door, her heart stinging. Her parents only saw her as a commodity that would fetch a lot of money. Tears blurred her vision as she retreated to her room, her sobs resonates in the hollow emptiness of the house.

***

The surgery was almost done when a nurse who was stitching up Ashley's head noticed something unusual. "Doctor," she called softly. "look. Tears is dripping."

The doctor paused and examined her eyes with the surgical light. "She's remembering a painful memory," he murmured. "There's a chance she may experience temporary memory loss, but we won't know for sure until she wakes up.

Once the surgery was complete, the doctor approached Hailey and Charles. They hurried towards him, their faces pale with worry.

"How's she?" They chorus, with eagerness and concern in their voice.

The doctor sighed, offering them a small, weary smile. "Well, the surgery is successful," the doctor said, and they both heaved a sigh of relief. "But...." he hesitated, his expression grim. "I'm afraid she might have a temporary memory loss."

"What!" They both screamed, the relief that had momentarily surfaced disintegrating.

"But that isn't sure yet. We have to wait till she regains consciousness," the doctor explained calmly. "For now, we will monitor her closely, he said in a final tone and walked away.

A few minutes later, Ashley was wheeled back into her room. Charles wasted no time in requesting an upgrade to a VIP room, determined to make her as comfortable as possible.

It was almost morning by then, he was still seated on the chair, unable to sleep, while Hailey went home to pick up some necessities for Ashley.

His phone buzzed; the caller ID was his PA. He ignored the call, but the persistent ringing made him reluctantly walk outside to the garden to answer the call and also get a bit of fresh air. The room was too suffocating, especially with the purgent smell of disinfectant.

As Charles finished making the call, he was on his way back to the room when a commotion down the hall drew his attention. The nurses and doctors were walking hastily in the direction of the room. Fear clutched at Charles chest as he quickened his pace, following them back to Ashley's room.

Through the glass mirror, he saw the medical team surrounding her bed and the life machine beeping loudly.

"1..2..3..clear!" The doctor pressed the defibrillator on her chest, sending an electric shock to her body, but there was no response.

"1..2..3..clear!" he tried again, still no response.

Charles heart stopped as he watched them try again. "1...2..3.... clear!"