Lola and
Ahmed went to the cafeteria to eat lunch. As they were eating, Zara walked in
to order for food. She went to an empty table and sat alone. Ahmed looked at
her and back at Lola.
“Even if we
are competing for the top two, we should stick together.”
She smiled
saintly at him. “I think it is not compulsory to stick together. The four of us
don’t think alike.”
They
continued to eat. Melvin came in, ordered and joined Zara.
“Hey.” He
said to her.
“I didn’t
tell you I wanted a partner.” Zara said coldly.
“I never
called you my partner,” Melvin said. “Stop acting like a kid.”
“How am I
acting like a kid?”
“You are
acting as if we don’t know each other, as if we have never met before.”
“You are
like a stranger to me now.” She said angrily. “If you don’t leave here, I will
leave.”
“We should
be close and work together to be the top two.”
Zara had
eaten half of her meal.
“I don’t need
to be close to you again. The last time I did that, you dumped me.”
“That was a
long time ago.”
Zara stood
on her feet and leaned quite closer to him. “Get lost Melvin. I don’t need you
to be in the top two.”
She walked
out of the cafeteria. Melvin shook his head and began to eat. Lola and Ahmed
had been watching them and looked away when Zara left. Ahmed looked at Melvin
briefly and stared at Lola.
“I hope all
is well with both of them.” He said to her.
“Something
is definitely going on between them but it’s none of my business.”
They had
finished eating and rose. Lola and Ahmed left the cafeteria without saying
anything to Melvin.
********
Two female
teenagers were outside a building hugging each other.
“Thank you
for coming to visit me after begging you for months.” The chubby one said
jokingly.
“At least I
came. I tried.” the other girl said. She was tall and quite slim. “I will call
you when I get home.”
“I will be
expecting your call.”
They waived
at each other. As the tall girl attempted to cross over to the other side of the
road and take a taxi, the chubby girl turned back to enter inside her house. A
car moved in speed and the driver lost control and hit the tall girl.
The other
girl heard the crash, turned back and saw her friend wounded and gushed out
blood from her mouth. A bone had pierce out from her right leg.
“No!” She
screamed and looked at the house. “Mom! Mom!”
She ran to her friend as
onlookers raced to check the driver. He was unresponsive. He had a deep cut by
the left side of his head and blood dripped down to his shirt.
A woman ran
out of the house and saw her daughter with the injured girl. “Oh my God!”
She ran
inside, grabbed the key of her car and drove in panic. Two men carried the girl
into the backseat and the chubby girl stayed with her.
“What about
the driver?” One of the men asked the woman.
She didn’t
answer him. She drove in speed, as her daughter couldn’t stop crying.
*******
Lola and
Ahmed were walking towards the emergency ward when a woman rushed inside to
alert them of an accident victim. Oliver and a female nurse carried a slate and
went with her. The girl was carried inside the ER. Lola and Ahmed ran to them
and assisted Jidenna.
“Page Dr.
Duke!” Jidenna told Oliver. “He needs to be here to save her leg!”
“Okay doc.”
Oliver took his phone to contact Duke.
“Her right
leg is severely damaged.” Ahmed said as he examined the leg.
“Oh my
God!” The chubby girl said as tears dripped from her eyes. Her mother stood
beside her. They looked at her.
“Who are
you?” Jidenna asked her.
“Uju. I’m
her friend.”
“What’s
your friend’s name?”
“Harriet.
Please, you have to help her! She must not die!”
“Dr.
Jidenna the patient is losing blood.” Lola said. “She needs blood ASAP.” She
turned to Uju. “Do you have any idea what’s her blood group?”
“No!”
“Dr. Duke
is on his way.” Oliver said. “I will take her blood to the lab for test.”
“Please,
tell who is in charge to be fast about it!” Lola uttered.
“Okay.”
Oliver
injected her, took some of her blood and ran off.
“You have
to locate her parents.” Ahmed said as he focused on the injured leg.
“We will.” Uju’s
mother said.
Duke ran
and halted as he saw the leg. “Damn it!”
Uju touched
his hand and he looked at her.
“Please, you have to save my friend’s leg. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have invited her to my house!”
“Please, you have to save my friend’s leg. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have invited her to my house!”
“I will do
everything I can.”
“Please, go
to the waiting room.” Jidenna said to Uju.
Uju’s
mother took her away.
After
placing her on oxygen and other treatment to keep her stable, Lola noticed more
blood came out.
“She is
bleeding from somewhere else.” Lola said. “It can’t be from her mouth and leg
only.”
“Let’s turn
her from the left and check her back.” Jidenna ordered.
Lola and
Jidenna did it together and she put her hand under her back.
“She is
bleeding!” Lola said.
“Don’t remove
your hand.” Jidenna said to her. “Put pressure on it.”
“I know.”
“We have to
take her to the operating room.” Duke finally said after thoroughly doing all
he can to stop more blood from gushing out from the leg.
“The test
result is not out.” Jidenna told him.
Oliver ran
to them and extended a sheet to Jidenna. “She is AB+. I have gone to the blood
bank.”
“Good.”
Duke stated. “We have to take her to the OR now and prepare her for surgery.”
he said and looked at Lola. “Dr. Bello, you will be in charge of the damage at
her back.”
“No problem
doc.”
Lola,
Oliver, Ahmed and a nurse trolled the patient away. Duke followed behind. Yvonne
saw them and ran to meet him.
“Dr. Duke,
can I join?”
“Yes. Get
ready.”
Yvonne
smiled excitedly.
*******
The parents
of Harriet arrived. Uju explained. Harriet’s mother exploded into tears. Dr.
Jidenna went to meet them.
“Doctor,
please how is she?” Uju asked him.
“Is this
are parents?” He asked her.
“Yes.” The
couple said at the same time.
“How is my
daughter?” The mother asked.
“She is in
surgery and the surgeons involved are doing everything they can to save her
life.”
“What about
her leg?”
“Dr. Duke
is the best. If he can, he will save her leg.”
“What do
you mean ‘if he can’?” The father asked.
“I can’t
promise you anything.” Jidenna saw as nurses took a wounded man to the ER. “I
have to go.”
Uju looked
over and pointed. “That’s the man! That’s the man that hit Harriet!”
“Bastard!”
The father of Harriet cursed and moved but Jidenna stopped him.
“Please,
this is a hospital. Calm down and think about your daughter for now.”
“But he
almost killed my daughter!”
“We will
treat him and you can get the police involved later.”
“Nothing
must happen to my daughter’s leg otherwise he will pay highly for that!”
Jidenna
said nothing and left.
******
“Your baby
is doing fine.” Dr. Melvin said to a pregnant woman who was due in few weeks.
“She is
unavailable at the moment that was why the nurse called me to check on you.”
“I’m
grateful.”
“You are
welcome.”
“My doctor
told me my due date but I was thinking of travelling next week and spend only
three days. I hope it is not risky.”
Melvin
asked. “Are you travelling by car?”
“Yes. My
husband will take me there.”
“How many
hours journey?”
“Four
hours.” She replied.
“Must you
travel?”
“My
grandmother is very sick and I really want to go and see how she is doing. If
she dies before I see her, I won’t be able to forgive myself. She took care of
me.”
“I can relate
to that but I don’t think she will be happy if you put your baby’s life at
risk. You have to be cautious and be prepared. The time for the birth of your
child is very close. Anything can happen. You can go into labor anytime.”
Her face
fell.
Melvin added
as he noticed how sad she appeared. “My advice for you is, do not travel. Give
birth to your baby first.”
She looked
into his eyes. “What if my grandmother dies before then?”
“I don’t know
if your grandmother is going to die. You are the one to make the decision to
travel or not. The choice is yours.”
“I know. Thanks.”
“You are
welcome. You are free to go.” Melvin told her and disposed the gloves into the
dustbin.
*******
With a
sheet in his hand, Oliver walked to Jidenna who was reading a document. “How is
he now?”
“How is
who?”
“I’m
talking about the patient that hit the girl?”
“He is
doing very okay.” Jidenna answered. “He is on sedative and asleep now.”
“The
parents of the girl deserve to know.”
“Deserve to
know what?”
Oliver
extended the paper to him. “That man didn’t lose control of his car because of
brake failure. He was drunk.”
Jidenna
glanced at the result. “There is alcohol in his system. It’s high.”
“Yes.”
“The father
of the girl has contacted the police.”
“Better.
For putting that innocent girl’s life in jeopardy he deserves to be in jail.”
Oliver walked away.
*******
After hours
at the operating room, Duke came out. Ahmed and Lola were washing their hands.
Zara passed them with a beam on her face. Ahmed took off the mask from his face
and Lola saw the frown plastered on it.
“You don’t
look happy.” Lola said to him.
He moved
closer to her and answered in a low tone. “Dr. Duke and I are in the same
field. I don’t know why he didn’t allow me to stitch the patient. He allowed
Dr. Zara.”
“But you
were okay with it when he told me with our first patient.”
“That’s
because I like you…. It‘s not as if I like you….I mean I like your person. You
know what I mean, right?”
Lola
smiled. “Of course I know what you mean.”
“You seem
nice and Zara has been acting as if she is the best here.”
“Let her
be. I am sure Dr. Duke knows what he is doing. I am sure he will give you a
chance to prove yourself.”
“You are
defending him.” Ahmed said in a surprised tone.
“I’m
surprised myself.” Lola said. “Cheer up.”
He managed
to smile.
*******
The parents
of Harriet, Uju and her mother rose as they sighted Jidenna and Duke walking
towards them.
“How is our
daughter?” The father of Harriet asked.
“She is
responding to treatment but I will like to talk to you and your wife alone.”
“What about
her leg?” Uju quickly asked.
“I can’t
say anything to you, I’m sorry.” He stared at the parents. “Please, come with
me.”
He took
them away from Uju and her mother. “Your daughter is going to be fine. I did
all I could to save her leg. When she wakes up, it will be difficult for her to
walk. She will be on wheelchair for at least a month. Then she can use crutches
for support. With checkup, medication and support from her family, probably
five or six months later, she will be able to walk properly. Please, no
pressure on her.”
Harriet’s
mom burst into tears and smiled.
Thank you
doc.” Her husband said in an emotional tone. He gazed at his wife and back at
Duke. “It doesn’t matter when, as long as my daughter can walk again, thank
you.”
“I simply
did my job.” Duke stated.
*******
Lola and
the others were through for the day. They went to the dressing room to change.
Melvin tried to talk to Zara but she snubbed him. On their way going, they saw
Dr. Duke. He had changed too. He held a leather bag. Ahmed and Melvin admitted
he was truly a handsome man.
Melvin noticed how Zara looked at him. He grimaced.
Melvin noticed how Zara looked at him. He grimaced.
“Dr. Duke,”
Zara said as he neared them.
“Yes.” He
answered.
“I was
thinking of coming to your office to talk to you.”
“Why?”
Lola,
Melvin, Ahmed wanted to leave but he told them to wait.
“It seems
you are going home.” She said to him. “I will come to your office tomorrow.”
“You can
tell me anything you want right here.”
Zara looked
at the others with mean eyes and back at him with a cheerful expression. “I
just wanted to thank you for the opportunities you gave me to show my
capability.”
Duke
smiled.
The smile
he rarely showed was priceless. Lola smiled and realized there was a smile on
her lips. She quickly wore a straight face.
“You’re
welcome.” He turned to the rest. “Dr. Wole Bello will have a meeting with all
of you during the week. When I know the exact day, I will send a text.”
“Okay doc.”
They answered.
Duke
marched away. Lola bid her three colleagues goodbye. Melvin walked with Ahmed.
Ahmed brought a car and told him he could drive him to his house. Melvin
refused and insisted he drop him where he could get a cab. Yvonne strolled to
her car. Jidenna saw Lola alone and walked to meet her.
“Going
home?”
“Yes.” She
replied. “And you?”
“After I attend
to my last patient, I will leave.”
“I don’t
mean to prey, what happened to the man? I heard the police came.”
“Yes. He
will be discharged tomorrow and the police will take the case up.”
“It will be
a lesson for him. He will learn not to get drunk again.”
“Some people
never learn. They can never change no matter the circumstances.” He paused and
spoke. “When I get home, I will be alone. Will you like to go for a drink?”
“I can’t. I
am very tired.” Lola said.
“I
understand.”
“Maybe another
time.”
“Okay. Can
I have your number?”
“Sure.”
They exchanged
numbers.
“Take care
and goodnight.” Jidenna said to Lola.
“Goodnight.”
*******
In a
secured estate, Duke drove into his residence and walked to the entrance. He
heard music playing inside. He opened the door, closed it and a pretty and
slender woman with a curvy shape strolled to meet him. Duke was surprised to
see her.
“Hello
baby.” Daniela said and kissed him deeply on the lips.
“I didn’t
see your car outside.”
“I didn’t
go home. My dad’s driver picked me up from the airport and brought me here.”
“Oh, okay. How
was your trip to Paris?”
“Beautiful.” She put her arms around his neck and kissed
him again. “I miss you.”
“I miss you
too.”
Daniela
took her hands away and carried his bag.” You got my text?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t
you reply me?”
“I was
going to call you when I get home.” Duke replied.
“Okay. I
made something special for you.”
“I will
like to have my bath first and eat on the bed.”
“On the
bed?”
“Yes. I
want to eat you.”
Daniela
laughed and began to kiss Duke again.
******
Lola
returned home and met her mother in the kitchen cooking. She greeted and hugged
her.
“I needed that hug in the morning.” Bidemi said.
“I know.”
She glimpsed inside the pot and frowned. “Mom, you know I don’t like sweet
potato.”
“It is
mine. I made coconut rice and fried chicken for you.”
“Thanks.”
“How was
work?”
“Fine.” she
said. “Mom.”
“Yes love.”
“Is it possible to find someone very annoying and yet you still like the person.”
Bidemi gave
her an uncertain look. “Did you meet someone you like at the hospital?”
“That is
not what I said.”
“But it is
the same thing.”
“Never mind
mom. It’s nothing.”
Her mother
turned to her. “Did you meet Dr. Wole Bello today?”
“Not yet.”
Lola said. “He is not around. Why did you ask?”
“Nothing.”
Lola’s phone rang. She took it from inside her
bag, glanced at it and smiled. “Hello doc.”
“Hi doc.”
Jidenna said.
They
chuckled.
He asked
her. “Have you reached home?”
“Yes.” She
said and moved away from kitchen. “And you?”
“I’m
driving home right now. I just wanted to check up on you.”
“Thanks.”
Jidenna
smiled. “See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. See
you tomorrow.” Lola smiled and ended the call.
*******
To be
continued… Wednesday.
Today is Wednesday
ReplyDelete#crying 😢
Lol. The day is not over. I have posted it.
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