The Don's Saving Grace (GxG)✔️

48

As I try to wake Neo again, she stirs awake. Usually, she wakes up the first time but today she woke up and went right back to sleep.

"Nana, wake up, please."

"I don't feel so good, Mama." placing the backside of my hand on her forehead, there is an increase in her temperature.

"Okay, you don't have to go to school but we do have to go to the doctor." she weakly nods

"Can I sleep first?"

"Sure baby." placing a kiss on her forehead, I pull the blankets over her and make my way downstairs to get the thermometer.

When I put it in her mouth, after a few seconds it reads 39.7°c. I head to my room to get ready before asking if our paediatrician will be able to see us today and she has an opening at two pm.

In the meantime, as we wait, I try forcing her to drink water and juice and to also eat a bit but she is the fussiest when she is sick. She also complains about it burning when she breathes.

"Put your fluffies on and take your blanket." she does as I ask, taking her time to do so before I pick her up and we head to the car.

"So what bring you in today?"

"Last week, she had a few cold symptoms but her temperature was 37°c so I just kept observing her, hydrating and she had some Vitamin C as well as mucus thinning medication. Today, I go into her room and she is sick and her temperature was warm so I took the thermostat and checked and it was 39.4°c and I knew then that this was maybe not just a cold and that maybe she has flu."

"Yeah, but with a fever like that, I wonder if it is flu or something else. Has she been vomiting?"

"No, but she is fussy about food."

"Okay, notice a rash?"

"None."

"Okay, well let me hear her breathing and we can go from there." she places her stethoscope on her chest and listens "Breath in. Breathe out, again, thank you, Neo. So there is some mucus in her chest but I would like to get a chest X-ray before we go any further."

"Okay, Doc. She has also been saying it burns to breathe."

"Let's see what the chest x-ray says and we can talk about my prognosis." I nod and after a few minutes, the nurse walks in with the X-Ray.

They place a board under her and ask that I step back, after taking a few pictures and looking at them, she asks the nurse to fetch another doctor.

They talk outside before she walks back in.

"Well, Ms Abiya, my prognosis is Pneumonia but my colleague thinks it is Bronchitis, now before we can administer any kind of medication for either we need to find the cause of the infection and we will need a blood test and some phlegm from Ms Neo."

"Okay, uhm. Do you think she will be okay?"

"It is early to tell what stage the infection is and so we will talk when the cultures are back."

"Okay, how long will that take?"

"A few hours." I nod as she walks out.

"Are we going home?"

"Not yet, Nana, you can even take a nap." she nods and lays on the bed as I cover her with her favourite blanket.

My ringtone stirs me out of my nap, thankfully Neo is still asleep. The name on the screen is Ri's.

"Hey."

"What's wrong, you don't sound good."

"Uhm, Neo and I are at the hospital, she woke up with a fever and chest pains."

"Are you okay?" with that question, my world colours grey and I feel blue, this is my baby girl, my entire world revolves around her and I can not begin to imagine life without her.

"uhm, No. The Doctor said she thinks it's either Pneumonia, Bronchitis or a respiratory infection, those are serious illnesses, what if..."

She interjects "Don't think like that."

"It's hard not to, I just, I, I don't know what to do."

"You can be her comfort, I'm sure it is scary, being in a bland place and you can see the fear in your mother's eyes." she is so right,

"It is so hard, I try my best to be strong but I hate seeing her not being the sassy, hyper little girl, I love."

"She will be okay, Bibi, don't stress, she is as strong as her mama, get some food and get her a new plush toy to take your mind off things."

"Okay, Ms know-it-all."

"Okay, Sassy pants." a giggle escapes my lips. It amazes me how much happiness she brings into my life.

"Let me go get my little girl a plush toy."

"Okay, I'll call you when I get home."

"Okay."

"I love you"

"I know." she chuckles before hanging up.

Immediately, I called my friends to tell them that we are at the hospital and they all send their prayers and ask that I call them when I have more news.

"I thought I would stop by," he says as he sits on the edge of the bed.

"That's okay, Neo loves having you around, don't you, Nana."

"Yeah but you didn't get me a gift," she whines to her uncle, he wraps his arms around her

"I got you a hug and my presence those are pretty valuable."

"A barbie would be nice," she whines with her arms still trying to wrap around his torso.

A few more hours went by and it is three am, Neo is asleep and George went home. Dr Sethibe walks in, with a sad look on her face.

"We got the cultures back and they show that she has Bronchopneumonia..."

"She has Pneumonia, but she, she is, she..." tears start running down my eyes "Is she going to be okay?"

"Only time can tell, we do not know how strong she really is and how well her body can fight the virus."

"Uhm, what is the course of action?"

"We will get her on IV and Anti-Virals, and also monitor her situation but her body is fighting so the medication will give her a better chance. Stay strong for her," she says while placing a hand on my shoulder.

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