For your eyes only

2

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Salman awakened to the sound of his phone ringing. He blearily opened one eye and fumbled for the phone on his nightstand, trying to shake up the remnants of sleep. His body was cocooned in the soft and comfortable embrace of his navy blue pajamas, the fabric cool against his skin. He slowly swung his legs over the side of the king-sized bed, his feet slipping into a pair of plush house slippers waiting on the floor.

The early morning light filtered through the curtains casting a gentle glow across the room as Salman picked up the phone, his groggy mind wondering who could be calling so early. Salman's voice was still hoarse with sleep as he spoke into the phone.

"Hello...mtswww"

Salman huffed in annoyance and dropped the phone, letting it flop onto the bedcovers. He pushed himself up from the bed and padded across the plush carpet, a hint of irritation in his step.

The penthouse was still and quiet in the early morning hours, bathed in the soft light of dawn. Salman's penthouse excluded opulence and refinement with minimalist furniture mixed with upscale decor creating a sophisticated ambiance. It offered sweeping city views, a quiet oasis high above the hustle and bustle of the city below.

With a slight grumble, he pulled open the door revealing his cousin/roommate Khaleefa dressed in a loose button-down shirt left open over a plain white undershirt and a pair of relaxed jeans.

"Where are your keys?" Salman asked, "You know you need them to get inside right?"

Instead of answering Khaleefa held up a peace offering - A bag of pretzels- knowing it was his cousin's favorite snack.

"Sorry about that. It won't happen again"

Salman's irritation softened a little and he stepped aside waving a hand in invitation. "Come in, but next time can you not forget your keys?"

Khaleefa grinned sheepishly, ducking his head as he kicked off his shoes near the entrance and slipped on a pair of house slippers that were waiting by the door. "I'll try my best. No promises though"

Salman rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him. "You're insufferable, you know that?"

Khaleefa chuckled, already making himself at home on the couch "Yeah I know. But you love me anyway. Any chance you'll make us breakfast? I'm starving"

Salman rolled his eyes glancing at the clock "It's 6 am. Most normal people would still be asleep at this hour"

Khaleefa shrugged as he tore open the bag of pretzels "I'm not normal. Eggs and sausage sounds good"

Salman huffed "Fine. I'll make us something"

The scent of freshly cut onions wafts through the kitchen as Salman slices them for breakfast. He glanced over at Khaleefa sitting on the couch absentmindedly munching on his pretzels while flipping through channels on the TV. Without looking up from his task Salman asked "So how was work today?"

Khaleefa set the pretzels aside and reached for the remote, lowering the volume of the TV. "it was intense. I performed a neonatal esophageal atresia repair" he replied rubbing the back of his neck, which was stiff from standing for hours.

Salman paused mid slice turning to Khaleefa with a puzzled expression "Neonatal esoopha what? What does that mean?"

"Esophageal atresia is a condition where a newborn's esophagus doesn't fully connect to the stomach" Khaleefa explained leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees his hands clasped together as he spoke.

"Does that mean the baby can't swallow food or liquids properly?" Salman asked as he returned to his onions but now chopped them more slowly, clearly intrigued by the conversation.