MARIEL

4~ Smile ~

Ahdam Kaseem did not expect to ever smile at a White Coat. Today, he smiled at a White Coat towards whom he felt no emotion. He smiled at a White Coat that he considered likeable. And, shockingly, he smiled at a White Coat that he absolutely despised. Diane.

Leading up to the change of demeanor, hours after his imprisonment inside of the glass enclosure, after Ahdam had finally been rescued, he'd made himself a promise.

He would learn to control his emotions, and he'd learn to do it for himself. Ahdam reconciled the fact that the White Coats would continue to trap him and do what they wanted with him, and if his father could not save him, he'd save himself. It would take patience, and it would take time. It would take deception, even deceiving his own people. He thought of Adela. She could not know his thoughts either. He would have to change his frame of mind, become a completely different person.

It would be hard, but it was necessary.

After retrieving him from the enclosure, Adela had informed him that the explosion had been due to a lightning storm above the research center. There had been one casualty, and multiple people injured. The injuries had been White Coats. The death had been a janitor. Ahdam did not feel sorry for the White Coats, but he pitied the janitor.

But, it wasn't his fault. The White Coats had done this. They would find that his ability would eventually destroy them but, to keep his family safe, Ahdam understood that he couldn't act just yet.

After the incident, he did not see Mr. Donovan. He saw his mother once a day, and the White Coats contained him to his room. They emphasized that he had done nothing wrong, but that they needed time to discuss the details of the tests and address the situation upstairs.

'No need to worry,' they'd told him.

Ahdam had simply smiled.

Today, when he awoke to a soft tap on his shoulder, he jolted upright. It was still dark, so he could not see the person before him, but he recognized the voice.

"Ahdam," Adela whispered. "Don't be frightened. I have a special person here to see you. Whatever you do, you must be quiet."

Ahdam squinted, trying to see her face in the darkness. He could see the outline of her face and hair as she knelt before the couch. Behind her, he saw another outline. This one was standing, and much broader in the body. But, he couldn't see, and he felt frightened because he did not know the figure that stood before him.

Until he was pulled into a familiar embrace.

Burly, muscular arms pulled his small body upwards until his head lay against a massive chest. The boy caught his breath, trying to register what was happening, and what person dare lay hands on him. Then, everything felt right.

A sob tore from his throat and his shoulders began to shake. Immediately, he felt himself pushed from the big man and heard his father's voice in a hoarse, rushed whisper.

"Stop it, Ahdam. Keep your emotions in check, do you understand me?" Haleef's voice was firm, but there seemed to be a level of emotion within the tone as well, as if he were also trying to restrain himself.

Ahdam wanted to cry with a combination of joy and sorrow. Thoughts rushed through his mind so quickly that he could barely keep up with them. Was his father finally here to save him? How did he get into the building? Why did Adela help him? In what city would Haleef have had the ability to freely enter without getting caught by White Coats or Israelis?

As if able to sense the questions that were storming Ahdam's mind, Haleef grasped his son's shoulders and gently squeezed. "I don't have much time. I have a few things I need from you before I tell you what is going to happen. Understood?"