The Endless Golden Dunes

Chapter 43: Plans of Confession

SALMAN

  
Salman was growing stronger. Though he had not received many injuries, it was as if his mind had been injured, and just like a wound, it needed time to heal.
  
The same went for Ilyas. He was healing, and his emotional state was improving as well. As previously observed, he was joyful and maybe even a bit Enlightenment. But nothing was full, as everything was imperfect. There was that bit of void in him that Salman didn’t have enough information about. But that did not matter. What was really the matter was how he was going to confront him.
  
He couldn’t do it while others were present. That was a known fact. So he had to do it somewhere else, somewhere private.
  
But where?
  
That was something to think about later. As of now, he had to make sure if he could even stand up. When he attempted to do it, a nurse came and spoke to him.
  
‘Zehn shma niaz bah astaraht dard.’ She said.
  
‘Please, it is important. Man bayad ba o sahbat konam.’
  
He pointed towards Ilyas, and the nurse shook her head.
  
‘Please,’ Salman begged. ‘Lofta.’
  
She pursed her lips and kept on opening it, still thinking. She eventually sighed and held up her five fingers.
  
‘Panj daqiqah.’ Five minutes.
  
‘I promise. All right?’
  
Salman immediately sat up and attempted to stand. It had been too long since he last walked; he might have forgotten it. Luckily, he hadn’t. He thanked the nurse before turning to Ilyas. He gave out a deep breath. This was not going to be easy.

***
  

‘How long does he have until he should be able to walk?’ he asked Arsham, who was the leading healer.
  
‘Well, he has but minor bruises at this point,’ he replied in his usual rough accent. ‘He is definitely capable of walking, but I doubt that would be a wise decision to make.’
  
‘But I need to talk to him. It is urgent.’ Salman reasoned.
  
‘I am afraid that that could possibly lead to some detrimental health effects. How about you do it when he is more capable?’
  
‘If I do not confront him about this now, I will never be able to. If you do not give me this chance, I will never have it ever again. It is just for five minutes, Arsham. Please. If this leads to him having any defects, you may have my head. That is my promise. Just let me have this talk.’
  
Arsham knitted his eyes and scratched his chin. He looked at Salman.
  
‘Make it quick.’ He said.
  
Salman thanked Arsham, and even reached out to kiss his hand, but the healer refused.
  
‘You are wasting your time. Go!’ he said.
  
Salman quickly nodded and ran towards Ilyas’s bed, his heart running at full pace.
  
‘Do you have a minute?’ he asked.
  
‘Why? You look desperate.’ He commented.
  
‘Never mind that right now. We need to go somewhere private. It is quite important, and it may change your life.’

ELIJAH

  
He was a bit skeptical at first. What could possibly be that important?
  
‘Take a leap of faith and you shall understand.’ Salman said.
  
‘I’m afraid I cannot take such a risk if you phrase it like that.’
  
‘Then just simply come.’
  
Elijah sighed.
  
‘Fine. This better be important, though. Otherwise, I would be quite upset.’
  
‘I will make sure of that. Just come!’
  
Elijah shook his head and started standing up. It felt strange to do so after a long time. The medics had told him he would be able to walk within a few days, and so, it felt as if he was breaking some sort of imaginary law by attempting to walk.
  
‘Do you even know your way around here?’ he asked.
  
‘I do not, but I think that if we wander around enough, we might find it.’
  
‘And if we get lost?’
  
‘We won’t.’
  
He found no reason to believe the boy, but he did not have any other choice as well.
  
‘Fine, then. You lead the way.’