43

                                    

                                          

Maryam woke up the next morning with a nauseating feeling. Her head felt light and she felt the need to throw up, but as her gaze darted to her husband and daughter sleeping so peacefully beside her, the sides of her lips curved upwards - into that dazzling smile of hers. Her heart swelled at the sight and happiness was written all over her face as she recalled the previous night's moments - what happened to her was a like a blessing in disguise - she smiled. If it had not happened, then Saeed would not have had a change of heart. She was thankful when they arrived back home, Manal was not awake and they decided to bring her to her room for the night. 
Momentarily, she felt all of her discomfort disappear. She felt ecstatic knowing she was now free to resume working at the hospital. All she had to do was to come up with a valid excuse to tell at the hospital for her absence in the last few days. 
She allowed her gaze avert back to her family and involuntarily, her hand moved to Saeed's face and she caressed it slowly and loving. The kind of happiness she felt at that moment could be fathomed by just anyone. Saeed gave her back her happiness - her habibi. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his temple. "Thank you. I love you." She whispered more to herself than to him. "I love you too, baby." She blew a kiss at Manal. 
The nauseating feeling she thought had disappeared surged into her like a wave of storm. Her hand flew to her mouth as she made gagging sounds. She got out from bed immediately and raced to the bathroom. 
Getting to the bathroom, she allowed the contents of her stomach emerge and splattered into the toilet bowl. Just as she thought she was done throwing up, my stomach contracted more violently and more chucks of food covered in the creamy chyme of her stomach propelled in the air and splattered all over the bathroom floor. She turned on the faucet and washed her mouth as well as the floor. 
Emerging from the bathroom, she noticed Manal was awake and was occasionally flinching in her sleep. She hurried towards her and attempted to wake her up. "Manal! Manal!!! Baby!!!" She called harder, but she was still not responding. Her breathing hitched in the throat and she began to panic. "MANALL." Still not getting a response from her, her worry intensified. She couldn't bring herself to grasp what was happening within her surrounding. She just hoped and prayed it wasn't what she was thinking. "What's happening to you?" She yelled and this time Saeed awoke. "Habibi, something is wrong with Manal. She won't wake up." She cried. 
Saeed's gaze instantly moved to Manal, then to Maryam."Calm down. She's alright." He moved closer to his daughter and placed a hand on her forehead. "She's moving and at the same time crying in her sleep. This can only mean she's having a terrible nightmare." He reasoned. 
"What should we do now? Shouldn't we take her to the hospital right away?" Maryam asked panicked. 
"Wait a second." He said and started reciting some duas into her ear. "Wake up, baby. No one is going to hurt you. I'm here. Abi and ummi are both here." He urged after he was done with the supplications. 
Maryam didn't stop praying for her as well. 
Instantly, Manal jerked up and rushed into Saeed's arm crying profusely. She wrapped her tiny arms tightly around Saeed's neck. 
Maryam muttered alhamdulilah under her breath and Saeed also let out a sigh of relief. 
No matter how hard Saeed tried to loosen Manal's arms from around his neck for it was starting to get too tight, he couldn't. Instead, she wrapped them tighter. "It's okay, baby. We're here. Tell me, what's wrong with you? What happened?" 
"Please talk to us, sweetheart. We are very worried about you." Maryam probed. 
"Did you have a nightmare?" Saeed asked.