Yasmin✨

Chapter 3: Stop Scaring the Men Away

One problem i have is, i get easily attached to patients. I remember a pretty little girl i met years ago while doing my training. She was just 18 and came to the hospital with her mum because of irregular periods. After series of scans, we found out that she had a rare tumor in her brain. However the tumor which was meant to grow on her pituitary glands did not show in the scans so we didn't know which side it was on the the gland. So, before we could operate on her, she died two days after. I was a wreck for months.

                                                                                        *

I grew up with a small circle of family around me. I was told that my grandparents on both sides died before I was born.
My mom's parents had an accident when she was 5 months pregnant with my twin brother and I. My dad's father died when he was 16 and his mother later died when he was 25.
When I first saw Baba, he looked exactly like the pictures I had seen of my mom's dad so i always took him as the granddad I never had so that's why I call him baba.

Baba's cancer had escalated quickly within the months he had been here. His health had started deteriorating very fast. The cancer was eating him and the only way out was to do the surgery and get the tumor out.
I opened the door to his room silently and found him asleep, I turned around to leave when he asked
"My daughter is that you?"
"Yes Baba it's me. How are you feeling?" I asked
"Jiki gashinan, Alhamdulillah "
We were both silent. For a minute I thought he had fallen asleep.
"Yasmin, kinsan rai hannun Allah yake ko?(you know our lives are in the hands of God)"
I swallowed hard and said
"Eh baba(Yes baba)"
"Toh(then)I'd like you to stop worrying about my health. Only Allah can decide when a person's time is. Besides I've lived a very long and happy life."
I looked at him. If you were to see him right now, you would swear that he was okay because his emotional health outshone his physical health.
"cancer won't kill me until my time comes" He smiled.

      *

Baba finally agreed to get the surgery which was scheduled for today. However, another neurosurgeon, Dr Habib, was to do the surgery because i knew I wouldn't be able to focus while doing the surgery.

I called home and told Daddy about Baba's surgery that I'd be back tomorrow.
I prayed Isha and was reading the Qur'an when Maryam came in.
"Hey" she said in a whisper "you're still here"
I closed the Qur'an and placed it on the shelf.
"Yeah" I said while fiddling with my ring, a habit I do whenever i'm nervous.
"You know Dr Habib is good, so trust him. The surgery will take long so go home and sleep. I promise i'll call you when they are done. Afterall i have a night shift today."

After arguing for minutes, Maryam won and I left the hospital.

"Mama" I called out as I reached her door
"Ina ciki(I'm inside)"
I entered mama's room and saw her closing the Qur'an.
"Mama na dawo(mama I'm back)"

"Ya jikin baba(how's baba)"
"He's still having surgery"
She knew that every time my patients' situations get worse i feel like I've failed them as their doctor. So she held my hands and silently consoled me.
I laid down on her laps.
"Yasmin" she said while combing my hair with her fingers.
"Na'am"i said
"Ya kamata kifito da miji(it's about time you got married)" she said suddenly in serious tone.
"Mama i'm just 27. Plus i'm a doctor, i have a busy life" i said while laughing

"Are you the only doctor in this world? Or do doctors not get married?" She said while eying me.
We have this conversation everyday. She always tells me that she wants a grandchild before she dies.
"I feel like you'll get married within this year"
"I don't even have a boyfriend " i said while laughing
"Well then stop scaring them away"

                                                                                             *

I woke up to 3 missed calls from Maryam so i rushed out of the house and went to the hospital. I tried calling maryam on the way but she wasn't picking up. I went directly to the surgery section and entered the ward but there was no patient inside. I checked baba's room and he wasn't in there as well. So by then i knew something had happened. I was on my way to the ICU when i saw Dr Habib, the neurosurgeon that performed the surgery.

One look at him and I knew something was wrong.

"Dr Yasmin"

"Dr Habib, how was the surgery. Is he in the ICU? Did something happen?"

"Calm down. Let's go to my office and i'll explain"

"What do you mean. Just tell me"

"After the surgery, he had a provoked seizure"

"Yeah but isn't that common considering he just had surgery"

"Yes but i'm sorry to tell you but i tried as much as I could to save him but it was his time"