Lost

Chapter 30: Suspicions

Anger coursed through his veins seeing the last name on the screen. Holding back the urge to hurl his phone across the room, Asim deleted all of Niall's texts without reading them and called Dean.

"Oh my God, Asim! What the hell?!" Dean's cried in relief, "I've been continuously calling you for the past thirty six hours. Where in the world were you?"

"I'm sorry, Dean," Asim replied, rubbing his temples, "It's just been . . . hectic."

"Anyway, how is Salma?" he asked, "You found her, right? That infuriating girl won't pick up my calls. Put her on the line, will you?"

Asim swallowed to ease the lump in his throat that was choking him. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he stayed silent, not sure how to reply to him.

"Asim?" Dean urged on, "Lad, is everything okay? You found her, didn't you?"

"Yeah, yeah we did," Asim replied, as his vision blurred with tears.

"What happened?"

"She's - she's in a coma, Dean," Asim said quietly, "Salma's in a coma."

***

Asim was sitting in the kitchen with William. His sandwich laid untouched in front of him while William was playing with his too. Anne sent him home, probably to make sure Asim would eat something and get some rest. Or, may be she did not trust him to be around Salma for too long. Picking up his sandwich, Asim quickly dismissed the later thought.

William was like a brother to him, but he could not help feel really protective of Salma right then. The other day, he was too shocked and overwhelmed to notice the marks left by something vile that had happened to her, but today, as he sat by her still body, pleading with her to wake up, he had seen them all. There were bruises on her forearms, throat and face, where she has been grabbed tightly and hit. Her hands had scratch marks, where she had been clawed, and her face had a crescent shaped wound, where she'd been bitten. It was all too obvious. Salma had been assaulted.

Overwhelmed, Asim pushed his plate away. He could feel William's concerned gaze on him as he put his head in his hands, trying to ignore the sting in his eyes.

"Do you think he did it?" Asim asked out of blue, "Was it him?"

"Harris?" William inquired without even asking what he was talking about.

Asim lifted his head to see his cousin quirking a brow at him.

"You still doubt that?" William questioned, putting his sandwich back.

Asim looked at him, not sure how to reply. It was just too sickening to think that Zayn would assault her after all that she did for him. 

"I don't know." Asim looked away from him.

"Asim, who else was there with them?" William said incredulously.

"Alex did mention one of the criminals getting attacked by some girl--"

"One of the criminals was attacked," William pointed out, "Not the other way around. And they believe the guy was hallucinating, anyway. Do you think Salma would be able to fight back and escape? She doesn't even know basic self defense moves. Not to mention, you said she was found close to their shelter. Wouldn't that jackass at least have heard her when she was attacked?"

Asim was reluctant to agree but he knew William's argument made sense. Salma was perfectly fine a day before when she called them, and then the next day, they found her unconscious, and bruised. It's like Zayn had attacked her and she ran away to save her life but could not make it too far before she collapsed.