Chapter 80: Chapter 80
The medical team arrived along with the police, while the fire department arrived not long after. Rakia’s body was immediately lifted onto a gurney by Liam with the help of a medical team and then taken to the ambulance. The firefighters immediately put out the fire that was still raging and engulfed Rakia’s car. Liam stayed for a while to watch the extinguishing process and answer questions from two policemen who had come to the scene. Several reporters from DS and other television stations covered the events that were happening at the scene and tried to get information. This time, Liam became the journalist’s target for information.
Rakia’s body had been taken earlier by the medical team to a nearby hospital. Dashtan came to DS not long after the ambulance carrying Rakia’s body left.
“Where is Rakia?” Dashtan asked Liam with a panicked look on his face.
“The ambulance just left for the hospital,” Liam replied and Dashtan immediately went to his car and followed the ambulance. Before he started the engine, he thought of activating the tracker on Rakia’s necklace. The necklace he had given her for her birthday. He had seen Rakia wearing the necklace today when she came to DS this afternoon. Rakia’s movements were seen heading to the Oregon hospital. Dashtan immediately stepped on the gas. He drove at maximum speed so that in no time he found the ambulance carrying Rakia’s body and followed the car until it stopped in front of the emergency room.
Dashtan ran out of the car and immediately approached Rakia’s body which was unloaded from the ambulance and transferred to a hospital bed with wheels and brought in by the hospital staff. The man was shocked to see Rakia’s severe condition with a large amount of blood on the stab wound by broken glass on her right shoulder and several small glass shards scattered in several places, such as the arm, shoulder and thigh.
“Sorry, sir, you wait here.” A nurse restrained him from entering the treatment room. Dashtan could only stare at his wife’s body that was getting away from him with a look of anxiety and fear.
“Hang in there, Habibti... I need you.”
Dashtan’s prayer that he could only say in his heart. He sat down on a bench in the corridor feeling uneasy. He thought about what really happened to Rakia but he didn’t know anything. Liam came a few minutes later and immediately approached Dashtan who was sitting in a deeply downcast position. Dashtan raised his face because he felt someone near him. Liam took a seat next to the man.
“What happened?” Dashtan also vomited his curiosity.
“I don’t know how it happened either. I was going out with her to go home, but I stopped to chat with the administrative manager and Rakia left first. A few minutes later those of us in the front lobby heard a loud explosion. I and the others ran out, Rakia’s car was already on fire and she was lying quite far away from her car with broken car glass stuck in several parts of her body.” Liam repeated the explanation he gave to the police just before he left DS and followed Dashtan to the hospital. Dashtan linked his fingers tightly together and placed them in front of his lips. He couldn’t stop praying for Rakia’s safety. He couldn’t afford to lose her especially since she was pregnant, which meant that if he lost Rakia he would also lose his future child.
Dashtan got up and started walking back and forth with a feeling of anxiety that squeezed him so tightly that he seemed to be turning into mush. Liam went to buy some water, he was also anxious about Rakia’s fate. They waited for almost five hours, and the doctor who was treating Rakia met Dashtan and Liam. Doctor Pedro came and approached the three men. He was confused why Dashtan was here.
“Ash, why are you here? What happened?” Doctor Pedro’s words interrupted for a moment their conversation about Rakia’s condition. The three men immediately looked at one of the senior doctors in the hospital.
“Rakia had a difficult situation, her car exploded when she was going home from DS.” Dashtan could only give an outline of the information. Doctor Pedro was surprised by the information. The doctor who treated Rakia said that the woman had a fractured bone in her left arm due to the impact.
“It is likely that when she was thrown, the fractured part hit the ground hard first. The stab wound is not deep but she will need a long healing period for the bone, especially since she is pregnant.”
Dashtan let out a long breath, at least Rakia could still heal and recover, not the other way around. It gave his a little peace of mind that he needed.
“How’s the baby?” Dashtan asked again.
“The baby is fine, sir. Your wife may not regain consciousness for the next few hours, but don’t worry, she will be fine.”
The doctor excused himself after giving a full explanation to the three of them and by now Rakia’s body was in the Intensive Care Unit. The three men immediately headed to the room Rakia was in, but only Dashtan entered, Liam and doctor Pedro waited outside.
Dashtan looked down at Rakia’s body which was currently supported by a number of medical devices, due to her comatose state. Dashtan grasped one of Rakia’s hands on the right side, his heart cracking at the sight of the woman on the verge of death like this. He tried to hold back the grief that was urgently pouring out but he was not that strong. He kissed Rakia’s forehead long and deep, then said softly, “Your heart must keep beating, Habibti, for me and for our child.”
He wiped away the tears that had spilled down his face before leaving the room. Liam was still faithfully waiting for him in front of the ICU room.
“I’m going home to get some things and come back here to keep watch. You go home too.” Dashtan said that to Liam, the man nodded and then they walked together out of the hospital building to the car park. When Dashtan arrived home, Dalilah immediately asked him.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” Dalilah looked at Dashtan curiously.
“Rakia’s car exploded and now she is hospitalized. I’m going to sleep at the hospital to keep watch,” Dashtan replied then went to his room to get some things he needed without paying the slightest attention to Dalilah. As he walked away from her, a faint smile played on her lips after hearing the information which to her was good news. To her, Rakia was a huge obstacle that she had to get rid of to be able to completely rule Dashtan’s life. Especially since he already knew about Rakia being pregnant, his position was very threatened. At least for now, Dashtan’s attention would be focused on her instead of him and the search for the truth about her being pregnant would be delayed.
“If I can’t kill her the first time, there are plenty of other opportunities to do so.” Dalilah smiled her cunning and deceitful smile. She would not give up until she had declared herself defeated. She quickly returned to her room to enjoy her quiet rest. Meanwhile, Dashtan quickly left the house and returned to the hospital to look after Rakia. However, he first went to his office and called someone.
“Hello, Razak, I need your help.” Dashtan didn’t need time for pleasantries. Only his cousin could help himp right now.
“What’s wrong? You sound worried.” Razak’s guess was spot on.
“I’ll explain later. I need you and your friends in the police to investigate something.” Dashtan gave Razak the information he needed to help him investigate what happened to Rakia a few hours ago.
“Do you suspect anyone?” Razak’s question was one he honestly wanted to answer but the assumptions it was making were too premature for others to know. He already had one name he strongly suspected.
“No, I haven’t thought of anyone yet, for that I need your help, the sooner I can get the information the better. I don’t want my wife’s killer lingering around out there.” Dashtan said that with one of his free hands clenched firmly at his side. He promised to confront anyone who tried to separate him from Rakia.