Familiar Foe √

18. Essence

   
   The hospital was the last place I expected to be on a Sunday afternoon. Charles stood beside me, still in his church clothes looking at everything at once. He hated hospitals and every case that led him back there. I squeezed his shoulder gently and he spared me a tight smile.

Sade and Tamara were sat on the opposite ends of the same bench, faced away from each other. Tamara still had on her jean shorts and bralette that was now topped off with a jacket that Sade had thrown at her twenty minutes ago.

We had been waiting for over thirty minutes and while we had been able to revive Vera back at home, thanks to Sade, none of the hospital staff had come to give us an explanation for her sudden illness.

    There weren't a lot of people in the reception aside us so my eyes stayed on the sisters. Funmi hadn't even left her room despite all the commotion, it was only after we got here that she called Sade to know why we all dashed out of the house and Sade was too riled up to talk.

Looking at her now, I could tell she was barely able to contain herself. Only her anger distinguished her from Tamara who looked scared and exhausted. If only they could sort through their differences and hold each other through this trying time, I'm sure things would have been easier for all of us.

"Nurse Sade?" A short and lean doctor called out in the almost empty reception of the teaching hospital.
We all turned to him as Sade got up rushed to meet him.

"Doctor. Any news?"

The man's face was was a mixture of concern and slight agitation.

"That child hasn't been eating properly. Her body is lacking a lot of essential vitamins and did you know she had fever? Her blood sugar is low and there is barely any blood."

"My God." Sade hugged herself.

"What is going on Sade?"

"It's my fault, I haven't been paying attention to her."
The doctor's eyes softened a bit.

"Well, she needs a transfusion and our bank is empty." Of course.

My sigh wasn't as loud as Charles's who was already on his way out. Hospitals and their shortcomings ticked him off.

"I will do it." Tamara spoke for the first time in almost an hour. She must have seen the surprise on my face.

"Sade isn't a match and I'm not a soulless demon as you all think."
She turned to the doctor and adjusted her newly acquired jacket.

"So. Where do I bleed?" He gave her a skeptic look then gestured for her to follow him.

"We have to run some tests on you and... "

The ringing of my phone begged for my attention and I got it out to see COD glaring at me. Quickly, I moved to a corner to take it, best to get it over with.

"Kaima."

"Good day sir."

"From what I hear, it's not been a very good day for you." I almost groaned out loud.

"We've just had a little situation but everything is under control now." I explained in the safest way possible in order not to provoke him.

"Control, with three suspects in a murder investigation out in public."

"They are not a danger to anyone sir, especially given their emotional state at the moment."

"Emotional state!" He lost his cool for a second but I heard him inhale a sharp breath before continuing.

"Detective Wilson. I believe I have emphasized the need for this case to be kept under the wraps. Any other emergency should be handled at the scene." He instructed.