𝑨 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒚 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆

𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 10

𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚃𝚎𝚗
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NNENNA'S POV

“I'll take you there myself, let me get a few things” she turned her back, “Anita! Anita!!”

“Yes! You called for me, ma?” Anita ran into the living room.

“Yes, don't forget to lock up the house and switch off all electrical appliances before leaving for the shop. Remember to take our food with you, you know I've not had breakfast,” Mama Tunde instructed.

“Okay ma,”

“Take care, we're leaving so be careful!” she called out as we walked out the door.

My legs itched to get to the hospital as fast as possible though my heart might not take the news quite well. However, I resolved to be strong while I prayed that the matter was not as terrible as I thought.

I hated the feeling of helplessness which seemed to be associated with hospitals. Every patient or family member to the patients always depended and looked up to the nurses and doctors as their saviour. It was like they were helpless in this case, now they've brought the case to their doorstep pleading that the nurses and doctors help them out. It felt like once a doctor intervened the patient would be better again, which is why they were ready to pay the costs and make the sacrifices.
I could not believe that today was my turn to experience this feeling. I went into the medical field because I wanted to help others and also rid this feeling of helplessness and I promised myself again today, that I was going to make a difference.

After Mama Tunde finished talking with a nurse at the reception, she came back to where I stood.

“Let's go now, dear” she placed a hand on my shoulder and led the way to the ward I believed my mother was in.

When we arrived at Ward 2 Rm 7, she gave me a face mask and hairnet to put on before we went in. Being a medical student, I understood that it was simply a precautionary measure and advisable to every visitor but I dreaded the reason why I had to put them on to see my mom.

I saw mom laid facing upwards, on a narrow hospital bed and her eyes were closed. For a second I feared that she was dead until I saw the slow rising and falling of her chest. I took slow steps towards the bed.

“Be careful, child” Mama Tunde whispered.

I held my mother's hand and squeezed tightly. She looked pale and lifeless asides from the chest motion. Not once in my life had I imagined to see my mom in this state. Yes, she has been feeling sick the past few days after my return but I felt it was one of her usual illness which always cured itself after days of self medication.

“What happened to her, aunt?” I said to Mama Tunde.

“She's terribly sick, the doctor should be here at any moment to tell us if her condition has improved,” she answered.

The silence resumed and remained for another two minutes before a shadow fell across the room, hovering at the door. The man standing at the door dressed just as a doctor should and carried a file in his left hand, a stethoscope hung over his neck.

“Good morning,” he said through the surgical face mask he was wearing.

“Good morning doctor,”

“Good morning sir,”
Mama Tunde and I greeted the man simultaneously.

He stepped into the room and it suddenly felt like the room was too small to occupy the four of us as he was quite huge.
“How are you?” he said to me.

“I'm fine, thank you” I answered meanwhile the opposite was the case.

I was hardly fine. I hovered around the bed.