With Love, Zayn✅

18.

FCT ABUJA,

NIGERIA.

Zayn's mother left after spending quite an amount of time with him, bonding. About a month ago, Zayn wouldn't have bothered for that little reunion as he wasn't one for feelings and whatnot but he has changed since his little trip to Duste.

As Batoulah said, he might not need his antidepressants as much. He had needed them for years since he was diagnosed with Schizoid Personality Disorder years back. A part of him wasn't so surprised considering all that he had been through in his childhood.

He didn't have it when Kulsum was alive, at least, it wasn't evident until she passed away. That was its onset.

Because of this, he emotionally detached himself away from everyone, a character of his even before he was diagnosed with the illness. Thus, he didn't have friends and barley interacted with people outside of work. Some who didn't know of his condition, deemed him apathetic, anhedonia, and insensitive.

They weren't wrong though; he was all of that.

He was indeed aloof, indifferent and cold but not anymore. Granted, he wasn't all better and good but he cared a little now, on his own accord when there's no positive or negative expectations on him.

Zayn waited for Kamal to come as he said he won't, but the man never showed up. Zayn tried to call him but he couldn't get through to him.

The day eventually ended but still, there was no trace of Kamal anywhere.

~*~

There was still no trace of Kamal. Zayn had tried call him numerous times but his phone wasn't going through. There was also no text from the man.

Nothing.

It was like he disappeared from the face of the earth.

Zayn stopped calling him eventually. Whatever is going on, he trusts Kamal and so, waited patiently. Patience has never been a virtue he possessed, but he did learn to be patient since he had hit a dead end again. There was nothing he could do without the information he can get from Kamal.

Nigeria isn't his turf. He doesn't have nearly the connection the man does.

Had it been he was in the US, he would've known the strings to pull and what to get, since he's in the military's special force. But he wasn't. He's in Nigeria where he desperately needed help to move on with whatever is going on in his life. Or at least, what is left of it.

It was a little after midnight when Zayn received Sabrina's call. He wasn't asleep. He could barely shut his lids. It is his insomnia, it's slowly coming back and he doesn't like taking medicine to make him sleep.

Confusion masked his features as he picked up the phone, then swiped across thescreen to answer it. He said his salaam, and the minute she answered it, he knew something is going on. "Sabrina, what is it?" He asked, wondering what could be making her cry at the moment.

"Zayn..." She hiccupped, then sniffed as the sound of her sobs came yet again.

"Sabrina speak to me, what is it?"

"It's Dad" Her words made his lips tug into a frown. "He got a heart attack, we're in the hospital right now"

Zayn was quick to end the call and picked up his car keys. He didn't need to ask to know which hospital they took him to. Since the place wasn't far from his, he got there in no time. Soon enough, he was at the receptionist's, asking of his father's whereabouts.

When she told him, he set out there. Throughout the way, he kept thinking of the last time he saw him which might quite possibly be the last.

"Zayn"