The Second Path

Chapter 6

"No." I shook my head.

He turned to look at me with furrowed eyebrows, "cousin?"

"No."

"Mother?"

"No!" I yelled causing the doctor to shake his head in disdain.

"Well whoever you are to her is none of my business," he said and continue walking to the end of the hallway, "but does she live with you?"

"For now, yes."

"Do you have a lot of glasses in your house?"

"Yes." I nodded, remembering that almost all the cups and plates in the house were glass.

"Then get rid of them." He said.

I frowned, "But almost all the kitchen utensils we have are glasses."

"It's none of my business. Just get rid of them." He said without getting bothered. He was such a harsh doctor.

I looked at him up and down to be sure if this guy was really a 'proper' doctor. Doctors don't just tell anyone that anything important was 'none of their business'. He even made the disease sound so normal.

"Doctor," I said as we were still walking, "how sure are you that you're right about what you're saying of the hypa-whatever. You don't seem to sound so serious about it."

He stopped walking and turned to me with a less bothered expression, "Do you think somebody is not a doctor because of the way they sound? For your information I studied in University of Maiduguri. That university has the best medical school in Nigeria. So don't question me about my job."

"Who cares about the school you went to. You don't sound like you even did a serious check up on the little girl." I scowled, "neither do you sound so serious about your job."

"Are you telling me that my degree is useless?" He frowned, looking like he was ready to throw me out soon.

"No but it's just that-"

"If you think you know better." He cuts me, "Come and take my white coat from me or I'll kick you out."

I kept shut and folded my mouth in order for me to stop talking. He hissed and turned around before approaching the last door at the end of the hallway. I rolled my eyes before following him to enter the ward.

There were three other patients in the room with Kauna. I could barely see their faces because of the mosquito nets above their beds but I could tell they were sleeping. Kauna was on the bed closest to the door and the doctor and I walked to her side of the bed. I looked at her and she was wide awake as she laid under the blanket.

"I've told whoever this girl is to you," the doctor said while talking to Kauna, "that you're ready to leave now."

He turned to look at me. I could tell he was still annoyed. "Before you leave, you have to go to the reception and pay for the hospital bill and the medicine will be given to you by one of the nurses."

Before I could say thank you, he already walked away from the bed and left for the door.

I shook my head and sat at the end of the bed and looked at Kauna. She was not looking at me as her eyes were looking at the other direction. She knew I was ready to start complaining.