That dreaded phone call!

It was around 2200 hours Aneil and his mother Sheela were in the hospital. His father had been much better on that day, he had been put off the ventilator and 5 oxygen cylinders were enough for him. Ironic for a well built man about 50 years of age, non smoker, social drinker.. what began as a usual cold and cough mysteriously transformed into something more deadlier, one thing led to another and he suffered a multiple organ failure which unfortunately included the lungs too..
They were waiting for his doctor's views on his fathers condition..
@2215 hrs:
Dr Raman walks in...
Dr: How are you Mr Kapoor?? ( A rhetorical question quite literally!!!)
Aneil: Dr, today dad was put off the ventilator :) ( a young adult trying from within him to find out the positives of the day.. But then wont the doctor know tht his patient is off the ventilator??? Funny where the human mind finds hope!!)
Dr: Yes Aneil.. I wanted to talk to you and you mom.. could u plz come into my cabin??
Aneil: Yes sir!
Aneil and his mom walk into the cabin..
Dr: Would you like some coffee??
(on the intercom.. 3 coffees)
Dr: Aneil, its not something i am very comfortable doing, but despite all my efforts and your prayers, ur dad is going to a 'point of no return' ( do they take courses on euphemism in med schools?? i wonder..)
Aneil and his mother: They blanked then and there..
(coffee arrived.. but it went ice cold in all the three cups.. none could take even a sip from)
Sheela: But wasnt he put off the ventilator today??
Dr: Yes Mrs. Kapoor, but it wasnt because he was getting better, it was because there was a finite chance of damage to his lungs(already damaged) due to the ventilator pumping air at pressure.. I m keeping him on the same medicines for now.. Anyways lets hope for a miracle...
The word miracle brought the world to an end for Sheela.. ( An almost medical student herself, she knew what to expect when doctors use 'miracle')
Dr: I ll ask my driver to drop you both to your apartment.
( there was no reply.. they both just walked away)
A receptionist followed them and took their contact nos to put in the emergency contact book..
So tonight was the going to be the night.. They took a cab to their apartment. Aneil promised his mom that he wold always be there for her no matter wat and they would face this together.. (That night a 19 year old boy became a man)
They went home... After freshening up they sat down for a meal.. Not even the strongest gulp took down the food with it..
Around 0030 they retired to their bed room to catch up on some sleep or so they thought.. But the human brain works in an extremely ridiculous way.. As Aneil closed his eyes all he could see was the times he had spent with his dad.. the picnics,the quarrels.. the very fact that he was emotionally as well as physically present for him always by default... His mom drifted off to sleep (She had the right to, she had toiled hard for the last three months.. with the hope that things would get back to something close to where they were.. But her efforts had wilted away, thanx to HIM..)
Soon Aneil to drifted off to sleep...
It was about 0430 when the phone in their living room rang...
Aneil and his mom were awake as if they had never slept... They ran towards the living room, Aneil banged on a wooden chair.. but he felt no pain, getting to the phone was more important..
He picked up the receiver almost choked..
Aneil: Aaaallooo
Other end: Ye call aapko Tata Indicom se kiya hain.. Aapki dialer tone choose karne ke liye '*' dabaye..
He banged the phone down..
This was the most anticlimactic thing to have happened after a day when things had gone from bad to worse..
But it prepared him for the time when the phone would really ring the death knell..