Kano State, Nigeria.
2017.

"I need an antiseptic swabs (gauze used to clean wounds), suture (used to stitch) and local anesthetic (reduces pain)." She gushed out to the nurse standing next to her who immediately sprouted out to work so they could stop the boy's bleeding forehead.

The boy's mother walked into the room and met Falak halfway leaving the Ward but she rushed back to help the mother in need and the son who looks like he is slipping in and out of consciousness. By now, four months into her work, Falak is already like any other doctor in the hospital, she takes patients without waiting for instructions.

At the moment, she is the only Paediatrician available, her mother is in the operation theater with others and the other four are also with their patients which left only her to attend to the poor kid who looks awfully familiar. She didn't spend time trying to look at him because the cotton wool is already soaked with blood and he is almost unconscious.

"Here!" The nurse held the silver tray in front of Falak with all the things she asked her to bring and waited anxiously for Falak to do her magic and then wait for the boy to wake up.

She injected him before removing the soaked cotton wool that left it's dashes around the forehead. The wound is deep and she doesn't even know where he gets something like this, the boy looks just five. She cleaned the blood around the around before stitching it gently as though he would wake up, he won't. She is just trying to make it as less painful as she could.

"He will wake up in some hours. Do you want to wait here or are you leaving?" She asked the distraught woman who looks less worried now that he is stitched and plastered.

"I will wait here, in case if something happens." The mother sighed, arranging her hijab around her body so she could sit down comfortably on the chair next to the boy's bed.

"How did that happened?" Falak couldn't help but asked, gesturing to the child's forehead when the woman questioned her with her eyes. That is a dumb move, what would she ask if not that?

"It was on the stairs, the edge of the tile." A single tear rolled down her eyes when she remembered about what happened.

The woman was busy trying to get her daughter ready for school and didn't know the other one woke up. He is sickle cell patient and is on break because he is ill so when he started walking down the stairs to where they are, she heard his cry and ran to him only to find him on the stairs crying as blood dripping down, and that is how it kept dripping till she walked down the rest of the stairs.

"Oh, I'm sorry and he looks like a sickle cell patient. Wishing him a very quick recovery, be careful." She said to the woman, ready to leave but she stopped her, which earned a raised brow from Falak.

"Can I get your number please, I'm afraid something might happen to him." The woman's eyes were down casted when she said that, Falak's eyes makes her uncomfortable and her professional beautiful self is just stirring something in her.

"Why not?! I'm Doctor Falak." She gave her a personal card before rushing out to see Shaddad before he leaves for the mosque since it's a Friday but she found him standing outside the room she finished working in.

"Nice job." He praised to which she almost staggered back and fell on her heels. Instead, she beamed and put on an I know right look, he almost smiled at that but didn't and continue walking around the Ward, she followed in tow.

He knew she liked it when he praises her and he saw the reaction on her face all the time so when she flipped this one, he let it slide. Her eyes and action spoke volume or has she forgotten that she still speaks her mind?

He keeps asking the doctors what they did to the patients when they were brought and all of them answered correctly accept for little mistakes he asked them to take note. A little mistake could take away someone's son, grandson, brother so they should be careful and when he reached the girl Falak attended to a day before, he stopped and asked who attended to her.

"I did, sir." She always shows him respect in front of people, no matter how she wants to pull her hair and just call him a statue but she push back that and keep a professional smile which he knew too well what was underneath.

"What did you do to her and what was wrong?" He hovered over the grinning girl that missed her two front teeth and who happens to be named Ikram.

"The young girl had cervical spine injury caused after high diving into a deep swimming pool." She informed, moving around the other side to stand over Ikram who is loving the attention from the two gorgeous people.

"I did a chest x-ray and CT scan, initially applied icepack to minimize the blood flow, and allow the blood vessels to constrict. I applied an anti-inflammatory gel and administered ibuprofen for the pain." She explained further, looking at him all the time to gauge out his reaction, and she is satisfied.

His eyes spoke volumes!

"Impressive!" And he only said 'good' to the other doctors, she needs all the compliments and so she grinned widely, making all the men in the room stagger back except Shaddad whose eyes whispered 'beautiful'. "Insert a ribcage. Also look out for pneumonia or any other lung infection." He added before moving forward.

This time, Falak is more impressed because even though he is specialized in Cardiology, he knew a lot about all other courses. She did as she was told and went to the enormous mosque in the hospital to pray, this is her first time there. She is always occupied when in time for prayer and sometimes she even forgets that it was a Friday.

The Khutbah was going on when she reached so she raised her red maxi skirt and performed ablution whilst keenly listening to the old man preaching about marriage. That reminds her, she is already engaged to Bilal and the wedding is in two months, Falak can't wait for that because she is looking forward to moving on from Shaddad.

Bilal has been so attentive to her needs, always listening to her trouble and is always there to tell her everything will pay off after she rants about being tired from work. He is a husband material and even her mother agreed with her instantly when she said he will send his elders.

About Shaddad, he is still his cold self but she learned how to read him through his eyes. She spends all her free time with him and she wants them to be friends. Oh she still loves him, she just knew that he is not meant to be her husband and she will accept that defeat. Maybe, just maybe, she will help find a bride for him.

She moved to the mosque -girl's side- and sat down silently, recording the old man's word while listening to each word clearly. She is getting married soon and she needs to know everything there is to know about marriage and what is needed. This is not the part where she will just marry and breed children for him like in her village, a lot of things are needed.

Standing up, she prayed two nawafils before sitting down to wait for the Imam. They prayed and she stayed back, praying endlessly and hoping her decision about getting married is right and Bilal is the spouse any woman would wish for.

After that, she left the mosque and bumped into Shaddad and Harith, making their way into the hospital building. She stopped them and manage to fit herself between them with enough distance between.

"I can't believe you are getting married." Harith mumbled grumpily underneath his breath, he just heard about it some days back. When she told him, he didn't agree but now, his father told him about it and ask them to start preparation.

Shaddad kept quite! That is a news to him and he will intently hear them so he strained his hearing and kept praying silently for Falak to bring the topic up. He just wants to know who will be marrying her and that's all. Why does it feel like no one feels the need to tell him anything that's going on with her? Do they hate him because he rejected her? But it doesn't look like the geriatrics knew what happened between them.

"Yes, Bilal is impatient." She smiled softly, feeling her heart race for some odd reasons.

"And who is this Bilal of a guy?" Harith continue to press, he feels like no one deserves Falak. She is too bright and innocent for any money monger and status seeker.

"You want to meet him?" She continued after getting a positive answer from him so she lead them to the parking lot where he is waiting for her with her lunch.

He called her earlier and told her that he will be bringing her lunch a little earlier than he usually does, he needs to go home to his mother immediately. He always brings lunch for her, everyday of the week and even weekend sometimes, she is falling deeper and Shaddad is almost disappearing.

Instead of him to leave the two, Shaddad followed them closely to the lot but kept his distance. As soon as he saw the Bilal man, he cringed. No, his physical appearance is good but he feels like he doesn't deserve Falak so he pivoted and walked into the building.

*****
Yoyoyoyo!
How've you been? Were you expecting an update? Hehehe, don't forget to pray for me please, thanks in advance. Next chapter is another turn for Humaid's life and you don't wanna middle it. Yep, Humaid, Madeeha's husband!!!!
RQ; Would you rather dress a child or an adult? I will chose child because I find it cute when they run around while getting dressed😹 you?

Aishatu.Xx/TheSylph.