UNDER 168 HOURS [BOOK 1, 168 HOURS SERIES]

Chapter 73: Diagnosed 😱😵😫

It was a pleasant morning after a cold night.

Having heard that Hadee might be suffering from autism, Humaira spent the night crying and praying to God to save her child's life. He wasn't going to die anyways but living with a mental disorder would really affect both their lives. Hadee won't be able to live a normal life, it means he might not even get a bright future like she had always imagined.

having gone to Flint’s Pond to spend the day, I noticed with surprise, that when I struck the ice with the head of my axe, it resounded like a gong for many rods around, or as if I had struck on a tight drum-head.
Chatham Road the previous morning.

Eairh! Eairrrhhh!!

Hadee weep as he woke up.

"I'm coming darling!" Humaira answered him as she walked out if the bathroom. She just had her bath.

He calms down a bit after hearing her sweet voice and stretched his tiny body.

A soft yawn followed the stretch as if he was trying to pass her a message. Humaira quickly put on a black, stripped free gown and attended to her baby, she knew what his every cry means, so, she placed him gently on her laps and gave him breast to suck.
He clench his fist and scratch his ears severally while he sucked the breastmilk hungrily.

"Awwwwn! Mummy loves you so much, do you know?" She smiled at him.

He opened his dark eyes and watched his mother's. He looked so adorable, she wouldn't want anything or anyone to harm him. Humaira held his hands into hers and kissed his hands. He smiled while watching and sucking from her.

Ring-Ring ! Ring-Ring!!

Humaira's phone rang. The name, 'Doctor Malik' displayed on the screen of her phone. She quickly picked the call.

"Assalam 'Alaikum sir."

She heard baby's Ehhhh! Ehhhh!! in the background. It seems the doctor was in their ward or so.

"Wa'alaikun Sallam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh my dear. How are you?"

"Alhamdulillah, I'm fine sir."

"Okay, the result came to out an hour ago. It's positive, Humaira. It sad to say but Hadee got affected genes and probably, through the some chemicals I found there but what's most important now is the solution." He explained emphatically.

"Okay doctor..." Humaira replied him. I'll get back to you sir.

"Don't worry, I came to visit a friend who is a child phycologist. He said he would like to examine Hadee himself. I'll arrange on how he would come and check on him as soon as possible. Everything would be alright my dear, just take care."

"Okay sir." She sounded low and moody. "Bye."

"Bye."

A deep sigh followed as she sadly dropped her Nokia phone back to the bed.

After breastfeeding him, Humaira lay him back to sleep.
'He's just three months old and he's facing so much already? What does his future holds?' Humaira wondered as she kept staring at Hadee's cuteness.

Tears slowly gathered in her eyes as her mind was filled with questions. Questions that she won't probably get answers to, till forever.

Glin-Glin! Glin-Glin!!

The alarm bells brought her back into reality. Someone must be at the door.

It was so early in the morning and Star won't be back till tomorrow. Who could it be?" Humaira wondered as she slowly leaves the bed to check the door.

It was doctor Malik and another elderly doctor. Humaira quickly opened the door and it was someone she never expected.

Doctor Ibrahim.

"Assalam 'Alaikum sir. It's been long

"You live here?" Doctor Ibrahim asked in surprise.

"Yes, but I'm actually not the owner of this house. I just reside here with a friend of mine. Come in sir." She opened the door for them and welcomed them in.

"Wow! You two know each other?" Doctor Malik jerked in amusement.

"Yes definitely. She stayed in the hostel where I worked." Doctor Ibrahim hissed at him. Feeling proud of himself as if he knows the contry's president as well.

"At A.B.U right? I guessed." Doctor Malik laughed out loud.

"You should have informed me you're already here." Humaira told doctor Malik and cuts their silly jokes.

"I didn't want to stress you because I know you'll be preparing something for us." He joked.

"So where's my God-son?"

"Ummm... He just slept off. Oh, we didn't come on the right time I guess. Should we wait or..."

"Don't worry. I'll just bring him down stairs." Humaira answered and went into her room.

Baby Hadee was still sleeping but she carried him on her shoulder as gently as possible so he won't wake up.

"Wow! He's such a cute baby." Doctor Ibrahim commented.

Humaira just kept on smiling.

"I asked of you. Said you've left the hostel."

"Yes I did sir. A lot happened, I couldn't pay for the hostel again so I had to leave."

"Wow! That's good. This place even looks better." He smiled and came to examine Hadee.

Doctor Ibrahim looked at him for a while and looked at how he responded to his touch.

"He would have to start undergoing treatment, Humaira. I'll say you start as soon as possible. It's a good thing you identified this at this early stage else, it might have been critical. But Alhamdulillah, I think he would get better as time goes on."

"Okay sir. What should I do?"

"I'll introduce you to a therapist. You'll have to meet him from time to time and he would give your son his treatments, exercises and all that.

"Okay sir.... Thanks very much."

"No, don't worry. You're like a daughter to me anyways." Doctor Ibrahim smiled.

Humaira dropped Hadee to sleep on the soft sofa and went to bring the fruit juice. They drank and gisted for a while before leaving.

***

A Year Later...

Star, Gift and Theodora were gisting on the living room. Theodora was smoking a stick of cigarette while Gift was annoyingly bursting a bubble gum in her mouth.

"Ummm...Good afternoon," Humaira greeted. But no one answered.

****

Author's Note:

Word Count: 1,124.
(It's short again right?... I know.)

Well, I've been so busy. Reading and writing my exams it's not easy actually but heyyyy! This story just dey my mind o. I really want to complete it as soon as possible.

How do you think the story is going again? Fast, slow or normal?
Share with me your thoughts o?😅😜🤞😅

***

Enjoy reading  and please, don't forget to press the tiny orange star ★ at the end of each chapter to notify me you've actually read it… So! What are we waiting for! Get ready for this story of family, adventure, mystery and plot twists.