Lost

Chapter 38: Plug the Plot Hole

"I'm too charming to be FBI?" Alex said amused, sitting on the chair Anne offered her. "Are you flattering me?"

"Maybe." Salma shrugged.

"You're seem pretty composed, quite unlike your family." Alex observed.

"Should I not be?" Salma raised a brow.

"Good question." The agent smiled, before getting serious. "Anyway, let's deal with the important stuff, shall we? Tell me your story. From the beginning. Don't skip anything out. The teeniest details, I need them all."

Salma took in a deep breath, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. She frowned when something crossed her mind.

"There's a lot of bickering involved in those details," she told the Agent.

"I suppose we can skip the verbal battles. I'll let you know," Wickfield replied, biting back a smile.

The way the Agent hinted to know what went down between her and Zayn, Salma guessed Wickfield had questioned him already. Nodding, Salma started telling them anything and everything there was to tell about the her stay in the forest. From waking up alone, to finding water, shelter and Zayn, his injury and their fights. Salma mentioned finding the cigarette, the footprints, the suitcase full of food, and her attempts to climb the mountain, till she managed to call William and get help while the agent asked her questions here and there.

After that, Salma had to pause. The horrors of the night came back to her full-fledged, and she had trouble going on. Anne interfered for the first time.

"Maybe we should give her a break?"

Salma looked up and met her aunt's concerned gaze. Anne looked rather pained upon hearing her account. Salma knew it was hard for her aunt, but she made it a point to go into miniscule details for her family's curiosity's sake.

"No," Salma shook her head, scared that if she did not talk of it all now, it would be twice as hard later. "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Anne asked.

Salma nodded. They would never ask, she was sure of it, but questions were bound to arise in their minds and if left unanswered, they could reach dangerous and overstretched conclusions. It was, after all, their daughter spending almost a month alone with an un-related guy. She was counting on the fact that Anne would relate everything to them.

Salma was glad her aunt was there instead of her mum or dad. It would have been awkward and uncomfortable for her, and her parents, for this discussion to take place with them around.

"Yes, I'm fine," Salma managed a tight smile. "I just needed a minute."

"Okay," Alex replied. "Just to let you know, the reports are totally clear. You're fine, so don't worry."

"What are you talking about?" Salma frowned, confused. "What reports?"

Anne looked between her niece and the agent, looking uncomfortable, but Alex was not fazed at all.

"You are known to have been assaulted," Agent Wickfield continued cautiously. "Do you remember that?"

"Yes," Salma replied after a moment, certain now that the Agent had already interrogated Zayn.

"There were bruises and scratch marks all over your body," Alex informed her. Perplexed, Salma inspected her hands and arms to notice thin, fading scars on them. "So we ran some medical tests to make sure you were not raped."

Salma's eyes bulged out in shock. What the hell?

"And if there was any evidence left by the culprit that could help us catch him," the Agent continued.