Mazhar's P.O.V.

"Babe, stop pacing around." Azra said non-chaluantly, "If Eriza was going to say anything to Ferit Amca, she would have already." I rolled my eyes at her, I had no idea why she thought it was a good idea to take her hijab off, it was so fucking unnecessary. "Maz-"

"Just shut the fuck up Azra." I snapped, as I came to a stop infront of her, "I need to think and your talking is disrupting that." She quieted down real fast as I said, "Fuck, if you had just listened to me, I wouldnt have to worry about this." I had told her that she wasnt allowed to lay a hand on her, but she didnt listen to me. I know the value of a hijab in a woman's life, I have seen the way Anne adores hers, and I am sure that is the same for Eriza, but she just couldnt get over the fact that we had a small interaction.

"Sorry," She mumbled,

I scoffed, "Yeah, like that is going to help us now." She really pissed me off at times.

"Mazhar!" Anne called my name from downstairs, "Mazhar, come downstairs please." I glare at Azra one last time before rushing downstairs, "Maz-"

"I am right here Anne." I say quickly, "What's up?" She smiled at me, as she held plates in her hands.

"I have been waiting for Ozan to come out of the bathroom for ages, so could you just set up the table before the Akbas family comes here." I take the plates out of her hands and begin setting the table without saying a word, knowing that this is totally unavoidable. For the past six years, they have been coming over to our house, every Friday without skipping a beat, for family dinners since now we are "family.' It truly annoyed me how happy our parents were about this whole ordeal while Eriza and I suffered at the hands of it.

"Mazhar!" Baba said my name in a panicked tone,

"Yes?" I respond back as he comes rushing down the stairs,

"We need to head to the hospital now." He said firmly,

"Hospital?" I ask confused, "Who is in the hospital, Baba?"

"The Akbas family." He responded, "I called to see why they were running late, and when I did, Emara answered crying hysterically saying something about a semi hitting the side of their car where Adam and Eriza were sitting. Adam is in surgery while, Eriza is too." I could hear my heart beating faster, "Come on, Meryem and Emara are sitting there alone." I dropped everything and rushed after him, I secretly played with the engagement ring I had tucked discreetly in my bracelet. I didnt want anyone to think I cared for it, but it felt weird leaving it lying around. all the time.

We both got into the car and drove like maniacs to the hospital. Rushing out we ran toward the receptionist and asked "Eriza and Adam Albas."

"Adam Akbas is still in surgery and Eriza is in room 200," she replied.

"Thank you," I said as Baba dishes down the halls we finally found room 200, to see Emara and Mary Yenge sitting quietly on the bench.

"Mary?" Baba said catching their attention.

"Ferit Abi." She said softly. Emara looked up. at me, but then looked away, I am assuming she told her what happened at school.  Baba sat down beside her, "Eriza, she is out of  danger but..." Her eyes filled with tears, "Adam, they keep running back and forth down the hallway they won't tell us anything."  This was a private hospital we were in, meaning the fees were going to be out of the roof. Usually healthcare supports medical expense in publis hopsitals but, "They won't even tell us what they are doing right now."

"Mazhar," Baba said my name firmly, 

"Yes?" 

"Stay here with Emara, Meryem, and Eriza, let me go deal with Adam." He continued, 

"Okay,"  I replied sitting down beside Meryem Anne who leaned onto me alittle for support as Emara kept her distance from her, her eyes never letting Eriza. "She will be okay," I say to her softly but she ignores me. 

Meryem Anne notices, "Emmy," Emara says nothing but instead stands up and goes to sit on the small chair beside her bed. Anne looks over at me, "Sorry, she is-"

"No," I shake my head, "I understand Anne," I gently smile at her, and sit back, "I dont hold anything against her. Meryem Anne looks down at my wrists, "What?"

"You try to hide the fact that you care about her." She said smiling sadly at me, "You try to hide the fact that the engagement had an effect on you too." I do not know why she is saying this right now. "Why?"

I cleared my throat awkwardly, "I have a girlfriend," I responded, "The fake engagement doesn't mean anything Anne, I am sorry." I do not know why she wants to. bring this up in this situation. "Eriza-"

"She told me what happened at school." My heart skipped a beat, "Emara knows too," My gaze dropped to my hands in shame, "Why, Mazhar?"

"Sorry," I whispered, 

"Sorry?" She repeated shaking her head disappointed, "That hatred that you began to brew at the age of 12 towards her has completely taken over your personality Mazhar." I listen quietly, "All four of us were wrong to do that to you two at such a young age, I know, but what you do to her at school is not hidden from me or Adam." I knew she tattled, "But due to shame, there is nothing we can say to you or to your parents." 

"I do not hate her." I say softly, "I just-" I do not know how to explain the emotions I feel when she comes and stands infront of me. I know it is not love, nor an liking, but its not hated either. I just literally cannot stand her being around me, without me feeling overwhelmed. " I do not want anything bad to happen to her either, all I want Anne is freedom from all of this."  She looked over at me sadly, "I know that is what Eriza wants too."   

"I know," Meryem Anne replied  looking back over at Eriza, "She tries to keep everything bottled  inside of her, but. . .her eyes, they have such a unique power to speak  everything that she does not want to reveal to the world."  That they do, her eyes held a unique beauty to them,  not that I will ever admit that to anyone out loud. 

"Mhm," I hummed not really knowing how to respond to that without seeming too cold or to emotionally involved when I wanted to do either. Emara slightly glanced over at me but did not say anything, furrowing my eyebrows I got up and slowly walked over to her, "I-"

"I dont want to hear it." She said firmly, "You  really crossed all limits, Mazhar." I knew she would be the harder one to get through too. 

"Abi," Meryem Anne corrected her but she rolled her eyes.  

I pulled up a chair and sat. down beside her, Eriza was banged up badly, her head was bandaged, her arm was in a cast, and it seemed as if there was some. sort of bandage going around her torso.  "What happened?" I ask calmly ignoring her rudeness from before because I definitely deserved it. 

Emara sighed, "We were on the freeway to come to your house, the weather was bad and we had told Baba to cancel the dinner but he didn't listen. Rain was coming down hard, and I guess the semi didnt see us when he was trying to merge in so, he hit us. Our car flipped, sending us in the ditch, and the semi managed to stop in time but half of the tires were on the road, and the other half hovering. . .Baba almost was immediately unresponsive, but Abla kept muttering some words. .  .Anne had hit her head but it. wasnt that serious, and I just have a few scratches on my side." She reached over and held Erica's hand tightly, "Baba's legs were crushed, Abla's screams-"

"Okay," I say quickly stopping. her from going into deeper detail as her whole body began to shake as she relieved that incident. "I-I do not need to know more."

"Mazhar!" Baba said panicked as he came into the room, the three of us looked over at him, "Come with me."

"I am coming too," Emara said, 

"Em-" Baba began but she cut him off. 

"I am coming." She said firmly,  Baba nodded. waving. the two of us out of the room, which we closely followed. "What is going on?"

Baba took a deep breath in, "They are working on your Baba's legs right now."  

"His legs were crushed" Her words rang in my ears.  This is not good, this is so not good. 

"What?"

"The car's steering wheel had crushed down on his legs, and when they were trying to get him out of the car, the paramedics notified the doctors, that the seatbelt had. dug. into his hip. so hard that, blood was oozing." Baba continued, "The loss of blood and oxygen killed off a lot of nerves, and served a lot of vital connections and-"

"Is he going to walk?" Emara whispered looking at him tearfully, 

"They. are hoping through a lot of physiotherapy, and water therapy, he will. one day but when that I cannot answer Emmy." Baba answered truthfully, "As for Eriza, she has fractured ribs that will heal, her arm will heal. . .she will be fine." 

"Yah Allah," Emara said barely above a whisper, "Baba won't be able to walk?"

"Right now. let's focus on getting him out of the surgical room Emara." I say softly, "Then let's worry about his ability to walk or not."

She began anxiously playing with her rings, "I-I," She stuttered, "Im going to get some air." Without listening to what we had to say, she ran off in the direction of the exit, leaving the two of us alone. 

"Let me go update your Anne, about what is going on here," Baba said,  

"Yeah," I said nodding my head. Baba gently. patted my shoulder and went out the other. direction, leaving me standing in the middle of the hospital hallway, I looked over at the receptionist who awakrdly had a clipboard in her hands. "Evet?" (Yes?) I ask her wanting to get her eyes off of me, "Bana söylemek istediğin bir şey var mı?" (Is there something you want to say to me?)

She sighed and walked around the counter holding the clipboard close to her, "Bunu Aslan Bey'e verecektim ama o çekip gitti." (I was going to give this to Mr Aslan but he walked off.) I took the clipboard from her and saw that it was the payment information on the forms. "Bu bilgiyi istemek için uygun bir zaman olmadığını anlıyorum ama buna ihtiyacımız var." (I do understand that this is not the appropriate time to ask for this information but, we do need it.)

My eyes scanned all the. different treatments that they had done to Eriza, and Adam Baba, until it landed down at a total 55,000 liras,  including the surgery that they are doing now. I handle their accounts alongside Baba because of the debt system they have with us,  and saving is defintiely not a strong suit for this family. Last time I remembered, his account had enough for their house payment, and the rest. . was for the debt installment.   

Adam Baba makes about 40,000 liras a month, 10% of that comes to us, so that's about 4,000 liras monthly, and for the past eight years, he has been giving us 4,000 so roughly he had paid 384,000 libras. of his debt out of the 3,000,000 libras Baba lent him.  I know this is not the right time to calculate expenses but my point of view is, how are they going to pay for this treatment?

"Mazhar Bay?" (Mr Mazhar?) She said my name softly, 

"Bunu alacağım." (I will take this) I say roughly, "Teşekkür ederim" (Thank you) Quickly walking off I go to a secretive corner, where there is a bench, and begin to fill out the form, as I know all of the information that was being asked about. I did it for Adam Baba, but when it came to Ariza's documents, my hands stopped at the top of the paper. 

Where it asked if she was single, married, or divorced. Our parents had so loyally fucked us over, that I had no idea what to check off, skipping over it I filled out the rest of the information and began walking back over to the desk, but my footsteps flattered. . .changing my direction I enter the room where Eriza was being held, wanting Meryem Anne to check everything over. 

I walk in super confident, but it quickly flatters, when I see Eriza sitting up, and being attended to by Meryem Anne. Eriza's eyes find mine rather quickly as I hide the documents behind my back, "Mazhar?" She whispered, 

I clear my throat, "Good to see you awake." 

Mary Anne softly smiled at me, "Come here," 

"No," I say clearly, "I-" I began to feel anxious, "I need to speak to you, Anne." Her smile fell as she saw me begin to rock back and forth on my heels.  

"Emmy," Anne waved her over from the corner, "Stay with your Abla." She demanded as she walked out behind me, I shut the door not wanting them to hear what I was about to show her. I hand her the clipboard. "55,000?" Her eyes widened, "We-"

"I got it." I stop her, "I have everything filled out, but I just needed you to check it over before I give it to the front receptionist."  

"But, that will just add to the debt Mazhar." She replied, "We barely have scratched the surface of it, and that just-" The possibility of our marriage would become grander. 

"If it happened then it happens." I say, "Our life does not matter as much as the saftey of your husband Anne, I am sure Eriza feels the same."  

Mary Anne let out a shaky breath, "The information looks right, just for Eriza's you forgot to check the top bars off." She took the pen from my hand and ticked off the single box, "Here, now that done."

"Right," I take the papers away from her, "Do not tell Eriza about this Anne, you know she will not like the fact that the money has come from us." Plus it will just add stress on her mind, which is not good for the state of her body at the moment. "Nor Adam Baba, I will do it later, once they have begun to heal."

Anne nodded, "Got it," I gave her one last look and walked off to the main area, to see Baba already waiting for me there. "Baba," I call out to him, as I hand the documents to the nurse, "I got the payment and everything organized. Anne knows we are paying for them, and she is okay with it."

Baba smiled at me, "Sounds good Ogul." (son)

I curtly nodd, "Now what?"

"Now we wait." He sighed, "Nothing will be determined until after Adam comes out of surgery." He leaned against the counter mimicking my body posture, "All we can do is wait."

"Got it," I responded, his tone seemed off, it was as if he was hiding something from me, I mean he had disappeared for the past 15 minutes talking to Anne over the phone. He definitely was discussing something more than just this accident.

Why did it seem like we were not only waiting for Adam Baba to wake up anymore?