Second chances

Chapter Thirty Four : Square One

Charles Chinedu

Charles had waited at the reception for Vicky to come back but he did not see her. He knew the news about her sisters would take a toll on her. He had found out from Esther two days before they went to the resort. He felt so ashamed and guilty because he had slept with the two ladies too. This occurrence was what he could not control, Vicky knew of it and they had been locking him in to keep him from wandering. But sometimes when he spent the night in his office or somewhere close to their neighborhood, he always found himself in someone's bed. It happened with Nasa, Esther even poor Grace who had just lost her child.

He knew his wife suspected him of cheating but he just couldn't tell her that it was with her friends who were also her half sisters. Charles had felt so guilty that he ended up turning to alcohol to help him get through the day. Taking alcohol made him cranky and he often lashed out on Vicky. He loved his wife dearly and didn't want to lose her. He knew his marriage had taken the turn for the worst and it was all his fault.

The night before Vicky left they had fought and even though he wanted to apologize and make amends before her trip,he found out that she had left the house even before he woke up.

Vicky ignored his calls and texts and when he received a text from Esther about what they intended to do at the resort he resigned to his fate of loosing his wife forever.

He had been woken up around 3am by a call from Esther who told him that his wife was in a critical condition. He booked the flight the next day and was at the hospital where his wife had been admitted within hours.

He met Esther and the other two at the reception, when he saw their countenance he was certain that he had lost his sweet Victoria.

They told him everything that happened and how she had shot herself after finding out about his mistakes.

The burden was something he couldn't bear and as he paced round the hospital waiting for his wife to come out of surgery. He had stayed in the hospital for 9hours before the doctor finally came out.

"Doctor! please how is my wife? Is she..?" he couldn't finish the words, guilt had already consumed him and he felt he was the one who made his wife to put a bullet in her head.

"well I must tell you Mr? ..."

"Chinedu" Charles responded

"Mrs Chinedu your wife is alive. It is still a miracle how she managed to stay alive after she lost so much blood. The bullet she had put in her head grazed her right ear and bore into her skull, creating a crack. The miraculous thing here is that the bullet didn't go through instead it's like the friction caused by her skull kept the bullet together and the cushion from her brain just kept the bullet afloat. Your wife should be dead by now is just the simple term. The pieces of her skull should have done damage or even the bleeding. We have severe cases of edema, bleeding in this kind of incident. the bullet on a normal circumstance should be buried in her brain. My colleagues and I have been trying to find out how the bullet didn't pierce her brain. This is Traumatic brain injury Mr Charles and I can't assure you that she'd come out of it the same person. There might be certain symptoms she would exhibit which we'll discuss later. Nonetheless We've stabilized her but she fell into a coma, so all we have to do is wait for her to wake up. Her vitals are okay and she will be well taken care of"

Charles felt a weight get lifted off his shoulder but something didn't sound right.

"Doctor you said the bullet grazed her right ear, how come? Does that mean the shot came from the right side."

"That would be correct Mr Chinedu" the doctor said

"doctor my wife is left handed, there are a lot things my wife cannot do with her right hand and one of them is holding things steady. Something is wrong!"