Nafisah struggles to keep her legs up with the pace that I'm running at but I have no time to waste. My hand clutches onto her own little one as we race down the Hospital corridors, trying to find the right unit.
This place is huge.
My mind is boggling with random scenarios that could have happened with Kamil that made him end up in hospital. Rimsha hadn't mentioned what was going on even though I tried to call her back, she just wouldn't let me know for some reason. This only increased me in worry.
"What's happening?!" Nafisah cries from behind me and I pull harder on her arm, trying to hurry up. I feel her hand loosening on my own and I tighten my grip on it just so that she keeps up with me.
"I don't know, Nafisah!" I reply to her and quickly glance back to catch a glimpse of her worried face. "It's okay, I'm sure!"
I'm not sure.
I spin my head back around to squint at the sign that's placed above the next exit in order to be able to grasp what it actually says. I huff in frustration when I figure out that we haven't reached our destination.
Our feet clash against the marbled floors of the quiet Hospital however all I can hear is the thumping of my heart against my chest. I know that I may not be close to Kamil but I know the guy and so his health definitely concerns me. I know I portray to be a person who can't stand his guts but hey, I'm not that bad of a woman to not care about his well being.
After a load more jogging, a load more corridors - which all look the same- and a load more worried whines from Nafisah, we have finally reached the room which Kamil is in. I stop in the doorway and eye all of the other patients that have been placed in the large room with him, some have their curtains drawn in order to seclude themselves from the other patients.
"Alvina," I hear a voice call my name and I spin my head to the side to face Kamil. A gasp leaves my lips once I have a good look at him. "Over here."
Nafisah tugs me forward and I follow after her, my eyes refusing to look away from Kamil. We reach his bed where he is sat upright against the head frame and we stand besides it awkwardly. Scanning his face, you definitely wouldn't be able to miss the growing bruise under his right eye, his almost broken nose and busted lips.
"You got here quick," Rimsha comments from the other side of the bed where she is sat on a chair.
I flicker my gaze towards her and mumble in response, not clearly grasping the fact that Kamil is lying in a hospital bed for God knows what. As I turn my head back to look at him, I catch him looking at me in a funny way, an unreadable expression which I've never really seen before on his face.
"You going to ask me how I'm feeling now?" He laughs after a while but then immediately stops to clasp onto his chest whilst his face contorts.
My eyes widen in shock as Rimsha quickly stands up to hold his shoulders and place him back against the head frame after he's done coughing. I feel Nafisah tug at my hand and I glance down at her, totally forgetting the fact that my little sister is standing besides me.
"What's wrong with him?" She asks in a quiet voice as her eyes begin to water.
"It-"
"I'm okay," Kamil cuts me off from speaking and I spin my head to look at him. He smiles down at Nafisah before grabbing her free hand and pulling her closer towards him. She stumbles forward hesitantly as if she's scared of the mere sight of her own brother.
Thoughts run through my mind as I stare at his beaten face, his eyes are on the verge of swelling and his lips are busted...what even happened to him. As if reading my mind, Nafisah asks a question.
"What happened to you?" She sniffs as he pulls her up to sit on the bed that he's sat on, however I don't miss the way he grits his teeth and shuts his bruised eyelids in pain.
"Your brother is a fighter," He heaves a sigh and pushes her hair back behind her ear. "I-"
"A fighter?!" I finally find my voice to speak and step closer towards him, anger suddenly rising inside of me. "You were fighting?! With who?! Why would you even do that when you know-"
"You fought somebody?!" Rimsha suddenly cuts me off as she glares down at her son.
"Woah, woah!" Kamil laughs lightly and holds up his hands in surrender at the two of us disappointed women. "I didn't find no-body!"
"Somebody beat you up?" Nafisah whimpers through gritted teeth. Her little hands ball into a fist as she glares down at the marble floors. "They can't do that! Muslim people don't fight!"
I huff and cross my arms across my chest, raising an eyebrow at Kamil who is staring down at Nafisah in admiration. He pinches her cheek and pulls at it, laughing as he does so which makes her burst out into a fit od giggles after a while.
I look over at Rimsha who is shaking her head and has grown red all over her cheeks, almost on the verge of tears. She exhales and runs a hand down her face, completely disgruntled about what has made her son visit the hospital. I watch as she bites down on her thin lip, stepping closer towards him before she leans down to place a kiss onto the top of his head. I don't fail to miss the way Kamil stiffens slightly under her kiss and after Rimsha leans away from her son and grabs Nafisah's hand does he make himself more comfortable in his seat.
"...Wow," Kamil voices and makes me turn to look at him. "I've never seen you this depressed over me."
I blink a couple of times, realising that I had dwelled deep into my own thoughts and had forgotten where I was. I scoff with a roll of my eyes. "Go on then," I ignore his comment although it gets under my skin. "How did this happen then?"
Surprisingly, he smirks at me and he flinches slightly when he pulls his lips too tight due to his busted lip, however it still remains playing on his smug face. His eyes bore into mine and they are full of amusement, making me confused.
"Well?" I place a hand on my hip, clearly not impressed with the way he's
acting.
"You don't want to know...it may tarnish your friendships." He licks his lips and raises an eyebrow challengingly at me, waiting for my response.
What does he mean by that?
"Friendship?" I repeat the word, my heart starting to beat faster inside of my chest. No friends of mine are that violent and could stoop so low as to beat up another human to the point that they have to be sent to the hospital.
"They found me unconscious, you know?" He raises his finger nails up to his face, pretending to examine them when in actual fact he's messing with my head. I open my mouth to reply but he cuts me off from actually speaking...as usual. "Anyway, I like this." Hesays as he runs a hand through his tangled hair before bringing both his arms to rest behind his head.
I furrow my eyebrows in disbelief. "You like being in a hospital bed, having your face scattered with cuts and having your body limp?"
At this he bursts out laughing and throws his head back slightly. I'm surprised that he doesn't end up having a coughing fit whilst his chest heaves up and down. Kamil looks at me and wipes a tear from his eye, only making me huff in annoyance.
"Oh, Alvina," He laughs a little more before straightening up in his seat. His facial features harden suddenly as his eyes roam my face, making me uncomfortable like he usually does ninety nine percent of the time. "I mean....I like this. The way you're concerned for my well being makes me-"
I almost choke on my spit that's in my throat from how his words came out of his mouth. I don't know whether he meant in a good way it a inappropriate way. "What?!"
Wait. That's just wrong. He is my step brother whether I like it or not and he likes the way his step sister is concerned for his health. Right, thats it...I think so.
Before I know it, two police officers peep through the curtain that surrounds us. I hold back from widening my eyes at just the mere sight of the two people dressed in their uniforms and watch as they stand on the other side of the bed that Kamil is sitting on.
They greet the two of us and politely ask me to leave the room so that they can speak to Kamil in private about his incident. I hesitate to do so and look back at Kamil, clearly unsure of leaving him alone with the officers.
What will the ask him and what will he tell them?!
Isn't it obvious, dumb head?
Ugh.
I nod my head at him before pulling open the curtain and stepping outside. I turn my head back to glance at Kamil who stares at me for a while, a look on his face which seems as if he is threatening me before giving me a sinister wink. I grit my teeth in rage and quickly swing the curtain shut so that I don't have to see his face any longer.
My mouth feels dry as I stand outside the area where Kamil and the officers are, their voices muffled and quiet. I try to listen in but then my eyes widen in alarm once I hear their footsteps walking closer towards me. I immediately scurry outside and head down the eerily quiet corridors, my heart beating fast against my chest for some reason. I turn the corner and peep from behind the wall to see Kamil and the police officers walking in the opposite direction to a secure room.
I sigh once they're out of sight and turn away from them, leaning my back and head against the cold wall. Giving myself a breather, I pull at my top and fix my headscarf to make myself look a little more decent. Running isn't good for me.
Clearing my throat, I make my way past a nurse who gives me a funny look to which I give her a smile. I walk further down the corridor, my feet hitting the floor being the only noise that I can hear.
After a few minutes of walking I come to a halt in the middle of the corridor, not knowing where I'm actually heading. I exhale exasperatedly and search for a sign to show me the direction to the Hospital's cafeteria.
"Are you okay?"
I let out a little shriek and jump away from the deep voice before quickly spinning my head around to face them.
The boy- who looks around my age- wears a white sweatshirt and smart pants and his dark hair has been combed back neatly. His fingers are wrapped around the bar of a trolley that's filled with clean towels and toiletries and I furrow my eyebrows until I catch the word 'volunteer' sprawled across the badge that's attached to his top.
He coughs softly into his fist as he tries not to laugh at my reaction, his eyes falling to the floor. Embarrassment is evident on the colour of my skin and I immediately tug at my headscarf and clear my throat before regaining my confident posture.
Within a second his light laughter fills my ears, making my rosy cheeks grow a tad bit darker. My eyes snap to his own hazel ones before narrowing them at him.
"What are you laughing at?" I ask and cross my arms across my chest, balling my hands into fists.
How does this random guy have the audacity to actually laugh at me?
"Oh nothing!" He clears his throat again and stands straighter, a soft smile on his serene face. He stands like that for a few seconds as his eyes roam my face, probably wanting me to smile back at him however I let my facial features be firm and uninviting. "...sorry."
I raise an eyebrow before sliding my hands into my pockets and striding away from him. I still don't know where I'm going but my stubborn self tells me not to ask him for directions. He must know where the cafeteria is seeing as he's a volunteer.
Before I know it, I hear the sound of wheels as they squeak past me and the sound of another pair of feet hitting the ground. I internally groan and glance at the guy who he now walking slightly ahead of me however his smile has reappeared on his face.
"I'm guessing you're looking for the Cafeteria?" He says after a few beats of silence as we walk. He stares ahead of us as he pushes the trolley with him, not bothering to meet my straight face; I wouldn't want to either.
"Score." I reply in a firm voice, wanting him to tell me the direction just so that I can get away from his presence.
He points to the right once we reach the end of the corridor and I look down to see a flight of stairs. He looks at me again and shrugs.
"...thanks." I nod my head at him even though there's a feeling inside of myself telling me that this isn't the actual way to the cafeteria.
He salutes me and turns around, pushing the trolley with him as he heads towards his left, leaving me to make my way down the empty stairway.
The warmth greets my cold hands as I hold the cups of fresh coffee towards our table at the side of the cafeteria. Mild chatter fills my ears as I walk down towards the table, being extra careful not to accidentally spill some of the liquid goodness over the rim of the cup and onto my hand.
Once I've taken my seat besides my little sister, I hand the cup of coffee in my right hand to Rimsha who sits in front of me. She thanks me and takes a sip of the coffee, instantly regretting it when it burns her tongue. Her face contorts as she fans her hand above the hot coffee, making the steam sway.
I pick up one of the spoons which I grabbed from the counter and place it into my own hot beverage before stirring slowly. I turn my head to look at Nafisah who sucks on a straw, happily drinking her orange juice. Her pony tail bounces around as she sways her head side to side in contentment, making me laugh due to the fact that she was crying about half an hour ago.
"You enjoying that, hun?" I tease her and pinch at her chubby cheek to which she glances up at me with a grin on her face. Her mouth lets go of the straw and she nods her head, answering my question. "I thought so!"
She giggles as she carries on drinking her juice and I look away. As I place the spoon back onto the napkin on the table, I glance up at the people around us. There's mostly the elderly with a few kids sitting at the tables with them, slight smiles on their faces as they chat.
"Did he let you know who did it?" Rimsha asks me, making me turn back to face her. She has her eyebrows raised slightly, almost furrowed as worry takes over he facial features once again.
I shake my head. "Two officers took him away for questioning."
"I know," She sighed as she looked back down at her drink, stirring it to cool it down. "Why would he fight? I just don't understand."
I purse my lips and hold back from scoffing. "Does anyone understand him? I think not."
Especially me. His behaviours and attitudes confuse the hell out of me and make me want to rip my hair out. It's really freaky when he turns on me once we are out of earshot, his sudden change in mood makes my heart pound in fear.
Rimsha laughs lightly before lifting her head up to look at my face. "He's lucky to have a sister like you." I almost spit out the cookie that I just bit into and prevent myself from widening my eyes in disbelief. "He was always a lonely child whilst growing up, especially since his Dad left us when he was just a toddler."
I harden my eyes, wondering why she is mentioning their past in front of Nafisah however when I turn to look at her, she's turned away from our table and chatting to another young girl around her age who is sat on the table besides the one we are at.
"... Since I married your Dad and he was blessed with a little sister, he's been much happier and interactive...Al...Alhamdulillah."
I swallow and nod my head meekly, not really buying her words. I stop myself from thinking back to the times where Kamil would suddenly flip once everyone was out of sight. It happens often and I honestly don't know how no-body else see's straight through his little facade.
I grit my teeth to hold back from screaming out loud and sip on my coffee which hasn't exactly cooled down properly.
Rimsha and I both gasp in unison once the hot drink travels through my mouth and I cough harshly, sliding the cup away from me. My tongue stings with pain and so does the back of my throat, causing my eyes to swell up with tears. I inhale as I let out a little laugh before wiping my eyes, obviously embarrassed with what just occured.
I clear my throat and plaster a smile on my face, expecting Rimsha to say something however once I look up at her, she's frantically shooing Nafisah away. "Get me some tissue from the toilets, honey! Go on, darling, hurry!"
She lightly pushes Nafisah out of her seat and she happily grabs the little girl's hand who she had just made friends with before skipping away together.
I knit my eyebrows in confusion as I give Rimsha a questioning look. I watch as her eyes glance to the side and she does this a few times, a slight smile creeping up onto her pink lips. Her tiny hands reach out for mine which are placed on the table and I hesitate when she grabs them. I stiffen under her cold touch, her hands and pale skin colour contrasting with my average sized ones.
"Alvina, honey," She licks her dry lips before letting out a little laugh, growing with excitement. "I have given you long enough to think-"
"Oh, no no no," I snort as I try to get out of her sudden tight grip on my hands. I wriggle my fingers underneath her skin and snap my eyes up to meet her excited ones, her face is beaming.
The moment has finally arrived:
the talk. I was waiting for this certain topic to pop up once again and it now has...rather randomly if I say so myself.
"About it." She carries on from where I cut her off. "I'm telling you, honey. He is amazing in everything he does. His manners, his aspirations, his good looks! Just-just..." Her eyes dart down to our hands when I quickly jerk it out of her firm grip and rub at them.
Who knew her petite body had this hidden strength?
"Where is this even coming from?!" I sigh in frustration, really hoping that I can reel in all of my growing anger. I push my hands against the edge of the table in order to slide back the chair that I'm sitting on.
Her eyes widen immediately and she quickly leans forward to grab my arm harshly until I scowl does she loosen her grip. "Oh, I'm sorry, Alvina! I didn't mean to- please, just, please sit down!"
"Why?" I glance around at the few people that surround us, some who have turned to look at us in concern.
Rimsha's sudden frantic behaviour is rather peculiar and is making me question her actions. She rarely ever behaves like this, never mind the fact that she gripped my hand so tight that I swear I can feel it throbbing.
I breathe through my nose, trying to stay calm as I wait for her response. My anger is a major problem in my life and I honestly need to sort it out because it's definitely not good for my health, not to mention the fact that anger is from Shaytaan and I've got to overcome his whispers.
Rimsha releases a nervous laugh and her eyes don't stop darting away from mine and onto something else or someone else in the distance every so often. I bite the inside of my cheek and cross my arms across my chest, watching how agitated she is getting for no reason whatsoever. If someone should be getting agitated it should be me not her!
"What is it?" I exhale deeply before pinching the bridge of my nose, growing impatient with her nervous laughter.
A few minutes pass as we stand in front of one another however our gazes are elsewhere. I grow tired with waiting for her to tell me what is actually causing her childish behaviour and instead walk out of the cafeteria and into an empty corridor, my arms crossed over my chest and my lips placed in a thin line.
Another thing about me: I'm extremely impatient...another trait I definitely need to work on and better myself with.
Allah help me, ameen.
I let out an aggravated groan through gritted teeth and throw my head back. In all honesty, I don't really know why I'm so annoyed but it's probably the fact that Rimsha suddenly started acted weird and she just had to mention the topic once again.
I pace up and down the corridor for a while, trying my best to calm myself down. My mind is whirling with thoughts and I really just want to escape, however that doesn't seem to be the right thing to do when Kamil is still knocked up in a hospital bed.
I should go check up on him.
As I spin around to walk up the flight of stairs, I stumble backwards in shock as I nearly collide with somebody. My feet get caught up on the back of my skirt causing me to throw my arms around in the air to gain some balance so that I don't trip over.
Here's some friendly advice: swinging your arms frantically like a maniac doesn't help in saving you from tripping over.
I gasp once I hit the wall besides me. Pain shoots through my waist and I clutch my side in agony, my teeth gritted tight and my eyes snap shut to endure the pain.
"Are you okay?!" A male voice sounds worried as I feel him step closer towards me, making me snap my eyes open and glare at the guy that I met earlier. His eyes are soft whilst his face is full of concern and regret however he stays still with his arms reached out for me as if he wants to do something to help but he refrains from touching me; which is a good thing because I would most definitely break his hand if he did so. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. Are you alright?"
"No, I'm not alright." I scowl as I step away from him and begin to walk towards the staircase.
I swear, I think my waist has a pulse right now.
Putting on a brave face, I slip my hands into my pockets and stride away from the guy. I don't know whether he's watching me walk away but I doubt it.
Once I reach the stairs, I glance over my shoulder to see if he's still there. My eyebrows furrow once I realise that Rimsha is speaking to him with a fond smile upon her pale face as he takes a few steps back. She throws her head back to let out a hearty laugh at something he must have said causing the curls in her hair to bounce.
Who is that guy and how does Rimsha know him? Beats me.
I ignore the image of the two with a shake of me head and turn to walk up the stairs trying to-
...wait.
Zach.
•••
My chapters are so long and exams are coming up 😭😂 but I love writing so it's cool ✌️
Fun Fact:
I told my sister that I've always wanted to become an actress and she replied with "In Jannah, In Shaa Allah."
What's your dream job?