Deviant Fixation

by Valencia Carmelita

  "It's been made apparent, that the manservant had manipulated Duffield in revealing one of the secret passages out of the estate. Now they have been caught by the Doucette and Ulyanov alliance along with Burq Al Nar aiding them." Ivan relays sternly. "We must inform Vladimir."

  "Get this girl out of my sight!" Mister Molotov orders stiffly without looking in my direction. "She's ruined my alliances and now she's ruined my missions."

  "Uncle!" Rachael bellows. "Don't say such about Sanam, she's been nothing but helpful and courteous, she's family now!"

  I couldn't endure it any longer, I ran out of there with my uncontainable sobs. I had promised mother on her deathbed, that I would take care of Bilal. But I failed her, not only that but I also ruined things for the Nielsens and the Molotovs.

  An entire day elapses before Vladimir storms into my room. A slight stubble dusts his jawline, his brows furrow in concerned, face completely austere.

  My heart leaps to my throat at the sight of him. He was finally here! I vault from my bed, oblivious to my despairing condition.

  "Vladimir!!!" I sob, colliding at his feet. "Vladimir!! They took him!!! They took my brother!! Oh God, please find him, Vladimir!! Please bring him bacccck!!"

  "Sanam!Please don't cry!" He whispers, reaching down swiftly and hauling me up into his arms. "I'll bring him back!"

  "They're hurting him!!" I shriek into his chest, my tears nearly blinding me. "Please bring him back!!"

  ◆◆◆

  "You shouldn't involve Grigori, Serge and Yigor into this mess." Ivan advises Vladimir. "Grig and Serge being Uncle Dimitri's sons and Yigor, uncle Abrams son. They will not tolerate their sons heading into such a mess created by you in the first place."

  I watch both men keenly, as I wipe at the silent tears rolling down my cheeks. We were present in Vladimir's private study. Rachael was by my side, patting my back gently.

  "Vladimir can not do this mission alone!" Rachael interjects gravely, shooting a glare in Ivan's direction.

  "No, he's right Rachael." Vladimir looks over at her pensively. "Why involve those who weren't responsible for disintegrating uncle Dimitri's alliances? I will manage this task myself."

  "Don't be foolish, Vladimir!" Ivan objects again. "This isn't simply Doucettes alone, he's got the Ulyanovs. Man, you know how tough the Siberian Mafia is! They were our great allies once before this mess started."

  "I'm well aware of that." Vladimir affirms bitterly. "But if you say that I abandon this mission, you're in grave error. I will not cancel this mission at all costs."

  "I've never said that!" Ivan shakes his head in apparent denial. He places a reassuring hand on Vladimir's shoulder before declaring. "I shall aid you, we are brothers in a way, I think of you as a brother more than a cousin. Aunt Anastasia was beloved to me and to my father and if my father were alive, I'm sure he wouldn't have turned his back on you like uncle Dimitri is doing now."

  Vladimir looks towards him fondly. "It's a deal then, let's prepare, brother. We mustn't waste anymore time."

  "Good, I'll meet you at the helicopter." Ivan pats him on on the back once before exiting the room.

  "Rachael?" Vladimir questions while eyeing me. "May I have a word in private with my wife?"

  "Sure, just let me know if you need anything." Rachael acquiesces as she arises to her feet. She halts near him and cups his cheek affectionately while saying. "I'm proud of you, you are truly the best brother ever..and I'm sorry for causing you distress many times in the past."

  "It's fine, don't apologize.." He utters in a humble tone. "You're older than me, Rachael. Never apologize."

  As soon as she exits the room, Vladimir hastens towards me. I'm a sniffling mess as I clutch at the wads of napkins scrunched up within my grip. He takes ahold of my free hand and brings it to his mouth for a kiss.

  "I'll bring him back, whatever it takes." He promises ardently. "Look at me Sanam."

  I wipe at my eyes and connect my gaze with his. Sunlight pouring in through the windows reflects his eyes in a bright pure blue shade. This was the first time I kept myself trained to stare within their depths, without being overwhelmed by their magnificence.

  "I will not fail you.." He whispers fiercely. "I will bring them back, even if it costs me my life..I promise you."

  ◆◆◆

  It had been no longer than three days when I receive a frantic knocking at my door. I had awoken from a restless slumber at my window sill. Rushing towards my door, I fling it open.

  There infront of me is Bilal, weeping as he jumps into my arms. I shriek in joy and dread as I grab onto him tightly.

  "Oh my Allah!! Bilal!!" I cry into his shoulders. "I'm so sorry Bilal!! I am so sorry!!!"

  "Sanam!!" Rachael shouts my name, her eyes alarmed with apprehension as she is running in our direction. "We have to rush to the hospital!! It's Vladimir, he's in critical condition!!"

  Chapter 35

  My heartbeat thundered within my ears while my eyes brimmed with scathing moisture. The air around me continuously growing thin as my lungs burned with each breath I took. My legs refusing to falter, I ran through winding corridors of the hospital along with Rachael and Katie. The hijab on my head nearly slipping off. Yet my mind only preoccupied by him.

  "Doctor!!!" Rachael cries out as she grabs ahold of a man in lab coat, strolling out of the Intensive Care Unit. "Please! We can't wait anymore, we demand to see Vladimir!!!"

  "Ma'am, neither you nor your sisters blood test are the right match for your brother. We can not allow you to see him as of yet." The doctors expression embittered as he shuffles through the papers on his clipboard. "We've discovered he's a rare blood type."

  "He's lost a great amount of blood!" One other doctor rushes out infront of us. "Whoever else is related to him, must get tested for the transfusion! RHnull type blood is rare and we don't have it in the blood bank!"

  "Oh dear God!" Rachael wails clutching at her heart. "He's inherited father's blood type!"

  "Rachael!" We overhear Serge vociferously addressing her as he jogs down the corridor and halts infront of us. His eyes wide in worry while he attempts to gather his composure. "Neither Dimitri, Grig or Yigor have RHnull blood type from the results just in! We've phoned the rest of the Nielsen family to get here asap!"

  "I did call Rebecca!" Katie pipes in, tears seeping out of her green eyes in overflowing rivulets. "She's out of town but she's on her way!"

  "They must hurry!" The doctor with the clipboard reminds, mouth formed into a grim line. "He's on the verge of death! He needs to receive atleast three pints of blood right away!"

  "My mom was an RHnull..." I emit barely above a shaky whisper. My mind swirls in hard contemplation as I attempt to remember my own blood type.

  All eyes froze upon me and I gulp at the lump forming within my throat. I look the doctor determinedly in his eyes. "Please have me tested!"

  ◆◆◆

  "Any history of diseases?" The nurse asks as she slides on nitrile gloves. Presently I was alone with her for the blood-drawing.

  "Not that I know of." I shake my head in decline, my eyes flitting between her and the clock. Each second passing by was precious, my thoughts engulfed with Vladimir's life.

  Please hold on Vladimir!!!

  "Any medications you're taking currently?"

  "No."

  "When was the last date of your menstrual cycle?" She inquires as she checks off with her pen on a clipboard.

  The second she asked that question, my heartbeat escalates the slightest. I swallow hard as I attempt to keep my tears at bay. "I was supposed to get them last week.."

  The nurse glances towards me curiously. "Are you pregnant?"

  I heave a tremulous sigh. "I-I don't know..."

  "Your blood will be checked for pregnancy as well." She finalizes as she glides towards me with the syringe.

  Pregnancy was the last thing on my mind, all I could think of was Vladimir's life in critical condition.

  Around ten minute
s elapse, I'm waiting anxiously along with the others outside when the doctor approaches us with satisfaction. "It's a match!"

  Both Rachael and Katie throw their arms around me as they sob uncontrollably. I exhale heavily, my heart hammers in relief.

  Serge interrupts within seconds. "Let her donate blood right away!"

  As I'm rushing into the ICU ward, the doctor falters within his steps. "Mrs.Nielsen, there is another good news I must share with you but out of respect for your privacy I didn't relay it infront of others."

  I look to him expectantly and his mouth forms into a warm smile. "Congratulations..you're pregnant."

  Instantly my face drains of color as I gape at him. Was this actually occurring? How could this be?

  "I..there must have been a mistake!" I voice with disbelief.

  "No mistake." The doctor disagrees, his smile wavering at my unexpected reaction. "Blood tests detecting pregnancy are more accurate than urine testing and since you're pregnant, we shall only draw two pints of blood from you. It will be enough to keep Mister Nielsens life sustained until the rest of his family gets here for testing."

  I merely stare at him with indecision as my hands instinctively clutch at my stomach. The world around me tilting, my head swimming in a dazed confusion. Mind finding it difficult to accept this revelation. I wasn't aware of what to make of it.

  He clears his throat, motioning towards the door a few steps to our left. "Shall we? You will lay on a separate gurney besides your husband while in the process of blood transfusion."

  As he opens the door, all thoughts of pregnancy vanish from my mind. There in the center of the room, lay Vladimir with closed eyes. The nurses and doctors rushed around him, preparing the blood transfusion equipment.

  A diminutive strangled cry escapes my throat as my eyes assess his critical condition. An oxygen mask was attached to a resuscitator device on his left side. Numerous tubes were patched to his bare upper body, trailing from other devices and heartbeat monitor machine.

  I clamber forward, my eyes developing glossy with unpreventable tears. Nearly stumbling, I manage to reach his bedside and grasp at the gurney rail. My hold quickly encasing his motionless hand.

  His ivory skin shone paler under the fluorescent lighting, devoid of any rosy color. Lifeless looking, he appeared to bear semblance to a wax statue.Both face and body marred with bruising and apparent stitched up gashes, patched to prevent further blood loss.

  My heart clenched in anguish as I attempt to shake him awake. "Vladimir! Please wake up! Please!"

  "Mrs.Nielsen!" One of the doctors grasps my shoulders, struggling to pull me away from Vladimir's side. "He's extremely weak, elapsing in and out of coma! Please collect yourself and lay down on the empty gurney now."

  "Vladimir!" I cry out, my head pounding with waves of vertigo. The ghastly sight of his condition was too much for me to endure. "Please wake up!"

  Suddenly his hand gave a twitch within my hold and I let out a gasp as my gaze snaps to his face. His eyes flickered open, revealing those intense blue irises locking with mine.

  "Vladimir!!!" I sob out, my tears flowing torrentially.

  He attempts to part his lips, wincing in apparent pain. The doctor pulls me completely away from him along with help of another nurse, yet our eyes remain connected.

  "Please Mrs.Nielsen, you mustn't delay the transfusion." I overhear the doctor as they have me lay upon the empty gurney.

  "I'm too far away from him!!!" I weep, as I extend my hand out towards Vladimir. I notice his hand twitch and lift slightly in my direction before collapsing again. His brows furrow in concentration, eyes remain upon me.

  "Vladimir!!!" I scream for him, I hadn't realized how much danger he was in. He had to live! He had to survive! My entire body was trembling with panic.

  "Please Mrs.Nielsen calm down!" A nurse orders as she pierces my skin with a syringe.

  I couldn't feel the pain of the syringe this time, my mind zoning out the doctors and nurses voices as my eyes remained locked with Vladimir's. Everything seemed to be occurring in slow motion. He was the only one that mattered to me right now.

  When they drew my gurney closer to him, my hands didn't hesitate to clasp his. His eyes revealed sombreness, as he managed to give a squeeze to my hand. My heart thundered within my ribcage in bereavement.

  "We're now on the second pint!" I overhear the doctor announce.

  "Please take three!!" I declare in a tremulous voice. "Please save my husband!"

  "Mrs.Nielsen, you're sure about that?" The doctor asks in discretionary tone.

  "Yes!" I voice my vehement approval. My eyes catch sight of Vladimir's lips, slightly curving up in a start of a weak smile. Yet the despondence remains within his gaze holding mine.

  He takes a heavy inhale and emits in a cracked whisper."Sanam..."

  I gasp in response, sitting halfway up and leaning closer to his face. Without further thought, one of my hand cups his chiselled cheek, marred by red scratches.

  "Sanam...you..." He gulps, wincing in renewed pain. "You're..free..now..."

  Agony stabs at my heart as the realization dawns on me of what he's just said. My eyes blur with further tears and I wipe at them furiously with my other hand. "Wha-what are you t-talking bout?"

  "You..you're free..now." His voice wavering in apparent affliction. "I..I..am...sorry..for everything.."

  Sobbing, I start vigorously shaking my head in denial at him. My mouth glued shut, holding back my blubbering of distress. I didn't want his apologies, I don't want them anymore. I needed him to live. I wanted to say so much and yet my eyes burned with fresh supply of tears, my throat growing drier in panic.

  "I..love you Sanam." His eyelids were beginning to wilt low, voice subsiding ever quickly frail.

  "Vladimir!!!!!" I let out my scream of anguish as his eyes fully shut close.

  The ElectroCardioGram heart monitor device starts emitting a low tone. Screen displaying data lines flattening. Suddenly the entire room full of doctors are driven in panic mode.

  "What's going on ?!" I shriek at the doctors as my crazed eyes flit between the machine and the motionless form of Vladimir.

  "Someone prepare the defibrillator now!" One of them shouts out an order as he quickly places his stethoscope against Vladimir's chest. "It appears the patient is suffering a cardiac arrhythmia!"

  I begin hysterically crying, clutching at Vladimir's hand.

  The doctors manually determined the voltage and timings for electrical shock. Before I knew it the doctors place the paddle electrodes over Vladimir's chest.

  Within seconds they deliver the shock to his body which shakes from the current as if a mere mannequine. He remained lifeless.

  "Vladimir!!!!" I start screaming, throwing myself at him, taking ahold of his shoulders. "Please wake up!!!! Please!!!!"

  In a split second I'm being dragged away from him by so many arms, yet my shrieks of agony fill the entire corridor. My eyes trained on his lifeless appearing form until the door to the ICU closes in my face. I struggle to fight off the arms of the nurses, but they continue dragging me away.

  ◆◆◆

  "The doctors say he's elapsed into a coma again." Rachael weeps besides me. "I-don't understand..even Rebecca has provided blood..and two other cousins..yet he won't awaken..oh dear God...they don't know if he'll ever awaken..if he'll ever survive!!!"