New Beginnings: ZeyBar One-Shots

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Barış sat in the dark in Zeynep's bedroom, staring unseeingly out the window. He had his laptop open to work, but he couldn't focus. He was too worried about her.

He looked over at her sleeping peacefully. He was glad she'd calmed down enough to be able to sleep. He kept seeing the look of sheer terror on her face when he'd found her at the hospital.

When he arrived at the hospital, he ran through the corridors looking for her. He found her surrounded by Cemile, Dilara, Nuh, Benal...all of them closing in on her, completely unaware and uncaring that she was having a panic attack, that she wasn't breathing.

Zeynep's hand went to her chest, her eyes were round, her mouth open, trying to suck in air, but unable to take a deep enough breath. She looked like she was suffocating, drowning. Barış recognized the signs immediately. He broke through their predatory circle, desperate to reach her. "Give her space," he said urgently. Her eyes pleaded with him to help her. "Move. Now! Can't you see she can't breathe?" He shouldered his way past Nuh just in time to catch Zeynep as she fainted.

Her head lolled against his chest, and her breathing slowly evened out, her unconsciousness bringing relief from the panic that had taken her breath from her. He pressed his cheek against her forehead and closed his eyes, thankful that she was okay and he'd gotten there in time. He would never have forgiven himself if she would have passed out alone amongst these people.

He looked up at them with barely restrained anger. He took a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm. "I ask you all to think about what she's been through. Try to put yourselves in her position for even just one minute and realize how she's affected by what your precious Mehdi has done to her." He looked from face to face, needing to make sure each of them heard him.

"Please understand that she has panic attacks, she can't sleep, she's afraid to be alone. If you know Zeynep at all, you know that she already puts enough guilt on herself--she doesn't need you all to add to it." He looked pointedly at Kibrit, and she looked away, avoiding his eyes. He was disappointed in her, and he wanted her to be aware of what she was doing. He was pretty sure everything she'd heard from Cemile and Benal had been one-sided.

"In your selfishness, you ignore the trauma Mehdi has inflicted on her and you ask her to set free the man who haunts her every moment, and then you condemn her for refusing. You would ask her to live in fear so that the man who did this to her can walk free and continue to terrorize her. You should all be ashamed of yourselves."

They'd been stunned into silence, and he didn't wait for them to respond. He'd taken her out of there, carrying her in his arms to his car, where Murat was waiting to drive them home.

He had insisted on watching over her while she slept, and her family allowed it. He was grateful.

***

"It's your fault! My brother is dying and it's your fault!" Cemile screamed in Zeynep's face, her voice harsh and venomous. She was completely unhinged; her eyes were wild and wet with unshed tears, like she was possessed...like she wasn't herself. "My sister never liked you. She never wanted Mehdi to marry you," she spat out. Her mouth was twisted and ugly, and she kept yelling. "I always protected you, but Mujgan was right about you. You've ruined my whole family. You're nothing but a curse, and for that I curse you to a life of misery. You will never find happiness, Zeynep!"

Zeynep felt every word like a stab to the heart. Cemile had been her safe haven in a house full of enmity. Cemile had stood up to Mehdi after he locked Zeynep in the house, reminding him how he had been the one who saved her from the abuse she'd suffered at the hands of her husband, pointing out that now he was doing what he said no man should ever do to his wife.