Delayed Diagnosis {Book 1 of the Rex Obasi Trilogy}

Chapter 28

We encountered heavy traffic along the way. The Apapa wharf is notorious for being blocked by container carrying trucks either to or from the terminal and the road is only passable very early in the morning before the drivers begin their road blocking routine.

I had forgotten this small fact and because of the direction Andy and I were coming from we got stuck in the stand still. I looked nervously at the time every few minutes. "Why would this place be like this? See how they block the road! Most of them are not even inside sef!!" I complained for the thousandth time checking the dashboard for the time.

"We made a mistake, see most vehicles are taking one way. This place is just upside down!" Andy was mopping sweat from his brow vigorously with his face towel. The car had little fuel and we couldn't afford to waste it with the a/c on.

We grumbled and complained, slapped the steering and dashboard countless times in frustration and looked at the clock on the dashboard about a million times. But there was little we could do.

Finally by quarter past 7 we pulled into the driveway of the general hospital.

"What time did he say you should come?" Andy asked.

"He didn't really specify but the 48 hours was up a couple of hours ago"

"Anyhow, he should be glad. Does he know the stress you went through to get it?"

"My major problem right now is hunger” my stomach growled in reply right on cue.

"You should’ve eaten earlier now." Andy said

"Bro with what I was hearing that time I just couldn’t think of food at all"

"True. I didn't even finish mine"
There was silence as we both reminisced on what strange eyes had said.

"What do we do about that initiative? How do we go about stopping it?" Andy asked.

"I don't even know, my head is just expanding too much. Let's tackle this doctor first."

"You're right, poka a poka"

"What does that mean again?" I asked him tiredly. I killed the engine but we remained in the car.

"I had one crazy teacher in school, he was always saying it. It means little by little..I don't even know what language…I'm sure he didn't too"

"Maybe Spanish" I responded dryly..

It seemed we were avoiding talking about the necessary but we couldn’t ignore it forever, it had to be done.
"You said we should try and track this Doctor to his handler, are you still down with it?" I asked Andy

"Yes I'm down but we will need to be super careful"

"But what do we do then, if we find his handler?" I asked and Andy shrugged in reply.
"You never know about tomorrow. It may look unnecessarily dangerous and foolish but it may be very important tomorrow."

"No problem...I agree. Let's do this"

We shook hands before alighting from the vehicle. If before we had been like brothers now the bond had been strengthened and now we felt like twins.

The hospital was as busy and crowded as it was the last time. I tried to remember the directions I had been given the last time and I could see familiar doors and hallways. I must have missed a turning because however we found ourselves in a different room. It looked like some kind of specialist room or some ICU of some sort. It was empty or so I thought.

I looked to Andy, "we must have missed a turning, this isn't the diagnostic center"

He nodded and we turned to leave but then I saw her or rather I heard her. Just a single sob, a sound filled with so much grief and pain that I paused with my foot in mid air. Andy continued in front of me, thinking I followed him behind. I turned and studied the room and I saw her in the corner. She was in a wheelchair and I thought she was disabled but then I saw the cast her leg was in. Her right leg was wrapped in a thick cast and propped before her on some kind of stool and I only glanced at it. Her face was what caught my attention. She was beautiful. I mean time stopping beautiful, time stopped for me anyway. She had this vulnerable and fragile look about her and I felt a strange urge to protect her, to shield her from whatever put that hurtful look on her face. She was dark complexioned, and I noticed her hair was really long and I wondered if it could possibly be real.