I was devastated when the nurse told me that Dr. Abiodun would come back after three days.
"So am I going to be stuck in here for three days?" I asked her.
"Three days isn't too much. And besides, you'll be guaranteed good recovery. You'll be cared for in the right way." Her generous smile made me uncomfortable. It made me question Dr. Abiodun's intentions for keeping me in the hospital.
"It's funny you know...," she said looking at me.
"What is funny?"
"You've been here only one day and he's treating you like a queen."
"Not him. If he knew how to throw me in jail right now, he would do it." To this the nurse frowned.
"You should think better than that, Mrs. Segun."
"You mean after he told me I wasn't fit to be in a hospital anymore?" The nurse walked away from me and when she got to the door and opened it, she looked back at me and said,
"Let me know if you need anything." When she left I looked around and sighed. I suddenly felt trapped and reduced to a hospital bed by a doctor who it seemed only had a plan to destroy me.
And I was certain he did have a plan, but I had no idea what that plan was. However, I was convinced he was making arrangements to take me to a psychiatric ward. Now all alone, I had to endure the discomfort of lying in a hospital bed for the next three days.
On the third day Dr. Abiodun came briefly into my ward and without a greeting, stared down at me. I ignored his stare and this made him leave the room. Then much to my surprise he came back in again. This time he was accompanied by two Policemen. What was this all about? Was he about to arrest me? I asked myself.
"Mrs. Segun? I am discharging you." He said, when he came up to me.
A quick check of my pulse and he scribbled something down on a piece of paper and gave it to me. It was his phone number. Finally I was free to go. My left leg was lowered and I got up from the bed. I didn't feel anymore pain but I was worried about what to tell my father.
I knew I just couldn't go back and tell him I didn't attend the meeting. I got my bag and was about to leave the room when he told the police officers something I could hardly believe.
"Officers, ensure that this woman gets on the next flight to Lagos." The Police officers nodded.
"Madame please follow us." Said one of the officers.
"What?! I shouted.
"Your time in this city is up, Mrs Segun." He added. I looked at Dr. Abiodun's face and saw seriousness. He was serious about sending me back to Lagos. I stood speechless and just stared at him. How could he do this to me? I had a report to submit and I didn't know how I was going to do that. I knew I couldn't go back empty-handed.
"I think my staying here shouldn't concern you. You run a hospital, not the whole Abuja." I finally managed to argue. He smiled at me.
"I know that. But for the first time in my life, I am doing something I've never done before. Officers, take her to the car and wait for me." They nodded their agreement while I stared at him angrily.
"Who are you to do this to me?"
"Thank me I'm sending you back to where you came from rather than a psychiatric ward."
"I imagine you run this place like a psychiatric ward, don't you?" I asked getting more and more angry.
"I have better things to do than to listen to you. I'm sure you have people who will listen to you when you get back to Lagos."
I was speechless and had no reason to continue arguing with him. I left the ward accompanied by the two Policemen. Dr. Abiodun came out too and went to his office . I was taken to the police car and made to sit in the back seat. It felt like a repeat of the scene at Tolan Consultancy when Nancy told the two Policemen to take me away.
After a short while he appeared holding a file in his hand. He came and sat down in the back seat with me and told the Police to move the car. As the car moved he looked at me.
"Are you okay, Mrs. Segun?" I ignored him and looked out of the window. "I can understand how much you hate me now. But you started it."
"I only asked you to make one phone call. How difficult was that?"
"It wasn't difficult."
"So why didn't you make the call?"
"You didn't give me that chance. Rather you accused me of not making that call."
"So is this your reason for doing all of this?" He looked out of his side of the window as if to take in fresh air. When he turned and looked at me he said,
"Mrs. Segun, I am a professional in my field. And I have worked hard to get to where I am now. I run a hospital."
"So?"
"It might not mean anything to you, but I save lives, human lives. I can't make mistakes. But when a patient complains of improper care, it is quite easy for me to lose my job. And you were not careful with your words."
I pondered his words carefully, trying to understand how asking him to make a simple phone call, could cost him his job. I didn't see any reason why he would lose it.
"You make it look dramatic, doctor. And yet here you are taking me to the airport against my will, using what authority you have."
"You have to understand that this is all part of making your visit a memorable one. You came as a patient, you are going back with a sort of presidential escort."
"Tell me this is compensation for the improper care you mentioned earlier?" I asked.
"The hospital was very generous to you."
"Good, but I could lose my job, did you think of that ?" He didn't answer as we had finally reached the airport. Once inside he brought out a ticket for me.
"Here's your flight ticket. Have an enjoyable trip. Oh, and before I forget, here." He handed me the file that he had been holding.
"And what is this?" I asked taking the file from him.
"It's your report."
"And what am I going to do with a medical report if I'm okay?"
"Before you consider throwing it away, which I'm sure you'll do once you get back, go through it first." I shook my head in disbelief.
"You don't know me, and yet you think you know what I can and cannot do." I told him. To that he smiled.
"In my profession I've seen normal people behave irrationally. You at least are mentally intact, you just need a little spanking from to time. Mr. Segun needs to do that quite often." I couldn't believe he was telling me I needed spanking. I stared at him wondering why I had even met him in the first place. But while I was staring at him the two policemen that had accompanied were laughing.
"Better go now," He said, "your flight will soon leave. The police in Lagos have been informed of your arrival." I straightened up when he said that.
"Dr. Abiodun, I am not a 6 year old kid that needs to be accompanied. I am an adult woman and I demand that you understand this for once."
"No offence, but I'm only compensating you for improper care. You should enjoy it." I rolled my eyes as I had had enough of him. I walked angrily away without even saying goodbye to him or the two Policemen. I boarded my flight and when the flight took off and landed in Lagos, I was surprised to see Nancy waiting for me.
"Nancy what are you doing here?" I asked her.
"Na wao Tola, so Lagos no reach you again. You still carry your stubbornness go Abuja?"
"Haba, Nancy who tell you that one?"
"Na de report when I receive from one doctor like that?"
"Ah doctor Abiodun?" She nodded.
"Abeg Nancy leave dat guy. Wetin he make me go through no be wetin I fit talk finish."
"Why what happened?"
"Make we commot for airport first." We left the airport in the Police car that had brought her and once we got to my house she told the Policemen that had accompanied her to leave. Once they left we were alone in the house.
"Nancy, you still dey duty?"
"Why?"
"Make I bring wine now make girls shak." I told her. I went into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
"Tola, na wao, e be like say you don't get new catch for Abuja?"
"Abeg, Nancy I went through hell, just because my dad sent me to attend a meeting." I told her.
"What happened?"
"On getting to Abuja a driver came to pick me up at the airport to take me to my hotel. Along the way he decide to stop at a filling station to fill his tank. As he finish enter road, na so one car with full speed hit us o."
"I hope you didn't sustain any serious injury, Tola?"
"No but I was kept in the hospital for three days by that useless doctor." Nancy couldn't help but laugh.
"And why are you laughing, Nancy."
"You said he's a useless doctor."
"Dis guy tell me say my husband no fit beat my stubbornness commot for my body. Can you imagine that?" Nancy laughed
"No but he has a point o, Tola. You too stubborn. Before doctor go talk that kine thing, I know say you don make am vex."
"So Nancy you also support him?"
"Maybe you provoke am, babe."
"I blame you. You suppose dey there." Nancy kept on laugh but then suddenly stopped and looked at me in a strange manner. This got me a little upset.