18
JASIM STARED AT his brother. Waqas cradled his daughter in his arms, whispering to her, rocking her as Samira sobbed on her knees at their side. Maybe Waqasdidhave a heart. But when Samira reached for Thana, Waqas spat abuse at her in Arabic, blaming her for letting Thana out of her sight, and his wife’s shoulders dropped as she slunk back.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Samira whispered. “She was there one moment and gone the next.”
“I’ve called for an ambulance,” Paolo said. “Georgia’s opened the gates.”
“She’s fine.” Waqas kissed her head. “Alhamdulillah.”
“She needs to be checked out, brother. She stopped breathing. They’ll probably want to admit her overnight.”
“Oumi,” Thana whined.
Samira stood now at her husband’s back with Makin clinging to her. “I’m here, baby.”
Waqas handed Thana to his wife. “You go with her in the ambulance. I’ll follow with the boys and the driver.”
Thana wrapped her arms and legs around her mother like a monkey.
“If your groom hadn’t seen her…” Waqas shuddered. “She thinks she can swim. She can’t. Not quite.”
Ru had saved her. Jasim exhaled. If he’d not learned to swim…
The sirens of the emergency vehicle grew louder.
“I’ll go and direct them.” Paolo hurried off.
“I think we’ll have to forego dinner with you tonight,” Waqas said. “I should thank your groom.”
Two paramedics came running towards them led by Paolo, and Jasim stepped back. As he’d suspected, once they’d checked her out, they wanted to take her to hospital.
Leigh and Newt arrived in the middle of it all. Jasim had forgotten he’d invited them for dinner. After the paramedics had left, Jasim introduced them to his brother.
“Waqas, these are my friends Leigh and Newt. Leigh is our veterinarian.”
They all shook hands. Ahsan and Makin were both staring at Newt’s face.
“How do you get through airport security?” Makin blurted.
“Visible piercings are no problem. I remove the others.”
Three jaws dropped and Jasim bit his lip so that he didn’t laugh.
“Does your employer mind your tattoos and jewellery?” Ahsan asked.
“Nope.”
“What do you do for a living?” Makin asked.
“I’m a doctor, but I cut up bodies. Dead ones. Though I have had a few that I’ve thought were alive.”
“Tell me,” Makin asked.
Newt looked at Waqas. “It is okay if I talk to your boys about this?”
Waqas nodded. “Makin wants to be a surgeon.”
“I worked on live people before I decided I liked them better dead.” Newt smiled.
