Page 57

Naseer didn’t let me sleep, I’m a bit tired. I smile when needed. I see Traci wheeling in the sandwich platter. I usually stay away from office food because of my allergy but I have not had breakfast yet and I’m hungry, with Lucy out, I lost track of time.

The memo said, no avocado in the building, so it should be safe. I head to the platter of food.

“Is there any sandwich with avocado here?” I ask Traci, just to be certain.

“Non with avocado, you can have this one. It’s turkey, lettuce, and tomato,” she says handing me the plate. The plate almost drops. We both catch the plate before it makes a mess. Traci touches my arm. “Sorry, Mariam.”

“No worries, glad we caught it.” I touch her arm, then go to my seat. I take two bites of the sandwich, it tastes weird. I reach to open it and see what kind of sauce. It looks green. I looked up to ask Traci about the green sauce, but she was gone. I want to go and get another plate but Naseer, Josh, and Ken walk in.

I take a seat and open my laptop, I feel my lungs constricting, and my whole body feels weird. I feel itchy all over. I touch Orion and he looks at me.

“Mariam you are breaking out,” he exclaims, I can’t hold back the cough. My throat is hurting. I stand but I can’t breathe. Naseer is by me. “Jade, what did you eat?”

“Naseer, allergy,” I say before falling into his arms.

“Stay with me Jade,” I faintly hear me.

“My g-e- n- t,” I try to say.

“Call an ambulance.” I hear. Everything is blurry, I can’t breathe.

Orion holds my hand.

thirty-two

Naseer

I walk in laughing with Josh and Ken. In their usual style, they had insisted I join this meeting. Soon I stepped in, I noticed Jade wasn’t looking good. Her face is turning red. I know this reaction. I move quickly to her, not caring if anyone sees me with her. She’s coughing by the time I get to her.

“Oh no! allergic reaction”

“Call an ambulance!” I shouted to Josh and Ken. “Tell them she’s having an allergy reaction and starting to get anaphylactic “

I set her down gently, with Orion holding her. I raced back to my office grabbed the EpiPen from my desk and raced back to the conference room where my wife was lying on the floor helpless. I pushed Orion away and injected her thigh. She comes too slowly. I pulled her close to me.

“You are going to be okay, my love” Her breathing is faint. She’s covered in hives. “Don’t you dare die on me Jade, please” Her eyes are open, and her breathing is faint.

“Stay with me, Jade, please.” I feel out of control, with her in my arms faintly breathing, everyone is watching and my vulnerability is clear. They now know my weakness “Jade, please stay with me.” I’m not sure how long I remained on the floor with Jade in my arms.

“Excuse us.” I hear the paramedic. They check her pulse. “Her pulse is getting stronger.”

“Who gave her Epinephrine?”

“I did,” I say, handing the empty injection to one of the ladies.

“You did good and probably saved her, we need to take her in for monitoring.”

“Fine, I’m coming with her.”

They take Jade downstairs on a stretcher. I rode in the ambulance to the hospital. Rilwan and Radek are right behind. I tell the paramedic all I know about her medical history. They take her and ask me to wait until the doctor comes out. As we wait, my mind is spiraling with who tried to kill Jade. Rilwan is pacing as well.

“Ms Diaz family.” I rise.

“Prince Naseer,” she says surprised to see me.

“How is she?” I asked, ignoring her perplexed look.

“She’s going to be fine; we’ll observe to make sure her lungs are cleared and the hives clear up, we are going to sedate her soon but she’s asking for you.”