Lost Things

Chapter 5: House Tour.

Chapter Five

Updated: 3/5/2015, Dedicated to Misunderstood0129 for commenting on the story. 

            Jacob woke up startled at the faint sound of glass breaking but he didn’t panic because it was normal thing when he was living with thirteen other men. He relaxed even more when he didn’t hear anyone call for his help. Jacob didn’t think he could go back to sleep. As he was getting up from his chair, he felt something tug at his hand. Looking down, he realized that Malak was holding on to his hand since morning. So he carefully removed her hand and went to take a shower. It was already lunch time, and someone should be taking his place to watch Malak soon.

            While he was showering, he kept the door cracked open to hear when she wakes up. Five minutes into his shower, he heard the bed springs move and he stood still for few seconds to concentrate on other sounds in the room. He then heard the bed springs protest and a frantic heartbeat. Realizing Malak was awake and remembering the doctor’s warning about her waking alone, Jacob quickly shut off the water, put on his jeans and ran out with his shirt without drying himself

            “Malak, are you ok?” He called out to her as he entered the room and saw her hugging her knees to her chest, rocking back and force as she cried into her knees. “Malak?” He walked slowly towards her and she snapped her head up to look at him with panic and fear clear in her eyes. It was worse than what he seen in the infirmary. He didn’t understand what she was scared of or what he could do to calm her down before she had a panic attack. “Malak, no one is going to hurt you here, you’re safe.” When her heartbeat didn’t subside, he continued.

            “Remember my promise?” He waited for any indication that she was listening to him. It took a minute before she slightly nodded. “I always try to keep my promises which mean no one, including me, would hurt you. I just moved you to my room until your room was finish. I slept on the chair right there then few minutes ago, I got up to take a shower. Nothing happened. You’re safe.” As he spoke, the fear in her eyes lessened but she was still breathing heavily and her heartbeat was frantic. He also noticed that she winced every few breaths. “Malak, you need to calm down. Try to slow down your breathing.” At this point, he was sitting at her bedside but tried not to touch her. He was about to call the doctor when Nicolai stopped him.

            Let her count your heartbeats. Nicola instructed, but Jacob was hesitant to touch her.

            “I am going to help you calm down before you have a panic attack. But you are going to have to trust me ok?” Jacob warned her and waited until Malak nodded. He then slowly reached for her as she watched his hands. He then pulled her to his lap and cradled her head to his chest. She was frozen at first then she started struggling against him. “It’s ok, calm down, I am not going to hurt you, just trust me. Listen to my heartbeat, do you hear it?” She stopped struggling and he felt her nod. He let her head go and let her lean onto his chest on her own. “Now, can you count them for me?” He asked her and she nodded again. “Count them out loud for me.” He encouraged her and she started whispering the numbers.

            When she reached twenty, he began to notice her heartbeat slowly subside. He was still in his jeans and could feel her hot tears dripping onto his naked chest. He was hating himself for not waiting for her to wake up before taking a shower. He thought maybe if he waited, she won’t had gotten scared.

            Malak sat in a ball on his lap, counting with her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat for few minutes until she pulled away. Jacob looked down at her tear streaked face. She looked calm but he recognized that expression as the mask she wore to foul everyone in thinking she was ok. The same mask she used while holding the knife in the infirmary. He knew that something was brewing behind that calmness that caused him to worry.