that one could make out in the absence of light.
The old man pushed open the door. I thought it would creak
but strangely enough it opened silently, almost as if the house was
expecting visitors.
The house, like the street outside, was devoid of any flare but I
could tell that it was old, judging it by the little moonlight that
crept in from the open door. Lavanya tightened her grip on my arm
and with my free hand, I assured her of my presence. The old man
looked towards me and pointed at the stairs. With renewed vigor,
he jumped on the staircase and I thought he almost sailed over the
wide stairs in his anxiety, reaching the upper level in a flash. We
went a little slow, almost feeling each stair creak beneath our feet.
The house gave me a feeling of being shadowed. I tried to zoom in
on all sides but the darkness didn't help my cause.
“Nikhil, I don't like the feel of this place. Please, let's leave,”
Lavanya's voice quivered.
“Ssshh, we'll be done soon and then we'll leave,” I promised
and helped her over the last of the stairs.
The old man led us inside a small room on the extreme left. It
was much darker here and I bumped into something hard the
moment I stepped aside to make way for Lavanya. It was a wooden
cupboard.
Suddenly the room was filled with a yellow fiery light and I
blinked accepting the warm glow with a smile. The old man had lit
a lantern and was holding it up for me while standing near what seemed like a cot. And there lying over a moth-eaten mattress on the cot was my patient. If I had thought the man 'old' then I didn't know what term to use for the lady lying on the cot. She seemed ancient, almost a hundred years old, her body shivering under her wrinkled skin.
She was clearly ill; eyes open in a semi-conscious state, the whites showing, mumbling incoherently. I took a seat on the cot itself near her torso, feeling her pulse. Almost immediately, I pulled my hand away. Her body was boiling hot and she wasn't even sweating. I checked her forehead with the back of my hand. The fever had reached her brain.
“Did she vomit? Motions or something?” I asked the old man, who stared at me blankly.
“I haven't seen such a case before,” I whispered to Lavanya, who had knelt down by my side.
The old lady had to be hospitalised; there was no doubt about that. But I wasn't sure if she would make it out of the house in her condition. I closed my eyes and thought about it for a second. I had to treat her immediately and if she showed some positive response, we could shift her to the hospital. Yes, that seemed to be the only feasible option.
“Lavanya, quick, my kit. Yes, the stethoscope too…” The needle easily pierced the wrinkled skin as I injected the serum into the old lady's body. She didn't show any acknowledgement of the fact.
“We have to get her body temperature down. I doubt there will be ice packs here, we'll have to use cloth and water,” I said.
The old man did not react but I noticed there was a pitcher of water in a corner of the room. I poured some water in a vessel lying nearby. There was nothing around which I could use as a spare cloth. Sensing my thoughts, Lavanya tore her dupatta and handed it over to me. For a moment I looked at her, not knowing what to say. Then she smiled.
She took the piece of cloth from my hand, soaked it in the water and placed it on the old lady's burning forehead. I opened the windows of the room to let fresh air circulate inside.
With Lavanya's help, I hoisted up the old woman into a semi-sleeping position and popped a paracetomol into her mouth. She involuntarily gulped it down with the water. We made her lie down again and a few minutes later, I checked her temperature again. The fever was still there but I could tell it had lessened than what it was before.
Around that time, the old man brought two bowls of tea. I was surprised when he patted me on the back and handed me a bowl. I had never seen him leave the room but then I might have missed doing so as I concentrated on treating his better half. I took a small sip from the bowl, something I had never done before.
Lavanya had just put down her bowl when the old woman stirred and moaned softly. I gulped down the remaining tea and handed the cup to Lavanya who kept it beside hers near the leg of the cot.
“Tai, can you hear me? How're you feeling now?” I said bending over to check on her. Behind me, Lavanya did the same.
And with surprising suddenness, the old woman opened her eyes wide. I almost jumped out of my skin as she looked at me, surveying me from head to toe before smiling softly.
“How're you feeling now?” I repeated a little louder, wondering whether she too was hard of hearing like her husband.
“Thank you, beta,” she finally replied.
I looked at Lavanya. She was smiling at me with tears in her eyes. It was difficult to believe that the medicine had taken effect in such a short while. I placed my hand on the old woman's forehead.Her skin was cold to touch. Almost icy. I attributed the fact to the cloth-water treatment and the open windows. The old