A Blossom in the desert

On the edge

Emaan had followed the cops inside the ward with a palpitating heart yet still she  adorned the mask of tranquility over her visage, though her internal turbulence often peeked through the flashes of fear gracing her face from time to time .She smiled reassuringly at the family members who looked beyond scared as the cops went over checking their children through the ward .Gulping hard ,she looked at the long length of the ward which was specifically designed and divided into three section after the increasing severe cases of malnutrition among infants due to drought and duststorms Syria had been experiencing since past months. And it was in the third section of the infant's ward Yaseen had been shifted. Seeing the cops moving towards the second section of ward ,Emaan bit her lips as her anxiety crawl towards new heights .Her mind was invaded by skeptic thoughts and doubts of whether Khaled would have heeded to her request or more likely ignored it, yet a part of her which she had been waging war with, trusted Khaled without a speck of hesitancy .It was strange that a part she had been wanting to crush down was her hope in the ocean of trouble she was swimming in.

Wetting her chapped lips and with incessant invocation for Allah's help in her heart and lips ,Emaan slipped her hands in her jacket's pocket and fisted them inside as the cops moved towards the third section of the ward, when at that moment only the hospital blared with the sound of fire alarm ,causing a sigh of relief escape her mouth along with  incessant repetition of Alhamdulillah and a hesitant smile to grace her face as she thought,

Ya Allah ! Dr Khaled did listened to me.. bless him with the best Ya Rabbi !

But instantly composing her state ,Emaan looked at family members escaping carrying their children while some of the cops escaped along with them .While few stayed behind in helping the patients and their families. Emaan ran through the ruckus that had been created in the ward and finally after a struggle reached the bed of Yaseen and quickly sliding the curtain draped around her bed ,she saw Yaseen sitting with an expression of apprehension gracing her face .Her left side of the face was wrapped up in bandage as her left eye and face had still had wounds from the shellings of bullets while her right side was cured but her hollow blue eye that had been robbed away from their innate ability of vision,vociferated that some wounds remained uncurable .Emaan quickly moved towards the side of Yaseen and before Yaseen could shriek being touched  ,Emaan immediately said ,

"Sshhhh...It's me ...Emaan ..don't be scared okay " .Saying it ,Emaan wrapped the blanket around Yaseen while Yaseen asked her,

"Em..Emaan...where you ...I miss you ...you don't come night ..I miss night story ... ...and is the sound fire alarm ..is their fire ...we burn?"

"My baby I will answer all your questions but for that you have to be a good girl and remain quiet for a while and don't try removing this blanket from your face ...okay habibti..."

Yaseen scrunched her eyebrows for a bit but then quickly nodded her head in affirmative . Seeing her nod ,Emaan picked her up in her arms and couldn't help but notice how light Yaseen was despite being a seven year old .But shoving off every thought and ensuring that Yaseen was properly covered ,Emaan following the crowd ran outside the ward and knowing that the main exit area will be filled with cops making it difficult for her to shift Yaseen to Al Firdous mosque ,she decided to escape through hospital's back entrance .But being surrounded by cops and not wanting to raise suspicion by walking in the opposite direction of exit , Emaan walked with the crowd yet also looking for the chance to escape as soon as cops were out of sight .And just as she found that chance ,she quickly departed away from the crowd by discreetly turning into an adjacent corridor and swiftly walked towards the direction of back entrance of hospital but as she was turning into the adjoining passage way, to Emaan's utter fright, she collided with a cop making her stumbled back a bit .The cop intially glared at her but seeing her frightful expressions, his glare turned into a look of suspicion and keenly eyeing her up with his gaze lingering specifically a little longer on  the figure hidden in the blanket . Scowling he moved closer towards Emaan making her step backwards with fear clutching her heart stronger making it beat with louder symphony .