"You're still here?" Jannat asked as she opened her eyes only to see her sister curled up on the chair next to her bed.

"You're awake?" Hoori's eyes snapped up from her book. "Hi."

"Hi." She smiled at the book in Hooriya's lap. "What're you reading?"

"You're going to laugh at me." Hoori's looked down, trying to hide the book cover out of sight.

"I could use a laugh." Jannat chuckled at her.

Hoori sighed, "I was just checking to see if it was still as romantic." She admitted before she sheepishly held her book up, allowing Jannat to study the couple on the cover.

"Is that the one with the lacrosse player?" She grinned smugly. It was Hoori's favourite book when she was 14 and she must have read it a thousand times.

"Ya."

"Is it still as romantic?"

"No. Jodi Picoult has ruined me forever." She shrugged, amused at at just how much she truly loved the book in her hand once upon a time. "It's still kind of fun to read though."

"Read it for me." She asked, looking up at Hoori. A silent plea in her eyes.

Hoori opened the book, feeling just a bit too shy at the prospect of reading aloud. " 'Any messages for me?' I asked as-"

"You have a nice reading voice. You should become a teacher." Jannat interrupted her, musing over the idea.

"Never. They'll run me over if I even tried." She shook her head at the silly notion.

"Marry a teacher then. I think you deserve it, to be away from all this."

Hoori knew as to what it was she was referring to. "Maybe. It would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"It would be." Jannat sounded so sad as she lost herself for just a second in a whimsical fantasy she knew would never happen. "Anyway. Sorry," she shook her head. "Read on."

"'Any messages for me?' I asked as I entered the office for the Pipeline, our school newspaper.

'None in your box,' replied Angela, our managing editor. 'We've already given the police all the small, ticking packages and kidnapping threats.'

I smiled and shrugged. 'Another day, another unhappy jock.' It wasn't my problem that some of Tilson High's athletes couldn't take the criticism. And at that moment I wasn't very popular with the men's lacrosse team-especially their star, Adam Logan and Adam's many fans..."

...

What the fuck!

Mikaeel was sure he didn't hear her correctly.

Her sister died?! He didn't even know she had a sister.

He thought back to the few times they had any semblance of a normal conversation and he distinctly remembered hearing nothing about a sister.

He didn't even know how it was that they managed to sleep in the same bed every night and not know about each other. The fact that he was barely home made it easier but she was so quiet that it just felt like a tedious activity trying to talk to her.

His mind was still boggled that she was the one who made the first move the first time they ever tried anything. He remembered feeling stunned for just a while as she kissed him. He hadn't even realised that he wasn't kissing her back until he felt her run her hand through his hair before she grasped the back of his neck, pulling him just a little closer.

"...say it happened?"

"4 years ago." Hoori looked at Mikaeel to find him staring very intently at the floor.

"And how old was she?"

"21." She clutched her tissue in her hand, needing to distract herself somehow. Yet her grip slackened, causing the tissue to flutter onto the table next to her.

"Here." Mikaeel stretched over to pick up her tissue confused at the small gasp that was emitted from her lips. Was it that surprising that he would pick something up for her?

For heaven's sake, he had broken into the bathroom and carried her out of the shower. He wasn't a complete asshole.

He shook his head, realising he had tuned out most of the conversation.

"Yes. My doctor recommended I go for a sonogram after Jannat died. Family history and what not."

Mikaeel almost scoffed at her parent's choice in names. Heaven and Angel- How poetic.

"Good." Dr. Krenak felt as if a chorus of angels were singing behind him. Finally! Someone who listens. "All clear?"

"Yes." Her lips tugged upwards into what she hoped was a smile.

"I suppose you're wondering why you're here, Mr Ebrahim." Dr. Krenak finally acknowledged Mikaeel.

He finally looked up at the doctor. "Yes."

"It's a bit of a personal matter."

"Okay." He caught sight of Hoori's questioning glance.

"I understand you're newly married," Dr. Krenak began uncomfortably.

"Uh huh..." Mikaeel knew where he was going with this and dreaded every second of it.

"As such, it seems Mrs Ebrahim's condition might temporarily halt any such physical activities till we can understand what's going on with her."

Mikaeel sat frozen with awkwardness much like Hoori.

"So..."

"Uhm Doctor?" Hoori's soft voice interrupted his uncomfortable spiel.

"Yes?" He breathed a sigh of relief. This couple made things seem much more unpleasant than it really needed to be.

"Uh." She eyed Mikaeel warily before gesturing for Dr. Krenak to come closer to her.

"Hmm?" Dr. Krenak turned his ear to her, allowing her to whisper something to him.

Mikaeel looked at them, unease prickling at his neck as Dr. Krenak's eyes flitted to his crotch for just a split second before looking away.

"But I thought Muslims-" He said out loud before Hoori whispered something else to him.

What was she doing?

"Ah, I see." Dr. Krenak smiled at Mikaeel, causing his wariness to shoot up to astronomical levels."Then I suppose that would be all." He stood up, collecting all his notes from the little table in the room. "Sister Augustine will be in shortly to prep you for your spinal tap, okay?" He looked over at her sympathetically.

"Okay." She smiled up at him from her bed.

"See you shortly Mrs Ebrahim."

"You had a sister?" Mikaeel had to ask though she didn't even turn at his voice. She continued to look up at the ceiling, counting the all the tiles above her.

"Yes."

"I didn't know." Her frigid dismissal unnerved him.

"I didn't tell you." She said impassively. It really wasn't any of his business. "Is my uncle here?"

"I don't know. I'll go and check." He knew when he wasn't wanted and in all honesty, he couldn't wait to get out of that room.

"Mr Ebrahim!" Dr Krenak's voice boomed from across the hallway.

Mikaeel's patience was wearing thin with the man. He was just too friendly and it grated on his nerves. "Yes?"

"I thought these pamphlets might help you."

He stared at the man, completely nonplussed. "Excuse me?"

"Just have a read through. It's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of." He said kindly before practically shoving the pamphlet into Mikaeel's hand.

"Thank you?"

"Not a problem. If you'll excuse me."

Mikaeel looked down at the pamphlet, unable to actually comprehend it.

The 6 weeks after circumcision.

Crazy bitch!

...

"Sweety, we're going to have to take this jersey off now." Sister Augustine helped Hoori with her jersey as soon as she was settled onto her bed.

"You won't allow anyone to come in though, right?"

"No, we prefer it if family member are not present for it. It's not something that they would like to see." Her words sounded so ominous that it frightened Hoori just a little.

She knew enough about lumbarpunctures though.

Her sister had enough of them and she was always the one who waited outside. God, she used to hate waiting outside. She hated hearing Jannat's whimpers of pain but she couldn't just leave her alone. So she stood outside and she listened. Then she would go back in and make her feel just a little better.

"Hi Mrs Ebrahim." Dr. Krenak walked in with a small smile on his face. "Your Uncle told me to tell you that he's waiting outside."

"Thank you." She breathed a sigh of relief. At least he came in time.

"Okay so you know what a spinal tap is, right?" He asked, trying to make a bit of small talk.

"Yes."

"Good, good. Now Sister Augustine will help you to sit up but I need you to bend over. Try as best as you can to touch your knees with your forehead, okay?"

"Okay..." Hoori began to feel more than a little nervous now. She lied before. She wanted her uncle with her so badly.

"Sweety, close your eyes. I'm going to be holding you the whole time okay." Sister Augustine tried to placate her as she gripped Hoori in an almost painful hold.

"Okay." She could feel something cold being rubbed onto her back, forcing a shiver down her spine.

"This is going to sting just a little. It's just an anaesthetic. You ready?"

"Uhm hmm." No she was not ready.Her eyes flinched at the little prick of the needle as her hands grasped onto the mattress of her bed.

"Mrs Ebrahim, I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt." He sighed; the term of endearment seemed to come to him naturally as he readied the needle in its place.

Hoori closed her eyes as tight as she could yet nothing could prepare her for the pain she felt as the needle pierced her spine.

...

"Mikaeel?" He looked up from his textbook at the unfamiliar voice.

"Aunty Mariam. How are you?" He smiled at her politely.

"I'm good. When are you writing?"

"Next Thursday."

"Shame. Everything of the best." She looked fondly down at him, reminded of her own sons before their exams.

"Thank you." It was odd having someone genuinely wish him well for his shitty exams but even he couldn't deny the glimmer of gratitude at her words.

"Have you seen my husband?"

"Uhm ya, he's waiting outside Hoori's door."

"Where is it? I only got back to Joburg today so..."

He closed his books, bookmarking them carefully with the other. "I can show you if you'd like."

"Thank you."

"It's not a problem." He stood up, towering over her, before he led her down the maze of corridors.

"...Your God Damned breakthrough and stuff it!" He had never seen Uncle Ashraf looking as ruffled as he had.

"Oh, must be his brother." Aunty Mariam mumbled from behind him.

"Hoori's father?"

"He only has one brother." She looked up at him almost snootily. Shouldn't he know these things by now?

"That's your daughter!" He rubbed his hand tiredly over his face. "I'm tired of you, Ahmed. I'm going." Uncle Ashraf cut the call with a heavy heart. He didn't know what the hell was going on with his brother but he couldn't believe Ahmed was the same man he had grown up with anymore. He was just thankful for the heavy door between him and his niece. He didn't have the strength to hear her in pain and then break her heart with the news. He didn't even realise his wife was standing next to him till she cleared her throat. "Mariam, when did you get back?"

"Just now. I left my stuff at home and had Sabreen drop me off here."

"Oh."

"How is she?" She gestured to the room.

"I don't know. They're still doing tests to figure out what's wrong with her." He said sadly. It was like being in the hospital with Jannat all over again.

...

She could only think of things worse than the pain she was going through at that moment.

Her sister's death was probably the worst.

Mikaeel's stunt with her two days prior.

Her parents not being there.

The first time she and Mikaeel ever slept together.

Kissing him.

Being close to him at all actually.

Ihsaan...

Definitely Ihsaan.

This wasn't her scene.

She was just so uncomfortable with them. They were loud and raucous and they were just so open and crass about their sex lives that it made her ears burn.

She kept quiet, much to Mikaeel's displeasure, and sipped her coffee without tasting much of it. She truly despised sitting opposite Ihsaan. He would look at her when everyone's attention was diverted. It was a look that left her feeling so discomfited. He looked at her as if she were a piece of his favourite cake and she didn't like it at all. He had a wife- a very beautiful wife- yet he still looked at her in that way.

She sidled closer to Mikaeel, hoping Ihsaan would just stop yet her husband shifted away. She was beginning to annoy him with her clingy behaviour and he wished she would just stop embarrassing him as she had.

Then Ihsaan put his hand on her thigh, squeezing it softly.

That was the last straw.

"I want to go home." She whispered in Mikaeel's ear.

"What?" He kept his voice low, hoping the others wouldn't overhear him.

"Please take me home." She begged. Just once, she wanted him to do something for her.

"Fine. Grab your shit and we'll leave." He was angry. He was very, very angry but she couldn't care less about him and his moods.

As long as she was away from Ihsaan.

"Assalaam u Alaykum." A very familiar voice greeted her from the doorway.

"Aunty Mariam." Hoori grinned up at her as she came to stand beside the bed. "Wa Alaykum Salaam."

"How are you?"

"Okay."

"Okay? Really?" She looked down at her niece dubiously.

"A little less than okay. Were you visiting Sabreen?"

"Ya, I just got back this morning. She said she'll visit you tonight."

"Alright. Did Uncle Ashraf get through to my parents yet? Their phone keeps going to voicemail."

"No dear, not yet. He's trying again right now though."

"Oh..." She knew her Aunty was lying but it was easier to just play along.

"But uhm..." Aunty Mariam eyed the door warily, "I'm just going to pop by the shop downstairs. I think my sugar is a bit low."

She looked up at her strangely. Her aunty really was the most awful liar.

"See you just now." She bent down to kiss Hoori's forehead before leaving quietly.

"Hey."

His was not a voice she wanted to hear.

"Hi."

"How're you doing?" Mikaeel looked at her from where he stood in the doorway. She looked highly uncomfortable, lying completely flat on her back.

"I've been better." She replied honestly.

"I'd imagine so." Their conversations always felt so stiff and formal.

"Mikaeel?" She finally turned her head to look at him.

"Ya?" He asked, praying she didn't need another favour.

"Please leave me alone."

Not what he expected.

Hoori turned her head a minute later to see an empty doorway, much to her relief.

...

There are three types of isomers. Structural isomers, geometric isomers and enantiomers. Structural isomers...

Mikaeel paused as he twisted open the cap of his shampoo bottle.

... Differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms. Geometric isomers have the same covalent pertnerships but they differ in their spatial arrangement. Enantiomers...

His hands froze in his hair as he paused to think...

Enantiomers...

Shit...

He closed his eyes, maybe if...

Enantiomers are isomers that are mirror images of each other!

How could she...

Mikaeel shook his head, grabbing his towel.

No.

There are two types of polysaccharides. Storage and structural.

Storage polysaccharides comes in different forms. Plants store starch, a polymer of glucose monomers...

He wiped the mirror of all its stubborn steam as he grabbed the shaving cream from his shelf.

He was so tired...

He had barely uncapped the lid when a nasty red mark on his neck caught his eye.

Shit, bitch!

No wonder Hoori was pissed at him. She must have seen it when he reached for the tissue that she had dropped.

She just had to fucking bite him, didn't she?

How the hell did he even miss it that morning? He was in such a rush but he was sure he had at least caught a glimpse in the mirror.

Fuck...

A/N So the book in the start of the chapter is an actual real life book that I did read when I was 14 :D I sort of used to sneak it while my sister wasn't there and read it on the quiet because such things seemed taboo at 14. I was only supposed to be reading things like... The Babysitters Club not all these romantical shenanigans.

Anyways, it's a book called I Do By Elizabeth Chandler.

Remeber Sister? :D

Also, I am totally dedicating this to my wonderful friend Raeesa Moon-of-my-heart for just being the most awesome doctor friend ever and always helping me with my medical questions. You're a star, my friend! :)

A star!