The law that govern circumstances are abolished by new circumstances; which means it up to you to gauge each new situation-- Napoleon
The VIP ward suddenly turned hot and saturated. Metallic tension hung heavily on the air. Obi could feel his body emitting dangerous smoke, Ifeoma felt relieved, saddened and scared, Greg felt accomplished. He could feel Obi's anger and Ifeoma's jumbled emotions just like he expected. He knew he was slowly but surely getting to his goal.
Obi was furious. How dare he? He thought. The Igbos would say: 'a stubborn fly always follows the corpse to the grave.' Obi could only attribute Greg's behaviour to the riddle of a fly that refuses to see that death is near.
"Oh my God Greg" Ifeoma almost jumped to her feet. The only reason she didn't was because of the IV needle inserted on her right hand. Greg didn't look good at all; he looked swollen and pale and she blamed herself for it. Greg was a good man, he only wanted to see her that was his only crime. How could Obi treat him like this...
"Ify are you ok?" He asked as he slowly walked towards Ifeoma's bed, his drip stand towering beside him. He intentionally ignored Obi totally, it was as if he wasn't there. He treated his presence like he was invincible.
Obi clinched his fits. This man clearly have a death wish he thought.
"I should be the one asking if you're ok" Ifeoma replied remorsefully. She could see the worry in his face; that was her Greg; he always put her first. Once again she felt guilty.
"I tried to save you... I was so worried I felt my soul leave my body..." He used his left hand to cover his face as he took a long drag of breath. "I wouldn't have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you or your baby" Greg said as he stares lovely and remorsefully at Ifeoma.
Meanwhile Obi was scowling hard at them. If only looks could kill then Greg would have being slashed to many pieces. The only thing preventing him from reacting was the thought of Ifeoma experiencing another shock.
"Calm down Obi, it's only for a fleeting moment" he whispered to himself as he closed his eyes momentarily. But, as he opened his eyes what he saw almost made him want to bring down the damn building; he was at the verge of going berserk.
Greg was touching Ifeoma's cheeks and she allowed him. She even closed her eyes as a tear made its way down her cheeks.
Obi was exasperated, first the fool was touching his wife's cheek now his wife was crying for him. He felt a spasm in his heart. Her tears felt like the tears of longing, of wishing. No! He would be a fool to watch on and allow his anger blast inside him.
In the next second he was pushing Greg's hands off his wife's cheeks... "Take your filthy hands off my wife" his voice thundered. The tension in his voice reverberated through the room that a tin of milk soon came crashing down from a table beside the bed.
Ifeoma was snapped back to reality. She momentarily forgot that Obi was still inside the room. The guilt she felt towards Greg's condition blurred every other thing.
She looked at the whitish substance on the floor and she felt a familiar fear; she saw a flash of what happened at the restaurant and she knew she had to do something before the situation turn ugly again.
"Stop" Ifeoma shouted; her breath sharp and fast.
Greg had a smirk and a little twitch on his face, Obi glared hard at him.
"I only came to check on her yet you want to molest me yet again, in her presence yet again, even in my condition yet again, a condition you single-handedly put me in... Are you even human!" Greg said in a husky tone.
Obi was cloaked in vexation. The nerve of him this git he thought to himself. "Leave here" Obi said in a commanding tone.
Greg looked astonished, he looked at Ifeoma as if asking her if it was alright for him to leave and alright for her to stay with the manic she married.
Ifeoma closed her eyes and opened it, inhaling sharply. "Leave us" she said in a throaty voice. Greg had a disappointed expression whist Obi had a triumphant expression but the table soon turned.
"Please leave us Obi" she said almost in a near whisper.
Obi was astonished he could have sworn he didn't hear right but the look on Ifeoma's eyes said he all.
Greg was surprised in fact he didn't expect Ifeoma to root for him, at least not this fast. He beamed silently.
Obi knew it was better he left, it was better he didn't stay else he knew he would destroy everything in sight and he didn't want Ifeoma to see that side of him again, not after what she's gone through and still recovering from. That in mind he left without looking back banging the door after him. He knew he needed to channel his anger towards something.
"I'm so sorry Ify" Greg said as Obi banged the door.
"No Greg it is I that needs to be sorry... This past hours I've caused you nothing but pain... I'm terribly sorry" she said admist slight sobs.
Greg came closer and sat on her bed whist balancing his right hand on the movable drip stand and using his left hand to clean her tears.
"It is not in your place to be sorry, it is not you who should..." He seemed to think of something before he continued: "we are both the victims here and I blame myself for failing to protect you."
Ifeoma was taken aback by his statement: 'we are both victims' she never saw herself as a victim; she knew she wasn't the victim of anything. As much as she wasn't in support of what Obi had done to him; she on the other hand was not harmed. But, like her prince on shining armour he had saved her. So, she found the need to clarify the situation.
"I'm sorry for what my husband did to you... He isn't always like that, he is usually a clam and thoughtful person. Something must have prompted his actions, I'm sorry it exploded on you..."
Greg's heart broke into a thousand pieces; her words pierced his heart that it hurt more than Obi's physical abuse . She referred to him as 'my husband' with so much emotions in her voice. To worsen it all, she was making excuses for Obi. It seemed like ; she wasn't perturbed about what Obi did to him; almost like she was ok for him to be recipient of her husband's action but at same time sorry he was.
Greg had expected her to condemn her husband's behaviour. Wasn't it why she asked him out? So she could be free to talk about his unruly and beastly actions towards him... But here she was making excuses for him.
"Ify, that man's behaviour was unruly and unacceptable. Why are you making excuses for him?" Greg tried not to let his emotions burst; he didn't only feel betrayed he felt overwhelmed with anger.
"I'm not making excuses for him... Trust me, Obi is a wonderful person if you get to know him...." She didn't like that Greg had referred to Obi as 'that man' but she let it slide since she was sure he was angry and he had a reason enough to.
"Can you listen to yourself!" Greg cut Ifeoma short. "Ify I fear for you, if he could do this to me a total stranger I fear for what he might do to you" there was an undercurrent to his tone but he hoped he sounded concerned and convincing enough.
"I know you care for me" she paused "but Obi would never lay his hands on me" Ifeoma wondered why she felt so sure and why she was defending Obi. She felt so certain, so confident about what she just said her statement awed even herself.
"Do you love him?" Greg suddenly muttered.