From Aliya to Hafiz

Fifty-one.

Hafiz.

I couldn't see anything, everything was dark. I couldn't move either, my body wouldn't cooperate. And yet I was acutely aware of everything that was happening around me. I knew I was in a hospital, I could feel the IV attached to my hand, the steady beeping of the machine reading my heartbeat and the buzz of the medical personnel who came and went as they checked on me.

It was like I was in a lucid dream, my consciousness was awake, but I couldn't move or speak no matter how I tried.

"You said there was nothing serious wrong with him! So why the fuck is my son still unconscious!? It's been three days already!"

That was father's voice and he sounded extremely pissed off.

"Please Mr. Hakimi, we're doing everything we can at the moment. There's nothing wrong with him, according to our tests. The unusual activity in several regions of his brain shouldn't be what's causing—"

"Stop being so fucking longwinded and find a solution! Run more tests, do whatever you can to get him to wake up!"

"Uncle, step back first. I'll handle this."
That was Unais's voice, as calm and steady as usual. "I'm sorry, Doctor. He's just really worried about my brother. Is there any way to wake him up?"

"We're also at our wits end, the only thing I can say at this point is that the patient himself doesn't want to wake up. The unusual activity we've picked up in several regions of his brain is a cause for further investigation but we can't do anything if he doesn't wake up. Did the patient go through something traumatic recently?"

The room fell silent for a moment before I heard Unais say. "I don't know if this counts, but he's been victimised a lot as a child. He was all alone and felt abandoned but he was saved by someone. But then he found out recently that the people who saved him had been lying to him all his life. When he was falling apart, he had...someone with him but that person left three days ago."

"On the day of the accident?"

"Yes."

"This is a psychological issue so I'll advise you to see a professional. If it's okay, I'll have our hospital's best psychologist make a trip down to check on him. He'll be able to give you a more thorough explanation. In my opinion, the patient doesn't want to wake up because there is nothing he looks forward to seeing waiting for him."

I couldn't hear anything they said after that.

So the reason I couldn't move was because I had nothing worth seeing while conscious? Yes, that made sense.

Aliya was gone.

Even if I went back home after being discharged, it would be to a cold house filled with bittersweet memories. I may have lost her forever, she probably hated me.

No, she hated me.

There was no way she wouldn't, I mean even I hated myself. I disgusted myself. This wasn't so bad, at least I didn't have to deal with the chasm and pain her absence was sure to bring.

I didn't want a reality where she wasn't by my side.

*******

The sound of hills against tiles told me the person walking beside me was a woman. She held my hand and led me down a corridor themed in white. I looked up at her but I couldn't see what she looked like.

We entered a sliding door where a man in a lab coat was waiting. I was told to sit on a reclining chair and to close my eyes so I did.

"Are you sure this will work?" The woman asked the man.