DEATH CAN WAIT.
EPISODE 9.
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(AT THE HOSPITAL)
DOCTOR COLLINS POV.
Doctor Collins returned to his office and began pacing back and forth. He was deep in thought after his second encounter with Shola's miraculous recovery.
"I don't know what's happening with this girl, honestly," Dr. Collins pondered. "But whatever it is with Shola, I'm witnessing something truly remarkable for the first time in my career."
He glanced over his desk and grabbed an empty sterile syringe. "I need to run some tests on Shola myself," Doctor Collins muttered. With that, he walked out of his office and began heading towards Shola's ward.
Upon arriving at the ward, Doctor Collins pushed the door open and found Shola still deeply asleep on the hospital bunk. He quietly took out the syringe from his lab coat pocket, inserted the needle into Shola's vein, and drew a sample of her blood.
Shola stirred slightly as the needle pierced her skin, but it wasn't enough to rouse her from her deep slumber. She opened her eyes briefly to stare at Doctor Collins, but they were too heavy, and she quickly drifted back to sleep.
After Doctor Collins drew the blood for sampling, he returned to his office, called one of the laboratory workers over, and handed him the syringe containing Shola's blood sample.
"John, I need you to run some tests for me," Doctor Collins instructed the lab technician. "Be careful, and make sure not to mix this up or make any errors."
"Alright, Doctor," John replied with a nod. "Is there anything specific you would like me to look for?"
"Yes," Doctor Collins responded. "I need you to analyze the blood sample, determine the blood type, check crossmatch compatibility, and run a full panel of tests overall."
"What's the urgency level?" John asked.
"It's urgent, John," Doctor Collins emphasized. "Get the results to my office as soon as you can."
"Understood, Doctor," John said before leaving the room to begin the task immediately.
After several minutes of analyzing Shola's blood in the lab, John returned to Doctor Collins' office. He handed Doctor Collins the results of the test and walked out of the office.
" Pregnant?!" Doctor Collins exclaimed, after reviewing Shola's test results on his desk. He leaned back in his chair, wondering whether this would create complications for the secret plans he had.
Just as he was still thinking, Shola's mother, Mrs. Anderson, burst into the doctor's office. She had received a distressing call from the school management concerning Shola's collapse.
"Doctor Collins," Mrs Anderson exclaimed. "What's happening to my daughter again? This is the second time she has collapsed this week! I came as soon as I got the distressing call from the school."
"Please, take a seat, Mrs. Anderson," Doctor Collins urged, but Shola's mother ignored his offer and stood firmly before him.
"Mrs. Anderson, your child is stable for now," Doctor Collins began. "She suffered another collapse, but we managed to stabilize her condition."
"Thank you, Jesus," Mrs. Anderson breathed a sigh of relief and finally sat down. "But what's really going on, Doctor? Why is my daughter collapsing? This is the second time this week already."
"We can't say for certain why she collapsed at this moment," Doctor Collins explained. "However, during our examination, we discovered that Shola is… pregnant."
"Pregnant?" Mrs. Anderson exclaimed in disbelief. "That's not true, Doctor! You must have mistaken the test results for someone else."
"I am certain of what I'm saying, Mrs. Anderson," Doctor Collins asserted. "It's unfortunate that we could not sustain the pregnancy. Toxic substances were found in Shola's body; as a result, she won't be able to have the baby anymore."
"Are you telling me my teenage daughter, Shola, was carrying a child?" Mrs. Anderson asked, "How is that possible?"
"She was, but not anymore," Dr. Collins confirmed slowly, nodding his head.
"This cannot be true, Doctor!" Mrs. Anderson argued. "I know Shola and how we raised her. Are you sure about this? Are you absolutely certain?"
"I am," Dr. Collins replied firmly. "The test results don't lie."
Mrs. Anderson could not believe her ears; she was clearly frustrated and disappointed. "Shola is barely eighteen! She is a pastor's child! How did this happen? Who is responsible?"
"Please calm down, Mrs. Anderson," Dr. Collins said. "I understand this is difficult, but we need to focus on her health right now. The substance we found in her bloodstream is concerning. Do you have any idea how your daughter could have ingested something so dangerous?"
"Shola doesn't even take painkillers without asking me first," Mrs. Anderson exclaimed. "How am I supposed to know?"
"Substances like what we discovered in Shola's body are often used in unsafe attempts to tērmi-nāte pregnancies," Dr. Collins explained. "It's possible that her boyfriend might have given it to her without her knowledge. You know how kids these days can go to extremes that we can't even imagine."
"Tērmi-nāte a pregnancy?" Mrs. Anderson exclaimed, placing both hands on her head. "So Shola not only got pregnant but attempted to tērmi-nāte it twice? A Godly child whom I thought I could vouch for anywhere? This can't be happening to my family," she said, burying her face in shame.
"I am sorry, Mrs. Anderson," Doctor Collins tried to comfort her. "I know this is a lot to take in regarding your daughter. But for now, we need to ensure she recovers fully first. She will need your support."
"Support? How do I support her when she brings shame to my family?" Mrs Anderson said angrily. "Do you know what this will do to us? To our ministry? Even to her future? Shola will feel the consequences; she will regret opening her legs for a man."
"I understand your concerns, ma'am," Doctor Collins replied carefully. "But Shola is alive, and that's what matters most right now. Everything else can be addressed later."
"Where is she? Where is Shola?" Mrs. Anderson shouted at the top of her lungs. "I need to see her right away!"
"Shola is in ward 204 and needs time to rest," Doctor Collins said. "I would advise that you allow her—"
Before Doctor Collins could complete his words, Mrs. Anderson grabbed her bag and stormed out angrily. She made her way to Room 204, ignoring Doctor Collins' advice.
Upon arriving at the ward, Mrs Anderson pushed the door open forcefully and found her daughter deep in sleep.
Shola lay motionless on the hospital bed, an IV drip connected to her arm. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was shallow. Whatever Nkechi and her friends had put in her food was indeed powerful and was taking a toll on her life.
Mrs. Anderson moved closer to the bed. And without hesitation, she slapped Shola hard on the thigh to wake her.
Shola jolted awake, her eyes flying open in confusion and panic. She sat up quickly, wondering what had happened that landed her in the hospital.
"Mom?" Shola asked, staring around the hospital room. "What... where am I? Why are we here?"
"You dare to ask me that?" Mrs. Anderson burst out, crossing her arms in annoyance. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"Mom, I don't understand," Shola replied, even though pain twisted in her abdomen. She pushed the thin hospital blanket aside, trying to suppress her discomfort.
"You got pregnant, Shola. Pregnant!" Mrs. Anderson finally put it to her face, staring at her in disgust as if she were filth. "A pastor's daughter, carrying a bāstārd child! Do you know what this means for our family? For the ministry?"
Shola opened her mouth, but no words came out of it. She began to panic as she realized her mother had discovered her pregnancy.
"Mom, I—"
"Save it!" Mrs. Anderson snapped, cutting her off. "Do you know the shame you've brought upon us? Upon me? After everything your father and I did to raise you in the ways of the Lord, this is how you repay us? You let yourself be defiled, and now you dare to act surprised after attempting an åbōr–tiōn again."
"Mom, please, I—"
"Don't you dare cry or plead with me," Mrs Anderson repeated. "You should have thought about this before you spread your legs for that worthless boy. You are a disgrace, Shola. To our family, to our ministry, and your siblings! Do you know what people will say when they find out? Do you know the damage you've done to our reputation?"
"It wasn't like that, Mom," Shola said, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Please believe me."
Her mother let out a bitter laugh. "Believe you? Believe what, exactly? That this is some sort of mistake? That you tripped and fell onto a man?" She threw her hands up in frustration. "And to think, you even tērmi-nāte the pregnancy, as if that would somehow make this better."
"Mom, I'm sorry," Shola continued to cry. "I didn't know what to do. I was scared."
"Sorry won't fix any of this," Mrs. Anderson replied. "Sorry won't erase the shame you've brought upon us. You are no longer my daughter, Shola. You weren't even mine anyway. Do you hear me? I disown you today."
"Mom, please, don't say that," Shola quickly went on her knees and grabbed her mother by the hands. "Don't do this to me, I beg you."
"I have no choice," Mrs Anderson said firmly. "When your father hears about this, he'll say the same. You've made your bed, Shola, and now you'll lie in it. Don't even think about coming back home. You're on your own starting from today."
"Please, Mom. Please don't turn your back on me." Shola clung to her mother's skirt, sobbing uncontrollably. But Mrs Anderson stared at her in disdain and yanked her skirt out of her grip.
"The only help you need is from God not me, Shola," Mrs. Anderson replied. "But even God might hesitate to answer your prayers now. How could you defile yourself before marriage and even consider tërmi–nāting it?"
Shola couldn't believe her ears. She watched as her mother walked out, leaving her feeling as if her world was crumbling.
Just then, Dr. Collins entered the room and encountered Mrs. Anderson by the doorway. He was clearly disappointed that the pastor's wife had allowed the situation to escalate out of control, disrupting his patient's recovery in the process.
To Be continued....
@Berry Tyra