103

She was sliding faster, uncontrolled with nothing to hang on..! The dizziness engulfed...! 

“Dhatri..... Dhatri...!” someone was banging inside her head...! “Awaa.... Umm....!” she groaned in pain breathing shallow.  The gascious smoke and the filth covered her... She desperately struggled to hang on to something, which was not moving...! 

She hit the ground with a thud and to her shock the ground was moving...! She touched the solid walls... the temperature was rising and the air was unbreatheable...! She coughed hard spitting the filth from her mouth... ! Her right hand clutched the gun tightly...!

“I won’t die...! I will fight...!” she spat again, this time her rage!  The vibrations were unbearable...! She turned and crawled upstream... in opposite direction...! The temperature was rising... She was being pulled along with the filth forcefully..!

“No...!” she turned again thudding her hands on the side walls... something solid struck her... She gripped it... She didn’t know what it was... But that was the last chance she had before being sucked into the vacuum...! Banging the gun on the wall, holding the thing with her left hand, she felt the softness of the wall... “Rubber?” she didn’t recognize.  Holding the gun firmly... she fired.... The filth exploded... The tunnel burst with the pressure and all the medical hazardous waste : Red bags (blood waste), infectious waste, surgical waste, injection needles, rubber gloves and tubing, tissues and bandage, drop-bags, medical remains, scalpels, infectious and pathological waste, blood plasma remains, cloths, laboratory waste, medicine remains, glass pipette, plastic samples, steel tools, etc. Exploded with a bang.   

For Dhatri, the soft material tore... she tore it further thrusting the gun..... the vacuum suction was humming loudly... the filth oozed out .... she held on...! Aiming the gun ahead she fired again...! She could feel the flames zooming into the tunnel.... She frantically thrust her hand inside the soft material still holding on to the gun, slipping towards the engulfing flames...!

“Boom....!” the explosion ahead reverberated....! She tried to grip the moving floor with her hand, finding something leathery under her body...! “Awaa....” Something struck her forcefully hurling in the tunnel...! She propped herself up struggling to stay at one place on the conveyer belt like floor...! The new material chocked the tunnel...! She pushed her head banging it on the material to make some room to move ..! The dry material moved under her body and she felt it... “Files?” she grabbed some of them with the leathery box, again thrusting her gun inside the rubber, propping her head to tear it further..! 

“Huff... Haa...!” She could inhale fresh air...! She found herself propping her head above a tunnel like pipe with the soft bends...! She hopped herself up struggling... gasping for breath...! She aimed and fired a shot at the mouth of the pipe at some distance...! “Four down... only two remaining..!”   she counted the bullets left in her gun...! She held the leather box and grabbing some dry material to her chest came out of the rubber bend...!  She was soaked with filth, blood, pricked several times, bruises all over, with a short surgical, translucent gown, practically nothing inside under it...! She jumped off... and saw a huge erection engulfing in the fire...! The flames rose upto the sky.  She ran for her life...

The sirens blew all over.... Fire alarms hooted out... Security guards closing in she ran towards the clearing...! The Mass-Burn Incinerator Furness had caught fire, release of poisonous gases and infectious medical waste..!

*****  *****

“You think, she can fit into this?” Aidy pulled Rini back.  “She would fit into anything... Damn this Incinerator basket..!” Rini dashed ahead and opened the lid.  

   

“Its always locked.... Only the Doctor has the key...!” Aidy’s voice trailed looking at the open lid of the medical waste outlet...! .  

“Dhatri... Dhaa..!” Rini shouted putting her head into it...!

“Its not a basket, Rini... Its a chute...!” Rini looked at Vinit...! He ran out followed by Rini and Aidy

Ravi’s phone buzzed...! “Haan..!” he huffed running towards the main exit..

“Ravi... Incineration chute.....! “ Vinit yelled his lungs out dashing inside the elevator..! Ravi and Jim changed their route. 

“Where is the incineration plant?” he asked a aghast looking receptionist.  She gestures at some direction unable to talk.  The warning hooters had blocked her mind.  Ravi and Jim ran out, around the front of the hospital, crossing the Parking space, Running for life... In the open land and froze looking at the flames rising into the skies...! 

“Shit..! Dhatri...!” Ravi ran with top speed followed closely by Jim.  

“Dhatri... Dhatri...” They both shouted their hearts out...! And he saw her figure... covered, soaked with filth, medical waste, clutching something to her chest with a gun in the other hand...!

“Dhatri...!” They both froze just in front of her, trying hard to recognize her... The smell was deadly, the only thin cloth she had on her body was torn, her body beyond recognition with filth, waste blood, plasma, with cotton waste stuck on her knees...! She ran forward and stopped.  Ravi looked at her and the next moment she was in his embrace.  Jim looked on...! 

“Ravi...” Dhatri wailed and Ravi couldn’t stop his tears...!

“Dhut Teri...! Oh, Dhaa...! Mari mai... Thank you...!” he blurted pressing her head on his chest.  She broke down completely...

“Hey Dhatri...!” Jim hugged both of them overwhelmed with emotions...! 

*****  *****  

102

The nurse sat on the chair with a thud pressing her palm on her chest.  “Thank God… there are no cameras…!” she closed her eyes….! She was to prepare Dhatri for the Shock treatment under,  anaesthetic with a muscle relaxant.  She was to be prepared for the spinal injection.

“Oh God! I forgot…!” The nurse ran out closing the door behind to get the forms for informed consent to be signed from the patient.  And when she came back, the Patient had already passed out.  She was puzzled and shrugging, went ahead to inform the doctor and Anaesthetist.  She couldn’t find the Anaesthetist and went on to call Dr. Humphrey.  

But when she came back with the doctor, the patient had vanished and the blank informed consent forms fluttered on the bed.  She hurriedly hid them under the mattress when Dr. Humphrey was searching the patient around.  She thought she forgot to close the door but maintained that she did.  Dr Humphrey had apparently accepted her statement and there were no cameras…!

“I should be going…!” she moved towards seventh floor to take another look into the procedure room…! There was nothing that could hide a full grown human being… not even a kid.  “Where did she go?” the nurse rushed to seventh floor.  

She froze to see the door open.  The security guards were alerted… There were quite a few people in the procedure room.  She dashed in.

“Whats going on?” she asked and Aidy turned.  “Aidy? What are you doing here?” Aidy didn’t know what to answer.  

“She is assisting us.  Dr. asked us to find the girl” Jim flashed his ID card and the nurse nodded getting inside to help in their quest. 

Rini couldn’t lay there without any action.  She hopped out and strode towards sixth floor. 

“Dharini..” Aidy was shocked to see her in the procedure room… A security guard came running behind… 

“M;am… you can’t enter..!” he said pointing a batten.  Rini ignored but Aidy came forward. 

“She is family of the girl..!” The Security gaped at her wounded arm.  Rini had continued her search glancing at Ravi and Jim..! 

“Vinit… where are you?” she badly wanted him with her now.  Vinit was busy with the guests…!  She continued… Every equipment in that specious lab was thoroughly searched… Nothing… She had vanished from there…!

……………….

The receptionist was trying frantically to reach Dr. Bridge who was busy with the delegation of Doctors from India with the Minister for Health.  Earl grew restless.  

“Look, Lady… I have informed you enough and I am entering…!” he said flashing his ID. 

“I need a warrant, Sir!” The receptionist seemed to be experienced in such inquiries.  Earl gaped for a fraction of second.  He dialled his office.  The receptionist waited, the security guard closed in.  

“Vinit…!” Earl yelled seeing Vinit with the delegation but Vinit showed no recognition.  

“Seventh floor, left…” he walked past with the delegation, murmuring.  Earl vanished in the commotion when the receptionist got busy with the delegation…! 

Practically everyone had gathered in the procedure room.. Nothing! No trace of Dhatri…!  

“She is not in here…!” almost everyone concluded…! Not everyone… exactly…!

“Rini… Ki  haẏēchila?”  Rini turned in shock.

“Uncle… what are you doing here?” she asked aghast.  Indroneel barged in.

“Where is she?” he asked looking around.  Ravi came forward.  

“Dr. Ghosh…” he started off but was cut off immediately…! 

“Where is Dhaa? Dhaa… Dhaa…!” he called out loudly.

“Shuu… uncle … stop” Rini pressed his hand.  

“Uncle she escaped…!” Rini said gravely.

“Escaped? Where? And what are you doing here?” he asked thoroughly confused.  Rini shook her head.

“We do not know where she is..!” she said and Indroneel looked ghostly.  He turned to Ravi… 

“You said she is in here…!” he turned red, infuriated.  Ravi gaped.  Rini took over.

“Uncle, please go out and wait… I will explain..!” she pushed him out.  

“Tini kōthā'ō nijēkē lukiẏē thākatē habē.. !  She must have hidden herselfsomewhere..!” muttered Indroneel in his tongue..! Rini looked startled… Jim, Aidy and Rini searched for the cupboards… There were none…! 

“Rini..!” Vinit walked in after the delegation left the hospital.  The search was still on.  And they all heard the siren… a loud warning hooter and the high alert messages relayed at every desk.  The main gates were to be closed… Every visitor to be evacuated!  The patients were to be moved to safer places..! 

“There some blast outside… “ Earl dashed in.  Ravi and Jim broke into a run towards the elevator…! “We got to find her before they evacuate us..!” Jim heard the second blast….! So did Ravi…! They had reached the lounge and enquiry counter….! 

“Rini…!” Vinit pointed and Rini gaped at the thing in disbelief…. Next moment she took out her gun, ready to blast…! 

*****  ****  ****

101

“Man... That was close!” Jorden said with a sigh.  D’amama sat with a thud and Winfree grinned. 

“She is out..!” Winfree said hoarsely and Jorden looked at him in wild surprise... “You alright... Aain?” he asked ruffling Winfree’s hair.  Winfree grinned.

“You think, she managed?” asked D’amama unsure.  Jorden looked at her tentatively. 

“I go see....!” Winfree got up from the bed.

“No... Wait.. I see..!” D’amama dashed out of Block II 23.  

“Yeah... That was close...!” Winfree grinned and flung his arms around Jorden...!

D’amama moved towards the Lab in the seventh floor. 

“Hey... hey... You can’t!” the security guard stopped her.

“Aiiann... wha? You stopping me?” She raised her voice ready to pounce on him.

“Shuu... stop yelling...!” The guard looked around.  A group of visitors moved in.  D’amama took this for her advantage...!

“You stopping me? My boy is inside...! I wanna see him...!” she pushed the guard.  The other guards approached for help.  She was all set to create the scene... ! The visitors stopped to look.  The guards were in a fix.

“We have a strict security...!” Dr. Bridge leading the group said meekly.  The guard moved away and D’amama squeezed herself in, moved ahead of the group...! The guard looked on helplessly. D’amama took a sigh of relief.

“Girl... !” she opened the room again...calling out in a hushed voice. 

“No response?” she walked inside.  The room was empty.  “Ainn... girl?” she called out little loudly.  She heard no response.  She breathed relief... Coming out, closing the door behind securely, she went back.  Smile and satisfaction appeared on her face.  

She had seen the girl was carried by the nurse...! D’amama had followed suspiciously and when Dhatri was carried out of Block II, 29, she lost her temper.

“Ainn.... Wha are you giving my boy?” she had raised her voice...! The nurse had stopped.  Paramedics continued to push Dhatri ...! 

“Man... Maa Boy... !” D’amama started off animatedly taking out her phone, keeping one eye on where Dhatri was carried.

“Quiet please..!” the nurse requested.  D’amama was not to be stopped.  “I wanna to talk to head...!” she screamed hysterically.  The nurse looked confused.  D’amama had already dialled her brother’s number sensing danger.  The nurse drove her away, out of the Block.

“Ainn... They took her away, in that death lab...!” she whispered in the phone, and ran towards her boy.  Winfree was waiting eagerly.

“Ainn... they took her somewhere...!” D’amama informed and the boy broke into action.

“I go and see...” he said huskily.  They both ran back to the elevator...!

“Ainn... Jorden... seventh floor...!” she again dialled.  Her brother was on his way.  She must stop the persons from moving Dhatri into the lab.  

“Ainn...” Where is the head?” she asked raising her voice gathering enough attention.  The group of visitors turned to see.  She grabbed the chance.

“Ainn... My boy... Not well... and you not attending...! No medicine?” she yelled and Winfree grinned.  

“Yeah.. no medicine...” he murmured gurgling...! D’amama had gathered crowd by then and was shouting for not treating her son properly.  Winfree saw Dhatri being pushed into a room and broke away from his mother merging into the crowd.  D’amama created a scene and Winfree reached the room running and hopping.

“Shuu... stop shouting..!” a stout paramedic yelled over the murmuring crowd.  D’amama turned to the crowd.

“You asking me to stop? Where is the head man? I wanna to talk to the head.. right now...!” she said stomping and the ward in charge came hurriedly with the security guards.  D’amama saw the in charge and charged on him...!

“Ainn... where are you man... these people... your people neglecting maa child...!” she yelled holding his collar.  He was taken aback.  She badly needed some support... and she got one in the form of her brother. Jorden. Within no time he assessed the situation and took out his gun...!

“Whats going on?” he brandished the gun... The security guards closed in...!

“Whey is that man?” he looked around for the in charge and saw his sister waving towards some direction.  He vanished amidst the commotion his sister created successfully, yelling and shouting...! The group of visitor seemed to have frozen in shock.  The incharge gestured the security guards and they closed in on D’amama.  She yelled and shouted being thrown out of the ward and then shrugging her dress contemptuously, moved twards Block II, 23.  

Jorden pushed open the door to find his nephew trying to tear the straps.  He dashed in to help.

“Hey.... wake up...!” Winfree patted on Dhatri’s cheeks.  She had gone into nothingness. 

 Jorden picked up the water jug and tipped it upside down on her face.  She shuddered blinking open her eyes.

“Girl...!” he freed her hurriedly.  “Escape! Run... girl... for your life” he helped her sit up, hearing the closing in footsteps.  

“Run...!” Winfree held her hand smiling faintly at her.  She hopped out of the bed.  The footsteps neared... Thrusting a gun in her hand, Jorden dashed out with Winfree, to create more commotion to give Dhatri enough time to escape...!” 

...................

D’amama came back to Winfree.  Jorden had already left.  “Hope she is alright...!” she said holding the cross hung around her neck. 

******  ******  ********

What’s going on?” she asked the nurse moving hurriedly.  She looked at D’amama...

“Where were you?” she asked angrily.  D’amama gestured at the rest room.

“Damn...! Dr. Bridge came in to check your son...!” she said and D’amama smiled contemptuously.  

“Ainn... where is he?” she asked looking concerned.  

“He will be back in the evening...tomorrow!” said the nurse...!

“Whats the commotion..?” D’amama . asked.  “Some girl escaped...” the nurse said moving away.  D’amama couldn’t hide her grin...

“God!” she clutched the cross.   

....................  .........

Rini dashed to seventh, left middle... and pushed open the door of the specious lab.

“Dhaa...?” she took out her gun...!

“Dhaa....!” she raised her voice.  No response... She moved into the room searching.  There was nothing except the bed... torn out strapps, the gantry of the MRI machine.. A table with a switch board with clamps attached to it...! She flushed herself to the floor to search under the tables and equipments...

“Nothing!~” Dhatri had vanished...! There was nothing inside.  Rini dashed out... and froze.  The visiting group had reached the door.  She hurriedly hid her gun in her jeans and looked straight not affected by the group at all.  She glanced at the tall figure accompanying and her heart leapt out.  “Vinit...!” she wanted to cry... 

Vinit showed no recognition on his face...! A nurse pulled her aside hurriedly throwing the lab door open.  The group entered.  The person in charge explained ... showing the equipments.  Vinit stayed behind...

“She escaped...!” Rini murmured and Vinit lip read her message turning his gaze inside the lab...!

Rini ran back to the ground floor... “What?” Aidy asked with bated breath... 

“She escaped... we got to find her out!” Rini said in a bear whisper.  All the exit routes flashing before her eyes!  There was no exit without Security check.  “Is she still inside?” Rini’s heart twisted with pain.  “Dhaa... be safe...!” she prayed hard. 

“Ravi?” she looked around.  

“He made his way inside with Jim.. They are in control room...!” Aidy went out hurriedly pressing Rini on the bed.  “Stay here!” she warned.  Rini nodded...!

.............

“Hey...!” Aidy was in control room.  Jim looked up startled... Aidy looked into the numerous screens...  She scanned the Location bands... “Look here... she was kept in this block...!” she showed then Block II, 29.  Jim rewound the footage... They could see a lady and a boy sitting on Dhatri’s bed with her.  “She looks comfortable with them...! Look.. the boy is hugging her...!” Jim exclaimed.  Ravi couldn’t take his eyes off the screen... “Dhut Teri..!” his heart twisted...! 

“Look... They are moving her bed....!” Aidy brought them back on the screen...! They looked on.... Jim froze all the cameras... running in slow motion they could see her carried out of the block... but then the elevator and she just vanished.  No camera captured her....! Ravi looked grave.  

“Where did they take her?” he turned to Aidy.  

“Dr. Scott’s Lab... Seventh floor, Left side, Middle ...!” she gave them the location.  Jim and Ravi gaped at each other...! Then frantically searching in the screens..!

“No... No surveillance there...!” Aidy said gravely.  Ravi pushed his chair getting up.  Jim had already reached the door.

“Wait I will take you there...!” she offered and both of them agreed....! 

**********   ********

“Awaaa.... Mamma....!” Dhatri winced in pain.  She couldn’t see anything...! The suffocating smell gases made her dizzy.  She coughed hard... She had to hold her breath...for being deprived of oxygen...! She tried to figure out., straining her eyes in darkness...! something very cold metallic shivered her...! 

“What?” she tried to feel it in the darkness...!

“A gun?” she held it in her hand gripping it tightly and putting her finger on the trigger..!

“Loaded?” she didn’t know.  She should unload it and see or fire a shot and check...! She couldn’t do either of them...! She crawled further... 

"What... is all this?" she felt the papers... something leathery soft touched...! She felt it and then moving her hand around gathered the papers...! 

“What?” a muffled scream left her mouth.... the floor had started moving suddenly...! She screamed for help... in vain... there was no one to help her. She shoud help herself...! She was moving fast, downwards... She tried to crawl against the movement... upwards... Thud... she had reached the deadend.... the floor still was moving pulling her backwards... She tried to hold on to something which was not moving, which was fixed... There was nothing...!

“Mari mai... help me!” She clutched the Kirthimukh praying hard, holding on to the floor which was moving faster...!

“Vehicle?” She didn’t know what it was.  She tried to kick the sides feeling the solid walls all around...! 

“Where am I?” Tunnel?” she tried to feel the other end... there was no light... even the faintest...!

“No...!” She concluded... She touched the material moving along with her...!

“Filth... She couldn’t recognise anything....! Something very filthy, smelly, wet, damp was moving with her...! 

“Buke.. buke... she vomited with that nauseating smell...Awaaa... She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand...! She got pricks from everywhere...! 

“What is this?” she held on to it.  It felt like an handle... She hung propelling herself, holding that handle for her life.  

“What is this? Handle? There must be a door nob...!” she ran her fingers around to feel the door nob...! 

“Awaaa... the entire tunnel filled with suffocating smell....! She couldn’t breathe... Dizziness engulfed...!