Sunflowers and Ink

Part 2: Chapter 11

Josselin was still on his phone when a woman he didn't recognize barged into the room, half-shouting, "Do you have any idea what an inconvenience it is to come all the way out here for you? Your father and I have things to do. I could have easily left you here alo --"

She stopped abruptly, mid-word, when she saw Josselin sitting in the chair next to the bed, his hand intertwined with Meara's and staring at her wide-eyed.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

"Who the hell are you?" Josselin parroted back.

"I'm his mother," she snapped. "Danielle."

Josselin's hand twitched in Meara's grasp, but he didn't pull away. He held on tighter. Meara stirred at all the commotion, and when he opened his eyes, he looked around the room, foggy and disoriented. His eyes fell on his mother and he froze. He sucked in a panicked, wheezing breath.

"Hey, Mom," he murmured. "This is, um." He pulled his hand out of Josselin's and tucked it under the opposite arm. "This is Josselin."

The door opened and closed again, but nobody looked in its direction until a clipped, accented voice cried, "Meara, my darling, are you okay?"

Meara looked in the direction of the voice. It was Danny's mother, Ashraf, though out of habit and respect he'd always called her Mrs. Yazdi. She shoved past his mother and wrapped her arms gently around his shoulders, hugging him as tightly as he could take in his condition. Her light green hijab and beautiful, flowing brown skirt smelled like coriander and home. He hugged back, hands tight in the back of her loose shirt.

"Please make her leave," he whispered. His voice cracked. "I don't know how. I'm sorry."

"Shh, it is okay," Mrs. Yazdi whispered. "Danesh will be here soon. He is just parking the car. Rahbar is on his way. He was held late at work. Together we will all get this sorted out."

Josselin still sat by Meara's side, trying to take in all the sudden and quick changes in the situation, trying to judge what his best course of action would be. He wouldn't leave the hospital unless they made him. But should he leave the room? This was family business, and Meara had made it clear earlier he wasn't comfortable sharing that with people.

"Get your hands off my son!" Danielle shouted. Meara hugged Mrs. Yazdi even tighter, and she gently shushed him one more time before she let go and turned around.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"Don't touch him," Danielle snapped.

"I have every right to hug my son's best friend when he is sick."

"This is your fault," Danielle hissed. "You and your... family." She spit the word like a curse. "You put these ideas into his head."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Mrs. Yazdi's normally calm, if clipped and quick, voice was growing higher, shriller, and Meara flinched back, because the only thing scarier than an angry Mrs. Yazdi was being the one her anger was focused on.

"He was holding that... that... man's hand when I walked in." Danielle gestured at Josselin, the disgust clear on her face. Josselin didn't flinch. He glared back at her defiantly.

"And?" Mrs. Yazdi said. "If he is happy, what does it matter?"

"It's disgusting!" Danielle cried.

"You're disgusting!" Mrs. Yazdi shouted back. "The way you treat him is disgusting! Meara is a good boy. You should be grateful to have him but instead you mistreat and neglect him. You treat him like garbage and it is appalling!"