Page 17 of Born in Grief

Amay waited, his arms braced on the windowsill behind him as he leaned against the wall.

“Mrs. Gokhale’s medical reports.”

Still Amay waited, silently, his watchful eyes on the policeman’s smiling face. “I don’t hear a question,” he finally said when the other man didn’t speak.

“How many of her injuries are old ones? From the past?”

Amay’s hands clenched on the wooden sill. There was the old break in the right femur, the healed fracture in her collarbone, the torn ligament in her wrist…How many were from her past? Most of them.

Murderous rage coursed through Amay as he met the cop’s steady gaze. He had no place to direct that anger. All he could do was wish he could resurrect Varun Gokhale so he could murder him again. But sadly, there was only so much medical science could do, and science hadn’t advanced far enough for resurrection as yet.

“Do you have a warrant for her medical records, Inspector?” he asked, his voice calm, no hint of anger leaking through.

The policeman leaned back in his chair. “No.”

“Then I believe we have nothing to discuss. Doctor patient confidentiality doesn’t allow me to give you more information.”

“I will get my warrant. It’s a matter of time.”

Amay inclined his head politely. “Then we’ll talk more when you do.” He straightened from his position against the wall. “If that’s all, I’d like to get back to work.”

The Inspector got to his feet slowly. “It’s odd, isn’t it?” he mused. “Her husband tries to kill her and her family doesn’t want to press charges. She, apparently, doesn’t want to either.”

Amay froze, one hand on the doorjamb. He forced disinterest into his voice as he replied, “I guess you’ll have to ask them about that. She’s one patient out of many to me, Inspector. And if you don’t mind, I now have to go attend to the many who are waiting for me.”

“Of course, of course.” He nodded, following Amay out of the room. “Just one thing though…”

Amay sighed, stopping and turning to face the other man. “Yes?”

“Is there anything else you’d like to tell me? Anything out of the ordinary?”

Amay stared at the man, unease prickling to life in the pit of his stomach. “No,” he said flatly. “I’ve already told you I can’t discuss my patient with you until you produce a warrant.”

“Yes, yes. Doctor-patient confidentiality.”

Was it Amay’s imagination or was the man stressing on the words ‘doctor’ and ‘patient’? He shook his head, one hand scrubbing through his hair. It had to be his imagination. What else could it be?

“I guess, I’ll see you soon then.” With a small, mocking smile, he stepped around Amay and disappeared down the corridor. Amay watched his retreating back fade into the distance.

He walked back to the tiny room they’d just exited and sat down at the table there, his mind lost in thoughts that were a muddle of the past and present. He pulled out his phone and opened the only group chat he was active on. The Big Dicks. They had Ishaan to thank for the name of the group.

Amay: Guys, a moment?

Virat: Of course.

Ishaan: No.

Virat: It’s a moment, Ishaan. Even you can manage a moment of human like behaviour.

Ishaan: No.

Virat: How about a second? Does a second seem more doable?

Ishaan: No.

Amay: Guys…

Ishaan: Your moment was up two seconds ago.

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