Misfortunate (Completed)

Chapter Twenty Six: Deathday?

"Ibrahim. He has finally killed her. He has killed our baby."

Hot, fat tears rolled down the eyes of Halima's aunt as she held unto the cold iron chair in the receiving room of the neurosurgery operating theatre of Diezemane hospitals Abuja. She could never get the visuals of her niece's husband throwing her down that balcony, she knew she'd always dream of this moment.

"Where are you?" Her husband, Ibrahim asked. He could not even say the perfunctory words. Nothing came out. He just wanted to hold his wife and pray that the only child that had served as theirs for more than twelve years would stay alive after being in surgery for nearly four hours. He had left Kano is a haze, with his driver fueling the car and driving blindly continuously to Abuja, only stopping to pee and refuel the car.

"I'm at Diezemane. That's where the ambulance took her to, their estate had an ambulance. Isn't that amazing." Ibrahim heard the sad chuckle and held his head sadly. He knew his wife would never be the same again.

"I'll be there soon. Hannatu, I'll be there soon. Okay?" He heard her sniffle and could barely hold back his own tears. He knew quite alright that their child might never survive this even if she lived, it made him want to go saw that Abdul boy into tiny pieces and feed him his own pieces, but he consoled himself with taps to his leg that their Labeebah was alive, that she would be fine.

"Oga, we'll be in the city centre soon." Ibrahim nodded. He had seen the city landmark earlier, even though it was so late, Labeebah had been pushed at five, he left Kano at six and now after driving like a maniac, his driver had gotten him to the country's capital at two am.

If not that he had promised his wife, he'd have gone to find that Abdul. That animal, he swore deeply under his breath that if he ever found Abdul, he would not walk Scot free.

About twenty minutes later, they pulled into Diezemane. It was a towering complex that was completely deserted at such a late time, so he he immediately found his wife sitting at a corner in the reception, probably waiting for him.

"I'm here." He reached her in about five strides. The nurses on duty gawked at the two old people who held unto themselves and cried like children. Who cried like they lost a huge thing, the nurse themselves could not help but feel the melancholy that those people unknowingly shared with them.

***

At eight twenty six am, the operating doors of the neurology department of Diezemane hospital flew open and out came a fair skinned, tall man who was wearing his lab coat over green scrubs. He was the attending Surgeon, Ma'mun Lamido.

"Hello, family for Labeebah Sheriff?" He asked with his head cocked questioningly. About six people got up immediately and he took a step back to find out who exactly it was. He saw an older woman asleep, held by an older man, the woman he just sewed the last suture on her back looked a bit like the older woman sleeping so he assumed she was the mother.

"Is that her mother?" He asked the crowd of six. They nodded immediately and he found a chair opposite while the man woke her. When she woke, she jumped when her eyes laid on him and got up as briskly as she could. He waited for her pained leg to stabilize and while he waited, he saw that her husband was not in this room. He reared back in surprise but could only sit there quietly waiting for the older woman.

"You're ready?" She nodded mournfully and his heart tugged. He could nearly taste the anxiety of the others waiting together with them that he had to ask,  "Are you all together?" They nodded. The other four waited nervously for him to speak, but he eventually didn't say a word. He knew her parents would convey the rest of the information.

"My office is one floor away. Let's go." They walked slowly to the elevator and when they got in, it took all of his will power not to start talking about their daughter's condition in the elevator. But he waited, he waited till they got into his spacious office that was tagged, 'Dr Ma'mun Lamido' at the door and a name tag in front of him on his table.