SAFE :: ZAYN

[02]

-

It was a new day and Yemi was headed to the elevators of the hospital. She stayed with Jahdai most of the night and offered to take him home but he insisted on staying with her and in that room with his father. Yemi was too nice and sweet to say no because -- come on -- it was his father and she didn't want him to be alone all night.

So she slept in the chair, holding him tight and telling made up stories until he fell asleep. It took a while, but he finally calmed down and she also got some rest.

The next day, however, Yemi took Jahdai back to her place to freshen up. He didn't have extra clothes of course so she bought him a simple outfit and a new jacket. It was way too cold for him and she didn't realize how skinny he was.

On the way back to the hospital, they stopped for a quick breakfast and he ate it all so quickly, she ordered him another sausage biscuit and a bottle of milk. She didn't understand why he acted like he hadn't eaten in forever, but maybe it was just a low income family and she had to understand that.

Yemi had went to get a cup of coffee and Jahdai was in the room, probably talking to his unconscious father still. She exited the elevator and walked to the right, in the direction of the patient room.

"Ms. Yemi, is it?" A doctor came up with a slight frown on his face.

"Yes, sir?" she closed the small tab of her coffee and looked at him.

"I'm Dr. Amaro, the one who stitched your...?" he trailed off as if she knew how to finish that sentence.

"Oh, I don't know who that man is," she clarified with a small smile, "I just witnessed him getting assaulted."

"Oh! Okay," he wrote some things down before continuing, "do you know his name at all?"

"His son said something about...Zayn?" she squinted her eyes and tried to remember, "that's all I know."

"What's his son's name?"

"Jahdai," she spelled it out like he told her last night and he nodded, recording all the information down, "is that all? What's happening?"

Dr. Amaro led her to the room and stood outside, glancing through the blinds and into the other room. "He's severely malnourished, which is the main reason why he's still not awake. I mean, he could at any moment, but his body isn't read for it. Ehm, his lip isn't as busted as I thought but his ribs are so bruised it's a little hard for him to breathe. He'll be fine, but we might have to keep him for another night."

"Okay," Yemi sighed and looked down, "okay, thank you."

"I'll come back in thirty minutes or so," backed up and she nodded, strolling in and watching Jahdai talk to Zayn.

"Oh, daddy, Yemi's here!" he cheered quietly, greeting her at the door and taking her hand, "he moved a little today."

"Really? What else happened?" she sat down in the chair he was previously in, all her attention on him.

"His eyes moved," Jahdai giggled, "it was so cool. The nurse said he was okay. Is she forreal?"

"Of course, Jahdai. He's going to be fine, he just has to get some food in him and get really strong, okay?"

"Okay," Jahdai pouted and it was adorable, "daddy always gives me more food than him anyway."

"What do you mean?" Yemi asked in wonder.

"Like when we get food he sometimes says he'll give me half when I know he gives me more than that," he explained, "I don't want to sometimes because he has to eat too, but he just cares a lot."

"What do you guys usually eat?" because all the pieces of the puzzle were connecting and Yemi couldn't hide the worry in her eyes.

"I don't know. Sometimes we eat chips or like we find something at the back of a building, or like...this place where they just give us soup and bread. It depends on the day."

Yemi bit her lip. "Would you mind showing me where that is?"

-

"Um...turn that way," Jahdai pointed to the right, further down the street, "and then left."

Yemi looked at her surroundings, noticing a few stares from homeless people and trying not to make eye contact. It was dusk outside, about six or six thirty, and they had been driving around for almost an hour trying to find where the two boys lived. Granted, Jahdai didn't know direction well, but he could manage.

"Here." Yemi stopped the car and looked around, noticing it was a sort of run down homeless shelter with the lights still on and plenty of people going in and out of it.

"This is where you live, Jahdai?"

"Yes, but we don't have light," he explained, "it's back there," he pointed to a dark alley and Yemi gulped when he fearlessly got out and waited for her. "Come on."

"Please don't get stolen, please," she whispered a quick prayer to her truck before cutting the engine off and getting out. How many times did she lock it? Let's just say, she could have broken the button. "We got to hurry, your dad could wake up any minute."

At that, Jahdai grabbed her hand and ran down the alley, not caring who or what was there. Yemi couldn't catch a break, she couldn't even feel an emotion because he was just too fast.

"My teddy," he hugged a small brown bear in his arms and grabbed a backpack from under the covers, "this is daddy's."

"Okay," and it was sort of heavy to carry but she had it, looking at anything else they needed, "is that all?"

"Yeah," he held her hand and they both walked to the car, putting his things in the backseat and driving off. "I hope daddy's okay."

"He's fine, Jahdai," Yemi looked at him then to the road, "he's going to get stronger and healthier, just for you."

"Nice."

Yemi just laughed.

-

I have a lot of shit to do today but I had to update this bc I'm happy about it so far.

anyway, go buy Zayn's book -- I haven't yet omg I'm broke -- and read it. because I've been wanted to dive deeper into his anxiety and this is the perfect book to do so besides others I've done already.

because anxiety disorders are real and life threatening, no matter who the person is. Trust me.

😊