Heaven From Here

thirty five

They were due to head to the airport in the next two hours but Saif could hear Hanna retching in the toilet when he opened his eyes and rushed to the bathroom. He knocked on the door again, this time firmly saying; "Pari, open the door; let me in."

He heard the click of the door which was followed by the sound of the toilet flushing and the tap in the sink turning on. He gingerly opened the door and watched as Hanna gurgled and spat the water down the sink. She turned to face him; her eyes downcast. Her face was flushed but drawn with dark circles forming around her eyes and her hair piled high on her head. She looked downright exhausted.

Walking up to her, he asked her gently, "How many times have you vomited?"

"This is the second time," she said tiredly.

"Since you woke up?" he asked, and she nodded tiredly. Saif made to pull her towards him but his hands flinched in shock when it touched her skin. She was burning hot. "Pari, you're burning up!"

Turning to the sink he quickly took a hand towel and soaked it in the cold water. Wringing it as best as he could he held Hanna's hand and lead her to the bed. Making her sit up against the bedhead, he gently dabbed the towel on her face and neck. He could hear Hanna's soft sighs as he continued his ministrations. He clenched his jaw as he realised that he would need to remove her long-sleeved pajama top.

"Hanna...," Saif cleared his throat, "...You need to take off your t-shirt."

Hanna nodded with her eyes closed and with limp movements, she struggled with take of her t-shirt. Saif averted his eyes, as she moved. When she finally stopped moving, he bit the inside of his cheek to make sure that his eyes never strayed lower than her neck even as he softly wiped her chest.

"Do you have a stuffy nose? Or a phlegmy cough?" he asked as he pressed the cool towel to her flushed face.

"No," she murmured tiredly.

"...it could be a viral thing...," Saif said softly to himself. He frowned as he realised that Hanna's mood had been a bit subdued from when he had come back from getting her dinner from the desi restaurant down the road. She had wanted something with spice, and he was more than happy to oblige, craving the same thing. He opened his mouth to ask but was frozen as Hanna slowly opened her eyes to look at him.

Opening her eyes just a little, Hanna gazed at Saif as he looked at her. She could feel her eyes heat with the threat of tears with the gentle way that he was caring for her. Swallowing, she asked for water. She watched as Saif rushed to fill up a glass of warm water for her. He sat next to her on the bed and pressed the glass of water in her hands as well as two paracetamol tablets he dug up from his messenger bag. Silently Hanna placed the tablets on her tongue and washed it down with the warm water. Not saying anything, she turned away from him and laid down on her side as she closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry.

Saif continued to gently dab her forehead with the wet towel even as his breath caught when his eyes traveled down her back. A band of dainty lace in pale pink covered her back and he realised that she was wearing a bralet of sorts. He swallowed heavily as his eyes roved the length of her back, his hands still moving on its own accord as he pressed the towel on the back of her neck, and the top of her shoulders. As her breathing evened out, Saif huffed loudly and leaned his elbows on his knees, as he wiped his face roughly with the palm of his hand. He couldn't deny his physical attraction to Hanna anymore, and the thought that he could feel this strongly for her physically made his hands tremble.