Page 17 of Savage Protector
“Not so far. She’s terrified. Maybe I should come back later.”
“Okay. She won’t be going anywhere for a while.”
I get up to leave. “I’ll come back when you’re feeling a bit better, Leila. You get some rest, now.”
I’m at the door when there’s a faint sound from behind me. I pause, turn around. “Leila?”
“Who…? Who are you?” It’s more of a strangled croak than actual words, but I manage to decipher it.
“My name is Zayn. Zee. And youareLeila?”
She manages a slight nod.
“Leila Mansour?” I clarify. “From Greenoch?”
Her gaze clouds with distrust. “How? How do you…?”
“The wonders of technology,” I reply, taking my seat again. “But please don’t worry. No one else knows you are here. No one is coming to look for you.”
Does she appear to relax slightly? I think maybe she does, but she’s still badly frightened, staring at me as though I just materialised from Mars. I debate with myself whether I should leave it at that for now. At least I know her name.
“My…my uncle…” she rasps.
“Yes. Abdul. We saw him throw you overboard.”
A vicious shudder seizes her. “No, no, please…”
Megan rushes to the bedside, grabs Leila’s wrist and checks her pulse. “I think that’s enough for now. She needs to rest.”
Leila is already retreating from me. I can see I’ll get nothing else from her for a while. “Ethan asked me to find out what her side of it is, but it can wait. Will you let me know when she’s ready to talk again?”
“Maybe tomorrow.” Megan is wrapping the blood pressure cuff around her patient’s upper arm. “Right now, I think a sedative might be a good idea. It’s no use letting her get too agitated.”
I get to my feet. “We’ll talk again soon, Leila.”
She simply stares at me as Megan prepares the injection.
4
Leila
I’ve been driftingin and out of consciousness, as much the result of the drugs as genuine exhaustion. The woman doctor is checking on me all the time, but apart from that man, Zayn, no one else has been near.
I’m glad. Relieved. I need to think.
I’m in some sort of hospital, I can see that. I’m surrounded by medical equipment, screens, flashing lights, constant beeping. But I’m not ill. Am I?
That man said my uncle threw me off the boat. It must have been a mistake. He would never do that. Not on purpose. My father would never let him do such a thing. Uncle Abdul wanted to scare me, that was all. Force me to agree to his…his…plans.
That’s not happening. I’ll die first.
I let out a sob. I came close to doing exactly that. I remember being in the water. It was cold, so very, very cold. I was swimming. I’m a good swimmer, usually, but I just couldn’t. It was so cold…
Then, it’s all a blur. A blank, really. It was dark, I was sinking, then…nothing until I came to and I was here. The doctor was kind, I’m warm and dry. She says I’m safe here, and Zayn said the same, but I don’t see how.
I want to go home to my sisters. But I’m too scared. Everyone is so angry with me. All the shouting, my mother’s wailing and weeping, my father’s sad silence. They’re all disappointed, I brought trouble to our house. I brought shame.
I’m a bad daughter. A disobedient, ungrateful daughter. My family would be better off without me, everyone is saying that. My aunties and uncles, my cousins, too. They come to our house all the time, with their shouting, their pleading, their threats.
