Mira's POV.

"No you're not."

Despite everything that had just happened - including Salem's statement - 'amo was calm and collected. I had to give him credit, for if I was in his place, I would have collapsed under both pressure and fear.

"Excuse me?"

'Amo looked like he had grown in age and wisdom in the last ten minutes. "I said, you're not resigning."

Salem clenched his jaw and looked away. "I'm sorry, but I was being serious. I'm leaving."

"I won't allow it."

"With all due respect boss, but you know I'm legally allowed to quit whenever I want."

I was - and still am - extremely shocked at both my husband's act of outrage and his confession of wanting to resign.

It was true, that he didn't expose his emotions to many people.

Even now, as his wife, I would still feel slightly surprised when he demonstrated the extent of his affection during our intimate moments. Sometimes, I'd wake up and find him just staring at me, one thumb caressing my cheek softly and it would take me a few seconds to comprehend that this Salem, who had so much love shining in his eyes, is the same Salem that could stare expressionlessly at the wall for an hour.

That's why it was ten times more shocking when he reacted the way he did. I knew it was his anger and disappointment in himself that fuelled him to act in such a way.

The raw pain on his face when he had flung the chair across the room would forever be engrained in my memory.

"Let's take a walk outside," 'amo suggested. "Mira, come along too," he said, gesturing for the both of us to follow him.

Salem let out a puff of air as he began to follow him and I tentatively followed suit.

We walked for a good ten minutes in absolute silence. The east side of the hospital had a large, lovely garden attached to it with a miniature lake in the middle. Both patients and visitors occasionally came down for some fresh air, today however, was especially cold. My teeth began to chatter and I used my palms to rub up and down my arms, a pathetic attempt at warming myself up.

It didn't help that I was still in my formal dress and heels from the event.

'Amo stopped by a secluded part of the lake and sat down on the grass, crossing his legs beneath him. Usually, I would protest at ruining both my dress and heels but right now, I couldn't have cared less.

Once Salem and I were both seated, 'amo turned a stern eye on my husband.

"Salem, what was it that you told me about a month ago when I admitted my desire for giving up the presidency? After the incident with Isaac?"

The look on Salem's face told me that he knew exactly where this was going.

"I told you not to give up."

"And why did you tell me that?"

He rubbed at his jaw and stared at the ground. "Because everybody makes mistakes."

"And...?" 'amo prodded.

"And everybody learns from their mistakes."

"And..."

"And we shouldn't beat ourselves up over it because in the end, it was all Allah's decree."

"Exactly. So don't tell me that you want to leave Sameena's side, just because for the first time in twelve years you failed her."

Salem shook his head in exasperation. "No, it's just...I don't trust myself anymore. Now, I'm always going to doubt myself in her presence." He looked up at 'amo fleetingly. "That's if she comes out of this alive..." He cracked a knuckle. "Don't you see?! My failure might cost her her life!"

"Do you trust her with anyone else?" 'amo was quick to reply.

"No."

"So by leaving her, you might just be putting her in more danger!"

'Amo sighed tiredly and at that moment, looking at his bloodshot eyes and sunken face, I had the strongest urge to hug him.

He didn't have his wife here to comfort him.

"I understand that this is difficult on you Salem," he continued, "but remember that decisions made when we are experiencing strong emotions usually turn out to be very irrational. If I'm honest with you, I don't even see how you could have gotten to Sameena in time. The hall was in absolute chaos - it was a situation we could have never anticipated. You tried your best and I don't doubt that you put your heart and soul into protecting my daughter every single day. So please...reconsider your decision. If you want to come back in a weeks time, having thought it through with a clear head then I'll take your decision, although you should know I'm not happy with it. But right now, I cannot accept it."

"He's got a point," I spoke up. "Right now, let's just focus on Sameena getting out of surgery."

He ran a hand down his face. "You're both right. Right now our attention should be on Sameena and we're sitting here talking about my job. I couldn't have been more selfish..."

'Amo patted his knee. "We're allowed to be selfish in times of grief. I basically forgot I had three children after my wife died and although I know that I should have been stronger for them, it was the time away that helped me get back on my feet."

Salem nodded his head, a contemplative expression taking over. "I understand. Thanks boss."

"How many times have I asked you to stop calling me that?"

He cracked a tiny smile. "Sorry 'amo."

"Good. I'm going to head back inside. Think about what I said."

'Amo had always been a man of few words but somehow, he always spoke volumes. A simple two minute conversation with him could change your whole perspective on life.

"I will."

'Amo gave him one last pat on the shoulder before standing up and walking back in the direction we came, leaving us both alone in the chilly cold.

I for one, didn't know what to do in my husbands fragile state. The last time I had tried to comfort him he had shrugged me off and even though I had to admit the action hurt, I knew he wasn't himself right now.

I decided to give him some space. Whenever he was ready, he would speak. If he didn't want to talk, I was also fine with that.

"Here."

I turned my head to find him shrugging out of his suit jacket. He placed it over my shoulders and shuffled in closer to me, so that the sides of our bodies were plastered against each other.

I hadn't even realised how hard I had been shivering but now, with Salem's body warmth and jacket I could already feel it lessening.

"Thanks." I had to look up when I sent him a small smile.

In response, he put one arm around my shoulder and pulled me in to his side. I instantly snuggled into him and closed my eyes as I leant my head against his broad chest.

"How are you?" he asked softly.

It must have been the combination of today's events and the comfort of a human touch, but it was then that I finally broke down in tears.

"I'm worried. Anxious. Tired. But most of all, I'm scared Salem. Scared about whether I'll see my best friend again," I sobbed. It was my turn to release all my pent up emotions. "She doesn't deserve this. She really doesn't..." I hiccupped at the same time that another sob escaped my lips and Salem immediately hauled me onto his lap and hugged me to his chest.

"I know she doesn't Mira...I know."

No words were exchanged for the next twenty minutes. One hand travelled up and down my back in a soothing gesture and the other held one of my hands tightly. He tried twice to rest his chin upon my head, but since he was too tall, he opted to giving me a kiss on the forehead and staring at the lake ahead.

For a long time, we were both just lost in thought.

Then Salem spoke up.

"You know that after Metayo died, Sameena became my family." I knew that this would be one of the rare moments that he really opened up so I stayed quiet and waited for him to continue. "When he left me, I had no one. We had been orphaned from a young age and the countless foster families we lived with never meant anything to us. Sure I had a good number of friends but I never considered them to be family. He was the only person that ever mattered to me and it was all for him that I skipped education and started working from so young a age. I wanted to offer him a good, comfortable life. A life where we had our own home and could live like a proper family. Where he didn't have to think twice about getting an education or asking for money so he could go out with his friends."

He exhaled roughly and I could sense the underlying sadness in his words. It was coming off him in waves.

I sat up straighter and kissed the exposed part of his neck. "I wish I had the chance to meet him."

He gave me a real, genuine smile then. "You would have loved him. He was crazy and full of passion, just like you. But he was a good kid..." he trailed off.

"A good kid who got mixed up with the wrong crowd," I added.

Salem nodded. "I still remember the day I got the phone call from the hospital. Sameena was about eleven years old...we were at her school, listening to a guest speaker talk about the effects of alcohol and drugs, should the students even encounter them. The irony." A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "I remember just freezing up when I heard the news. I went numb. A part of me didn't believe it."

Newfound tears sprung to my eyes. "Heartbreaking..." I whispered.

"I knew that I had to get out of the school hall, incase I acted out and hurt one of the students. Sameena who was of course the most observant child, noticed my absence straight away. According to the other guard that was with me at the time, she had immediately jumped up out of her seat and followed me, despite her teacher's objection."

"Typical Sameena."

"She found me standing by the side of the building. I had already thrown up once and for a kid who was only eleven, she somehow determined that I was having a panic attack. She took my hands in hers, forced me to sit down and literally held me until my hyperventilating and shaking had subsided. With all the innocence of a child, she kept on repeating that everything was going to be alright and I think she even starting reciting Qur'an at one point." He paused, and I heard him run a hand through his hair. "It wasn't until her car accident two years later that I fully comprehended how central she had become in my life. Because the thought of losing yet another person I cared about ruined me. I knew that if I lost her, that's it. I'd be alone again."

"You know what Salem..."

He looked down at me curiously. "What?"

"I know for a fact, that if it was swapped; if you were the one on that surgery table, Sameena would have reacted just the same way. You mean so much to her Salem...don't forget that you were also there for her in trying times. Granted, your relationship shifted once she matured but I know she's always cared about you."

He nodded his head solemnly.

"I know. Now, let's just pray that she returns to us healthy."

There was a minute of depressing silence before I stood up and stepped away from him. "I think we should head back in now."

"You're right, let's go."

Once we returned to the waiting room, we found everyone just as they were before. As if on cue, two guards entered right after us with coffee and food for everyone.

I declined the offer, not having any appetite for food right now.

"You should eat Mira...we don't know how long we're going to be here for," Lia said.

Reluctantly, I took a slice of banana bread but after one bite, I felt like throwing up and so I subtly wrapped it up again and placed it to the side.

The atmosphere in the room was so dull that I was beginning to feel claustrophobic. It had been almost three hours now and the wait was beginning to wear us all down.

I was especially worried about Ziad.

He had not moved an inch since we had first entered and he had barely spoken two words together. Even during Salem's outburst, he had just sat there unmoving and neutral. It was so unlike him but then again, could I blame him? Everyone was reacting to the situation differently and the only thing that would take us out of this state was the news of a successful surgery.

"Salam everyone."

"Samir, alhamdulillah you arrived!" 'amo exclaimed, moving to hug his oldest child.

"Any news?" Samir questioned as he pulled away.

"Not yet unfortunately."

Samir wrapped a hand around his father' neck. "She's a strong one baba. She's going to come out of this just fine in shaa Allah."

"I really hope so son. I really hope so."

After he greeted everyone, Samir came to sit by his brother.

"How're you holding up?"

He didn't even look up at the sound of his voice.

"Ziad?" When he still didn't reply, Samir nudged him, worry marring his face.

Ziad jumped. "Hmm? Oh, Samir. When did you get here?"

I watched Samir and Sarah share a look.

"Just now...I asked you how you're holding up."

"Fine...I think."

Samir sighed, and I turned away from their conversation, not realising until now that I was eavesdropping.

"What's wrong?" Salem asked when he returned from the toilet. Obviously, he noticed my frown and the way I was clutching my stomach.

"I don't know. I don't feel good Salem."

"You feel sick?"

I nodded my head and swallowed. "Yeah, I feel sweaty, dizzy and feel the need to barf." I rubbed at my stomach, hoping the feeling would go away.

"It's all the stress and nerves," he said, grabbing one hand and rubbing soothing circles in my palm. "I know it's hard but try to take it easy. Recite some Qur'an in your head and you'll calm down."

I was about to do just that but was stopped by a loud knock and the clearing of a throat.

I snapped my head to the door and when my eyes landed on a doctor, I nearly passed out.

"Sameena Ahmad's family? I have some news for you..."

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