Chapter 2 - I Can't Lose Him

• After waiting an entire hour, the doctor finally came out of the emergency room. He had an expression of sadness—an indication that something was wrong. No!
• “Doctor, how is he? What happened to him?” My mum stood up from her seat as she rushed towards the doctor.
• “Please come with me,” he said, shaking his head as he headed toward his office. My heart couldn’t stop racing. I couldn’t stop shaking.
• I was supposed to be married in a few months. My father was supposed to be present. He was supposed to walk me down the aisle. I couldn’t lose him. No! I couldn’t.
• ...
• We all got to the doctor’s office, and he gestured for us to take a seat while he took out his glasses.
• “Mrs. Anna…” the doctor said, taking a deep breath. I leaned forward, eager to hear what the doctor had to say. But we can all agree that doctors would purposely spend eternity trying to get to the point. Fucking tell me my dad is okay!
• “I’m sorry, but your husband’s case is getting worse. He is on life support right now, and I’m…” He paused, his eyes darting away for a second. “I’m not sure if he’s going to live much longer.”
• "Lies! Liar!" My mum yelled, she fell to her knees as she began weeping.
• I stood there frozen, unable to move, unable to grasp what the doctor was saying. What case? My father was never sick. How could he go from being healthy a few hours ago to being on life support? Let this make sense to me because it doesn’t.
• (Scoffs) This must be a nightmare, I'm sure it is, and I need to wake up from it. It’s not real.
• “Isn’t there anything we can do? We could get him better treatment, can’t we?” Mr. Mattias asked. Surprisingly, it began to make sense to me that both he and my mother seemed to know what was going on…what was really going on?
• “Sir, I wish we could, but he already underwent heart transplant surgery a few years back. His body is rejecting the transplant,” the doctor said, his voice calm, but it felt unbearable.
• Hearing this, I could hardly breathe. “Rejecting? What does that mean?” My words came out in a whisper, barely able to form the question.
• “It means his body is attacking his heart; it is unable to cope with it. We’ve done everything we can, but…” He hesitated again, clearly grappling with how to continue.
• My mother’s sobs filled the room, echoing the despair I felt inside. “But what? You have to do something!” she pleaded, her voice cracking.
• “Right now, we’re trying to stabilize him, but the reality is, he may not respond to further treatments. We can only keep him comfortable,” the doctor replied, his eyes filled with a mix of compassion and regret.
• “No!” I shouted, the sound shocking me as much as it seemed to shock everyone else in the room. I stood up, my body trembling with fury and fear. “You can’t just give up on him! You have to fight for him!”
• “Please, sweetheart…” My mother reached for me, tears in her eyes, but I stepped back, unable to process her grief while my own was spiraling out of control.
• “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” I turned to Mr. Mattias, my father’s best friend—my fiancé. Why didn’t he tell me despite knowing about this?
• “Why didn’t you tell me he was sick?”
• His face was grim, and he opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he looked at the doctor, as if searching for an answer that wasn’t there.
• “I didn’t know. I didn’t want to scare you, Shimma. That was why he hid the earlier surgery from you. He warned your mother and me not to let you know,” he finally admitted. “He said he was okay. He’d always been so strong.”
• “Strong,” I scoffed bitterly. “Look where that got him. He’s on life support, Mattias!”
• The reality of it all crashed down on me like a wave. My father, the man who had always been my rock, who had taught me how to ride a bike, who had cheered the loudest at my school plays—he was fighting for his life, and I hadn’t even known he was on the brink of death.
• “Isn’t there anything else we can do?” I asked the doctor again, my voice shaking. “Anything?”
• “I wish there were more options,” he said softly. “But at this stage, we’re limited. We can try some experimental treatments, but they may not be effective.”
• “Anything! Please!” My voice rose again, desperation clawing at my throat. I needed my dad back.