The Nine-Fiteen (Part Two)

n Part One: Newly-pregnant Mezzla has been pushed into the path of an oncoming subway train by her fiancé, Mou-ed. He escapes by blending into the crowd. Once outside, he stands and watches police, fire and medical personnel as they rush down the steps...1

She felt the hand in the middle of her back as it pushed her into the path of the oncoming train. Instead of a scream, there was only a dull ooomph as the air pushed out of her lungs into open space.Terror exploded in her head when she hit, face first. The shove landed her in a watery, garbage-strewn groove that time and erosion had carved deep into the track bed. Her inner voice ordered “Keep your head down!” and she did as she was told, lying flat and becoming one with the earth beneath her. The train rolled on above her, flying sparks from the steel wheels fell on her, burning her back, neck, and scalp, singeing her hair. The noise rose decibel by decibel until, at its crescendo, her eardrums burst and there was finally silence. Blood ran from between her legs, soaked through her skirt and mixed with the liquid filth where she lay immobile. With brake-shearing finality, the train came to a stop above her. And she was still alive.2

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Mou-ed smoked his cigarette and walked six blocks to the outdoor parking lot where he'd left his car. The cream colored Mercedes-Benz with its wine colored interior was so outstanding, it might have been recognized so he hadn't dared to park it on the street, or anywhere near the subway. He was glad he'd chosen an outdoor lot. He'd had enough of the underground to last him ten lifetimes. He handed the attendant his blue and white ticket. A yellow barrier rose and Mou-ed walked over to the car, using his remote to open the driver-side doors. Once inside, he relocked the doors, then sat motionless with this hands in his lap.4

Devil and Devil's advocate perched themselves, one on each shoulder, and held a running conversation that he listened to in his head.5

Mou-ed, what have you done? How could you murder Mezzla and the baby?6

Leave him alone. He did what he had to do. She was trying to trap him into a marriage his father didn't approve of and with a baby he didn't want.7

How will you be able to live with this for the rest of your life?8

He'll live with it just fine as long as his father or the law doesn't find out.9

Murderer! Infidel!10

Oh shut up! Mou-ed, you'd better get out of here.11

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Train personnel, track crews, paramedics, and police gathered at the scene. The conductor walked between the subway cars slowly, shining a huge lantern down onto the tracks until he was able to locate Mezzla's body. By walkie-talkie, he communicated her position. Jumping down on the track into the separation between the two cars, he was the first one to reach her.13

“She's under cars nine and ten. Can't tell if she's alive yet. Get the train crew and the engineers down here!”14

Deafened by the noise of the train, Mezzla lay on the tracks, face down. She tried to wrap her mind around the horror of what had just happened to her. Mud, and pieces of urban filth plastered her face and a sticky brown fluid sealed her eyelids shut. A cloak of furnace-hot heat wrapped itself around her body, and seared her lungs as she painfully tried to breathe. She sensed there were people nearby and silently prayed they would hurry and rescue her from the hellish pit.15

Suddenly, a man in a blue uniform was kneeling beside her.16

Praise to the Almighty, they have found me!17

“She's alive, I repeat she is alive.” The man said into his radio. “We need medics down here stat!” 18

Train crew talked to engineers. All electricity running through the tracks and to the train had been turned off. It was decided that they would separate cars nine and ten, push them in opposite directions, freeing Mezzla and giving them the much-needed space to lift her out. Once that was accomplished, the medics slid a stretcher underneath her, and leaving her face down, lifted her to the platform. With the push of a lever, the wheeled legs of the stretcher unfolded. Because of the burns on her back and scalp, they wrapped her in a special blanket of antibiotic micro fiber, wheeled her to the ambulance, and took her to Angel Of Mercy hospital. One of the crew found Mezzla's purse several yards down the track, a lot worse for the wear, but with her identification still in tact. He gave the purse to the police, and her emergency contact was notified. The contact person was Mou-ed Al-Azziz.19

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Mou-ed snatched himself out of his thoughts, put the key in the ignition, and drove away. He passed familiar tree-lined streets, identical well-cared-for homes with tiny green squares of grassy lawn. As smaller houses gave way to larger ones, Mou-ed felt cold knives of fear slashing at his insides like well-accomplished assassins. Beads of sweat formed on his upper lip. Would his Father be able to tell? Would his mother see the result of the deed written on his face somehow? A few more minutes of driving and he veered right, off the main road, on to the driveway leading to the house. Shutting off the ignition, he opened the car door and got out. When he entered the house he was surprised to see his whole family gathered in the living room. His Father stood near the window, face expressionless, while his Mother sat on the sofa with his two sisters, crying and dabbing at her face with a handkerchief. Mou-ed ran over to her.21

“Mother, what's going on? What's the matter?”22

“Oh, Mou-ed, something terrible has happened. There's been a horrible accident at the subway and Mezzla--”23

“What? What about Mezzla? Come on, Mother!”24

“She was pushed in front of a train. She's been severely hurt and taken to Angel of Mercy hospital! You must go immediately. Fakir will drive you.”25

Severely hurt? Hospital? Don't you mean the morgue? Mezzla couldn't possibly be alive, could she?26

His Mother, mistaking his silence as concern for Mezzla, took him by the hand and lead him over to Fakir, their chauffeur.27

“See that he gets to the hospital and stay with him until the outcome is known." 28

Mou-ed, deep in shock with the realization that Mezzla was possibly still alive, allowed himself to be led from the house to the family car.29

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She was rushed into an exam room in the rear of the ER. She had not been turned over while in the ambulance, so a nurse and two doctors did that while a third prepared an injection of Demerol. When they turned her over, they saw the blood immediately.31

“Get a GYN in here! She's bleeding down there pretty bad!”32

Mezzla couldn't speak. She tried but her throat had closed down. Whether this was due to shock and fright, or some physiological problem, she did not know. Her world had become dark and silent, a place where she could not communicate with others or they with her. They discovered that her nose was broken. There was brown gunk on her eyes that prevented her from opening them. Mezzla moaned as they removed the protective blanket and cut the clothes from her body. Both the blanket and her clothes were blood-soaked. They used sterile gauze to pack between her legs and staunch the flow. The OB-GYN exploded through the doors of the ER. He performed a brief but thorough examination and told the medical team to clean her up and prep her for surgery. The doctor administered the morphine derivative.33

Mou-ed raced inside the ER and up to the reception window. He addressed the blonde woman sitting there. A short glass partition separated them.34

"Where can I find Mezzla Fahzed? I understand she was brought here. I must see her at once! I am Mou-ed Al-Azziz, her fiance.”35

“You'll have to be patient, sir. I understand your concern, but she's stable. The doctor will be out shortly to talk with you. In the meantime, you can fill out these forms. Please take a seat over there.”36

Mou-ed walked over to the place where she pointed and sat down. Fakir stood off to the side, his back leaning against the wall. Mou-ed looked at the forms but couldn't concentrate on them. Too many questions plagued his thoughts.37

How can I face her? What will I say? How can she be alive? How badly is she hurt? What about the baby?38

Shortly had turned into two and a half hours. Finally, a man with curly brown hair and fatigued gray eyes walked over to the receptionist. He looked in Mou-ed's direction and started walking toward him. Mou-ed jumped up and met him halfway.39

“Finally! How is Mezzla? When can I see her?”40

“I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but she lost the baby. It was a boy. We had to perform an emergency hysterectomy. She will not be able to have anymore children. Her pelvis is misaligned so it's possible she may walk with a limp from now on. Also, There are serious burns on her back and neck. There are going to be scars there, and on the backs of her hands. We had to lavage and bandage her eyes because of some adhesive substance that fused her eyelids shut. We've opened them but they're light-sensitive for now. She's wrapped in antibiotic bandages. It'll promote the fastest possible healing of the burns. Her nose was broken, and we've reset it. There are numerous scrapes and bruises plus she's lost a lot of her hair. Right now, our main concern is infection. We've induced a mild twilight sleep, so she won't be talking but she'll be aware of you. Go on in and see her but only for a few moments. She needs all the rest she can get now.”41

“Thank you, doctor.” Mou-ed shook the man's hand and walked inside.42

Mezzla lay unmoving on a bed that swallowed up her petite body. She was bandaged from head to waist in white sterile gauze. There was a splint holding the bridge of her nose in place. Pads on her eyes were held by additional gauze wrapped around her head. The top half of her looked like an Egyptian mummy awaiting entombment. Her legs were elevated at a thirty degree angle by a pulley operated apparatus . He slowly approached the side of the bed and stared down at Mezzla, horrified at the sight of her. She seemed delicate and very, very vulnerable. Mou-ed pulled a chair from against the wall and sat down taking one of her hands in his own.43

“I am here, Mezzla. Can you hear me? It's Mou-ed. Are you awake, my love?”44

There was no response from Mezzla. “I'm so sorry. I can't believe this has happened. I'll find out who did this and they'll pay dearly, I promise.”45

A nurse in a pale blue uniform opened the door and told Mou-ed that it was time for him to leave.46

“I have to go now so you can rest but I'll return in the morning. Perhaps you'll be awake by then. I'll make this up to you Mezzla, you'll see. Everything will be alright.”47

Mou-ed thrust his hand into the side pocket of his jacket looking for the remote control to his car. Distracted by the pitiful sight on the bed, he forgot for a moment that Fakir had driven him to the hospital and waited to take him back home. Irritated, he removed his hand, and unnoticed, a yellow and blue card slipped out of his pocket and fell to the floor.48

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The same uniformed nurse came into the room fifteen minutes later to check on her patient. Satisfied that all was as it should be, she turned to leave and spotted the card on the floor. Oh the man that was in here earlier must have dropped this. He said he'd be back tomorrow. I'll just leave it over here where he can find it.50

She put the subway fare card on the night table next to the bed.51

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