"Doctor Layeba! You are needed in the emergency. Quick!" A panicked Saim, a med student, informed Layeba who was busy teaching her class. She closed the file she was holding with a snap and handed it to Mohsin. She hurried towards the emergency ward with Mohsin and Saim on her heels.

"Wasn't it Doctor Hassaan's shift?", she asked.

"Yes! Yes, it is. He himself asked me to call you there." He was panicked and was constantly shouting which irked Layeba to no ends. She stopped abruptly and fixed Saim with a glare.

"You are a soon-to-be doctor. Get your nerves under control. Panicking is going to help no one, understood?" Saim took a deep breath and nodded purposely. "Good. Now tell me the details."

They again started to move. "Patient is a man. 32 years old. He was shot thrice in the back. One just grazed him. Another passed right through him, entering a little above his kidney and exiting through his right abdomen which caused a lot of blood loss. One bullet, i'm afraid is still inside him. It entered beside his forteenth vertebra. Doctor Hassaan asked for a scan. The reports should be coming soon. We don't know how far the bullet penetrated. But it could've broken the vertebral bone and damaged his spinal cord."

The condition was bad, very bad if she said so herself. For the first time in her life, she was less than sure in herself.

"How long ago was he brought here?", she asked. She had to give herself some hope. Because if he was brought here late, he was as good as dead.

"He was brought here approximately twelve minutes ago but it has been at least forty-five minutes since he was shot."

What hope she had left was gone. Praying to Allah to help her save this man, she turned another corridor and entered the emergency ward. She knew that this was the most difficult surgery of her life so far. Removing the most complicated tumors from brain or spinal didn't worry her. But this condition did. And she hadn't even analysed the situation herself.

"Oh! Thank God Layeba, you're here", doctor Hassaan, wearing a blue apron, exclaimed.

"What are his vitals?", she asked as she rushed towards the bed. There were droplets of blood on the floor and the bedsheet was soaked with it. The man was laying on his stomach and his face was away from her. Doctor Hassaan was standing beside his bed along with Farhan. Saba, a nurse, was giving him another blood bag.

"Too much blood loss. Blood pressure 67 by 23. Pulse is pretty much non-existent. Twenty per minute and decreasing as we speak."

"We don't have time. OT ready?"

"Yes, doctor. And here are the scan reports", Farhaan said, a file in his hand. She rounded the bed where Farhaan was standing and hurriedly grabbed it. She looked at the first scan, her eyes moved fast over the CT scan image. The bullet passing right through him had thankfully not damaged any organ but there was bleeding in his renal artery. The one which was still inside the patient's body had, as feared pierced his forteenth vertebra.

It was more bad than she had thought. She didn't think there was any possible way he could get out of that operation fully functional. If, by Allah's will, he was saved, there were ninety-eight percent chances that he would be paralyzed from abdomen down, forever.

She took a deep breath, her eyes closing on their own. Ya Allah! Help me conquer this battle as well. Praying once she opened her eyes and said, "Take him to the OT. Doctor Arsam will operate alongside me."

She studied the image again, trying to recall of all the possible ways by which she could save him with as minimum damage as possible. Farhan, Saim and Saba began to take the patient towards the operation theater. She didn't know what urged her to look up from the scan images but when she did, the ground got snatched from under her feet and an unintentional name escaped her lips, her voice no more than a whisper,

"Yazaan!"

**~**

"No. Please, Hassaan bhai. I can't. Please! I won't be able to operate him." Tears running down her cheeks and she didn't even bother to wipe them off. Her mind running around only one thing. I can't help to save the man who's the murderer of my brother. I WON'T. He deserves to die.

"Layeba!", Hassaan said, placing his hands on her shoulders. She kept shaking her head. There was no way anyone could convince her. "What is more important to you? Your problem with that man? Or your oath? The one you took when you took your degree. When you swore to do everything in your stead to save a life. Tell me! Would you rather another death be written in our records? Would you rather another body leaves this place wrapped in white? I don't know what the hell did he do that you are denying a surgery for the first time. But you don't have much choice. Fifteen minutes! Fifteen minutes are all that he has before he leaves this world."

She looked at Hassaan with her blood shot eyes. Fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes and she could be free. The world could be free of the most cruel person that she knew. Her brother's murderer will be dead. Fifteen minutes.

A memory of three years back invaded her mind. I, Layeba Hussein, swear to help save the mankind till the last breath i take.

You will become my wife or else i will kill your mother. And you know, i will not hesitate to pull the trigger. Yazaan's cold voice resonated in her mind.

If my patient feels any pain, cold, heat, discomfort, or anything of sort during the surgery, i know that i have failed in my medical profession.

I KILLED YOUR BROTHER, OKAY? I FUCKING PUT A BULLET THROUGH HIS BRAIN. AND AS IF IT WASN'T ENOUGH, I FIRED AT HIM THREE MORE FUCKING TIMES!

I will always put patient's life before anything else. If i can prevent a person being diseased or dead, i will with everything that i have.

Back and forth the memories kept haunting her. She herself didn't know the answer. What was more important to her? Her oath or her hatred?

"Hassaan bhai? Tell doctor Arsam to start the surgery. I will perform my part after he has fixed the internal bleeding. Buy me thirty minutes." And she left to find answers and solace in the ony place that she knew. In front of the Almighty.

**~**

Doctor Layeba Hussain. A renowned neurologist practicing in Lahore after obtaining her degree from United States of America. She is one of those blessed doctors from the hands of whom those on the brink of death come to life again.

But will she be able to save the person who was shot thrice in his back. Will she be WILLING to save the nearly-dead person whom she hates with all that she has. The person who threatened to kill her mother, the murderer of her brother. Who also, per chance, happens to be her HUSBAND. Will she save Yazan Ibraheem Khan, the killer of many, the ruination of more?

**~**

Hey, what's up guys? So, the prologue for THREATENED AND FORCED is up. What did you think of it? Curious to know what their story is? Then please add it in your library.

If you do like this story, please vote, comment and share. Wouldn't hurt if you follow my profile as well.

That is all. İ hope you like my story.