Patsy (the victim)

23

Zahra'u POV

It's a monday morning and surprisingly it's my day off, Hashim took my daughter earlier to school and I'm doing the regular clean up whenever I'm free, it's been 3weeks since aliya left and there isn't any news about the strike calling off any time soon,
  I sigh as i glance at the apartment opposite of mine, Dr ziyad left for work i don't know why i just don't have even the slightest connection with him, there's just something about him that doesn't seems right to me, I find it very difficult to trust him especially after 3 of the doctors cautious me about him,
The gate open and I look up suprise to see Hashim with little mama on his arm.

"Hashim is everything alright?" I ask standing up and he sigh walking towards me.

"Mamah is sick,
She vomited and she seem really weak." Hashim say sitting with mamah in his arm.

"Yes she's been acting that way since Friday but i thought she will be fine,
I gave her some medication one of the doctors prescribed for me in the hospital." I say looking at her and how. Her face is all swollen up.

"We should take her to the hospital,
There teacher is the one that called me she say mama couldn't concentrate " kuma naga fuskanta ya kumbura"even her legs too."he say and I sigh.

"OK,
Let me just keep this aside so we can go to the hospital." I say dropping the broom and bucket aside.

I quickly change into something more comfortable and we both leave to the hospital, I just hope it's nothing to serious.

Once at the hospital the pediatric  doctor who's name is sadiq is the one on duty at that time, he collect some blood sample and urine for test, he ask me a bunch of question which mostly I don't know what to say since my daughter has never been sick like this before.

"She will be fine insha Allah,
Just ca down." Hashim reassure as he sway mama who's now sitting drinking the caprisonne juice he bought for her.

"She has never been sick before." I say and Hashim humm in response as the familiar doctor come to pass.

"Maman mamah." Doctor ziyad say and I look up.

"Good morning." I grumble I'm not in a very good mood to talk.

"Doctor sadiq told me mama is sick,
Have they take any sample from her?" He ask and i nod as Hashim quietly leave with mama.

"Doctor can you please let me be,
I'm not really in a very good mood to talk right now." I say in all honesty and he sigh.

"Yeah,
Sure i will stop by to ask him about the test result." He say and walk away.

I stand up to search for Hashim as i bump into someone making me to sigh and shift without looking up.

"Are you Zahra'u?" A voice ask and i look up.

"Yes." I say smiling at the beautiful woman dressed all fancy.

"OK,
I'm doctor ziyad wife,
I just want to warn you to stay away from my husband, if not because of his stubbornness what will he be doing in this cheap hospital an......

" ma'am you are mistaken there's nothing between me and your husband, if you will excuse me now i have things to do."I say trying to walk past the lady but she drag me back and i am caught off guard when she slap me.

"Do you know who i am?"
How dare you walk out of me while I'm still talking to you?
Stay away from my husband it's the last warning i will be giving you, you won't like the consequences of what will happen next."she say and walk pass the few crowd that start gathering around.

I flick the tears from my eyes ignoring the whispers among the crowd and head to search for Hashim.

"Maman mamah." The familiar doctor voice call and i turn.

"Doctor sadiq,
I was going to search for you." I say with a sniff as he give me a worrisome look.

"Are you crying?
Is everything OK?" He ask and i shake my head.

"No,
Isn't the test result out yet?" I ask impatiently it's almost 3hours since we got here.

"Usually result comes back in 24hours but i have already talked to them at the lab I'm actually coming back from Them, can you stay for atleast 30minute more or you can go home and I will call you when the lab forward the test." He say and i shake my head.

"I will wait outside." I say and he nod.

"Don't worry she will be fine insha Allah." He say reassuringly with a smile and i nod before walking away.

I feel tired and exhausted I'm glad i don't stupidly easily fall for the stupid doctor, I touch my cheek and walk to where Hashim is sitting with mamah.

"I was searching for you?
They said some lady slapped you?" He ask as i sit next to him on the chair.

"It's nothing serious." I say with a sigh sitting down as he hand me the takeaway plate.

"I bought you food." He say and I mutter a thank before dropping the food aside.

I don't have a single appetite, I just feel so angry and upset at Dr ziyad, I breakdown tiredly as my mind wander back to bashir, he do never let anyone humiliate me the way this lady do, he was the only person that genuinely care about me.

"It will be fine Zahra'u,
I'm here for you just know that." Hashim reassure me as i wipe my tears and stare at the hospital premises.

After about an hour we both head back inside the hospital just in time doctor sadiq is asking a nurse about me.

"Ohh maman mamah,
The result is out, can you come with me to the office?" He ask and i nod as Hashim and I tail behind him to the pediatric ward.

"Hope is not something serious?" Hashim ask and doctor sadiq sigh sitting down.

"Well,
The good thing is that it's treatable right?" He say with an optimistic smile.

"From our observation, examination and the test result here your daughter have acute kidney failure." He say and i nod.

"From the test result here it shows she will need a kidney transplant but since her age and well how difficult it is to find a donor for people at her age we will need to start an urgent dialysis for her to stay healthy until she can have a transplant." He explain and I release a deep breathe.

"How soon can she start the treatment?" I ask glancing at mamah who's playing on Hashim lap.

"As soon as possible,
She will need a dialysis session atleast 3days in a week for the start." He say and I sigh.

"How is this dialysis process and how much does it cost?" I ask and he scratch the back of his head.

"Well dialysis is process whereby the waste product and excessive fluid in the body is remove by the machine,
Because the kidney failed to do it's work, it often involves diverting blood to a machine to be cleaned,
It's very necessary maman mamah." Doctor sadiq say with a sigh giving me a pitiful look.

"How much does it cost?I ask and he sigh.

"atleast 300,000 naira for the first month for twice a week dialysis." He say and i release a heavy breathe of exhaustion.

"Okay." I say with a sigh.

Doctor sadiq go on about explaining to me about the procedure and how necessary it is and once he's done we leave.