A Dark Destiny

Chapter 8

Bertha was asleep and she looked so calm and peaceful. From the time we brought her to the clinic, she hadn't woken up. She needed all the rest she could get. When we brought her here, I heard some nurses talking down the hall about how hard it was for the other nurses on duty last night to have her under control. I bet those same nurses were at home resting as well.

I was sitting on a chair beside Bertha's bedside in the ward. Regina, the Head Girl, had put me on guard duty for some reason. I wasn't up for the idea in the first place because it wasn't my responsibility. Or at least it felt that way. I had classes for crying out loud. If there was anyone who should really be with Bertha, it was any prefect or teacher on duty, not me.

I leaned back further on my chair, feeling a little frustrated. Now I understood how guards felt when they were alone with no one to talk to, some of them sitting on a chair all alone with nothing to do except keep a look out for anything strange that might happen. No wonder some of them easily fall asleep.

I wish I had a book with me to keep myself occupied. Being in the ward could be so boring sometimes. There were a few sick patients admitted in the ward Bertha was in, most of them belonged to the neighbouring community outside school. Some patients' families came to see them to deliver breakfast and simply have a chat. Others were alone and still in their beds with a nurse coming round for a routine checkup. Bertha had already been checked and the nurse said she was okay and stable. I believed her for a moment, but I became a little paranoid when the nurse went on to check the other patients. If Bertha woke up, would she be as stable as the nurse declared she was?

Time had passed and I realised I hadn't stood up from my chair ever since I got here. Sitting in one place for a really long time without doing anything didn't only make me sick of boredom, it also made me sick for sure. And the strong smell of medicine and bleach used to mop the floors was too much. I'm not much of a sport but I am also not an idle person either. I was one who liked to walk around just to stretch and exercise my legs and take a breath of fresh air. It's what I really needed right now. I couldn't stay in the ward any longer.

I stood up from my seat and made sure I gave myself a good stretch, lifting my arms in the air. It felt so good. My body felt a little relieved. I noticed a few locals who had come to pay a visit, look at me, some in a weird sort of way. I ignored them. It wasn't my fault I needed a stretch.

I turned to look at the time on the clock hang on the wall. I had already missed break time and I realised how hungry I was. It was heading to 11 and that meant I had an hour till lunch time. I wondered if I was allowed to go back to school for lunch. I was starving.

With another hour still to go, I started to walk out of the ward. I made sure I did so very slowly because I didn't want to disturb Bertha. Luckily, Bertha's bed was close to the door. When I reached it, I looked at her. She hadn't moved an inch. If you were to look at her for a really long time, you would think she was dead. But she was perfectly breathing, all right. I saw her chest rise and fall steadily. She was fine.

I felt relief when I stepped into the hall of the clinic and started to walk towards the door at the far end which led straight outside. I took in a deep breath of fresh air when I stepped out. It was just what I needed.

I took a walk towards some trees in the middle of the clinic grounds. There were a few nurses and patients walking around and in the middle of the hospital premises, was a well next to a big tree. This was where people in the community came to draw their water. There weren't many water sources in the area, so for some, drawing water here was pretty convenient for them.

As I approached the well, a strong wind came along that for a moment, I had to close my eyes to prevent any dust from entering them. And luckily, my uniform dress wasn't so flared, so, I didn't have to worry about the hem flying over my head. The strong wind was biting cold as well. I looked up in the sky and I didn't see any sign of a dark cloud anywhere. Strange. The rainy season had already passed and we didn't experience the cold season till June. Why the sudden change in weather?