EXPLICIT BLOOM

13• Foolhardy

"Calm down please, it's okay. He had a panic attack but he's okay now, you shouldn't worry about it" The doctor tried calming Nahla down and it worked. At the rate she was panicking, she could also get an attack.

"I believe he had flashes, something you said or did must have been the trigger" The doctor added. "Or maybe something he saw was the trigger. There was a picture in his wallet, that is what he was looking at before it happened" Nahla explained.

"Okay but you have to keep your mind at ease please. Many of such attacks will keep happening as long as he gets flashes so it'll be frequent. We'll have to refer him to a therapist so the rate of happenings can reduce" The doctor explained too.

"But is it okay for him to keep looking at things or people from his previous life? I mean if it makes him have panic attacks then won't it be best to avoid things from his previous life?" Nahla questioned. She would have appreciated if the attack would not come back again, the idea of Zaeem having it again just didn't sit right with her.

"We need the pictures to help him regain his memory back faster so he needs to be looking at them. You just have to know the things you should do when he is having those attacks" The doctor replied. "You could drag him on with a conversation he'll find interesting, a one he cannot ignore or better still, sprinkle some water on his face as soon as it starts" The doctor added.

At least she got to know that splashing water on him wasn't entirely stupid, she just had to reduce the amount of water.

"Okay. Thank you doctor" Nahla appreciated.

"Another thing! I was actually going through his second medical test results and it seemed good. We'll be discharging him tomorrow morning. However, his cast will remain for a week since the fracture is yet to heal. Stay prepared for discharge" The doctor informed.

"Sure" Nahla replied with a slight courteous smile before the doctor and nurse exited the room.

"Do you feel okay now?" Nahla asked Zaeem who was quiet, he just stared at the nothingness of the hospital walls. He didn't move his gaze from the wall but he nodded as a reply to her question.

"Well I'm scared" Nahla admitted in a whisper. "Me too" Zaeem whispered back also admitting what he really felt at that moment. The experiences he had for the past few days was scaring every bit of him.

"But the scariest of them all is the flashes and nightmares" Zaeem added after a moment of silence. "What do you see in the flashes?" Nahla asked. "I see myself hurting people in the cruelest ways" Zaeem replied.

"You could never hurt anyone" Nahla voiced. "But I did! I saw myself cutting people, I saw my hands plucking out their internal organs from their bodies and it is scary. Perhaps I was in a cult group, perhaps I used to eat human flesh and perhaps this will make you start getting scared of me. I can handle the reality concerning who I really am but I cannot bare the sight of the one person I know now getting scared of me" Zaeem shouted.

"You shall not witness me getting scared of you insha Allah" Nahla voiced. "How'd you know that?"

"I don't, Allah's will. And I do know you're a good person and those flashes and dreams were of the things that make you who you are. Those flashes were of you saving lives, they were of the many times you performed surgeries on sick people" Nahla replied. It took Zaeem a while before he was able to comprehend what she said in her sentence.

"You mean to tell me that I'm a surgeon?" Zaeem asked. "Yes" Nahla simply replied. "How did you know that? You can't tell me it's obvious from my facial appearance"

"I won't cause it's not obvious, the wallet has your card in it. Where do you think I got your name from?" Nahla asked a question she knew would not be answered.

Zaeem reacted to her reply by picking up the wallet and opening it again. He pulled out the card from it and looked at what was scribbled on it.

"Dr. Zaeem Nasir Dandawaki. A professional neurosurgeon and cardiologist. Phone number: 090....... Email: ZaeemDandawaki4@gmail.com"

"This card and the picture of the girls made me know you're from Africa, probably one of the Hausa speaking countries" Nahla added and Zaeem sighed. If only he had mentioned a hospital name on the card then they would have known the country and state the hospital was located.

"Stay positive, you'll remember everything bi'izinillah. And look on the bright side, you get to forget your bad memories and be completely happy" Nahla voiced.

"But I lost the good ones too. And it is certainly better to remember and cherish my good memories even if it hurts than not being able to remember them at all" Zaeem whispered and like always, his words left Nahla wondering.

Maybe there was no way for her to stop being curious about him.

"I should leave now because I have a class in 30 minutes. I'll come back with lunch once my classes are over" Nahla announced. "Okay" he nodded.

"Laa taqnaɗu min rahmatillah and I'll figure out where you'll be staying after your discharge" She added before heading for the door. She was one step from opening the room door and stepping out when he called.

"Hey!" Zaeem said and she turned to look his way. Maybe it was time for her to consider telling him her name so he'll be able to call her with a more comfortable word. "Shehnaaz (Pride of a king), you can call me Shehnaaz"

She didn't exactly lie about her name since she didn't say it was her name, she said it was what he could call her. Besides, it was a name Anwar gave her, she loved the name more than the one her biological father gave her just like she loves her stepfather more than him who was a reason she was brought to the world.

"Thank you Shehnaaz" Zaeem appreciated sincerely for the second time since they met which earned him a smile.

And she didn't say anything afterwards before walking out of the room. She walked through the corridors of the hospital while the smile remained on her face. But even though she passed a lot of people, no one knew about the smile behind her veil.

~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~
Do not blame me for short chapters, you are not giving me the motivation I need.

No pictures for this one, couldn't find the perfect ones to add.

So, how was the chapter?

Zaeem giving me the chills and Nahla giving me the smiles. Just gotta love those two!

Even though this book is fictional, there are facts that have been mentioned or will be mentioned as you read further. I hope you learn from those facts.

Abegi, remember the deal and motivate me. I can't go on if you all keep ghost-reading.

Question of the day: What's your favorite song at the moment? If none, your favorite Surah at the moment?
Lots of love,

Deedi--❤️