BOUND

Chapter 3: 'Amnesia'

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It was daylight by the time she stirred again. When her head had somewhat cleared from sleep, she rose up slowly to a sitting position, allowing her eyes to adjust to the blinding brightness of the room.

From the way sunlight penetrated through the window's closed curtains, she knew she had missed the morning's fajr prayer, and her heart sank to her stomach when she remembered she hadn't prayed four other units of prayer since fajr of the previous day. Mentally rebuking herself for missing so many prayers, she scrambled out of the bed and onto her feet, and in her disappointment with herself, failed to notice her body's sudden agility, or how refreshed she felt.

She was searching the floor for her missing pair of shoe when the door creaked open, and sister Fa'iza the nurse walked in, a tray of plasters, bandages and other items in her hands. "I see you are awake", she remarked cheerfully as she walked further into the room.

Adiyya paused in her shoe search to look up at her. "Ina kwana sister Fa'iza", she replied by way of greeting, but sister Fa'iza's attention had shifted to the untouched plate of food, water and medication on the bedside cabinet. "Ah ah, you did not take your food and medication last evening?", she enquired disapprovingly, her cheerful demeanour turning to one of disappointment as her gaze turned back to Adiyya. "Ku dai yaran yanzu ba kwa jin magana wallahi. Ba ku dau lafiyar ku a bakin komai ba", she scolded, heading towards the bed and plopping the tray of miscellaneous items on it.

Adiyya shook her head in dismay. "Yi hakuri sister Fa'iza. It's not like that. I wasn't hungry and I ended up dozing off almost immediately you left the room, and I only just woke up now", she tried to explain, disappointed that her actions had caused her to look like an ingrate despite all the care they were showing her.

Sister Fa'iza shrugged, abruptly dismissing the topic. "Toh ai shikenan. You should go and take your bath now so I can dress your wounds after you get dressed, then you can eat and take your medication afterwards". She headed towards a door Adiyya presumed to be an adjourning bathroom, and moments later, her assumption was confirmed when there was a squeaking sound of a tap being twisted open along with the gushing of water as it filled an empty bucket, before it was twisted back closed shortly afterwards.

"Take your bath. I will come back again later", she repeated when she emerged out of the bathroom seconds later. Walking to the bedside once more, she took off the empty drip that was still connected to Adiyya's hand, and was about to head out of the room when she turned back and looked at Adiyya, "Or do you require any assistance?", she asked after second thoughts.

Adiyya's eyes popped wide open in embarrassment. "I can manage quite alright sister Fa'iza, but thank you for asking", she said, an embarrassed laughter escaping her lips, and sister Fa'iza laughed out too. "Alright then, I'll be back in a few minutes." She left the room, leaving Adiyya to resume searching for her missing pair of shoe. Finally locating it right underneath the bed, she retrieved it and headed to the bathroom to have a quick bath and ablution.

She was out ten minutes later. Luckily for her, she had packed a few toiletries along with two sets of clothing in her big shoulder bag. She however decided on wearing back the clothes she had worn the previous day. She imagined it would raise eyebrows to be seen wearing a different set of clothes to the ones she had worn the previous day.

A prayer mat had been placed on the visitor's chair while she had been in the bathroom earlier on. Probably sister Fa'iza's doing, she thought, but not knowing which direction to face for her prayers, she sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for sister Fa'iza or one of the other nurses to come in.