"Yes, Am'ma. Maggie and I are together," OA replied and reached his hand out to Maggie who took it.
"And you are happy? Both of you?"
"Yes," OA replied.
"We are," Maggie added in unison.
"And it won't interfere with your work? You won't get into trouble?"
"No, Am'ma. We've already talked to our bosses and they're alright with it."
"Alright then, I wish you both well. I'm glad you're happy," Halima responded with a soft smile on her face. Maggie and OA smiled back.
"Thank you, Mrs. Zidan."
"None of that, you can call me Halima, Maggie," Maggie nodded with a smile.
"Isn't that your boss outside?" Amira asked. Maggie and OA turned to see Jubal standing at the nurse's station, probably looking to find them.
"Yeah, we'll be right back," OA replied and they went to talk to Jubal.
"Jubal? Everything alright?"
"Everything is fine. I just wanted to check on you all here. Tiff and Scola found Mitchell and brought him into the JOC. He wasn't even trying to hide."
"Good, I'm glad we can tell her that he's in custody. We're all doing okay. My mom has some minor rib fractures and a moderate concussion. They're going to keep her overnight for observation but she should be released by lunchtime tomorrow. She'll make a full recovery."
"That's good, I'm glad she's going to be alright. Mitchell isn't anything for her to worry about anymore. Isobel said not to worry about coming back today unless you needed to grab anything. Take the time you need with your family."
"Thanks, Jubal," OA replied gratefully.
"I'm coming to grab our stuff and some of our case files in just a little while," Maggie replied.
"Oh and that doctor that you two arrested, he's going to be charged as well. Turns out he was Mitchell's cousin and this isn't the first time he's done this, the cousin always covered for him with the victims as his patients. They just chose the wrong target and got themselves arrested this time," Jubal informed the two.
"As much as I am pissed off about them targeting my mother, I am glad that we managed to stop them."
"Everything is okay with the new doctor she was assigned?"
"Yes, she's great," OA assured him.
"Good. Now how are you handling all this?"
"I'm fine, I got Mags and she's got my back. That's all I need right now. My sisters are shaken up but they'll be alright too."
"Good, let me know if you all need anything."
"We will, thanks, Jubal," OA responded and the two shook hands before Jubal left and OA led Maggie back to his mother's room.
"So much for waiting a bit before telling them," He joked and Maggie chuckled.
"Yeah, but it seemed to brighten her spirits and at least now it's out there. I'm glad she's okay with us, with me," Maggie replied a bit nervously. OA pulled her to the side.
"Of course, she is, why wouldn't she be?" Maggie shrugged.
"I don't know, but I have never been the best at meeting the parents and Jason's mother hated me for the longest time," She replied softly and OA pulled Maggie into his chest.
"Well, that's not what happened here and as much as I love and respect my mother, she doesn't have a say in who I date, Mags," OA replied and Maggie nodded as she pulled back.
"I love you. Thank you for putting up with my insecurities," She smiled up at him.
"Always, you have nothing to worry about here, babe. I love you, too," He responded and they continued back to his mother's room.
"Everything alright? Did they get the guy who did this?" Leila asked as they walked back in.
"They did. He is in custody and so is the doctor. It turns out they were cousins and they've been doing this for a while and covering for each other," OA replied.
"Well, I'm glad it won't happen to anyone else now that they've been caught," Halima replied.
"Yeah, they sure chose the wrong family to mess with this time," Eman added.
"Yeah, and it sure was fun watching you put that doctor in his place, Maggie. And getting Am'ma her hijab back too. That nurse looked terrified after she saw your badge," Amira continued. Maggie nodded.
"She was, wasn't she? I didn't want to have to use it, but she didn't give me a choice either," Maggie chuckled.
"You just jumped in and defended Am'ma like it was nothing, got her belongings and everything before the doctor could do anything about it," Amira added.
"You did that for Am'ma without even knowing her?" Leila asked impressed. Maggie blushed slightly, being the center of attention made her a bit anxious.
"That's how things tend to go with Mags, she doesn't let anyone walk over her or anyone else. She beat me to the punch and I think part of that was to keep me from putting the doctor in the ICU," OA chuckled but purposefully pulled some of the attention from Maggie.
"Yeah, but only because then I would have had to arrest you," Maggie grinned.
"You wouldn't have and you know it," OA teased.
"Only because it would be so much paperwork and I wouldn't have a partner to annoy me," Maggie replied cheekily. OA chuckled.
"I annoy you?" He asked incredulously
"Have you not figured that one out yet?" Maggie asked. OA made a face at her and they laughed. Halima enjoyed seeing them get off track. She got to see how they really interacted with one another and it made her very happy to know that could be so relaxed with each other.
"Anyway," Eman started, "Shall we eat?" She asked as she tried to bring them back to where they were before Jubal showed up.
"Yes," OA said as he moved back over to the food and started to pass out plates. He knew exactly what his mother would want and started making her plate while Maggie and Amira helped her sit up and get settled in the bed.
OA pushed the tray table toward her and set the plate on it, "Here you are, Am'ma," He said and passed her some plastic silverware.
"Thank you, Omar," She replied and took it from him. The rest of them made their plates and scattered around the room. They carried on a light conversation as they ate.
"So guys, has it really only been since Friday or is that the story you're going with?" Amira teased.
"It's only been since Friday, Amira," OA replied calmly but slightly annoyed.
"Yeah, but we have had feelings for each other for a lot longer than that, we just never admitted it," Maggie added as she rested her hand on his knee. He nodded.
"That's true, we spent a lot of time denying it to ourselves, even going so far as seeing other people. There was a chance we could have been separated at work or even reassigned. We got lucky with our bosses letting us stay partners. That's mostly because they know us so well and they know we can be professional and keep our cool in the field," OA finished.
"When did you know that you had feelings for one another?" Halima asked curiously. Maggie turned to OA.
"That's a good question, Omar, do you remember when you realized it for yourself?" He smiled down at Maggie and nodded.
"I do. It was probably the worst time for a realization so big, but it honestly shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did, " He replied knowing that if he shared his experience it might bring up a few unwanted memories for Maggie.
"You're talking about in the lab, aren't you? During the Sarin case?" Maggie asked quietly.
"Yeah, It kind of hit me as I tried to focus on getting you out. When in fact all I could think about was how much you meant to me and how I didn't think I could exist without you. That's when I picked the chair up and then tried to shoot through it. I'm not even going to lie, I panicked until you opened your eyes again almost a month later," He replied squeezing her hand.
"I don't think I ever told you, but that first day in the coma and every day after that, I heard you. I heard everything and I do remember it," Maggie added as she tossed her empty plate in the trash and met his gaze with her own. OA set his plate down and wrapped Maggie in his arms.
"Thank you for coming back to me, I was terrified you weren't going to, and then I walked in one day and you were just flipping through channels on the TV barely able to move on your own."
"And you stayed with me all night and filled me in on everything that had happened while I was out. Jubal found us asleep against each other when he stopped the next morning."
"Yeah, I was late to work that day, but I didn't care. You were awake and that was what mattered most to me. Okay, your turn, when did you know?"
"I knew you had me hook, line, and sinker when I was on that ledge fifty feet off the floor in Grand Central Station just a few weeks after I came back to work and it was some kind of bioweapon that we had to keep from going off. I felt a lot of deja vu and the only thing I could think about was you," Maggie replied. OA pulled her face to his and placed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips.
The women in the room listened as Maggie and OA poured their hearts out in telling their stories and sharing these difficult yet special moments in their lives. It was then Halima knew that this was the woman her son would marry and she was absolutely okay with that. She could see their love and concern for one another and it reminded her of herself and her late husband. She knew that Maggie would take care of her son and that he would be happy for the rest of his life because she would be in it.
