The Guard To My Sanctuary - Chapter 44: Chapter 44

"Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh. Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam. Yeh Manzile Hai Kaunsi. Na Voh Samajh Sake Na Hum. Yeh Roshni Ke Saath Kyoon. Dhuaan Utha Chiraag Se. bYeh Khwaab Dekhti Hoon Main. Ke Jag Padi Hoon Khwaab Se," A melodic voice sang aloud.
It was dark but my surroundings were warm. I slowly blinked my eyes open where a warm light shined from a sun I couldn't see. I lifted myself up noticing I didn't feel the slightest hint of pain which was odd since I just lost a fight and had gotten pummeled. I looked around confused by what I was seeing. I seemed to be in some sort of meadow where the grass was a vibrant green and soft as feathers. Flowers were blowing in a warm breeze that smelled like cotton. The peonies were in every hue I could imagine. Some a vibrant pink other a dull gray that was somehow just as beautiful. I looked down at myself noticing I was in a long white linen Kurta that felt like silk on my skin. Instead of my silver ring what looked like small vines were tied together and an orchid blossom was on top. My mother's bangle was replaced by a bracelet of flower blossoms. It smelled like Jasmine and ginger tea and the air tasted sweet as if it was laced with sugar. I looked around me and spotted a figure on the far side of the meadow where the melodic voice was coming from.
Normally I would have seen her in a blurry haze but somehow my vision was as clear as day. The woman moved her hands and rocked back and forth as she sang her beautiful song that was somehow familiar and foreign to me. Her hands moved softly as if her hands were leaves blowing in the wind. She wore a flowing pearlescent saree embroidered in delicate gold and lilac. The embroidery was of bumblebees and they looked to be flying across the fabric as the wind picked up the flowing silk. The woman was gorgeous with district features that made me feel warm and like I was at home. Her skin was dusky and blemishless without any hint of make-up being applied to it and her hair was picking up the wind as she danced. Gold henna was on her skin and seemed to form leaf-like shapes. Her hands were covered in the stuff only broken by the bangles that covered her arm and the golden rings on her fingers. At the top of her had was a simple golden bindi that rested in between her eyebrows. She was beautiful and her smile was soft and soothing as she sang.
"Mubaarakein Tumhe Ke Tum. Kisi Ke Noor Ho Gaye. Kisi Ke Itne Paas Ho. Ke Sab Se Door Ho Gaye," she sang then cut her eyes to me.
"You aren't going to leave me hanging, you know I love it when you sing. This is our song Priy," She said to me not breaking her rhythmic movement. I smiled at her softly and then opened my mouth to sing to her.
"I bless your gay new world, dearest. With love, joy, grace, and zest. Though you may find one distant day that I'm far, too far away."
"There you go, I don't like the English as much but it's still a great song," She beamed at me.
"Mommy you know I can't sing," I smiled at her as she stopped dancing.
"The sound of you singing is the most beautiful sound in the world to me," she said with her arms outstretched. I ran to her and she pulled me into her arms. I could feel the tears well up into my eyes. Her Jasmine perfume entered my nose and I immediately felt at home resting my head on her shoulder.
"You've gotten so beautiful and you look more like your father now, oh how I miss him," my mother said her speaking voice almost identical to mine.
"You're so skinny you need to eat more. You promised me when you were three that you would get fat and happy. At least you became happy," she said pulling away from me and touching my stomach.
"I love the names you picked out," she said pulling me down with her to the grass. We lay there head to shoulder making grass angels.
"Where am I, am I dead," I asked her not knowing how to feel if this was death I'd be infinitely content with laying in the grass with my mother. Though in my gut I wanted nothing more than to be holding my children.
"You're just dreaming, don't worry I won't keep you from my grandson's for too long. It's selfish but I wanted to see you, to talk to you. My youngest oh, the plights you have endured the things you have seen. I wished none if that for my son's when I took my last breath but alas the gods had a different story written for your life. I've missed so much but I have been looking down at my family. It's frustrating not being allowed to intervene as much as I would want to," My mom said to me as I could feel her soft hands on my face.
"I missed you so much. We all missed you so much that it hurt. We still speak Hindi since that was important to you, Alder and I are teaching our kids and hopefully, they teach their kids and so on. Dad still keeps a picture of you on him at all times, he's managed to find joy now. Alder still sings the lullaby to Cartier when she's upset. Pine still watches old Bollywood movies that you used to play when he's alone. Uncle Kunaal still cries sometimes when he tells stories but he's no longer depressed. He smiles a lot more and is content with the thought of you being at peace. I still think about you all the time. Even when I was going through what I went through I prayed that you had found peace," I said as tears streamed from my eyes.
"Oh, the things I wish I could have told you all before I left. I'm so delighted that my boys have managed to move in with your lives. When you wake up I want you to remember that you can't hold an anchor to your past because it stops you from sailing to y our future, okay," my mom said to me and turned to kiss my temple.
"Now sing with me, you're going to be waking up soon," she said laying back down.
"Kisi Ka Pyaar Leke Tum. Naya Jahan Basaaoge. Yeh Shaam Jab Bhi Aayegi. Tum Humko Yaad Aaoge. Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh. Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam. Yeh Manzile Hai Kaunsi. Na Voh Samajh Sake Na Hum," we sang together as everything became hazy. We both turned to look at each other and smiled before everything became brighter.
I felt so groggy as I woke up. I could already tell that I was in the hospital based on the sounds of the machines beeping away around me. The smell of cleaning supplies was heavy in the air and the room felt glacier cold. It was the total opposite of the dream I had experienced. The uncomfortable fabric from the gown I was more than likely in annoyed me. I slowly opened my eyes and immediately closed them to avoid the discomfort of the fluorescent light bulbs overhead. I finally obtained the balls I needed to open my eyes and waited until they adjusted before I took the liberty to look around. In one seat to the right of me was Thalia leaning her head on the wall next to my bed. Her phone was hooked up and sitting on the armrest while she sat there she was softly snoring. Her normal primped appearance was traded in for leggings, a t-shirt from some sports team and a matching hat. I looked to the right of me and saw nothing but empty chairs and bookbags.
"Where the fuck are my kids and Husband?"
I felt a clip on my finger and tried to shake it off but it was restrained in what seemed like a sling. I remembered breaking it on my fall down the stairs and other memories of last night started to flood into my mind. I lifted up and felt, my bones cracked from not being moved for a few hours as I adjusted my body. I used my free hand that had bandages on it to pull the finger thing and sticky pads off of me. The machines immediately made sounds of protest as the readings went flat. Thalia's eyes opened wide and she looked at me startled.
"Elm you're up," she said hopping up out of the seat fully awake and reaching for the nurse call button which she pressed a few times.
"W-why," I couldn't finish my sentence due to my voice being dryer than the Sahara during a summer drought.
"Oh my god," she said reaching down and retrieved a water bottle from the cup holder. She put the rim of the bottle to my mouth and the liquid ran down my throat. I gulped at it like it was my first thing to drink in a while. I drank the whole bottle before hacking a little. My voice was still dry but the water helped to where it wasn't as painful.
"Where are my boys and Marco," I asked her sounding like I had something in my throat.
"They went to get some food," she said the hugged me tightly. I used my good arm to hug her back before we both pulled away.
"What's the issue," a nurse asked popping into the room.
"For one it took you five minutes to get here. If I wanted to wait five minutes I would have walked down to the damn counter and stopped to get something from the vending machine. Who's running this shit I'm going to need a fucking supervisor. Second, are you deaf, dumb, or blind? Or are you all three of those things packed into one incompetent ass human being," Thalia went off. I had never seen her go off before and was honestly a little taken aback. She always gave me earthy vibes but now I knew that the little girl who grew up fighting in Compton was deep inside of her. I could see her making Alder back down in an argument which was a good thing for him since his head could get a little bit big.
"I-iii uughhh mmma," the nurse stuttered incoherently. I honestly felt bad for her but didn't have the voice to tell Thalia to calm down, but also at the same time she only had one job I could have been dead in the time it took for her to come.
"Dudu Dada kiki, bitch are you porky the pig now get your fucking words together. Do you not see this whole nigga awake. Nope go find someone else to help us, I would hate to have to fuck you up for screwing something up with my little brother," Thalia said looking furious at the nurse who poked on the verge of tears.
"Sorry ma'am," the nurse said leaving out of the room almost breaking into a sprint.
"I can't do shit with a sorry, you say sorry now but I bet you that bill will still be mailed to his house every month," She yelled at the nurse who was running. I looked over and gave Thalia a look for her to calm down.
"You didn't have to go off like that," I said in a raspy voice.
"They have been fucking up for two weeks I hate this ghetto ass hospital," Thalia said to me.
"What two weeks," I said as the words processed in my mind
"Shit, Elm you've been in a coma for two weeks. You lost so much blood and suffered a whole bunch of trauma your body shut down to heal itself," She said her voice getting softer. I looked at her in disbelief at the words that were coming out of her mouth.
"Two weeks."
"Get my husband and kids please," I asked Thalia who ran out of the room. As she was running out a doctor came into the room.
"Hello Mr.Tafferty, I'm Dr. Bruno and I need to check you out. You have been out for two weeks and I want to make sure there are no deficits. Do you remember what happened to you," He asked walking over and turning the machines off?
"Yes I do, I need to get out of here, can you get this IV and catheter out of me," I said in a dry voice.
"We have to run a few routine tests first before I can do any of that," he said and I tuned him out as he checked on me. I was growing to hate hospitals and their procedures. From afar I could hear a whole bunch of feet hitting the ground advancing my way.  Before they even got in the room I tilted the top of the bed up so that I was sitting. The doctor was writing in my chart when Marco busted into the room a baby in hand.
"Honey, you scared the fuck out of me," he said almost tripping as he made it to my side. He grabbed my chin with his free hand and pulled himself to me and kissed my lips. I kissed him back deeply he pulled away and hugged me gently.
"I'm sorry," I struggled to say honestly sorry since I must have scared him while I was dreaming of something beautiful.
"You don't have water, do you not hear him struggling to speak you fucking pendejo," Marco snapped at the doctor who shuffled off past my family who glared at him.
"What did they do to you guys," I forced out my inquiry.
"They are fucking dumbasses they couldn't get an IV in, had us waiting for hours. Messed up scheduling for your surgery. Honestly, I should have whipped his ass," Alder said. Cartier was holding her hands over her ears at the cuss words which made me smile a little.
"Darling how are you feeling do you remember what happened," my Dad asked me while holding Maddox and Ozias.
"I remember, what happened after I left," I asked wanting to know how Marco wasn't in jail right now.
"It got a bit crazy. I drove up and hit him with my car when I saw you on the ground. Then I don't know I just attacked him. The police showed up and I had to explain the situation. I got arrested but they let me go. That fuck nigga," he stopped when I gave him an eye for cussing in front of the boys and Cartier who covered her ears again.
"Sorry, but your Dad's men tried to interrogate him but he lawyered up. He looked like trash and it looks like London is done with him because the lawyer quit last week out of nowhere saying the funds were no longer available. He's been charged with assault and battery, burglary, attempted murder, possessing a gun without a license, probation violation, and a few other things. He'll be in jail forever, we may have fu-fudged up his leg so he won't be walking right either. Then Tyler took you to this horrible hospital and you slipped into a coma from blood loss."
"Look this was the closest hospital hop off my dick," Tyler said in his to his own defense. The Doctor came back with a pitcher of water and a cup. He poured it and stood in the corner. I drank the cup then went for the pitcher finishing it off. My throat moistened considerably but was still hoarse.
"Thank you, Tyler, for getting me someplace safe," I said defending him.
"What's my diagnosis doctor," I said to him as he looked scared in the corner.
"Um well," he started.
"Um and well my nigga, seriously? Do you know or do you not know," Pine shouted at him. Whatever the Doctor did to fuck up had made everyone reach their breaking point.
"Sorry," the Doctor said apprehensively.
"You're sorry alright," My Dad said to him.
"Mr. Tafferty you suffered from severe blood loss. We took you into surgery to take care of internal bleeding in your abdomen which went by smoothly. We gave you thirty stitches on various parts of your body and you suffered a hairline fracture on your elbow. We put your arm in a sling and have you on antibiotics while we waited for you to wake up. I can't release you right now because I have to observe your progress for a couple of days."
"Is that everything," I asked him.
"Yes sir, I'll have the nurse bring you something lite to eat so you can get used to solid foods again," the Doctor said as I leaned into the bed.
"Thank you," I said and he to it as a cue to get the hell out of the room.
"So there's no London news," I said feeling exhausted from trying to talk.
"Sorry, Darling but no, he wouldn't speak on him no matter what. I wish I had better news for you," my Dad said.
"It's fine you're doing your best," I said with a half-smile at him.
"Can I hold my kids now," I said to them. They scrambled giving them to me placing them around me. I looked at them and marveling at how much a difference two weeks had made. They looked a bit older and fatter which was a good thing. I wished I could be as oblivious as they were to the going on of things. I wanted to feel sorry for myself and be scared that London was still out there but I couldn't. I had children to protect and raise and that's what I decided to focus on.