Jannah. [SEQUEL TO DAWUD]

Chapter 9: Warsan's Secret

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

If the time of prayer has been called and you haven't prayed before reading this, please do so.

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Dawud's P.O.V

I stepped out of Akhlaaq's car and shut the passenger door behind me. I let Jannah drive my car to our apartment with the girls earlier in the afternoon, nodding understandingly when she told me not to come back until later in the evening. And, personally, I wouldn't want to walk into a pillow fight, something that trio loved to do. After we locked up the store, Akhlaaq and I both agreed that we would pray Isha at the masjid and then find Uthman. What happened in the bookstore was beyond me. I genuinely have no idea what could have made him scurry that fast but it had to be bad. Warsan's face grew so red I thought that she would explode, making it unbearable to watch as the girls pestered her with questions. Akhlaaq ran his hands through my hair but this time I didn't fight him off. I took note of the way he then paused, hands tangled in my hair, before slowly removing them.

'Akhi, are you alright?' He asked quietly. We made a turn to the right, walking up-hill and keeping track of the house units. Uthman lived in a small home with a golden plate reading UNIT 678. 'Dawud.' He repeated, this time with a louder voice.

'Akhlaaq, I'm fine. Really, I am.' I blurted. 'I'm just thinking.'

My best friend clicked his tongue. 'Tell me what you're thinking.' He demanded. I rolled my eyes and looked at him disapprovingly before meeting his frighteningly serious eyes. 'You're starting to worry me.'

I dropped my shoulders in defeat and sighed. 'I know Uthman. He's someone I look up to and seeing him act the way he did today..' I trailed off, scratching the back of my neck. 'I don't know what to tell you, man. It just seemed off.'

'Mhm.' He said. 'Do you think that the situation is much deeper than we think?'

'Well, given that he and Warsan have no ties between one another, yeah, I do.'

Akhlaaq shook his head. 'Okay, you're definitely over-thinking. You're just like my wife.' He joked before we walked up the steps to Uthman's home.

Jannah's P.O.V

Warsan took the spoon from my hands and began eating from the ice cream tub. She frowned, complaining about how she didn't want to talk about the subject anymore. Muna pulled on her sleeve, asking her why. 'It happened at the hospital. He was a patient of mine. I can't tell you guys what happened because that's confidential information and I could lose my job, you know.' she finally said in one breath.

'I hope you realize that you're talking to your best friends. Who are we going to tell?' She pressed, snatching the tub of ice cream from Warsan.

'You have five seconds.' I added, looking at my nails. 'One.'

'Two.' Muna said. We took turns counting down.

'Three.'

'Four.'

'Fi-' I was interrupted by Warsan's hand in the air.

'Alright. I'll tell you. But it doesn't leave this room, okay?'

Dawud's P.O.V

We sat in Uthman's backyard, under the gazebo and protected by a mosquito net. His younger brother, Umar, followed closely behind us with cold bottles of water. We thanked him, causing his eyes to light up with excitement. 'I want to be just like you guys.' He beamed, tone high with youth. 'I want to be strong like Akhlaaq, but smart like Dawud.' He added.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, looking over at my best friend who shared the same expression. 'I wasn't aware that I was lacking in intelligence.' He told me. I began to smile, defending myself by mentioning that my wife thought I was strong. Before Umar could retract his statement his older brother waved him off. Akhlaaq and I chuckled, brushing the comment off.

'Umar, I need to have a serious conversation with these lads. Do you mind giving us some privacy?'. I was surprised to see the way he nodded submissively, gone within seconds. Uthman smiled. 'He's got a lot of respect for me, Alhamdullilah. It's always been that way.' I watched as he reclined against the patio chair, wary of his broken arm that rested against his middle. 'Could you open this water bottle for me, brother? It's almost impossible with one hand.' Akhlaaq twisted the cap with ease and handed it to him. The lantern sitting at the center of the table poured a dim yet saturated light over our faces, adding to the already tense atmosphere. I couldn't help but break the silence.

'Uthman, what happened today?' I questioned.

He frowned, hesitant beyond measure. 'Oh, you wouldn't believe me if I told you.'

Jannah's P.O.V

'So, at the hospital, every nurse in training specializes in a certain field. For example, Muna works with patients dealing with schizophrenia. Do you remember Layla from high school? Well, she works with patients dealing with cervical cancer and I work with fractures.' She explained. 'It was a Tuesday evening and I was called over to cover another student's shift. Normally, as you guys know, I work from twelve in the morning to sunrise but they needed me to come in a bit earlier.'

'I hate when that happens.' Muna complained quietly.

Warsan nodded before continuing. 'So, I start my shift and give painkillers to this patient, put a bunch of ice packs on another patient, and then I get to the last person on my list... Uthman Taahir.'

'The guy at the bookstore.' I whispered.

'Let me just note that he was high off of his meds. You know that laughing gas they use at the dentist? He protested so much during his surgery that they had to get him unconscious somehow, so they chose to get him high.' Muna and I began to laugh, provoking a smile from Warsan. 'So, I walk up to him and introduce myself. Almost immediately, he starts rambling on about how it's forbidden for me to speak to him because I make life harder for him and other practicing brothers.'

Dawud's P.O.V

'You said what?' Akhlaaq blurted, eyes widening with shock. I didn't blame him. I was surprised myself.

'I don't know why I said it, Akhi! They must've put me on some gas or something. I wasn't being myself.' He defended.

'What else happened?' I asked, leaning forward. This story was escalating exponentially.

'I told her that if she wanted to use her stethoscope she had to close her eyes because.. I have too much chest hair.' Uthman admitted, throwing his free hand over his face.

Jannah's P.O.V

I tossed a pillow at Warsan as we all threw our heads back with laughter. 'He said what?' I shrieked, kicking my feet up in amusement. Muna begged her to continue.

'I told him that I had to do my job and then he..' Warsan covered her mouth and stuffed her face in the couch. After several pleads she finally lifted her head up and continued. 'He told me that if I wanted to check his heart rate I would have to marry him.'

Dawud's P.O.V

It was too late now. Akhlaaq was already sprawled on the floor laughing. I felt the blood rush up to my cheeks as I lifted the clasp off of my inhaler. After steadying my breathing, looking at Uthman's miserable expression sent my lips right back to the mouth of my inhaler. 'Be careful man.' He told me, gesturing towards the life-saving device I always kept by my side. I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly. Akhlaaq collected himself as well.

Jannah's P.O.V

'Well,' Muna began to rise to her feet. 'I guess we found our little Warsan a soul mate.' I clapped my hands in approval as Warsan threatened to beat the two of us up. 'You can't fight fate.' She added. Warsan continued to shake her head, almost positive that she and Uthman would never be.