Perpetual

One minute everything is fine and the next you watch the one person that means the world to you battling for their life and there is nothing you can possibly do about it except wait.

Sasha has come through with James and Pearl’s aunt. All of us are quiet, the only sound coming from me sniffing back my tears.

James comes and runs his hand on my back trying to console me.

After Pearl sat on the chair complaining about her head hurting it got so worse that she had to be wheeled back to the bed. The doctor came to explain the results of the scan, she had an injury during the accident and her doctor didn’t see it. All this doesn’t make sense to me, how is it that her doctor didn’t see it? He is a professional and couldn’t haven’t missed something as dangerous as this, we could have started treating it immediately after the accident but not I don’t know how bad the situation is but from the way the doctor has explained, it’s something dangerous.

‘Mr. Mweemba.’ The doctor says

‘Yes.’ I respond standing up quickly

‘How is she?’ I add

We had to be asked to wait outside the ward as they attended to her.

I walk with him to the ward and notice that she is being prepared to be moved, she has all of a sudden lost color on her face and looks very weak.

‘Where are you taking her?’

‘To the emergency ward.’

‘Why?’

‘Mr. Mweemba like I explained earlier a lot of things were over looked and Ms. Pearl here needs to be in that ward.’

‘But can someone tell me what exactly is going on? It’s not right that all you are telling me is that she has an injury which was over looked by your fellow doctor and now she has to go in the emergency ward. Why can’t you tell me what exactly is happening.’

‘Are you family?’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Are you family?’

‘For crying out loud what do you think I am to her?’

‘Her Aunty and cousin are here, they are the only family she has.’ James says, I didn’t even realize that he was here.

He quickly goes to call them.

‘Leo where are they taking Pearl?’ Sasha asks looking worried

‘You must be the Aunt and cousin right?’ the doctor asks

‘Yes we are.’

‘You can come with me to the office.’

‘Leo is family, whatever you have to say to us you can say to him.’

The doctor looks at me then the two ladies.

‘When the first scan was done, there are things that were overlooked. She had a head injury.’

‘A head injury?’ Sasha asks looking scared.

‘Unfortunately.’

‘So what does that mean? What type of doctors do you have here? How can you overlook something as serious as that?’

‘We are doing everything to rectify the situation.’

‘Are you even hearing yourself?’ I ask anger getting the best of me

‘What now?’

‘It’s a 70/30 situation. We can only give her pain killers to reduce the pain until our head doctor comes through.’

All of us keep quiet for a while. Obviously in disbelief.

I laugh. So hard everyone turns to look at me.

‘It’s a 70/30 situation? What you are telling us is that Pearl’s life is in danger because some incompetent doctor couldn’t see the problem weeks ago. Is that what you are telling us?’

‘Mr. Mweemba we are doing everything in our powers to make sure that she lives through this.’

‘By your powers you mean giving her pain killers right?’

He remains unshaken.

‘We will keep you updated.’

‘We should sue this place for negligence.’ Sasha says. Pearl’s aunt has tears running down her eyes and mine are threatening to fall.

‘Let me check on her.’ The doctor says leaving us in the ward

‘What sort of incompetence is this?’ I as as tears finally roll down my eyes

All of us in the room are suddenly not speaking to one another, the only sound in the room being that of tears being sniffed back.

‘I can’t lose her.’ I finally manage to say

‘There is a thirty per cent chance that she will make it.’ Sasha tries to comfort me

‘And seventy percent chance that she will die.’ I say breaking down

‘She will live. I don’t know how but she will live.’ Sasha comforts even more

…

Kwenje’s Girl

Winnie

🙇🏾‍♀️