Endurance

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Layla cried her heart out as Mansoor stirred her away from the crowd that were doing everything possible to stop the fire from burning and spreading. He gently settled her on the back seat as she sobbed continuously while he whispered soothing words to her.

"I need you to stay here Layla, please. I'm going to go and help, I'll be back soon." He gently spoke, turning around to where Sa'ad was already lifting a heavy bucket and pouring its contents to the leaking fire. She nodded and he shifted the hem of her dress before carefully shutting the door. Layla watched him roll the sleeves of his shirt and jogged to the burned down hospital and lifted seemingly heavy metal buckets from another man's hand and disappeared into the crowd.

Hafsa please be okay. Ya Allah!

All her life she had never experienced consecutive pain and trials of having to watch someone you cared for almost die before your eyes and there was nothing to be done about it except pray. She had no idea where either Yusuf or Hafsa were, she didn't even know if they were alive and she hadn't had the chance to ask Aina, his sister. After what felt like eternity, Yasir's sister emerged with a weak figure leaning on her as they struggled to limp through the bunch of people. Layla opened the door and ran towards them with the last bit of energy she had left and stopped when she stood in front of them.

"Hafsa!." She breathed out and held Hafsa's other arm and immediately, a terrifying cough the girl's breath and racked up her body, her lips turning bloody. They sat her weak body on a sidewalk and Layla got up.

"Keep an eye on her Aina." She instructed and the girl nodded vigorously as Layla turned around, her eyes spontaneously seeking for the one person that her heart felt safe with. As if he felt her eyes on him, Mansoor helped the woman he had rescued down the pavement, assigning a random person to keep an eye on her before striding to Layla. Her adorable doe-like eyes were red and wide with terror as she met him halfway.

"Sh...she's dying Mansoor, she needs help." She choked out and coughed at the smoke that blew their way. If it were in any circumstance other than danger, he'd have basked in the heat of the moment he heard his name on her lips for the first time and the way her eyes seek him. But as the terrifying incident unfolded, he could think of nothing but to get her out of harm's way. The fire had considerably lessened its intensity and he called on Sa'ad, before assisting the sick girl and Layla into the car.

"Brother Yasir is still in there." The girl who was with Layla sobbed pointing at the crowd.

"Is he injured?." Layla shouted over the chaos.

"His arm got burned while rescuing Hafsa, and I haven't seen him again." Mansoor watched Layla hug the girl and rubbed her back soothingly. He had no choice but to pass the keys to Sa'ad, then turned to run in the direction of the bunch of people shouting for a random 'Yusuf' with the hopes that someone who was the brother of the girl will respond.

"What about you?." Sa'ad had shouted over the noise.

"We'll get on a commercial!." He had equally raised his voice so that his friend's brother could hear. Sa'ad nodded and cleared the sweat from his forehead before jumping into the car and drove out of the way. He cast a final look at Layla, thankful that her eyes were on him as well and for once, he was grateful for choosing to drive a car with no tint on that day, before turning around and disappearing once again into the crowd. 

Layla paced in the reception area waiting. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears as the minutes ticked away too slowly. She had only the mind to think about what exactly was wrong with Hafsa and where Mansoor was, and that was enough to make her stand on her toes restlessly for an entire hour and a half.

"Layla please sit. You're making me anxious." Sa'ad muttered and she glared at him for a second before going about her anxious pacing around. Hafsa had been taken in immediately they barged into the hospital with her limp body in Sa'ad's arms where Aina and Layla are running closely behind. Ever since then they've been waiting for the news of her condition but still, nothing. Layla would've been relieved more if she was taken to the hospital Ray was, but the drive was too far for her condition so they had to settle for the closest one they could find. At least it was way better than the one she was admitted to.