A/N
I'm on fire yo!
****
Saddam was wheeled into the emergency room. I was so scared I couldn't cry. Sani has killed my brother as he promised. I should have stayed quiet. I should have.
Fahad was pacing nervously. Making me twice as worried as I already was. He will be fine right?
I watched the clock in the reception tick and tock. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours. Two hours. The doctor came out with sweat on his brow. I was instinctively pulled towards him.
"He will be fine. We are lucky, the cut barely missed his jugular. If it hadn't, it would have been a whole different story " he laughed nervously. The relief that washed through me could not be quantified. I thanked him and sat back in my chair, my consciousness dwindling.
****
We got home in five days. They kept him to make sure there were no complications or infections. Now he had a bandage round his neck and he winced when he spoke. It broke my heart to see him like this. It broke my heart more to know I caused this.
"What did you tell your friend Saddam? You promised not to tell him my business " I asked. He became shifty and I instantly knew he had said too much to Sani.
"What did you say to him?"
"Nothing. I just told him we were looking for a man that hurt you in the palace that's all" I wanted to smack him. He was older than I was and definitely dumber. Fahad listened to our exchange, carefully flipping through the morning newspapers.
"It was him. It was him. He raped me"
"What?!" Fahad snapped while Saddam paled.
"At the palace, he promised to slit your throat if I ever told you"
Saddam paled further, putting two and two together. Fahad also realized that Saddam's big mouth and bad habit of trusting people easily almost cost him his life.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Saddam asks. I point to his bandaged throat. That's why.
"Besides, how are we going to sue an emir? Who will believe us?"
"We have to find all the other girls. You said it wasn't just you right?"
"Yes" I said and I saw Fahad wince from the side of my eye. Probably imagining what I went through.
"Tomorrow we go to the police "
"No! He will kill you then he will get to me" I cried shakily.
"Nothing is going to happen to anyone " Fahad said.
"I'll die before I let that bastard put his carcass hands on you again" I could recognize rage anywhere. And the rage dripping from Fahad's tone was venomous.
"I don't want anyone to die" i cried further. Don't they understand??
"Nothing like that will happen" he doesn't know. He doesn't know who Sani is. He doesn't understand that Saddam just put all our lives in danger.
****
The unkempt police man laughed in our faces. His oniony breath was repulsive.
"Where is your evidence?" He asks, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"We don't have any at the mome-" he burst out laughing again. I wanted to cry. I knew this would happen. I just knew it.
"Why didn't you report it since? Na now wey you see say the man don enter power and money. I know your type. It is bribe you want" he says wagging his finger at us. Fahad walked out of the station.
