The vibration ricocheted across the room, causing everyone but me to nearly wet their pants.
"What the hell are you both telling me? No cancer? Poisoned? A mix up? Tell me everything right now or I promise to sue this hospital and make sure none of you ever make use of your medical certificates again." I cursed harshly at them. I rarely cursed but no one could judge me for the lividity seeping through me at the moment.
"Please don't do that Sir. We have families to feed and some of us are about to retire and will be in dire need of our pensions as soon as that happens. Please hear us out Sir. We promise to explain translucently." the calm doctor begged, almost dropping to his knees. What he failed to understand was, he already had me at pensions. There was no way I'd sue them now that I knew they'd lose their retirement funds if I did so. My mission to make people cheerful was still in check.
Sighing, I lifted my eyes to the ceiling in a bid to regain my composure.
"I won't do anything if you can both calm down and explain in full detail, what's going on." I responded tactfully, gaining their reliefs. They both faced each other, took deep breaths and then the same doctor spoke up. I had to give the props to him for his boost of courage.
"As I said earlier, when you came for a check up there was a mix up in your test results. On that same day, Mr Patrick Jeremiah Houston, amongst other patients, was tested. Upon an investigation which happened yesterday, it was confirmed that your test results and his, were accidentally swapped. He was the one who had the Stage III Cancer of the heart." he narrated reasonably.
"He was? Why are you referring to him in the past tense?" Alexa, my overly smart Personal Assistant asked.
"He died two months ago as a result of being treated for the wrong ailment. He had been taking medications for your own ailment which is poisoning, while you had been receiving medications for his ailment, that is, Cancer of the heart. Unfortunately, his case was far stronger than the medications that he became worse and eventually died in his estate two months ago. You on the other hand, are fortunate because the medicines you have been taking, were able to sustain you up to this point but then they lost their effect because there existed a regular and steady dose of poisoning we believe you have been taking everyday."
My God! I fell silent over their allegations. Could there be truth in his words? Realizing my speechlessness, he resumed.
"Yesterday, after your arrival at the hospital unconscious, I had a prompting to redo another general check up before we started any form of treatment. The results came and we found out that this poison is responsible for all the damages to your immune system and all symptoms that followed; the intense quivering of your hands, the dry coughs, incessant heart aches, blood, and over all physical and mental degeneration. We haven't confirmed the name of this poison yet but we believe it to be a slow one that weakens the entire body slowly but surely and prevents all traces of suspicion."
"Furthermore, its toxic contents have been regularly induced in liquid substances which you drank perhaps daily or weekly. The surgery we performed was to flush out the entire contents of your stomach, cleanse your heart and digestive system and watch what happens next. We were amazed by your immediate progress thereafter. I'm sure you feel much better than you have in a while, am I right sir?" He enquired with a smile mingled with fright over my reaction. I touched my heart through the hospital gown I wore and felt the same lightness and energy I had felt the instant I woke up. I gave a little nod.
But everything still sounded so untrue. I have been poisoned for months? How come? The sound from the doctor's further throat clearing, brought me out of my reverie.
"Now sir, what I'm about to say next, concerns everyone else present in this room. I believe these are the closest persons in your life and one, if not all of them, is responsible for steadily poisoning you for months. The police is in the building as well as other Federal Authorities and they will likely discover the culprit behind this in a matter of hours. However, if you decide to confess here and now, your sentence will be lightened." The other doctor expressed rather cautiously to the others present.
My gaze moved from the doctor to rest of them. These were indeed the closest to me in family, business and friendship. Who had the wickedness of heart to do this to me and why? I studied Samira, she was the least suspect. I had only met her about four months ago, definitely after the symptoms began. Even when we met, we had dinner at a restaurant that took care of both our meals and drinks, other times she served me Ice cream, she did so in public, where everyone else could see and taste from it. To a large extent, I could consider her innocent.
Next, Alexa. This smart woman was one of the brains in my business. For years, her loyalty to the success of my company has never been subjected to any form of doubts. Moreover, she rarely served me at the office. I had employees who took care of that and most times, I ate at the office's Cafeteria where I served myself. Therefore, I believed she was innocent.
Moving on to my uncle Gerald. No matter how successful I had become, I owed my Uncle a part of my success. He had been a constant source of support to me. His resourcefulness in practical matters laid the foundation of my business after my parents passed on. Also, he rarely served me anything. We always hung out in the office where my employees served us late night dinners or brunches, even breakfasts. Nah, he was innocent!
Finally, Harriet, my second mother! This woman had been with me since I was a baby, nurturing me as a nanny. Undoubtedly, for her care and usefulness, my parents saw her as an asset and hired her as a chef based on her culinary education. Ever since I knew her, never had she treated me any different from the way she'd treat her child though she never gave birth. She called me 'Son' and made sure I never lacked anything concerning food. Besides she would have killed me a long time ago if she wanted to. I mean, she practically fed me from infancy till date. She was innocent, no doubt!
My gaze returned to the doctors and I cried out loud.
"These people are innocent! They have in one way or the other shown me how much I mean to them. They aren't capa—" I withheld the rest of my statement after finding Harriet and my Uncle having weird facial expressions which my brain registered as guilt.
No! I was reading into this far too much. There was no way...
WAIT A MINUTE!!!
"Make sure you drink all of the fruit juice. I poured my love into it." Harriet had ordered the night I got home after talking to Samira and walking her to her house for the first time.
And then my Uncle,
"Oh and make sure you drink all of your hot chocolate, I put all my love into it." he had ordered me along the same choice of words the day he dropped by my office, to give me a cup of hot chocolate.
Moreover, Harriet had repeated the same words
"Great. Make sure you drink it all. I poured all my love into it." she had compelled me yet again that day I decided to dress all casual—in a designer tracksuit and sneakers—to work, to finish up the weird but tasty green apple and cucumber smoothie.
Oh No! It couldn't be true. No No No, they wouldn't do that to me. This was just a misunderstanding.
Suddenly, flashes from yesterday came, precisely from my conversation with Samira during our phone call.
"...but after Harriet's sumptuous breakfast and tasty guava juice, I haven't been feeling well. I have taken my medication though. I'm hoping the fatigue I feel wears off soon."
No, God, no! But then I rarely saw them together. Gerald was hardly ever home, he had a mansion quite close to my penthouse in the city and Harriet never went with me to the office. How could they have plotted it together?
"Speaking of what you've missed, are you aware that your uncle, Gerald and your chef, Harriet, are dating?" Samira's voice in my head grew loud and clear.
"Well, I think they make a sweet couple. You should have seen them yesterday, all mushy and touchy feely." her puppy dog eyed expression had been so alight with adoration for them.
I still couldn't believe it.
"...Perhaps on the surface, they may seem different but in their hearts, I think they have the same personality." my words from earlier today hung in the air.
Like-minded, Uncle Gerald and Harriet had poisoned me steadily all these months, years even!
They tried to kill me!
For how long?
And why?
OH MY GOD!!!
I turned to them, tears filling my eyes to the brim, in disbelief and utter shock that the closest people, the two people I valued the most were responsible.
I looked at both of them, pointing at them in pain. Sheer Anguish!
"It was you... Both of you!"