After about thirty minutes, the doctor comes out.

"Are you the one who brought that girl?" He asks and I nod frantically.

"I'm her older brother, is she going to be okay? What's wrong with her?"

"She's stable now," The doctor says, nodding.

"She overdosed on some drugs, the blood tests have not arrived yet. When they do, I will let you know. She's been moved to the ward as she's severely dehydrated. And it looks like she has not been eating good for a while." The doctor sighs.

"There's a lot going on with her, we are still going to run some tests on her. You need to fill out some forms at the nurses station, just mention her room number and they'll give you the forms." The doctor walks away and I sigh, holding my head in my hands.

Overdosed on some drugs? Has Yasmin gone absolutely mad? Or is this the effect of my father and twin on her? I wouldn't put it past them to use drugs, especially Sayyid.

I sigh again, saying a du'a for strength before heading for the nurses station. I collect the forms and fill them out, my brain itching in a very wrong way.

My phone rings in my pocket and I pull it out, seeing Ammi's name flash on the screen. I note the time, seeing it's almost 11pm. She must have woken up and realized I'm not home.

I decide against picking the call and continue filling the form. But my phone rings again so I just pick with an exasperated breath.

"Sayyadi? Where did you go so late at night?"

"I'm at the hospital, Ammi."

I hear Ammi sit up before she replies, "Hospital kuma? Who's sick?"

"Tanisha texted me after I had gone to my room that Yasmin is sick and Abba wouldn't let her leave the house. So I went to check on her, I found her a hargitse, kaman bata hayyacinta ma. So I brought her to the hospital." I explain, telling Ammi in Hausa how Yasmin was barely conscious when I found her.

I hear Ammi's sharp intake of breath, "Innalillahi wa Inna ilaihir rajiun. How is she? Is she okay? Which hospital is it?"

I know Ammi and getting instantly over worried, so I decide against telling her everything. "The doctor says she's stable. She's dehydrated but they are still running some tests on her. Karki damu, I'll come pick you up with food for her. Let me just fill out some forms and check on her then I'll come." I tell Ammi not to worry in Hausa.

"Okay, let me get some food and clothes prepared for her. Allah sarki, har nayi fushi nace her father has brainwashed her. Ashe baiwar Allah tana kwance bah lafiya." Ammi sounds like she might cry as she explains how she was angry at Yasmin thinking Abba had brainwashed her but in reality she's laying at home sick and I sigh.

If she cries, I wouldn't know how to deal with it. I'm already feeling overwhelmed, my brain reeling with different thoughts and how Yasmin overdosed on drugs and what drugs exactly she overdosed on. Was it even intentional? Or was she feeling so sick she unintentionally overdoses?

"Dan Allah Ammi don't cry. Sai nazo." I beg her not to cry, telling her I'll be there soon. I end the call and quickly fill out the form.

After filling the form, I ask a random nurse whether I can see Yasmin.

"I do not know yet, follow me and I will check for you." She gives me a polite smile and I can't even bring myself to give her one.

She leads me down the hall and past the room Yasmin was taken into earlier. We reach a flight of stairs and we ascend. She shows me to a room where there are about three other patients and I immediately dislike the room.

"Do you have private suites? Or amenity ward?"

"Yes, we do. But it costs a lot more than the general wards."

I nod, "I would like her to be moved there please."

"Okay," The nurse says. I check on Yasmeen, noting the IV fluid going into her, and the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

"I'll return in an hour or so. Can you please describe the private suite for me so I know where to go when I come?"

She explains to me that they have an amenity ward which is a floor above, but it is two per room. Then there's an executive suite which is on the last floor, one person per room.

I request for the executive suite, knowing Ammi would definitely prefer it. I follow her to the nurses station, signing some papers before I leave.

When I head out, a let out a shaky breath, feeling a bit dizzy. I enter the car and put my head on the steering.

I have always known my father was not a good person. But I know he absolutely loves Yasmin, he calls her his princess. She has him wrapped around her fingers. So what is this? Since when has it been like this?

I sigh again and sit up, revving the car to life.

I drive home and find Abba's Aston Martin, his most priced possession in the house and I already know Sayyid called him.

The moment I park and enter the house, I hear his shouts and Ammi's screams, the sound of something breaking follows.

"You wanted Sayyad, I let you have him. Must you take all my kids from me? What is wrong with you?!" The sound of something breaking follows again and Ammi's scream.

I run inside, immediately finding that Abba has broken half the breakables in the sitting room and Ammi is by the stairs, hands covering her ears, I can't see her face, but I know for a fact she's crying.

"Abba! Ammi didn't take her, I did."

Abba turns to me, his expression venomous. "Oh look, it's the mummy's hero. Have I not told you not to interfere whenever I am speaking to your mother?" He stalks towards me and I have to stop myself from taking a step back.

"Abba, Yasmin's friend told me Yasmin was sick and you wouldn't let her leave the house. I went and I found her unconscious and rushed her to the hospital. She's hospitalized now and they are still running some tests on her. We don't even know exactly what's wrong with her. For all I know, she might be dying." Well, that was exaggerated, but I can't just stand by and let him further ruin Ammi's already bad mental health for something I did without her knowledge.

I notice that Abba's face softens.

"Why didn't no one call me? Sayyid just called me saying you came and took Yasmin out even though he tried to stop you. I have been sleeping at the office for the past four days so I had no idea what was going on."

It is then that I notice that he is in suit pants and a dark blue button up, the first two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. His eyes are red and he looks unnecessarily tired.

My heart goes out to him, which it shouldn't, because Abba is a horrible man. But he is my father, and just when I think I hate him, something happens that makes me realize you really can't hate your own flesh and blood. It doesn't matter what they do, you will still have a soft spot for them.

"I thought you took her out to have fun, her friend wouldn't stop begging me to let her take her out, and I have been refusing. Why should she be going out willy nilly?"

I feel some bits of hatred I have for him dissipate. It was all simply a misunderstanding. I've always known that Abba loves Yasmin, he wouldn't let her lay sick at home.

And Sayyid, my anger returns ten fold at the thought of him. Is he mental? Yasmin is our sister regardless of anything.

I go to Ammi and hold her. She takes her hands off her ears and takes my hand. I can hear her heartbeat and her ragged breathing.

"Breathe, Ammi, breathe." I whisper as I lead her up the stairs.

We sit in her room and I find a bottle of water and hand to her. She takes it with shaky hands and drinks, spilling some on the front of her jilbaab.

"Let me get you another jilbaab, then we can leave for the hospital, koh?"

Ammi nods, "I have had Hala prepare Yasmin's favorite, she should be done by now."

I go into her closet and head for her jilbaab drawers. I pick the first one I see which is a bright pink one with some designs on the sleeves.

"Gashi Ammi. Your shoes?"

Ammi takes off her ash jilbaab and take the one I hand to her. I see she has some sandals on so I help her up and she slips on her jilbaab.

We head down the stairs to find Abba sitting on the couch on the phone, I don't know who he is talking to or why he's still here.

"I don't care! I have been in that office, seeing dawn seeing night, all my muscles are stiff, I haven't had a proper meal in four days, I am living on coffee. I move away for less than an hour to check on my daughter, who I'm not even sure if she's still alive, and you tell me something has gone wrong?"

I guess the person on the other end says something and Abba kisses his teeth.

"I don't want to hear whatever it is you have to say. I couldn't give a rat's ass about the damn microwave. Fix whatever it is, or I swear to you I will make your life a living hell. Fucking hell!" He ends the call the same time we finish descending the stairs.

He sighs and raises his head, taking in Ammi who's still shaken by what happened previously.

The parlor is being cleaned up by Hala and Victoria, both of whom were probably asleep before all this. I feel bad for them.

"I didn't know what hospital you took her to, so I decided to wait for you to come down and we can go together." He doesn't sound beseeching or like he's asking. But I don't dwell on it much. I simply nod and turn to Hala who's sweeping some shards of what looks to be glass from the floor.

"Hala, the food Ammi asked you to prepare." She drops the brush and heads for the dining. She returns with a basket in hand and I take it, thanking her.

We head out and I open the door for Ammi, she gets in the passenger seat and I put the food basket in the back. I enter the driver's seat the same time Abba starts his Aston Martin. And soon, we are on our way to the hospital.

I can bet my whole life Abba's car is earning him looks, as always, and he loves it. It is the reason he'd always rather take it out than his other two cars that are very cheap compared to the Aston Martin.

When I park in front of the hospital, I see a car that looks too familiar to just be deja vu. And when I see soldiers helping a woman out of the car and a girl holding the woman's hand, I know who it is.

Amina.

"Sayyadi? Ya dai?"

I hear Ammi's voice and I snap out of it.

"Babu," I say and step out of the car. I bring out the food basket while Ammi gets out too. I lock the car and find Abba still on the phone, his hands flailing around him.

We wait for him to notice we're out and then he comes towards us, taking the phone from his ear and aggressively tapping the screen. He kisses his teeth loudly and pockets the phone.

"Let's go," He says and we head inside the hospital. My eyes go to where I saw someone who I am sure is Amina and there's no one there. But the car is there, and so are two soldiers.

We head inside and I lead them to the executive suite. Sure enough, there are four rooms as the nurse explained earlier and I open the second room.

We enter quietly, as Yasmin is asleep, or sedated, I can't say for sure.

She stirs, her hand immediately going to where her IV is inserted. She begins itching and I quickly drop the food basket, rushing to her side to take her hand, but she has already pulled the IV and blood is rushing out of the place it was inserted.

"Apply pressure on it," Ammi says and I place my palm on it, holding it while Abba presses the help button.

I hold Yasmin's other hand in place before she does something worse and hurts herself more. Her temperature is still very high, but it's not as high as it was when I brought her to the hospital.

Minutes later, a nurse is rushing into the room. She takes over where I was applying pressure and asks me to let go of Yasmin's other hand. I do so and Yasmin reaches for the place again, struggling against the nurses hand to itch it.

Eventually, the nurse sighs and nods me over.

"Hold her as you were holding before, I'll get some diazepam to sedate her and also the doctor. Don't let her bleed out."

I nod and she rushes out in her short gown.

Minutes later, she returns with a small silver tray and asks me to let go of Yasmin's other hand. I do and she immediately holds it, finding a vein and injecting Yasmin immediately with a clear liquid.

As soon as she does that, Yasmin's movements start slowing down and in minutes, her breathing slows and her hands sag. The nurse doesn't even sigh like Abba, Ammi and I do. She simply comes to my side and asks me to let go of Yasmin's hand. It is still, for some reason unbeknownst to me, bleeding. But the blood doesn't gush as it did before.

She cleans the place up and puts a cutton wool which she holds with a piece of plaster.

At that moment, the doctor I spoke with earlier comes in, a fine sheen of sweat coating his forehead.

He asks us to go excuse him and we do.

Abba's phone rings and he sighs, swiping the screen and walking to the end of the corridor to take his call.

"He's stressed, I can tell." Ammi mutters lowly, sighing. And I know that sigh, so I turn to her.

"Ammi, I will repeat this a million times to you a day if I have to; relieving him off his stress is not your place anymore. It hasn't been for almost four years now. The best you can do is pray Allah ease his affairs, not take his stress upon yourself."

Ammi nods, "I know. I just hate to see him like this. He's still your father."

"Then let me worry about my father."

Just that moment, the doctor comes out. "I need to speak to someone in my office, about, Yasmin Zulkifil is it?"

"I'll go," I tell Ammi.

She shakes her head, "Let's all go together."

Abba comes at that moment and we follow the doctor. He leads us to his office and Abba and Ammi sit while I remain standing behind Ammi.

"Does Yasmin take any prescription drugs?"

I immediately shake my head, "None that I know of. Ammi?"

Ammi shakes her head too, "No. She's never told me about any drugs. Abban yan biyu?" She looks to Abba who's ridiculously quiet.

"She once asked me to get her prescription for antidepressants. And I refused, but I think she takes them regardless. Mine have been going missing."

Ammi turns to Abba with a shocked expression on her face, "And you didn't think to tell me?"

I put my hand to Ammi's shoulder and she keeps quiet, turning to face the doctor.

"Well, she overdosed on antidepressants. It looks like she'd been overdosing them for a while now, but the last dose was deadly. If she had not been brought to the hospital on time, she could've had serious neurological damages, or general organ failure, or worse she could've died."

Ammi's breath hitches and I rub her shoulder slightly.

"We're going to keep her here for more observations. I would suggest you put her into therapy and if need be, let her get properly prescribed antidepressants instead of her having to abuse it as she did today."

Ammi nods.

"Thank you, doctor. We'll take note and keep watch," Abba says and he stands up, shaking the doctor's hand.

Ammi stands up too and we leave his office.

Once we're as far away from the office as Ammi can handle, she turns to Abba.

"Your problems have always been with me and me alone. Our daughter almost died today! Right from the start, she said she wanted to be with me. She wanted to stay with her mother, but because your ego couldn't let you lose to me, you fought tooth and nail to make sure that didn't happen.

"Now look, this is all your fault. Now listen to me and listen good, wallahi tallahi thumma billahil azeem, if anything happens to my daughter, I will make your life a living hell." Ammi eyes Abba and then leaves.

I rush behind her as she goes to Yasmin's room. We find Yasmin sleeping, but she has an oxygen mask on, something that was previously not there.

I wonder what happened.

"Ammi." I try to hold her hand but she raises her hand to stop me.

"Sayyad ka rabu dani." She asks me to leave her alone in Hausa.

I don't think I have ever seen Ammi this livid in all my eighteen years of life. I just pray Yasmin is going to be okay.

I sigh and turn to leave. I stop again and glance at my mother.

Realizing she's crying, I give her her much needed space and leave. When I go downstairs, I find Abba sitting by the parking lot, a cigarette lit in his hand.

I watch him inhale from the stick and exhale an unhealthy amount of smoke. He sighs and I just stand there watching him.

I had come out with the intentions of comforting him. I know Abba loves Yasmeen, she has always been his favorite. So I know it must be hard on him to believe that Yasmeen is in this condition because of him.

But it seems like his cigarette is doing a much better job that I'd have done.

I sigh and turn to go find something else to do when a thought occurs to me and I head back to the reception.

"Hello, my mum's friend was brought in about an hour ago. Her name is Hassana, she came in with some soldier escorts and her daughter Amina." I ask at the reception and the receptionist types in some things in the system in front of her.

"What is her last name?"

I wrack my brain, knowing Amina has mentioned it countless times.

Oh ni Aminatu yar Hassana jikar Shehu.

"Hassana Shehu."

The receptionist types more stuff before she makes a sh sound.

"Looks like they have put in a request to not see any guests for the night. Oh, but it seems she's going to be having a baby soon." The receptionist's voice is suddenly excited.

"Adama, remember you already have two queries for giving too much information," A nurse says looking pointedly at the receptionist who regains her composure, her smile still on her face.

"I apologize, I should not have told you that. Anyways, if you can call them and ask them to let the hospital know they want guests, I can give you their room number and everything else."

I nod, "Alright. Thank you."

I head back outside and enter the car. I slip out my phone and go to Amina's dm.

I quickly reach for Mama's bag and take out her phone. I dial Amina's number in and search on WhatsApp. Invite to WhatsApp, it says.

So she deleted the WhatsApp account. That means she didn't block me.

Relief floods me and I dial her number on my phone.

"The number you're trying to call is currently switched off, please try again later. Thank you."

I sigh and drop the phone.

Assalamu Alaikum, Amina. I saw you and your mum at the hospital today. I tried to get through to you but it doesn't seem to work for me. I miss you, Amina. Yasmeen is sick and I'm scared and I don't have anyone to talk to about it. So much is going on and I just wish you were here. Allah ya sauki mama lafiya.

My finger hovers over the send button for a second before I just decide to let all things be damned and send it. It wouldn't be the first message I have sent to Amina, and I have a feeling it will most definitely not be the last.

I sigh and drop my phone, setting the seat of the car down and laying down. Somehow, I fall asleep and when I wake up next, someone is knocking on the window of the car.

I sit up, sliding down the window to see Abba, eyes red rimmed looking at me.

"Yasmeen is awake," He says and that is all I need to jump out of the car, lock it and sprint to her room.

I find her sitting upright, being fed some gruel by Ammi. Her oxygen mask is no where to be found and some color has returned to her skin.

"Yas!" I say and immediately engulf her in a hug.

"Yaya, I'm sorry." She bursts into tears and Ammi moves away to give me enough space to hold her properly.

"I didn't mean to scare you guys, I'm really sorry for all this. Yaya you should be getting ready for your post UTME now, and you are spending the night at the hospital because of me." The machine starts beeping incessantly again and Yasmeen starts jerking in my arms.

Ammi starts screaming, reciting du'as and Abba rushes out and returns minute later with a doctor. The doctor ushers us out and we stand outside, my heart beating fast in my chest as I remember the look in Yasmeen's eyes when she started jerking.

She looked as though she was dying. It was the exact look people have in movies when they are dying. Is my sister dying too?

My eyes fill with tears and I turn to the window at the edge of the corridor to hide my eyes from Ammi.

Almost an hour later, the doctor steps out.

Ammi rushes to him before I can make myself mentally prepared for whatever he has to say. "How's my daughter? Is she okay?"

"I'm sorry..." The doctor says and I immediately tune out the rest of what he's saying.

I just stand there, frozen in place and time, my heart beating erratically in my chest.

Innalillahi wa Inna ilaihir rajiun. Innalillahi wa Inna ilaihir rajiun. Innalillahi wa Inna ilaihir rajiun.

I don't realize I'm talking out loud until Ammi shakes me back to reality.

"Why are you crying? Don't you have faith? Yasmeen is going to be fine In Shaa Allah. All she needs are our prayers now."

I touch my hand to my face, I didn't even realize I was crying.

She's alive, Yasmeen is alive.

"Yes, I would need someone to come get her prescription and get it from a pharmacy outside as the medications she need are unable at the hospital."

I nod and follow the doctor.

He writes a long list of drugs and stuff and hands to me, ticking the only two I'd need to find outside.

Ammi hands me her card as I pass them by.

"No, I'll pay." Abba says and Ammi looks at him with such eyes that anyone would cower, and Abba is no exception.

I collect her card absentmindedly and walk to the car.

Ya Allah keep Yasmeen okay.

Edited
06-11-2024

I have had this chapter written for almost a week now but procrastination simply wouldn't let me edit it and publish it.

But here it is.

We are nearing the climax guys! Where the gan gan problems dey!

I can't wait for Y'all read that part. Once I write it that is.

Also, I'm thinking of bringing back all my books by next month for a gift for detty December, as all my books will only be previews by 2025 if Allah spares our lives till then.

What do Y'all think?

Also, who has missed Amina's POV?

Okay, bye!