Life ft Pain [completed]

Chapter 17 || Blame

Everything froze. The time, the emotions, everything.

Rudra stood in the same position trying to interpret what he had just been told. He could hear someone wailing in the back and it irritated him.

Ruthira slumped against the wall, cupping her mouth. She took deep breaths, not believing her own ears. She saw Maitra crying loudly in Shaswat's arms.

"SHUT UP! I CAN'T HEAR HIM"! She flinched when Rudra screamed. "Doctor, I'm sorry. I- I didn't get that quite right. You were saying"?

"Can we speak privately Mr Roy Chowdhury"? Rudra nodded and followed the doctor inside the NICU. Ruthira ran to them and tried to enter the room but someone held her hand.

"Get. Lost. Before. I. Do. Something. I. Regret". She looked at Rudra in shock. "Rudr-". "Don't! Don't say my name. You don't deserve to be here", he mumbled, not looking at her.

Ruthira held his hand but he swatted it away, "Fuck off"! Rudra glared at her before going inside the ward. "Aaru-". She broke down and cried while sitting on her knees.

"I didn't mean to", she mumbled, crying in her mother's arms. Nidra cried seeing her mother cry. She sprinted to her mother and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Nidra", Ruthira whispered softly.

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"Is there anyway we can bring her back", Rudra cried, even though he knew his demands were impossible.

"I'm sorry. I suspect it's a case of SIDS", the doctor explained. "SIDS"? "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It affects infants ranging from two to four months the most".

"Unfortunately there's no cause of why and how it happens. However, the only theory we have is that SIDS is more likely in babies who are placed on their stomachs or sides during sleep than babies sleeping on their backs. Stomach sleeping can increase 'rebreathing'.

This is when babies breathe in their own exhaled air. As the baby rebreathes exhaled air, the oxygen level in the body drops and the level of carbon dioxide rises.

When a baby is breathing stale air and is not getting sufficient oxygen, the brain usually triggers the baby to wake up and cry to get more oxygen. But there are times where the baby might not cry as well. We can only confirm if it's a case of SIDS after autopsy".

"My daughter's gone. She suffered so much", Rudra covered his face and sobbed. "It's hard, Mr Roy Chowdhury but you have to be strong. For your wife and daughter". On hearing wife, he clenched his fist tightly.

"We will need to complete the documentation and autopsy will be performed. Only then you can collect the body". Rudra thanked him and went to the corridor where his family was waiting for him.

"The doctor said we can collect the body after the documentation". After saying what he had to, he sat on the chair. "You must be happy, Aaruthira. Very happy".