SHADOWS (1)

It was an idle morning at the nurse station in the male ward of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. The two young female nurses on the morning duty were busy, talking and catching up with each other’s social lives when Nurse Lola Adewunmi walked in with a patient file.

‘Good morning, Nurse Lola.’ They chorused. She nodded in acknowledgment as she flipped through the file, catching up on her patient’s medical record.

‘The party was great. I can’t remember the last time I had such fun. After taking two shots of tequila mixed with an energy drink, it was as if the bolts in my muscles were released. I danced as if there was no tomorrow. Tunde’s undivided attention also went straight to my head. The guy was a great dancer.’ Adedoyin’s voice was tinged with excitement as she bounced on the wooden seat.

‘Hmm. May I conclude that you guys eventually ended up in bed or in the car or inside the restroom? Which is it?’ Chinwe’s eyes danced with mischief. Adedoyin giggled girlishly.

‘What do you expect? He handled my body like a pro he was right at the back of his car.’ She raised four fingers.

‘Four rounds? In one night? Na sleep sure pass today.’ Chinwe’s eyes widened in amazement.

‘I am not sure how we got to his house but when I wake up in the morning, we were right in bed together. He eventually drove me to my house at mid-day where I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.’ She sighed with contentment.

‘You are one lucky babe. I wish I have such a lucky day. My guy is out of town. I slept throughout my off-day after doing my laundry.’

‘My dear, the stress on this job is too much. All work and no play make Adedoyin a dull girl.’

‘You are right. I hope you remember the raincoat in the throes of unbridled passion? It is very important.’

‘Importanter self!’ They both giggled helplessly.

‘Nurses, have you seen the new physician? He should be resuming today.’ Lola interrupted their conversation.

‘No. Who is he? Where is he coming from?’ Adedoyin was curious.

‘I don’t have his name but he is replacing Doctor Akpan.’ Her response was absent-minded as she mentally reviewed the number of patients she would be visiting for the morning round, provided there was no emergency requesting her attention.

She was a Senior Nursing sister at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and presently worked at the male ward.

‘What does he look like? We need new faces around here, especially the male species.’ Chinwe winked at her companion.

‘Are you interested in his physical or professional trait?’ Lola raised an eyebrow to her. Both girls tittered like silly school girls. ‘Do you ever discuss other things apart from men? They are not worth your attention as far as I am concerned. If you want to know what he looks like, you will have to wait until he resumes.’ She picked up more files and turned on her heels.

‘Matron Bello is around. I will suggest you postpone your gist and get on with your morning duties.’ She added as she walked away.

‘Yes, ma’am.’ They both jumped down from the stool and went into different part of the building.

*****

Omolola was half-way through her morning ward round when the sound of a siren announced the arrival of an ambulance. She glanced through the window and saw the medics wheeled out the accident victim. It was a single male soaked to his skin in his own blood. He was taken straight into the emergency ward for immediate surgery.

She wondered fleetingly if he would survive the accident, even as she went back to her duty and promptly forgot about the whole scene.

*****

‘Hush! Common, you are a big boy!’ Omolola teased the teenage boy who was rubbing his bum where he just took an injection. His eyes shone with unshed tears while a single tear rolled down the side of his face.

‘I hate injections.’ His voice was gruff as he turned away.

‘Sit down, dear. Take a deep breath.’ She pushed him down unto a seat.

‘Thank you, ma’am.’ His voice was shaky as he dropped into the seat and closed his eyes.

‘Nurse Lola, are you through? Matron Bello needs your urgent attention.’ Chinwe poked her head into the injection room.

‘I will be out in a moment. Thank you.’ She checked the files on the desk and realized the young boy was her last patient for now.

‘Take your time, dear. I will send your mother in to fetch you.’ She laid a hand briefly on his shoulder, he nodded in acknowledgment and she left the room.

*****

‘The new physician hasn’t resumed yet. I will call Doctor Ahmad at LUTH and find out what is going on. Our doctors are over-worked as it is now.’ Matron Bello complained as she walked into her cubicle. Omolola smiled and waited. 

‘Do you remember the accident victim from the collision with a tanker driver who was brought in last week?’ Matron Bello linked her fingers on her ample bosom.

‘Yes, ma’am. His surgery was successful, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, it was. He is recuperating quite well but we have an issue on ground.’ She paused dramatically. Omolola almost rolled her eyes in exasperation but she merely inclined her head and waited for her to continue. ‘He has lost his memory. He can’t remember anything up till he opened his eyes after the surgery. Unfortunately, his identity got lost when the car caught fire a few minutes after he was rescued.’ She sighed heavily.

‘That is so sad. How is he going to pay his hospital bills?’ Omolola’s voice was full of empathy.

‘You are always practical. You have no sentimental bone in your body.’ She grinned at the younger woman.

‘Well, someone needs to pay the bill.’ Her lips curved up in an answering smile.

‘You are right. The management is interested in his case. I guess that was because it has been a while we treated any case of Amnesia, especially one resulting from an accident. They will take care of the bills for now. I am putting you in charge of the patient. I want you to work closely with Doctor Umoru. He is his attending physician.’ She lifted up a file and gave it to her.

‘There is no name on his file.’ Omolola stared down at the file, a frown creasing her face.

‘That is because we have no name for him yet. I am sure you will work out something between the two of you.’ Her voice was dismissive as she turned to the system on her desk.

Omolola turned on her heels and walked out.

*****

‘Nurse Lola!’ Adedoyin was breathless as she walked up to her briskly.

‘Yes, Adedoyin. How may I help you?’ Omolola was about to open the door to her patient’s ward when Adedoyin called her name.

‘I learned that you will be taking care of the new patient who has lost his memory.’

Talk of a busy grapevine! Omolola rolled her eyes in exasperation and planted her hands on her hips as she faced her junior colleague.

‘So?’

‘Calm down nau. Have you seen him?’ Her voice dropped to a whisper but her eyes were dancing with excitement.

‘What about him? Why do I need to see him if I have no business with him?’

‘You don’t know what you are missing. He is 6 feet of yummy chocolate sweetness with slanted dreamy eyes. Oh my gosh!’ She fluttered her fingers in front of her face and made a fainting motion. Omolola tried to stifle her laughter but failed miserably.

‘Adedoyin, get out of my sight. I have a patient to attend to. By the way, please pick up my files for the afternoon ward round. I also want you to check on that teenage boy, Ademola and update me on his progress.’ She turned away and opened the door.

Adedoyin didn’t hide her sigh as she stared at Omolola’s curvy backside. She doesn’t even know what she has. I wished I am the one with that bad-ass figure, I will slay till I die. Her thought was filled with envy as she walked away.

*****

‘My name is Ademola.’ Her new patient announced as she stepped in, making her pause mid-stride. She glanced at the second bed which was empty and back at him. He was obviously talking to her!

His head was wrapped in abandage, his left arm was hanging in a cast and likewise his left leg with healing scrapes and bruises on his body. Despite all the scars, he was an absolute pleasure to look at. He was nude except for the knee-length shorts he wore and his long body was draped over the hospital bed carelessly.

She disliked good-looking men. Good-looking was too tame a name to describe this man, though. No wonder all the nurses were going crazy over him. Her defense went up automatically and she frowned as she placed her medical tray on his bedside table.

‘How do you know your name is Ademola?’ Her voice had dropped several inches cooler.

‘I heard you mention the name to your colleague and it clicked in my memory. I can’t remember my surname though.’ He frowned in concentration.

‘Were you eavesdropping on our conversation, Mr. Ademola?’ She gave him a reproaching up and down appraisal.

‘No, I wasn’t. I was coming from the restroom when I heard your conversation with your colleague.’ He gestured to the crutches leaning against the wall and grinned at her. He had obviously heard more than his name. Her gaze turned frosty. ‘Why are you angry?’ His voice turned curious.

‘I am not angry.’ She took deep, even breath to level out her temper. She couldn’t remember the last time she was angry. It took a lot to get her angry these days.

‘I could have been fooled.’ His lips twitched in amusement which vanished in the next moment. ‘I have amnesia. Where was I coming from for God’s sake?’ He added after a moment as he stared unseeingly at the door.

His words jolted her and reminded her she had a job to do. He is nothing but your patient. Don’t let him get a rise out of you. He is just a JOB!

‘How do you know a loss of memory is called Amnesia?’ Her voice was comforting as she picked up his wrist and felt for his pulse.

‘I just know.’ He shrugged and looked up at her. ‘It is funny that this environment feels so familiar to me as if I have been here before.’

‘You probably work in a hospital or pharmacy or any similar health facility. Does that jolt your memory?’ Her voice was soothing as she checked the bandage on his head wound. She cleaned it up and replaced it.

‘Do you have a headache? A Migraine?’ He shook his head in the negative. ‘Good. You are healing up nicely. The cast in your arm should be removed before this week run out. The one in your leg will take a while. Please turn over for your injection.’

‘There is no known cure or treatment for Transient global Amnesia, right?’ His voice was quiet as she helped him to turn unto his stomach. She gave him a steady look.

‘You seem to know a lot of medical jargons, Mr. Ademola. I am sure no Doctor has mentioned that to your hearing.’ He winced slightly as the needle came in contact with the skin on his bum and rubbed it gently when she was done.

‘You are right, Nurse Lola. What do you think?’ His voice was vibrating with suppressed excitement, even as the injection started taking immediate effect. He was struggling to stay awake.

‘Go to sleep, Mr. Ademola. I will bring you some medical journals and macho novels to jostle your brain.’ The last thing he saw as he drifted off to sleep was the smile which transformed her face.

The transformation took his breath away!

*****

‘Good evening Nurse Lola.’ Nurse Aziza greeted as she was preparing to leave for the day.

‘Good evening, Nurse Aziza. How was your day?’ Omolola smiled as she signed in for the night.

‘It was crazy, my dear. You will think everyone is falling sick in this town. The doctors are over-worked. Doctor Jeff nearly snapped my head off today.’ Aziza complained good-naturedly.

‘You should have sent Nurse Chinwe to him. You know she can seduce the devil with her yellow pawpaw skin.’ Aziza burst into hearty laughter. Omolola didn’t crack a smile. ‘By the way, the new Doctor hasn’t resumed yet?’

‘No. I learned Doctor Ahmad is out of the country and couldn’t be reached. By the way, your patient, Ademola has made tremendous progress. He has been walking around with crutches.’ She beamed at her.

‘He is not my patient. He has been on admission for more than 7 weeks. He ought to be discharged any moment from now.’ She removed a powder puff from her purse and dust it over her face.

‘I heard the Doctors discussing that he had been of great assistance to them. You know he has made friends with lots of them and taken the habit of sitting in with them when they are attending to Outpatients. We have you to thank for that discovery. The only problem is that he has nowhere to go.’

‘You can offer him a room in your palatial home in the GRA nau.’ Omolola’s eyes danced with amusement.

‘God forbids. Mba nu….make he com impregnate my sisters and sisters in law, bah? You are the one who is single. Please extend your hospitality.’

‘Thank you, madam Aziza. I am not searching. My regards to your family.’ She turned on her heels and walked into the ward.

‘What kind of mysterious woman are you? What are you hiding, Omolola Adewunmi?’ Despite the fact that they have been colleagues for more than five years, she realized she knew nothing about her personal life. ‘One day will be one-day sha…’ She picked up her purse and left the hospital premises.

*****

‘Good evening Nurse Lola.’ Ademola was sitting up in bed with a big textbook and biro.

‘Good evening Mr. Ademola. I can see you have been busy. How is your health?’ Her voice was brisk and friendly as she checked his wounds. It remained just the leg cast and lots of scarring bruises on his body.

‘I am fine. Thank you for all the books you sent through Nurse Adedoyin. I am most grateful. I have not gotten all my faculties back but I know I belong to the medical world.’

‘You have not been to the other world. You have not left the hospital premises since you were admitted more than 7 weeks ago. I spoke to Doctor Umoru. You will be discharged before the week runs out.’ She picked up her tray.

‘Where will I go? What will I be doing? It is as if a thin veil was covering the memory of my past lives. I feel so frustrated and helpless.’ He banged a knotted fist on the bed.

‘Please give it time. The cause of the temporary memory loss may be due to acute emotional distress as you are not suffering from a migraine or injury to any part of the brain. It will come back with time.’ Her voice was full of empathy.

‘I have been having nightmares though.’ His voice was barely above a whisper.

‘What kind of nightmare?’

‘There is a woman who kept shouting and screaming at me but I don’t understand what she was saying neither I can decipher it. I don’t know who she was either.’ He flipped through the textbook absently.

‘She is probably your wife. I am sure she will be worried by now.’ A sudden sense of disappointment swept over her. Get a grip, Omolola! What do you care about his marital status?

‘I know I have never been married to anyone. I am quite sure of that.’ Or am I? The thought filled him with a sense of dread. Do I have a family somewhere waiting for me to come home? What is this for God’s sake? He wiped a slightly trembling hand down his face and looked at her.

‘I need help with my accommodation. Who can I talk to?’ He asked after a moment.

‘You also need money. What can you do without money?’

‘You are absolutely right. Omolola, please help me. What am I going to do?’ He took her free hand in his but she slid it free and stepped away. He frowned.

She told him about the position of the physician who refused to show up.

‘Speak to Matron Bello. I am sure she will refer you to the medical director. I will see what I can do with your accommodation issue. In the meantime, try to rest and have a good night sleep. It is past midnight already.’ She opened the door.

‘Thank you, Omolola. I can never repay your kindness to me but I will try my best.’ He felt humbled.

‘Don’t thank me too much. Just see me as your surrogate younger sister or mother as the case may be until the real ones turned up.’ He was laughing when she closed the door.

She was not sure if her joking warning was for his benefit or her own. She sighed inaudibly as she went about her business for the rest of the night. 

*****

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