- What the Hell's happening to me?- Erik whimpered as he regained his senses a few moments later. He felt lousy and the pain he was in got worse and worse with every second. He was placed on the floor or fell there, he did not exactly remember. Mahtab was kneeling next to him by his side, and tried to act as calmly and naturally as possible.
- Are you feeling any better? - Mahtab inquired. - You fainted.
- I've never felt worse in all my miserable life before… - He wheezed and tried his best to compose himself to the level he shall at least get up from the floor and make efforts to think of a solution of what should happen. With a pitiful attempt he was trying to sit up, but it was too painful to even try, so he stayed on the floor with a moan.
- Stay still, Papa, I am afraid you are suffering of appendicitis and you should be operated on as soon as possible.
- The awesome physician had stated a diagnose. - Erik snorted. - Stop this nonsense, I have only eaten something that…
He could not go on with the sentence as he inhaled sharply of pain and it made him unable to finish his thoughts. It felt like his brain wasn't working anymore.
- Indigestion extremely rarely goes with fever, let alone with such a level of pain. - Mahtab said with a serious expression of an experienced doctor. - And you are burning up. Believe me, it is what I think it is. You have to accept your fate.
- I am not allowing inexperienced and studious children to dissect me alive without a proper diag…
- I have studied a lot in the past months, and I am only wanting the best for you. You told me you did not wish to go to a hospital to go through a surgery, but I think we don't even have the time for that any more. - Mahtab tried to sound as mature and fearless as possible, even though he could have died of fright if he did not constantly remind himself to stay calm and don't fuss about the happenings. Only with cold head, no emotions. Papa's weapon was exactly this and it worked: coldness.
For a split second Erik thought Mahtab had lost his mind completely.
No wonder with a father and a face like his, not at all. It was a miracle he had stayed sane up until this point. Does he really think this is how to solve a crisis? But he had just realized it was him who taught him the exact solution. Whenever someone in the family was seriously ill or needed medical help and the Doctor was out of range, Erik himself was the one to interfere, and took Mahtab as an aid. Raoul's prosthetic hand, Greg's vocal chord surgery, the complicated twin childbirth… It was always him and Mahtab who solved them without thinking if it was good or bad at all. That was the only acceptable and quick solution to turn to, and he did not actively realize before that Mahtab was acting the way he did because he was always expected to react that exact way. He was always Erik's aid and other half at risky situations, what should he do anyway?
He tried his best to open his eyes and look Mahtab in the eye. The child was examining him with worry and checked his pulse. Erik knew they did not have more time to waste if they wanted him to get out of the situation alive if Mahtab's diagnose was a proper one, and even though he was afraid of being operated on by a young person with little experience in surgery, and to top the problem it was his own child who was ready to open him up, and he wasn't sure at first if he just would better state his last will, and wait for the inevitable to happen, accepting he was old and ill and his time had come, or give his permission to the operation going on, closing his eyes once again, he recalled the faces of his loved ones, and he knew he had to fight hard not to leave them so abruptly. It would be a shame to leave them without even saying goodbye, they needed him and so did he need them.
His grandchildren were only a few months old at that time. He was so eagerly waiting for them to grow a bit, to the point they finally are able to be played with… He always tried his best not to raise his own children in an absolute childish manner as he wished them to turn out to be polite as much as they could, but beinga Grandfather would have allowed him so much more freedom with the children… He would so ruin their upbringing and turn them to cynical little tyrants, giving Florian a headache! Ha! It was going to happen! He will fight for it to happen! He won't give up so easily!
- You are right. - Erik grunted in discomfort. - We have little time and we can't waste any more of it. Mahtab… you… you are my favorite child… and I trust you. - He nodded and tried to position himself on the floor so his pain would reduce a bit. - Yet you are not an experienced doctor yet, so you can't do it all alone. It means I am not allowed to be put to sleep during the process… so I can help you…
- But if I operate on you while you are awake it means you die of the pain itself. - Mahtab gasped.
- I tolerate pain better than you would think, but there is a way to achieve our goal without causing me too much pain and I would be awake.
A sigh came from Erik, he knew they were going to have a long and tiring night full of pain, so he was trying to concentrate on something else than his discomfort until he would temporarily get rid of that uncomfortable feeling. He needed a lot of strength stored beforehand.
- At first, you have to help me to get into the guest bathroom. It is the place the least people are using in the house and we will need to access water.
Mahtab helpfully reached under Erik's arm to help him up from the ground, but his abdominal pain made it utterly difficult to stand up and walk. With great effort, it was successful though, after some moments. Erik did not exactly remember how did they reach the safe place of the Daroga's room, but he recalled being carried inside the guest bathroom by the Daroga himself. He was placed on the sofa next to the bathtub which originally had the function of storing removed clothing.
- Get my bag and carry it in here. After lock the door from the inside so no one can surprise us.
Both Mahtab and the Persian were astonished by the fact how calm Erik sounded even with a considerable amount of abdominal pain, which should be a terrible one, knowing how well Erik could handle pain, and with a most likely fear of dying shortly. After his doctor's equipment was placed onto the bathroom floor by Mahtab's feet, Erik started talking seriously again.
- Listen, because I am only telling everything once. You have to be quick, but precise as the method I am sharing with you is only a temporary solution of painkilling and it will lose its effect in a few hours time. Also I can't guarantee staying with you by the very end of the operation. Blood loss, tiredness, pain and fever can trick a person and make it hard to stay awake. Don't worry if it happens, just finish the process and leave me be.
- Papa, are you sure you don't rather want to have someone professional do this to you? - Mahtab whispered.
- Mahtab you saw I can't walk any more. Stop this. Do you want to lose your faith in the last minute?
- No. - He shook his head.
- Don't make me disappointed. - Erik squeezed some words of encouragement through his teeth, and grabbed the rim of the tub next to him. - Let's start, I can't go on for long.
- All right. What shall I do for painkilling?
- Your hands first. - Erik warned.
Mahtab was so very upset he nearly forgot to wash his hands and disinfect the tools he meant using. Of course, he would have never committed such a nonsense in his normal state, but the thought he had to operate on his own father had just sunken in, and he started doubting his ability to do so. If only the Daroga was still there, but he left…
The Daroga indeed left Mahtab's side, as he did not find the idea of the surgery was going to be taken place in a bathroom by a 20 year old young person with close to no experience too much of a good one, especially after the conversation they had a few hours earlier, but it was too late to say anything any more so he just walked outside of the bathroom to his room, and he locked the door which led to the hallway, so no one else in the family should be able to enter neither to his room, nor to the adjacent guest bathroom and they could work in peace. He wanted to stay out of this nonsense as much as possible, but of course, easier to think than to do, to go to sleep or read something on his bedside while an operation was going to take place just separated by a wall from him. He could not stay seated and jumped up to walk to the door frame to peek inside.
Mahtab was inserting needles in Erik's arm and various spots on his body, even in his neck and the top of the nasal bone. The Daroga was in awe of that happening, he thought an appendicitis required a cut on the abdomen, not the needles put through his skin not even near to the belly.
- That's right. - Erik called out a few moments later- It is starting to work.
- Are you sure it reduces pain? - Mahtab inquired insecurely.
- Chinese seventh rank. - Erik snorted impatiently. - If you don1t believe me read my book about acupuncture. It's written in Chinese, have a great success.
- Sorry Papa, I am just… uneasy.
- Stop being. - Erik ordered. - I trust you. How should your patient trust you when you clearly lost hope and faith in yourself?
- You are right. - Mahtab nodded and reached for the scalpel with trembling hands and he sterilized it in a blink of an eye to do the first incision.
In his mind he was constantly praying to God and asked for help to be able to save his father. He felt he wasn't yet ready to live his life without his beloved Papa, and in a short period of time all the occasions rushed into his memory when Papa was close to death or at least was very ill. The first one very long time ago when he was yet a small baby, but he already remembered climbing up to Erik's bed when he was finally allowed to touch him after a long time of separation, being happy to see him again… and after when he was in hospital and he nearly died… he knew Papa nearly died… they used to tell him it was not true, but he knew it really happened, and that he nearly lost Papa… and after, the epileptic seizures… scarlet fever… instead of running away, how he wished he could have helped him… and now he could. He just had to compose himself enough to do so. He can help.
He will help.
These thoughts and Erik's constant orders really helped him concentrate on the task he was performing, and tried his best not to think of the circumstances they were under in these frightful hours. Erik was talking to him only the necessary steps, but his hands weren't trembling any more, and it did not feel awkward at all, only slightly morbid. Erik was tired, but thankfully he did not feel extreme level of pain for a time, which was a blessing, after long hours of agony. Not even being poisoned once did cause him such a pain as he recalled… or maybe it was just a long time ago…? The problem wasn't discomfort, but him feeling extremely light-headed from time to time, and he knew it was partly because the sedative effects of the acupuncture, maybe Mahtab wasn't even 10% accurate by balancing the needles for the first time, but it was to be expected. The only desired thing wasErik not to fall utterly unconscious before the majority of the surgery taking place. Sewing and bandaging the wound will be all right if he does it alone, but until that Erik knew he should stay awake by any cost. What to do…? He felt his head so empty and his eyelids so heavy…
Singing and music was the thing which always kept him awake when he refused to fall asleep before, so he asked for the help of melodies in this situation as well, which was only partially successful. His mind was so much in need of a rest that he wasn't able to coherently make up a song, or had even trouble remembering anything he would sing for a time. It felt like even music was deceiving and leaving him. If it I so, why to live at all? What is the meaning of life without music…? What makes life complete…? To have a house on your own with family? A wife…? A living wife…? A house by the lake… sea…?
And then a melody hit him, associating to a seaside house. It was a Donizetti song he suddenly recalled note by note, even though he hadn1t sang it for decades. It was missing from the top of his repertoire… maybe the children don't even know it? He shall teach it to them when he feels good enough again… it is a cute song…
- Papa… what has happened to you? What are you humming…?
- Amor marinaro. - Erik smiled. - It's… it's… delicious.
Mahtab sighed, knowing they did not have much time until Erik turns utterly unusable, but the good news was he was already through the harder parts. The whole bathroom around them, the rim of the tub, the floor and the sink were a bit bloody. Yet in that mess Erik1s face reflected so much calmness and comfort Mahtab wasn't feeling uncomfortable either any more. Contrary to them just getting through an operation which could have turned fatal if he messed up something, Mahtab felt like he only removed a spike of someone's finger. He knew well that Erik will need some time to heal, but right now he was certain they were through the hardest part, and it wasn't as hard as he imagined it would be. Thankfully it was successful. Papa won't die.
Papa will live.
