DEATH CAN WAIT.
EPISODE 11.
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(AT THE HOSPITAL)
"Shola, please calm down," Emmanuel urged gently. "Focus on me and take slow, deep breaths. I'll go get Doctor Collins right away. Just stay calm until I get back."
Without waiting for a response, Emmanuel immediately left Shola's ward, closing the door quietly behind him. He made his way through the hallway, intending to find Doctor Collins and brief him on Shola's situation.
As soon as Emmanuel left, Shola was terrified of being alone and desperate for companionship. She gripped the hospital blanket and covered herself underneath it, thinking it would provide enough security until Emmanuel returned. She feared the ghostly medical team might reappear at any moment, and being alone in the ward filled her with unbearable anxiety.
Out of panic and fear, Shola frantically removed the IV cannula from her hand. The sharp sting that followed as she pulled out the tube from her vein caused blood to drip down her wrist. But she didn't care; she didn't even feel the pain at that moment. All she wanted was to escape the ward, and be free from the ghosts haunting her.
She jumped out of bed quickly, feeling a slight pain in her belly, but that too was not enough to distract her at the moment. Shola then hurried toward the hospital door, ran out of her ward, and sprinted down the hallway as fast as she could.
She soon arrived at the hospital waiting area, where many people were present and staring at her in surprise. Shola's patient hospital gown, her unkempt hair, and her sudden entrance had caught everyone's attention, making them stare at her as if she had lost her mind.
Shola quickly composed herself and scanned the hospital waiting area until she spotted a much younger girl, also dressed in the same hospital gown as hers. The girl looked sad, and people passed her by without notice. Shola was curious about this girl because they shared the same hospital attire, so she decided to approach her.
"Hey," Shola said, turning in the direction of the sad girl. "Why are you here? Where are your parents?"
The sad girl, no more than 14 years old, raised her head and stared at Shola as if she had just witnessed something miraculous.
"You… Can you see me?" the sad young girl asked, stammering.
"Of course. You're right there," Shola replied, without noticing that people in the waiting area were starting to stare at her again. "What is your name, and where are your parents?" Shola asked the girl again.
"My name is Aminat, and no one else has seen me since…" the young girl said. "I'm so glad you can see me."
"What do you mean, no one has seen you since?" Shola asked Aminat, wondering if she was speaking with another ghost again. "What's going on with you?" Shola pressed.
"I was admitted to this hospital last week," Aminat explained. "It was supposed to be a minor illness, nothing serious. But then… Doctor Collins came alone to my ward. He said I needed an injection. After that… I started feeling strange. My body felt heavy, and then… I couldn't breathe anymore."
"Wait," Shola exclaimed, beginning to take a few steps back from Aroina. She hadn't even realized that people in the hospital waiting area had been staring at her frantic behavior the entire time.
"Are you saying you… you are dead?" Shola asked Aminat fearfully.
"Yes. I didn't even realize I was dead at first," Aminat replied, nodding slowly. "I kept thinking I was asleep. But no one responded to me. They didn't even notice when I tried to talk to them, until I met you."
"No, no, no. This can't be happening. Not again," Shola exclaimed, stumbling back and shaking her head. "Leave me alone. You're a ghost. Stay away from me, all of you!" She continued to shout at Aminat.
"Please, I need your help," Aminat pleaded, but Shola wasn't ready to accept the presence of strange beings in her life.
"Get away from me!" Shola screamed in the waiting area, drawing the attention of a nurse sitting behind the counter.
"Madam, is this how you leave your patients roaming around the hospital?" a man in the waiting area said, and others gestured in surprise as well, murmuring among themselves.
The people continued to stare at Shola as she tried to push back an unseen (Aminat) presence. The nurse behind the counter began moving toward her also, and Emmanuel and Doctor Collins arrived at the waiting area too, after seeing Shola strange behavior through the CCTV camera from Doctor Collins' office.
"Shola!" Emmanuel called out, and she turned to face him.
"She is here again, Emmanuel! Another ghost!" Shola exclaimed, pointing at the position of Aminat, but no one could see anything.
"Listen to me, Shola," Emmanuel said, gently grabbing her by the hand. "There's no ghost there. It's just us, and you should return to your ward."
Some nurses stepped forward and tried to drag Shola away, and as they did, she continued shouting, "A ghost is there! I can see her! She's real!" However, no one believed her words.
"This is delusional," Doctor Collins murmured, turning to face Emmanuel. "We will run more tests on Shola. It's likely a severe stress response, possibly hallucinations that are affecting her."
"I hope so too," Emmanuel replied, looking concerned.
Meanwhile, the ghost of Aminat, whom Shola had seen, returned to her seat quietly, hoping to cross paths with Shola again sometime in the hospital.
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Shola was dragged back to her ward by the nurses and made to sit on the edge of the bed. However, she was resistant and tried to free herself, unwilling to stay in the same ward where she felt haunted by ghosts.
As she continued to struggle against the nurses, Doctor Collins and Emmanuel stepped in. They moved closer to Shola and calmly told her to relax.
"You are safe, Shola," Doctor Collins assured her. "There are no ghosts in this entire hospital."
"I don't want to stay in this ward anymore," Shola cried. "I'm scared, and the ghost might come back."
After noticing that their efforts to calm Shola down were failing, Doctor Collins decided to offer an alternative that could benefit his plans and help address Shola's concerns more effectively.
"Listen, Shola," Doctor Collins said. "I understand how frightening this is, and here's what we can do. We'll move you to a different ward, closer to my office, and this way I'll ensure your security."
"Yes, I just want to leave this place," Shola replied, glancing around the ward in fear.
"Very well then, I'll arrange to move you to a different ward, closer to my office," Doctor Collins said. "If anything happens, you can reach me immediately using the call button by your bedside."
"Thank you, Doctor," Shola replied and stood up.
Doctor Collins instructed the nurses to guide Shola to the new ward, and also help her settle in.
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(The new ward)
Upon arrival at the newly assigned ward, Shola found the room to be more private and smaller than the first one. It was located just down the hall from Doctor Collins' office. She sat on the bed and cautiously scanned the room for any signs of ghosts. However, there were none for the moment, and she felt a bit calmer.
"This is the call button to contact me on,Shola," Doctor Collins said when he arrived at the new ward. "If you need anything at all, just press it, and I'll come right away."
"I appreciate this, Doctor," Shola replied.
"We are here to help you, Shola," Doctor Collins said with a warm smile. "I know you've been through a lot, but we will get to the root of everything troubling you soon."
"Thank you very much, Doctor," Shola said, expressing her gratitude.
"I'll be leaving for the night now," Doctor Collins informed Shola. "But don't worry; I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning to check on you. After your routine medical examination, we'll visit your mother in the evening."
"Really, tomorrow evening," Shola asked excitedly.
"Yes, by tomorrow evening," Doctor Collins assured her reassuringly. "I'll help clear up any misunderstandings between you and your mother, and I'm confident that she will stop being upset with you."
"Thank you Doctor," Shola expressed gratitude almost with teary eyes.
"It's the right thing to do; you don't have to thank me for that," Doctor Collins told Shola. "Your mother has her reasons for being upset, and they're very valid. However, I believe in second chances, and I'm confident that when I talk to Mrs. Anderson and possibly your father, they'll forgive you."
"Thank you, Doctor," Shola said, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks once more.
"Take care of yourself tonight, Shola," Doctor Collins said and glanced at his intern, Emmanuel.
"Emmanuel, you will be staying for the night, and everything is in your care," Doctor Collins instructed him. "Please ensure Shola knows she's not alone, and also attend to the other patients. In the event of an emergency, don't forget to call me immediately."
"I will, Doctor," Emmanuel replied, moving closer to Shola and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Please call me if you need anything, and I'll be there for you. Get some rest, too. Tomorrow is a new day."
Without another word, Doctor Collins, Emmanuel, and the nurses left the new ward, leaving Shola alone. Immediately after they left, Shola's fears returned, and she began glancing around the room again, hoping that the ghost would not come to haunt her anymore in this new room.
TO BE CONTINUED….
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