The cold hospital air seemed to weigh heavier as the night deepened. Sameera sat close to Zayn, who was slumped in his chair, his eyes closed but his mind clearly miles away. She could see the tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders were hiked up to his ears.

Gently, she placed her right hand on his lap. Zayn jolted awake, his eyes snapping open in a startle. "What happened?" he asked, his voice raspy.