TAKEN

[14]

She watched me in awe, hands clapping in disbelief. "So, you think I, ifechi, your very good friend could hurt you?"

My fingers continued to dig into the food and stuff them into my mouth. I was too hungry to have a response for her. At least, now I knew if I died, she would die with me.

The meal was too delicious to leave a grain on the plate. Ifechi was one of the people I knew who cooked so well. It was something she did with ease and from her heart. Sometimes, I felt it even gave her peace, like her place of escape.

"Thank you!" I belched, gulping down the remaining contents of the bottle. "I've missed your meals."My facial expression relaxed, and I spread my lips in a smile.

She pushed the tray away gently and fitted herself by my side, smiling. "So tell me, did he give you anything?"

My gaze descended on her like a tornado, furiously wiping away the smug look.

"Give me anything?" I questioned, letting my shoulders rise in anger, head towering over hers.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She pleaded, wiping off the crooked smile off her face. "I just thought.....You know, "She stalled, placing her gaze on the empty plate. "Since he bought you for that huge amount, he may have also bought a few things for you."

"Ifechi!" I yelled, clapping both hands simultaneously. My brows came together, squeezing my face in anger.

"Or money even." She scoffed, still not getting the memo that I didn't like her line of questioning.

"Tell Mama, that the general gave me nothing, except the bruises on my body." She immediately looked flustered bouncing off her feet and pacing around the room.

"How can you even say that?" Her body came so close to mine with her left arm moving closely to hug me. "He must have given you something valuable, he likes you that much." She concluded.

I shifted away quickly and immediately cursed myself for doing so. Quick pain radiated throughout my entire body and sent a shrill scream out of my lungs.

"Are....are you okay?" She screamed back nervously, rushing to the left side of the bed where I had my hands clasped around my ribs.

It hurt like hell, although I'd never been there but what was happening to me now was worse than that pit of hell where the devil resides.

The doctor burst through the door and came running towards me. I'd managed to lie down while my sides hurt so bad. Soon I was coughing violently, shaking the poor bed in the process.

Walls were tightening around my chest as though someone was squeezing my chest like a wet cloth that needed to be pruned of water.

"Blood!" Ifechi screamed, calling my name back to back. I still couldn't bring myself to halt the choking cough. I felt fluid fill my mouth and all I could do was spit it out.

"Linda, Linda!"She kept screaming.

Faintly, I saw her hands go above her head while she jumped about in fear.

The doctor was on me, taking my right hand in his. "Linda," He called, waving his fingers over my face. "Are you okay?"

My lips moved, but I couldn't hear myself.

"Can you hear me?" He questioned, apprehensive.

Mentally, I was screaming yes, but I knew he couldn't hear me as he ran to one of the cabinets took out a clear bottle, drew the contents in a syringe, and jabbed the needle in my arm.

"Linda?" He called again.

"Something is wrong." He noted, looking me over. "I think she's bleeding internally."

More blood pooled in my mouth and escaped onto the sheets. I couldn't speak, my voice was not audible but I heard everything.

Ifechi's voice filled the room as she wailed. "Should I call Mama?" She asked in her panic state.

"No!" The doctor yelled.

"Then do something!" Ifechi yelled back.

The Doc just lifted his head and gazed at Ifechi before he said words that left my brain in glitches.

"You know what will happen if Mama knows about this, right?" He asked Ifechi whose hands still rested on her head fearfully.

She nodded. "She would order her death!"

Tears walled in my eyes and descended the sides of my face. The Doctor's gaze was that of pure pity and maybe a few tears. "By a bullet." He deadpaned, "She would be put out of her misery by a pop in the head." His shook regrettably, followed by a deep sigh.

"Then do anything to help her!" Ifechi pleaded.

"I am doing that. But as you can see," his gaze ran across the room quickly, I have limited resources."

While they were deciding over my life, multiple Ifechis' paced the room and at times, pulled at my shoulders.  The doctor split into many parts, causing me severe confusion.

"Please don't die," Ifechi begged, relocating herself to the bed and wrapping me in her huge arms while pushing my head into her very voluminous breast.

I was suffocating, ifechi's breasts may kill me before the real death. There was little or no movement from me, except my twitching hands.

But thank God again for Doctor 'Native Med', who came to my aid and pulled her away from me, giving me the needed oxygen.

I drew in a sharp breath but that escalated the matter, more fluid was in my mouth. I gulped and coughed violently before my breath failed me.

Gently, I was turned to my side and all I could hear was my roommate's voice wailing distantly. So faint, I could barely recognize her voice.

Then everything went seriously blurry, making shapes look like misshapen dark clouds moving into each other.

Subsequently, a sudden weakness came upon me and all I wanted to do was succumb to it. And soon, it took over my eyes and pulled it into darkness.