Unsteady Storm

Chapter Two

Nedu allowed the nurses to carry Ije. Neche gave him a pat on the shoulder before she left. He was scared and he wasn't sure anything had gotten him scared like this before.

Ije was in the emergency unit of the hospital where she worked. The nurses were particular about her case because she was one of them.

As Neche rushed out of the ward, Nedu stood. "Neche please, what is wrong with her?"

"Nedu wait please" she hurried away.

Nedu clasped his head.

***
It had been two hours since they hurried Ije to the emergency unit, it was past ten pm but sleep was far from Nedu's eyes, he was deeply worried and where he sat in the waiting room, he was oblivious of what was going on around him.

A call came into his phone from Anulika, Ije's best friend in their university days.
"Hello, Anuli"

"Oh hi, Nedu... Ije is not picking her phone, is she asleep?"

"She's not feeling too well" he replied.

"Oh so sorry, I'll visit okay?"

"Okay, thank you"

Neche came out of the ward at half past eleven. "The doctor wants to see you, Nedu"

He got up and followed her to the doctor's office. The doctor was writing something down with an expressionless look on his face.

"He's here, doc" Neche announced.

"Let him sit and you may take your leave"

Neche pulled a chair out for Nedu then turned and left giving him an assuring smile.

The doctor stopped writing and looked up at him. "Nwosu Chinedu, am I right?"

"Yes sir" Nedu replied.

The doctor's expression was tense. "There's good news" he said.

Nedu let out a sigh of relief.

"Your wife, Ije is a month and two weeks pregnant"

Nedu beamed putting his hands together.

"But...."

Nedu frowned deeply, this 'but' was not good, the doctor looked tired and expressionless again.

"But what doctor?" He asked.

"She has been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum which is associated with severe nausea and vomiting, it is an extreme and persistent nausea which can lead to dehydration, weight loss and electrolyte imbalances and I'm afraid that with how bad it is... She may lose her life in the process"

Nedu's jaw dropped open unconsciously.

The doctor sighed. "You have to be strong, not all women have died, some are lucky"

Nedu's lips quivered. "What are the chances of death?"

The doctor shook his head. "It's a fifty fifty option"

Nedu gulped.

"Listen... It's not a usual case and most women I know don't want to go through it and they abort the child.... But if I'm going to give you a realistic advice, if she aborts the baby now, who says she won't suffer the same condition in her next pregnancy?"

Nedu swallowed hard.

"Unless she's okay with the number of children she already has"

"This is our first child, Ije is just twenty seven"

The doctor shrugged. "If she decides to keep the baby, she may have to stop working because it gets worse that it can be. Experts say it could stop in her second trimester but on further observation, it doesn't stop, the intensity just reduces and at times, it's there for the entire period of the pregnancy"

Nedu said nothing, he was battling with his emotions, at the thought that Ije would die and that he would lose his first baby instead. "Can I see her now?" He croaked.

The doctor shook his head. "Come back in the morning, she's asleep now"

Nedu nodded and stood up with a sad face like a little boy that was denied something he wanted badly.

***
Nedu walked into the hospital by 7am the next morning with a small bag in his hands containing some toiletries.

A nurse led him to Ije's ward and he entered with a small smile on his face. She lay on the hospital bed facing the wall.

"Ije" he called out.

She turned to look at him with a lost look on her face, she was very pale and looked sad.

"How are you doing?"

He went closer and sat beside her taking her cold hands.

"I'm okay, just hungry" she pouted her lips.

Nedu smiled. "I'll get for you something to eat".

"Never mind, Neche has gotten to it already" she smiled at him.

Nedu's heart soared at her smile, something he had missed for a day now.

"I'm getting rid of the baby"

"What?" His heart exploded at this announcement.

"Nedu, I can't do this" she muttered.

"Ije, tell me you are joking"

"You are not the one that's about to die" she snapped.

"That's our first child, Ije"

"And I should die for a baby... I thought they said marriage is a companionship between a man and a woman and then children may follow"

"And the children have followed, Ije!"

"Are you yelling at me?" She asked him with an accusing tone.

"What you want to do is insane"

"The only thing that is insane is that you don't care that I'm about to die"

Nedu clenched his fist. "Stop saying that word, Ije, you are not about to die"

"Is that all you have to say?" Ije grunted.

"Ije, please stop this, it's my first child"

"Oh really, now it's your child, not mine as well"

"Ije......"

"Don't pester me!" She shrieked.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He barked, his patience reaching its climax.

"The only thing wrong with me is that I'm getting rid of this useless baby" she gritted her teeth.

"Don't call our baby useless"

"A useless baby is the one that wants to stop my career, my life, keep me sick for nine freaking months!"

Nedu was filled with rage at how inconsiderate she was. "Well if you decide that you will have no other children, then abort this baby and the next because you will keep on going through the same ordeal anytime you get pregnant!"

Tears filled her eyes at how harsh she sounded, his words tore her heart apart.

"Nedu, get out!!!" She screamed.

"You are just insane" he muttered and stormed out of the ward throwing the bag he brought along with him at her while she burst into tears.

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