Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I don't mean to hurt anyone's sentiments by writing this story and if anyone feels troubled by reading this story, apologies in advance. Pardon grammatical errors or otherwise, I didn't give it a second read.
~~~OO~~~
14 DAYS
~~~OO~~~
On Wednesday, Hilary caught a fever with cough and cold coming as complimentary gifts. By the following Monday, she was confirmed as a COVID-19 positive patient.
Tyson had been hearing about it in news since months, there were infections and people dying and in the past month the positivity rate had shot up dramatically leading to long lines at hospitals with patients waiting for oxygen beds and medicines and even longer lines at crematoriums with people taking appointments to burn or bury their dead. So when Hilary tested positive, even though he managed a brave façade and gave her a reassuring smile, his heart was almost in his throat as images of death and misery started dancing in front of his eyes.
There weren't enough beds in the hospital and Tyson knew it would take ages to find one given the fact that the city was under a curfew and the health infrastructure was crumbling under the weight of the infected people which were more than it could handle, so when the doctor assigned her a home isolation, Tyson was actually relieved. He knew he wouldn't be able to leave his wife alone in some quarantine facility anyway.
Following this, their bedroom became Hilary's isolation room for a 14-day quarantine and Tyson shifted in the living room of their apartment, with a vow that he will not let anything happen to Hilary.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 1)
Tyson burned the rice he was cooking.
He was busy dusting the house with music on the playing in the background for Hilary and one eye on the microwave, when he realized that he had not turned off the stove on which the rice was cooking. When he kept the half burnt rice and curry near Hilary's door and it took Hilary 7 whole minutes to somehow stand up and amble down to take her food with her limbs shaking from fever and weakness and body pain, Tyson's could feel tears pricking his eyes.
How he wanted to rush to Hilary and take her in his arms and hold her there until she got well… but he was strictly warned to not give in to his temptations and helplessness. He was told he had a weak immune, so while Hilary could even make it out fine with medications, there was every chance that if he got affected, it wouldn't take 4 days for him to be transferred to an ICU bed. And Hilary had made him promise that he will not step in that room for all the 14 days until she gets tested negative, so he was left standing there, watching her helplessly.
"I'll be fine, Tyson," She said, when she caught him staring.
He hoped so too.
So after Hilary ate 10 spoons of rice and curry somehow and went to sleep, Tyson went and sat in the living room reading up everything there was on the internet on how to improve his damned cooking, with a dozen tabs open about how to care for COVID infected patients.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 3)
Kai informed them that his grandfather succumbed to COVID and they were holding a funeral in the mansion grounds itself because despite the influence that the Hiwatari name had, there was not one crematorium that did not have a waiting period of less than 2 days to bury the dead.
Max phoned in to tell that the hospital where he worked was going to call numerous retired doctors and medical professionals to help them manage the incoming patient load, while Ray rang up to ask Tyson if he knew anyone who could help him arrange a hospital bed and an oxygen cylinder for a friend.
When Hilary asked him whose call it was, he simply said from the other room…
"Oh nothing sweetheart, they were calling to inform that our newspaper subscription was coming to end. Do you think I should subscribe for one more year?"
No need to give Hilary more negative news. He closed her door and went out in the living room to refer his directory of available beds and oxygen cylinder dealers and refills that he had made the previous night, to offer help to Ray.
He had read that the new strains of the virus affected the lungs very fast and rendered a person unable to breathe. Oxygen levels of patients, in many cases dropped down suddenly, sometimes going as low as 60, which should actually never be allowed to go below 93. He had placed orders for purchasing oxygen meter at 1 in the night and had worked the whole night to search and collect leads of where and in which places oxygen cylinders were available, where refiling of oxygen was done, where ICU beds were available, the average costs – everything.
He even had a repository of blood banks prepared with their phone numbers and emails listed, who offered blood plasma for plasma therapy of COVID patients. Contact details of ambulances, makeshift transportation facilities started by the Mayor office for transporting patients to medical centers if suddenly their situation became critical… he had everything written down in neat tables and pages and pasted on the walls where it could be present for a quick reference.
Tyson also made a chart of all the medicines that Hilary had to take, along with the timings and pinned it in the kitchen and one copy also on Hilary's door to remind her. She looked at him with her tired eyes, huffed out a breath in exasperation and went back to sleep.
He knew Hilary had mild symptoms only presently, but he was not ready to take a chance.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 4)
Hilary's father came out positive too and was admitted in the hospital the previous midnight after his oxygen levels dropped to 70.
"How is he now?" Tyson asked, standing near their Hilary's door with gloves and mask on. He was thankful for his mask to have concealed his expression of shock and despair.
"Stable." Hilary's voice was so feeble, partly because of the shock, partly because of the infection that Tyson had to read her lips to understand what she was saying. "Mum said that the levels are now over 85 and there is hope that he'll turn out to be fine by tomorrow."
"He will be fine, Hilary. If his gaze can have me shivering to death, what the hell is a tiny virus?"
"No, Tyson, I want to go home. Take me to my parents."
"Then get well soon and I promise, I will take you to your father faster than you can blink."
That coaxed a smile out of her and even with those uncombed hair and lusterless face and frail frame on which the virus was taking its toll, for Tyson, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Later he put on some music for her to listen to and played the recording of their wedding on the TV, which he shifted and positioned just out of her room so that Hilary could watch it from her bed itself. They laughed at the shenanigans going on, on Daichi's dancing skills and how Mariam had slipped down the stairs on her heels.
While Hilary was busy watching that and pointing out how silly and awkward Ray and Kai looked surrounded by paparazzi asking them when they would be marrying, Tyson texted Hilary's siblings all the details he knew about the places they could go to and get help if her father turned serious again and also, requested them to keep Hilary and her dad both, optimistic.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 5)
Her fever subsided and the doctor ordered to discontinue a few of the medicines. Now the only thing left to tackle was the cough, body pain and weakness, but it was still a little win for them so Tyson cooked a special meal to celebrate that event.
"You've put too much salt in this."
He looked up with happy eyes, "Glad to see your taste buds are still working."
"And your brain isn't."
He gave a laugh and continued eating but inside, he was so relieved today that he could not even put it in words. In the evening, the ordered oxygen meter arrived. Tyson inhaled another breath of relief.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 7)
Kenny had sent in a gift for Hilary.
Tyson had told them how it was difficult for Hilary to get up and take her food from the door because she was so weak due to the effects of the virus and he, in response, sent a package labelled "A little help".
Hilary was asleep so he opened it himself and out came a little white robot on wheels who held a food tray on his head, along with a letter wherein Kenny had written how to operate it and what was the limit of weight it could carry along with other instructions.
So when in the evening Hilary woke up and found a that little robot moving on its tiny wheels bringing her tea and to her, she couldn't stop smiling as she picked it up with unstable hands.
"Name him something?" Tyson said from the door, his mask on, like always.
"Tim," Hilary whispered.
The robot's screen glowed. "Tim registered. Hello, Hilary. I am Tim."
Hilary jumped up in surprise and Tyson's hope that Hilary won't end up like the thousands dying every day, strengthened a bit more.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 7 – NIGHT)
That night, they received a call that Hilary's father was critical, had been shifted on a ventilator and the doctors had given up on him. He only had hours before life would fail him.
Hilary had seen her father via video call on the ventilator and since then she had been crying, clawing the sheets of her bed and requesting Tyson to take her to her father, she so wanted to see him one last time. Tyson understood her grief, Tyson cried too but this was one wish of hers that he couldn't fulfil. He tried to make Hilary understand, but she simply wasn't ready to listen as she doubled over in a fit of cough which rattled her entire frame.
2 hours later, they received the news of her father's death.
Hilary smashed glasses, threw pillows in rage and screamed at Tyson to leave the house. Tyson tried to console her, he tried to hold her down but she hit him with anything everything that her hands fell on. She kept shouting and screaming and crying and blaming him for everything… till the point her voice became hoarse.
"I told you I wanted to meet him… I told you I wanted to go home! Now dad is no more and because of YOU I couldn't see him one last time HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?!"
Tyson sat by her door for a long time - helpless, unable to do anything to ease his wife's grief, aching to hold her in his arms and keep her there until everything subsided. He couldn't even hold his wife, offer her a hug of comfort, a little pat on the back, or wipe his tears. Every time she'd have a coughing fit, it would send a shiver down his spine and he'd clutch his phone tighter to call the hospital.
The whole night went by with him sitting on her edge of her door, sending in Tim the robot with water which Hilary always refused and speaking words of comfort which fell on deaf ears – listening to Hilary curse him and blame him for not allowing her to go home, for not taking her home, for not doing enough to care for her or else she'd have been up and well just fine and making her eat stupid medicines which did not work and what not. He knew there wasn't anything that he could say to ease her pain of not being able to see her father one last time before he died, the fear that would have wedged in her by losing someone to the same fucking disease that she was battling with and the agony of not having anyone to near her to console her, so he eventually fell silent, enduring her jabs and cries and blames.
We only realize the value of things when we lose them, and that was the night, Tyson realized the value of human touch as his eyes never left Hilary's oxygen meter even for a second.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 8)
Whatever little improvement that Hilary had shown went down the drain because by the morning her fever was back, her coughs had become more frequent and now she refused to eat anything solid.
Tyson consulted 4 different doctors over what to give Hilary in meals and the medicines and health drinks and everything. It was when he was talking to the fourth doctor that a cry arose in the streets and he peeked down from the window of his third floor apartment.
It was a dead man's procession, they were taking the coffin for burial.
For a moment Tyson thought that he was seeing Hilary's face in the coffin and he almost fell unconscious.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 11)
They weren't able to go for the funeral naturally, but Hilary somehow had determined that she'd defeat this infection. She wouldn't let it win her life too. She had regained some color and her fever had subsided, so did her coughing, leading to Tyson breathe a sigh of relief.
When Tyson got up in the morning at 6, he saw Tim with a note, waiting by his bedside. He opened it to find Hilary's wobbly writing:
I am sorry for being unreasonable and cursing you so much that day. I know you have been trying very hard but I was in grief, and I know I said some very hurtful things. I hope you can forgive my words. When all of this is over, I want a few days of peace in your arms, Tyson – I need it terribly.
PS: I love you. Always and forever.
He nearly fell from his bed trying to get out of his sheets and ran to Hilary's room shouting her name. He found her sitting up near the window, soaking the morning sun. When she smiled at him, he felt that he could face 1000 more days of despair without breaking a sweat.
"I love you too, Hilary, I love you so damn much!" he shouted and gave her a big flying kiss, like a kid in the high school and later, he made a special dish too, which as always, had more salt than was necessary.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 13)
Hilary was recovering with speed, much of her weakness was gone. She was still numb and quiet over her father's death and Tyson knew she was just postponing the grief to be able to focus on the present and regain her strength. A few days more, he knew it. He knew she'd be able to get out it just fine. It wasn't like he wasn't sad over his father-in-law's death, but at this moment, his first priority was Hilary. He couldn't rest until and unless she tested Negative.
That afternoon, Tyson checked Hilary's oxygen meter, gave her the medicines sent in by Tim and then making sure that Hilary was fine and resting, sat down to attend a video conference with the other stakeholders of the BBA to talk about cancelling that year's tournament.
It had hardly been half an hour when he heard a sound. He paused the meeting and strained to hear.
Hilary's was gasping for breath and calling out for him.
By the time he rushed in, Hilary was unconscious.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 13 – NIGHT)
"What do you mean you do not have ICU beds available? You had 12 beds until this damned morning!"
The meter gave a beep – Hilary's oxygen levels were dropping. Tyson controlled his voice from breaking and caressed her forehead that lie in his lap as Hiro swerved the car into another direction. "Enough. I am taking us to Asclepius International. Call the bank and ask them to keep the money ready. We will bribe our way in if that is what it takes."
Tyson hurriedly did as he was told and placed a call to his bank. They had been searching for one hospital bed from the past 4 hours and had been rejected by 3 hospitals until now. Each and every one of his preparation had gone down the drain the moment he needed it all the most. He had underestimated the scale of the pandemic. Hospitals, who had beds empty by the morning were reporting they were full and oxygen cylinders were being sold at double the prices they were just 2 days before.
If Hilary did not get professional treatment soon, he didn't even want to think about what would happen to her.
Tyson held his breath as the huge building of the Asclepius International came into focus. Not only bribing, he'd do whatever the hell it takes to save Hilary. Even if it means threatening the owner of Asclepius International with his bey-blade.
~~~OO~~~
(DAY 14)
Thankfully, they did not need to threaten the owner, but they sure did have to pay double the normal amount for admission in the hospital.
Hiro had asked Tyson to step out of the hospital and have a bit of air and watch the morning sun as he offered to sit outside Hilary's ward. "You heard the doctors, Tyson. She'll be f-"
"How did her lungs get infected? I swear Hiro, I never missed a single dose of her medicines I took every care that was told I-"
"Tyson! Listen to me." Hiro held him by his shoulders, "Look at me. It is not your fault, okay? Not. Your. Fault. Some things are not in our control. Besides, it is on a pretty early stage and she has a huge probability of recovery. You need to be strong, kid-"
And the rest of Hiro's words were drowned as Tyson threw his arms around his brother and broke down in tears.
Later in the evening as Tyson stood near the window in the hallway, he felt a deep pain in his chest.
Asclepius International was the most expensive super specialty hospital of the city and amongst the top in the country. But it was also located just opposite to the University of Tokyo Hospital, which was a public hospital and not accessible to everyone, despite being accessible to anyone, and it proudly stood beside the crematorium. They had arrived at night the previous day and he had been solely worried about Hilary – enough to not pay attention to his surroundings. But now, as he watched the catastrophe outside, he was overcome with a grief and an uneasiness that he couldn't even begin to explain.
There was a huge crowd of people outside the public hospital – people carrying oxygen cylinders, people carrying small children who were crying their throats dry, patients and their family members holding them in their feverish states, waiting in line for their tests and reports and admissions in the hospitals, dead bodies coming out on stretchers …. There were lines near the crematorium too, with people waiting with tear stained cheeks and dry eyes – devoid of any emotion – and crying and screaming holding the dead bodies in their hands.
At that moment he strangely became aware of his own privilege – of being the Head Trainer at BBA, being the brother of the Chief Executive of BBA, being a 3 time world champion… of having enough money to get an Intensive Care Unit for his wife in an expensive hospital, of having some of the best doctors caring for her, of having access to medicines and oxygen and a roof over her head…. of having the privilege to stand in the air-conditioned hallway and look upon millions of people who did not share his privilege, struggling to secure the bare minimum for their family members.
He had yesterday threatened the owner manager of the hospital in his rage and he was allowed an ICU ward. He wondered, if any of these hoi-polloi did the same, would they get that too? Or would the hospital administration phone the security and order them to be taken away?
He suddenly started feeling way more grateful for whatever he had.
"Hiro? How much has BBA donated towards the COVID Relief measures?"
Hiro was eating. He replied without looking up – "Around half the entire budget of the annual tournament. We are additionally thinking of giving the training space for making an isolation center."
"Then do it. We can also allow the use of the grounds and clear the equipment for a while. The other half of the annual budget can be used to secure oxygen facilities and food and medicines for the ill."
Hiro smiled. "Well, I'd need my Head Trainer's permission for touching that training equipment. He's sort of possessive about that."
Tyson smiled too and gave a nod. Hilary was in good hands, he knew. Now, it was time to help the others.
~~~OO~~~
A/N: I know that these words cannot actually portray the horror that is going on currently and has been going on for the past one year in every corner of the world, yet, I felt like I should write about this - at least as a way to let things out and feel hopeful, because lately, the whole situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been so unfortunate for the past one year... I think I have seen enough deaths - from relatives to grandparents to friends' parents to teachers at my college to neighbours - enough deaths for a lifetime, and even more people struggling with this virus. In Economics, we divide the population on the basis of income and money, into "HAVEs" and "HAVE-NOTS" - basically, those who have enough of food, money and other luxuries and those who do not.
But death, when it comes, never differentiates.
Hence I urge you all - every single one of you - to please be safe. Be strong. And most importantly, be people in need in every way you can and do not encourage negativity in any way. We are all afraid right now, but we will be less afraid together ;)
~~~OO~~~