The Cost Of Retribution( Not your usual Hausa love story)

Chapter 16

We stood at the nurses station for a bit updating patient charts on our tablets and occasionally turning to greet colleagues or guide patients, I suspected that my friend had had a little more than caffeine to boost her energy that morning, she probably downed a whole can of power horse because she was just a big ball of energy as opposed to my grumpy mood.

"These attendings sure know how to pucker up and kiss a---"

"Diana" I warned, "this is a children's ward can you not use bad words"
It was as if the silence itched her because she had barely let us have a minute of it since morning.

"I was going to say kiss the floor chief walks on" she defended,

"Sure you were" I said sarcastically, she was going to say what I thought she was going to say.

"Its true, ever since chief put out notice that he was stepping down and retiring, they've been putting in extra work hours, paying attention to the interns, being extra smiley at him, being extra nice to patients, Did you see Dr David from neuro, he's been wearing a tie all through the week, they're basically kissing---"

"Oh for the love of Allah Diana" I groaned, now she was just purposely frustrating me.

She laughed knowing she had got me and triumphantly high fived the air.

"I can't with you" I sighed paying attention to my tablet.

"You're just mad cause your husband is part of the floor kissers" she replied simply.

I scoffed, I'd brought that up before but he simply dismissed it saying he was too busy to take on the responsibility of being chief, and seeing as how he'd been acting lately, I wouldn't bet heavily on the matter.

"What?! He doesn't even have time for that" I said.

"Mmhmm" she replied with a sarcastic eye roll.

I had just begun to type in the rare silence that diana was offering when my pager began to beep in my pocket, I groaned out loud because it seemed like today was of to a bad start, I picked it up and saw that it was the chief who was paging me in the board room.

"I have to go" I sighed as I quickly typed in the last patient details I was on.
My friend looked up at me, "everything okay?"

"I hope so, the chief is paging me" I replied before quickly handing a nurse my tablet and scurrying off to the elevator.

As soon as I opened the doors to the boardroom my mind relaxed.

"Hala" I said cheerfully as I moved inside and shut the door.

"I'm not disturbing you, Am I?" She smiled as she came over and gave me a hug, there was something off about Hala I could tell, Hala was always dressed impeccably and looking straight out of a magazine cover, but today she had on a deep purple abaya with no makeup and her hair peeping out in rough strands beneath her cap as if she'd hastily thrown it on, during my wedding, she'd been one of the people that I formed a really strong bond with, it was crazy how in a short period of time we became so acquainted.

"Of Course not, How's sadiq doing?" I returned her smile and sat down, she did the same,

"He's great, he's in school" she replied, her hands fidgeting as she seemed so nervous.

"Is everything okay?" I asked concerned.

"Well of course" she smiled, "I just need a tiny favor"

*****

We were in a consult room, Hala was lying down on the exam chair and I was prepping the ultrasound machine, I had so many questions because Hala didn't look the least happy for a woman who suspected that she was pregnant with her second child, instead she looked terrified and nervous, I decided to keep my questions to myself.