Call of Duty-1

CALL OF DUTY1

A Short Story by Shishir Gupta2

The doctor shivered in the cold and snuggled near the wood blazing in the fire place. He still preferred fire place to central heating systems and had bought this rugged granite tenement primarily because it had this sturdy fire place which daily housed a robust fire to soothe from bitter cold. Window panes all had white lines formed by the snow that was still trickling down in a beautiful shower contrasting against the dead dark of the night. Doctor had been up for long this night because the entire day had been exceptional and tiring. At hospital he had couple of operations with one of them pretty complicated. He had removed surgical gloves with a full sigh while all through he had been having only short worried gasps of breath. It was after all a matter of life and death. Finally he had snatched one more life from the jaws of death. He involuntarily broke into a proud smile as he thought of his patient now resting comfortably in warm hospital in patient ward. He had already spent ten years since he graduated out of medical college and they all called him a specialist in surgery. His reverie shifted to the free patients that he saw after his hospital routines. One of them had developed deep ulcers in stomach and was in severe pain while the other had pus formed in leg ligaments. Both were in pain. He had carefully chosen medications and prescribed them to reduce pains. Till the time patients got relief he felt their pains. Strange for a doctor but true. He had even telephoned charity to organize funds for their free operations. Doctor had returned home to find his supper warm and hot by the table .His house help Mrs. Turner had left before he had arrived. He was so tired and his brain so busy with day's pending decisions that he had dropped into this involuntary reverie as he watched the wood crackle by in fire place.3

Suddenly he was broken out of the near dream and looked at his watch. It was already midnight. He had no appetite and felt listless in his office suit. The food must have turned cold and inedible. Anyway at this late hour the food had no meaning though he had not eaten for about 12 hours now. A weak body now needed just a warm bed. It was enough doctor said to himself. If I continue to have days like this I might as well end up in hospital needing attention. He began to wriggle out of his overcoat. Suddenly the deep silence of the cold night was broken by the shrill ringing of his telephone.Aww! let it to go. It can wait. Who could be calling at this late hour and why? Perhaps he would stop ringing at after time. Doctor continued with over coat. It was now down. The phone rang with more urgency. At least so much the doctor thought. Unwillingly and with tired steps he moved towards the phone to attend. He lifted the handle and bleary eyes heard the message. Some male voice was half sobbing about the terrible accident that his cabby brother had in other part of the town. In the background doctor could hear female voices shrieking in fright exclaiming to get immediate medical help. Now doctor was alive his eyebrows knitted tight with purpose and his eyeballs glistening in fire glow with cementing determination. He had to move-it was a matter of life and death after all. Doctor gruffly noted the address and pulled back the overcoat and yanking his bag from closet hurried out of the door getting time just to key it in. He was indeed in hurry. He had distance to cover and cover fast. He had to traverse the miles long mortuary to reach his address in the other part of town. He frantically galloped the stairs two at a time and did not even to bother for the rickety tenement lift to shore at his floor. Before long he was out in the courtyard of his tenement building.4

Sharp needles of biting cold stung him in face and tried to get inside his protective clothing as he walked to the parking lot. His old service Renault beckoned him inside promising him a comfort which the low temperature outside was cruelly taking away. He quickly got the door to the car open and was in driver seat keying in the engine. First whirr and another and another. God knows how many times he tried the key in those precious moments. Heavens! the engine was not even coughing. Was it dead? He was a doctor-of humans and not of machines. Helpless his mind suddenly thought of odd cabbies that stood by the market lane just outside this town part's limits and on outskirts of the mortuary. They stood there waiting for passengers who got down from the only night bus from nearby metro and wanted to cross over to other part of the town. This night bus came only twice a week and he was not sure if it had or will come in today. He had to take the chance for he had none other left. Banging the door shut of his ungrateful vehicle he hurried out of the courtyard  into the street.Desolate,cold and dark street looked deserted only one or two souls moved here and there. It was after all well past midnight. Suddenly a cold wind came in a gust shaking him numb with lashing snowflakes. He collected his clothes tightly around and slipped along the street. He had now crossed the market lane and was moving out towards the mortuary. Now he was alone on the street. He hurried along trying to see from far in the dark if any cabby was parked anywhere. His heart sank. For there was none. It was all deathly white on the ground and equally deathly dark in the sky. Exasperated he almost ran ahead ogling inside all adjoining alleys for the glimpse of a cab. Suddenly he saw the silhouette of one. He lunged forward in anticipation. It was all locked up with no human in site. Its glasses had darkened with fog and roof was cottony white. His calls for cabby simply returned empty smothered definitely by the falling snow. Frustrated he walked back to Main Street and resumed the main street to mortuary. Thinking that this two miles had been a waste and that his battle was lost he was about to retrace steps back. Suddenly he heard the sound of engines coming from other side and soon his eyes blinkered in the headlights of a cab that was making its way towards him.5

Doctor was not enthused, the cab was coming to him and would probably cross him and go away. To his glee he found that just at the end of the mortuary the cab took a turn and stood still with its back towards him. Doctor rushed forward as if he had found treasure trove and most beloved thing in the entire world. The cab still had headlights on and doctor saw that a neat athletic and handsome cabby sat inside. He knocked the door frantically. The cabbie opened the door and politely asked the doctor his destination. Doctor hurriedly barked his instructions and got into the back seat. Doctor had sufficient time to notice the glowing face of the cabbie as if he had taken a full steam shower just an hour back or so. It exuded a strange shiny aura as if lit by some strange additional light. And, yes, there was one more thing pretty strange about the cabbie, which the doctor fleetingly observed. There were two blood streaks, perhaps each inch long on his face. One running across his forehead and the other across his left temple.6

The cab pulled along the long drive as the doctor fidgeted on the back seat. Cabby had pulled his overcoat lapels up his neck and doctor could not see anything of him but his back, as the cab moved along. Doctor had no intention of talking and the entire half an hour long drive was silent. He was so lost in his impending engagement that he did not notice a nice and warm steam like emanation wafting from driver's seat. For all it did, it made the cab warmer and comfortable. Soon enough the cab came to a screeching halt and the doctor revived to get down. He felt so calm that he did finally reach the place. He eased himself out of the cab. The driver's door opened and the doctor saw the handsome and strange face of the cabby. It was smiling and calm. It got imprinted in his mind for he had never seen such calmness around a face. The doctor pulled out the money to pay and his eyes met the cabby's; for a second the doctor thought that he was looking across the eyes of the cabby in an unending depth. He soon recovered and paid the fare and ran to his patient.7

The address was on a tenement on third floor. The door was ajar and the family gathered in a listless litter. Everything was strangely calm and gelled well with the silence of advanced night. No person was speaking anything. The doctor entered the room sheepishly and in hushed tone asked for his caller. He was directed to a burly man sobbing and laden with grief in a corner. Doctor said," Hello! I am Dr.Jason.Where is the patient?" The burly man lifted his heavy eyebrows a bit and said,"Oh! Doctor, we were waiting for you all this while. You are late by about 45 minutes. Richards had a terrible headlong collision of his cab. The cab was mangled badly and Richard bled profusely. He died soon after calling you, having lost a huge amount of blood. You could possibly examine him for death certificate." Doctor was crestfallen and depressed but lifted his wooden feet to reach the dead body. He bent down and saw the dead face and to his horror and shock found the face of the cabby who had brought him in cab just minutes before. Doctor Jason shook his head in disbelief several times and tried to relook at the face each time. There was no change. It was Richards and Richards. It was no use if he told the sad family that Richard had driven him here after his death-they would think he was mad.Dr.Jason got about examining the body and was dropped back by a family friend at his tenement.8

Dr.Jason snuggled into his bed soon after getting back. Remaining night was so little that it could not have been slept.Dr.Jason decided to arrange his bag for the schedule tomorrow. He opened his bag and the first thing he saw was a piece of paper lying atop his equipments. It was not folded but kept upside down. Doctor picked it up and saw a neat legible hand saying" Before leaving I thought I should attend to my call of duty like you do always". It was simply signed "Richards".9