Unedited.

****

"She's haemophiliac," the information hit Muhseen's eardrum hard. So hard that he thought he lost his sense of hearing. Everything seemed unreal to him. Fatimah was actually dying if they didn't act fast.

"And we don't have the injection here." And there, he knew they have little or zero hope. His thought wondered back the wound on her leg. He could remember the way blood was gushing out of her leg. How did that happen? They had no idea and got no time to ask her.

"So what do you think we should do?" He asked his colleague. It was like he had lost all his thinking faculty at the moment. He couldn't process all that happened. He didn't want to loose Fatimah, so, he would do everything to save her life. She deserved to live.

"Why are you talking as though you're not a professional yourself Dr?" Dr James furrowed his brows and darted his gaze to Hajiya Hauwa who just came in.

"I will be right back," Muhseen stomped out of the office and drove to somewhere.

"Hajiya you should put an iceblock on the wound perhaps it may help slow down the bleeding. Her's is a severe case of hemophilia." Dr James told her. He wanted to ask a lot of questions but he feared the outcome.

***

The signature scent of hospital hit Fatimah's nose as she felt pain seeping into her body. She never knew fainting was a relief until when she woke up now. She wished she slipped directly to death without waking up to live with an agonizing pain. She flickered her eyes open and saw no one around her. Could this be her grave? No, it wasn't.

Fatimah felt the bedsheet soaked with blood that was oozing out of her leg. The deliberate wound was painful but it was nothing compared to the feeling in her heart. Who could she share this heart wrenching news with? It can never be her family. Her mind drifted back to him. She closed her eyes so tight trying to cast him off her mind but she knew it would never be possible. Not in this life. Perhaps she would forget him in Jannah after she has seen him rot in hell.

Astaghfirullah!

That was mean, but that's the only thought that calmed her down.

She tried to process what happened yesternight and what he told her. Tears refused to drop and she hated herself for that. Why didn't she noticed all the long while? Why didn't she understood that he was only a green snake? Why does it had to be late when she discovered.

The door of the room creaked and she mistakenly opened her eyes to see Hajiya Hauwa and a woman. Their eyes met and Fatimah quickly looked away. She hated seeing everyone especially the people behind her pain.

"How is the wound?" Fatimah only nodded. If only they knew there was something more, after the wound, they won't have asked her that question. They would have sympathised with her for practically loosing half of her life.

"How did it happen? I mean with what did you cut your leg?" Hajiya Hauwa asked. Fatimah's throat suddenly went dry. She didn't know if she would ever be able to talk again in her life. The event didn't took her dignity alone, it took her soul away. Because, right now she's feeling soulless. She's feeling like a piece of wood with no life attached to it.

"I hope you get well soon." Hajiya Hauwa and the woman prayed before they walked out. Fatimah hoped they won't call her mother or any member of her family. She didn't want to see Inna because she had failed her. Inna would feel bad and worthless.

She wove her hand in the air trying to call the attention of a nurse around. The nurse came and Fatimah motioned for her give her a phone. The nurse smiled such that her eyes twinkled before she gave her the phone. Fatimah was so thankful for that.

****

Maleekah arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later. Tears blinded her view as she faltered into the ward where Fatimah was admitted. She didn't know what happened but from the way Fatimah wrote the text message, Leek knew it was something serious so she dodge her lectures and came down to the hospital.

Maleekah finally sat down when the nurse finished changing the sheet Fatimah was on. Fatimah smiled weakly at Maleekah as tears finally came. Leek was the only one she had after her family. She's the only one she could share her story with.

"What happened?" She managed to ask.

"The wound is to seal the truth." Fatimah talked for the first time. Maleekah's forehead creased in confusion.

"I broke the sink bowl and cut myself," she bit her lower lip.

"What is that suppose to mean? Are you mad?" Maleekah's sight focused on the cannular attached to Fatimah's hand. She watched as the blood streamed into Fatimah's body.

"I'm not mad but lifeless. I have been ripped off my life forcefully by the person I least expected. I can't tell Inna about this neither do I want her to find out. So I cut myself. No one knows about this except you, him, me, and lord. I want you to keep it as a secret even after my death. I don't even know why I'm telling you but I felt like I should tell someone perhaps I will regain my life." Fatimah close her eyes and began to see the image of their father. She knew she would soon join him.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilayhiraji'un. Fatimah how could you harm yourself this way? Why? You should have... Ya rabbi," Leek burst into muffles of cries. How could Hajiya Hauwa be so negligent? How could she leave a lady alone in the house whilst there are male workers in the house? What type of life was that? Now, how could she pacify Fatimah?

"I... You should have let the nurses treat you properly." Maleekah rose to her feet. Fatimah quickly grabbed her by her arm.

"No, I only told you because I thought I will be better." Fatimah whispered.

"Who is the he-goat? I mean who the hell is he? He's surely going to pay for this!" Leek was now shouting. She didn't know how it happened but she knew she could beat the person to death.

Fatimah opened her mouth to say it when she remembered what he said. She gulped so hard and shook her head.

"I can't tell you." She looked away feeling something bitter down her throat. She wasn't a kid to be afraid of his threat but, she had to confide to it so that she would live peacefully and protect her family.

"I understand but you will surely tell me. Let me go and cook something for you." Leek tried to smile. She wasn't going to cook alone but also bringing Inna along with her. It would be like betraying Fatimah's trust but also not telling Inna was like betraying Inna's trust.

"I want to tell you something. When I die, you should be the one to wash my corpse. And, my brother please if he propose to you do accept his love." The tune of Fatimah's voice weakened Maleekah's knees that she didn't know when she sat. She had heard stories of things like this before but she never knew it would happen to someone she knew.

"You're not going to die," Leek didn't know about Fatimah's condition.

"I better. Please consider all I'm telling you as wasiyya." Fatimah's eyes traveled up. She looked at the blood drip. She was so hale and hearty yesterday. Who could have thought she would be knocked out in few hours? Fatimah knew what happened to her was a test but she doubt if she could pass it.

Fate had threw a very difficult one at her.

Dr James came in with a big grin plastered on his face. The ladies got confused. Why was he smiling?

"We are able to get the injection from the hospital at Abuja. It's costly." Fatimah and Maleekah exchanged looks.

"What is it for?" Maleekah managed to ask in a low voice.

"I thought someone has explained to you why she is bleeding. Well, she's haemophiliac which means she lack a blood clotting factor in her blood hence why bleeding from the wound refused to stop. This injection will act as a replacement for that clotting factor in her blood and therefore the bleeding will stop." Dr James broke the small bottle of the injection and infused it in a syringe.

Maleekah remembered her Ammi telling her that they used to have an elder brother who died in his toddler stage due to haemophilia.

"Who brought it? From Abuja?" Fatimah croaked. She hoped it wasn't him. Because she would rather die than to live with the thought that he was the reason of her downfall and rise.

"I called a colleague to bring it. And don't bother yourself, your bills have been covered." He gave them that hospitality smile that masked the lies and approached Fatimah.

He took her palm and searched for a vein. "You're so strong." That way he injected her without any difficulty.

"Get well soon. We will discharge you later by God's grace." He exited the room.

"I will be right back." Maleekah followed his back with fast steps.

***

When Maleekah closed the door behind her, she inhaled deeply and sat on one of the chairs in Dr James's office. The office was small with a fridge by a corner and a television. Unlike the wards, the office was smelling of a good fragrance.

"How can I help you?" He hung his white coat and sat. Maleekah watched as he searched for a file and opened it.

"Ermm. Can I share a secret with you?" She asked directly looking into his eyes as though that would give her a sense of direction. Maleekah was doubtful of what she was about to do. Nevertheless, she continued.

"There's something more to that wound..." She briefed him. Dr James removed his spectacle and jot down some things in Fatimah's file which would be a record.

"Deal." He winked at Maleekah. Leek almost gave him a high five.

*****

Kano, Nigeria.

2010.

Sadiqu's flight has just landed at the Aminu Kano international airport. He just couldn't stop smiling since the last few days. When he got out of shower last week and stared at the mirror in his room, an image of a twenty six year old burly young man greeted him. He had looked at the young man whose face was covered with beard and sideburns and smiled. The image had also smiled with him and there he confirmed it was really him.

As ironic it sounded to him, he's finally collected his certificate. It's in order to call him Engineer Isma'il Sadiqu Mamman. Wow, that's too overwhelming.

A part of his heart constricted when he remembered his friend Nazeer who had been crying for days because he didn't want to go back home with nothing.

Sadiqu was amidst thought when a cab stopped in front of him and asked him whether he was going. He told the driver where he was going to and hopped in. The drive was silent until when the driver lost his balance and hit a man who seemed to be in a drunken state.

The driver, Sadiqu and other two passengers got out to see if they could offer some help to the man they hit. Upon seeing him, the driver and the passengers hissed.

"He's a mad man," they pointed at his dirty tattered clothes.

"But that doesn't mean we should leave him here." Sadiqu reasoned.

"See, you better leave the mad man alone. From the looks of things, he became mad because of drugs. They are the type of guys that disturb people in town. I wonder why he's allowed to wander." They turned to leave while complaining.

"Give me my luggage then. Take your money. I insist on helping him." Sadiqu followed them to the car, opened the booth and took his luggage. He paid the man and they drove away without him.

He squatted before the man whom was lying on his stomach. Sadiqu pitied the man. This could be someone's son, someone's brother or even someone's father. He shook his head in pity and turned the man to face him.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un." He chanted as his digestive organs quivered at the sight.

"Jameel?" He asked no one in particular as tears began to blind his sight.

*****

So, it all happened.😓😓
Who do you think is behind Fatimah's case?

Maleekah? Such a darling.😥😍

A mad man? Jameel😶😑

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