The Easiest Target

Don't Leave Me Here

Don't cry, Hadeel. He'll die, too one day.

Don't cry, Hadeel. He'll lose too, one day.

Don't cry, Hadeel. Toki's crying, too, today.

I repeat all the reasons I shouldn't cry over and over again until his voice seems to wrap up the bleeding holes in my heart that Athan's been drilling into for almost a year now. My vision straightens, following the sound of his voice.

"...ease! Stop this, please! I'll take care of her! Please! Don't send her back to him! I didn't do this! I didn't hurt her! PLEASE! PLEEAASE! Please, ya Allah, no more," he bawls over my head.

I can't smile. I can't move my face. Moving hurts. All I can smell is blood. All I can taste is blood. I crane my head back slowly, rasping for air. His tears drizzle down my face, somehow cool to the burning pain on my cheeks. I raise my hands slowly but I can't reach him. He's always out of reach no matter how close he is. Why's he always out of reach for me?

"T-Toki," I force out.

He gets silent instantly, opening his eyes. He kneels in front of me, trying to catch his breath. "Hadeel," he whispers shakily.

"Which one did this?" my dad demands, his voice broken and raspy. He takes Toki by the hair and practically shoves him back. His eyes are red and teary. Someone shouts not to move me when Baba reaches for me. Slowly I notice the mess of police and paramedics gathered around. The blood all over me. All over the carpet.

"Was he the one that hurt you or him?" he points from Toki to Athan, sitting on the floor by the stairs, his face so bloody I only recognize him by his hair. He lifts his head, looking at me through one good eye and a scream gargles in the back of my throat.

My bottom lip trembles and even that hurts. I reach past my dad and grab Toki by his shirt. "Don't leave me here. He wants to make me pregnant and kill the baby. Please, let me go with you!"

A heavy silence fills the room. Toki leans down, his tears renewed as he rests his forehead to mine. "I'd never leave without you, Hadeel."

"I want him arrested for breaking and entering and assault!" Athan shouts.

"I gave him permission to be here," Khala's voice snaps before I can process what's happening here. She shoves through the people and runs straight to me, her hands trembling, her eyes sunken and bloodshot. She sits there, tears welling in her eyes as she takes in my condition.

"Undo this," she takes Toki's arm, her voice quivering. "Now! This is my house! He's not trespassing! I called him to come check on her!"

"Wha?" Athan whispers in horror. He lets out an incredulous laugh. "Are you frikin serious right now?" They drag him to his feet and cuff him. "I'M YOUR SON! NOT HIM! ME! I'M YOUR SON!"

"No, you're not," Khala says heavily, refusing to look at him.

"Mama," Toki whispers, taking her arm gently. He steadies her to the wall as she sways.

The rest of the scene fades in a blur. I watch Athan kick and scream, dragged out of his house like the demon he is. Good. I genuinely hope he suffers wherever he's going.