He heard a door open and someone came in crying. A middle-aged couple, holding onto each other, passed where he was sitting and sat together on the front row. The woman was sobbing and the man was trying to comfort her. Ru felt as if he was intruding and he slipped to the multi-faith room at the back. There was a man kneeling on a prayer mat on one side of the room, so Ru sat in a corner on the floor, as far away from him as he could and wrapped his arms around his legs.
Please let Jasim get better. Please!In another thirty minutes, he’d go and check again.
Then the guy who was praying rose to his feet, turned and Ru gasped. It was Jasim’s brother, Waqas. He looked equally shocked to see Ru.
“What are you doing here?” Waqas asked.
Ru pushed to his feet. “The same as you. Praying.” He wondered if Waqas would jump to conclusions.
“I don’t think there is any need for your presence.” Waqas stared at him.
“Everyone is worried about Jasim. He’s a great employer. We all like him. We can’t all be here so…” Ru hoped that had put Waqas off. “I was just waiting for news.”
The two of them left the chapel. When they saw a nurse, Waqas was the first to speak. Ru hung back.
“Can you tell me how my brother is? Jasim binRajhi. He had surgery after a riding accident.”
“I’ll go and check,” the nurse told him.
It was a doctor who finally emerged and walked towards them, and Ru’s heart lodged in his throat.
“Jasim bin Rajhi’s brother?” the doctor asked.
“Yes,” said Waqas.
“He’s in recovery. We had to remove his spleen, but he can manage without that. We repaired his kidney, and re-inflated his lung. He’s still unconscious but he should make a full recovery.”
Ru released a shaky breath.
“Can I see him?” Waqas asked.
“For a few minutes, yes, but he won’t wake up. You’d be better coming back tomorrow.”
“Can I—” Ru began.
“No,” Waqas snapped. “I forbid you to see him. Family only.”
The doctor glanced at Ru and Ru’s eyes filled with tears.
“Only for a moment. Please,” Ru said.
“No. You’re not allowed to see him.” Waqas turned to the doctor. “When will he be fit to be moved?”
The two of them went through a door while Ru stood frozen in horror. He couldn’t let Waqas put Jasim on a plane to Saudi Arabia. He thought about going after them, but no one was going to listen to him. Ru returned to the chapel and stood inside the door, but stopped it from closing. Waqas had to pass this point to get out. When he’d gone, Ru would act.
Fortunately, Waqas didn’t stay long. Ru waited until he was sure he’d gone, then went to the door he and the doctor had gone through. It seemed like Ru had only taken a couple of steps before the same doctor emerged and saw him.
“Please,” Ru gasped. “You can’t let him take Jasim out of the country. He might be killed.”
“What?”
Ru hesitated. He didn’t want to blurt all this out, but what choice did he have? “Jasim has lived in England for a long time. He fled his home country, Saudi Arabia, because he’s gay. His family threatened to kill him if he came out as gay. This week hedidcome out. Now he’s had this accident and it’s left him vulnerable. Please don’t let Jasim be taken from this hospital unless he gives express permission.”
“What connection do you have with him?”
“He’s… He’s my boyfriend.”
“Which is why his brother said you weren’t to see him.”
