Brain Injury

After the hearty breakfast, Leena and Francis went to the famous NYU Care hospital. Francis was a very respectable man in society, so they were escorted directly to the high-end suite by the hospital team. Leena and Francis went inside the room and glanced at the woman resting on the hospital bed with different sets of IV pipes and gravity tubes inserted into her veins and shoulders.

"Heather, your daughter is here." Francis gently smiled at her and guided Leena towards the bed.

"Ma, How are you? It's been a week I have seen you." Leena grasped her mother's hand and lightly squeezed it.

"I missed you lot mommy. Did you miss me?" Leena whispered. Heather blinked her eyes in response. A tear dropped from Leena's eye seeing her mother in the same bed for 19 years. Since 15 years, she has only communicated with only gestures. She was a famous Cardio Surgeon in New York City but now she is confined to the hospital bed for 2 decades. Her brain was severely damaged in a major tampered car accident. She was barely breathing when someone saw her at a riverbed and brought her to the hospital and she went into a coma for 4 whole years surviving only with the IV, ET tubes. There was only little probability doctors told she would survive, but Francis did not leave the least possibility. He got her treated with the top Neuro Surgeons for her brain injury and gradually Heather started showing a little response after that. She blinks her eyes and moves her head in response and started identifying Leena.

Her husband Max Hayes, has divorced Heather within 2 years of marriage. Heather as a single parent raised Leena all alone until the accident, which changed everything. Leena was only 6 when she fell into a coma. Her ex-husband remarried and did not bother to look after Leena even when Heather was in death bed. He was not even there to look at Leena when she was born. Francis has shouldered all the responsibilities of Leena. Even Heather's father and her in-laws did not worry about the little kid's condition. She would have been thrown into an orphanage if not for Francis. Even though Max is his uncle's son, Francis cut off all the ties with him after his remarriage. He shoved Leena's responsibility on his shoulders all alone and single-handedly raised her. He doted her since the day she was born and always saved the best for her.

"Get up soon mom. You have to compensate with lots of food for all the years you are not with me." Leena warmly smiled at her. Even after Francis has given her all the love Leena wanted, she still lacked motherly love.

Just then there was a knock on the door and a man entered looking a file in his hands.

"There is a lot of improvement in Heather's condition Francis. You can expect good news soon." Dr Roman, he is appointed Neuro Surgeon of Heather and the one who performed the operation on her when she was injured.

Both Leena and Francis were surprised by the news. At last, her mommy is going to wake up soon.

"Thank you so much, uncle Roman. By the way, can you take Francy outside? I want to talk with my mom personally." Leena flashed a wink at Roman.

"Are you chasing me out?" Francis furiously glared at her.

"Yes, Mr Hayes. Do you have a hearing problem?"

"Did you call me deaf just now?" Francis roared.

"You can get it tested to know if you are really deaf."

"Why you brat_"

"Can you both stop your childish act. This is a hospital. Go and fight in your home if you are adamant. You can have your mommy for the whole day Leena, but don't stress her out."

"Roger that sir!" Leena saluted in a military-style and stuck her tongue out at Francis mocking him. He was about to go near her when Roman forcefully dragged his friend out of the room.

"Mom, I kicked him out. I want to tell you a big secret. Do you know what I have done yesterday?" Leena was too excited to share the news with her mom, she looked at her sides to confirm none of the nurses was eavesdropping and explained about her yesterday's events and how that person has threatened to sue her. She was continuously blabbering of all her office talks with Heather, she did not even notice a person was standing next to her.

"If you are done gossipping, can we go home? Your mom needs some rest." Leena lazily looked at him. She kissed her mom's forehead and reluctantly got up from her seat.

While they were moving out, Heather looked at Francis and then at Leena. Francis could sense her motherly concern for a daughter.

"Don't worry Heather, Leena will be safe as long as I am here." He remembered when Leena had an accident 5 years back, she could not visit her mom for a year to see her and Heather being as stubborn as she is before, she did not cooperate with medical treatment until they showed her daughter. Francis did not want her to get frightened about Leena's leg injury, so he lied and convinced that Leena went for higher studies and would be back only after a year. Even though she did not agree with his theory, she did not refuse her treatment.

"Mom don't worry. I am the one who bullies everyone, including Francy. You know he is very scared of_"

"Owww. Why did you hit me?" Francis hit her on the head

"There was a mosquito on your head." Mosquito in an AC room? Leena rolled her eyes internally. He is clearly taking his revenge for mocking at him. Both walked out cursing each other.