QUARANTINED EPISODE TEN

Perfectly Imperfect

“Why do this to me? Why lie to me that Princess is my daughter?” James asked with his eyes soaked in tears. He turned to Andrew, “Andrew, you were supposed to be my brother. All along you knew I can’t sire a child and you took advantage of it and went ahead to sire one with my girlfriend. How vindictive can you be to stab me on my back?” 

Andrew sat in his chair, holding the tourniquet in his right hand. His eyes were glued at Jane who at this time had no where to look but on the ground. 

There was so much on her mind. She thought of going down on her knees to plead for forgiveness but that deliberation was cancelled by another one that whispered to her to remain silent and watch the two exchange words. “You know what guys, just continue what you were doing.” Said James as he went out. “Wait James!? Jane shouted. She did not want him to go. “I love you James, God knows I love you. I did not want to tell you about Princess because I knew she meant everything to you.” Jane was right. James loved Princess more than he loved himself. He was always there for her all the time. Princess was the reason James had decided to go on with the heart transplant, just to be there for her. It was indeed a big blow for him when it was unraveled that he was not her father. Funny enough, the news had been broken down by her biological father.

James stood at the door, his left hand holding the door knob.  He looked at Jane, but he could not see her clearly. His eyes were blinding up. “James, you have blood coming out of your nose!” said Jane as she ran towards him and held him. James had not realized what was happening until he saw drops of blood on his cream shirt. He was becoming weak, his hands began shaking as he gasped for air. The doctor dashed at him and called the nurses. James was put on a stretcher and dashed to the operation room as Jane followed. 

Rose was from seeing Brian in one of the wards when she saw Jane running along the nurses as they traversed through the corridor to save James’ life. She was arrested by a tremendous bulk of curiosity and decided to follow them. When they arrived at the operation room, Jane was asked to stay outside. “Jane, what’s wrong. And who’s that being rushed to the operation room. Don’t tell me Princess’ condition has worsened.”  Rose asked as she looked at Jane with expectations that she answered all her questions at once. Jane was looking through the door made of heavy glass, watching the two men, rivals by nature, who had created an unfortunate coincidental connection with her. But one was at the verge of death and the other trying to salvage his life. Sadly, the one she loved and had decided was the one was receiving a higher calling. The higher but inevitable hand was beaconing at him, and James was yielding to the call. 

“Jane!” Rose called out. Jane could not turn to look at her, she only pointed at the door. She needed not to explain anything, Rose could see through the glass. She saw the face of her brother, as she moved near to acquaint herself with what was happening, the curtains were closed by the nurses, signaling that the first procedure of the operation was on. Both of them went back to the wooden bench that was adjacent to the door and sat one meter apart, no one looking at the other. 

After thirty minutes, a nurse hurriedly came out. Jane and Rose ran to her. “How is he?” asked Rose. “We are still on the second procedure of the operation.” Answered the nurse as she opened the door opposite to the operation room and vanished. Rose could not believe this was happening. Here she was, pregnant with a baby that belonged to a man who was critically in bed fighting for his life. Her brother was in the operation room with uncertainties of whether he would make it and her ‘beloved niece’ also in hospital bed desperately in need of blood of which at that moment had not been found since the hospital had run out of the particular blood type in its blood bank. A nurse came in from the west wing and approached Rose. “Excuse me madam, are you the lady that came in with one man by the name Brian?” she asked. “Yes, how is he, have the doctors completed the head surgery?” Rose asked as he walked along with the nurse. “No, but your presence is much needed.” Answered the nurse as she held Rose’s hand. 

They quickly walked and entered an office where the nurse asked her to sit down. “I am sorry but the surgery on your husband has not begun. We tried our best to convince Dr. Fred who works on a locum arrangement but he is still at Aga Khan Hospital. We thought we could pin in Dr. Andrew until the other serious emergency of one patient called James occurred. If Dr. Fred does not make it on time we will have to wait till Dr. Andrew  and the team is through with operation.” The nurse said

Rose had no answer or gesture of argument to counter react to the nurse’s words. Her heart was torn into tartars. She did not know whether to feel good that her brother’s condition was being taken care of or cry for her love and the father to her unborn child. They all meant everything to her. She wanted to wake up from the seat but she had no strength. She bent her head down and folded her hands, with her lips tightly coiled inside her mouth as tears slowly dribbled down from her left eye. She lifted up her head and tried to look around but all she saw was doom, darkness that had been unleashed from hell. The nurse tried to talk to her but all she heard was the screaming of demons in hell concocted with some whirling desert wind that blew  and moved so fast, swiping every good thing that she had achieved. 

Soon, she came back to her senses and heard the hospital phone ring. The nurse picked and after fifteen seconds of a one sided conversation, the nurse hung up and took a file from the desk and signed a form. “Has the doctor from Aga Khan arrived?” Asked Rose as she woke up from the seat but left her hand bag on the table. “No, that was the CEO of this hospital, the doctor is not coming because he has tested positive of Covid-19. Am sorry, we will have to wait for Dr. Andrew to finish with the operation!” The nurse painfully uttered as she walked out. 

This was heavy for Rose. She couldn't take it anymore. She was tired, tired of the being at the centre of everything. She felt evil following her, she smelt it. It was all around her, punching her with heavy blows. At this point, she was the epicentre of problems. She was indeed the true definition of calamity. The oracle had forsaken her. She could not really understand how a big hospital with outstanding and incredible standards would lack doctors. She grabbed her bag, wiped off her tears and followed the nurse.

“I want Brian transferred from this hospital to Kenyatta Hospital!” shouted Rose. The nurse stopped and turned to her. “You are making a huge mistake madam. I believe the operation will be over and your husband  will get the treatment he is much in need of.” The nurse tried to convince  Rose but Rose insisted that she needed Brian transferred. The nurse gave in and helped her sign some papers. As Rose was signing the transfer forms and the nurse making the arrangements of the ambulance, Dr. Andrew walked in  and dropped a file on the desk. “Doctor, that was quick. Hope it went well!” said the nurse. Immediately, Rose knew this was the doctor that had been carrying out the operation on James.

Dr. Andrew took another file and tried to leave the room when Rose held his hand. “Doc, please talk to me, How is my brother?” Rose asked in a faint voice. The doctor walked back in and before he could answer, Rose heard a loud scream. She recognized the scream, it was Jane’s. She ran out of the room to find out by herself only to meet two men dressed in white with a body on the stretcher. She asked them to wait, she moved closer to the body, slowly stretched her right hand to open up the sheets covering the body but she lacked the strength to. She knew who was beneath the sheets, she had known him for the last twenty nine years, he was her best friend, her mentor, her companion and a man that was always there for her in her times of distress and when she was in need. She knew him as Jimmy and not James as others referred to him. 

She gathered some strength and opened the white sheets. It was him, her brother, the handsome man that many girls would do everything to have him. He was her protector and guardian angel. He was no more and Rose would never boast of him again. She went round the stretcher, looking at his body as the two men, Dr. Andrew and the nurse were staring at her, sharing her pain. His eyes were closed but the two dimples were still reflecting. She thought of Princess and felt so much pity for her. 

“Go in peace brother, I don’t really know what to tell mommy or daddy. You have given me a hard task. I will take care of Princess. I will take her as my own daughter and will always remind her of the great and intelligent dad she had. Go well bro!” Rose said with no idea of the news that was awaiting to hit her about the girl she believed was her niece.

“That’s enough,” the doctor said as he held Rose and escorted her back to his office. When the doctor got to the office he found the nurse that was in charge of Princess waiting for him. “Prepare the operation for Brian.” Dr. Andrew instructed the nurse who moved closer to him and asked if she could speak to him privately. “The child is gasping.” Said the nurse. “Which child?” the one in ward 208.” The nurse answered as she handed him the file. “Princess!” Dr. Andrew exclaimed as he grabbed his stethoscope. “You can’t leave when my husband is at the verge of death. Doctor. I have just lost my only brother, the only man who meant the world to me. Now you want me to lose the man I cherish, the man responsible for this protruding belly you see on me. I will not sit here and watch you render this innocent unborn baby fatherless.” Rose said this in pain as she held the doctors both hands. “Doctor, her condition is getting worse!” The nurse said as she restlessly held the file in her feeble hands. “Look here lady, my daughter is in the other ward fighting for her life and it’s my duty to ensure she survives. Am really sorry about your husband but if it comes to my daughter, I will not have a problem in choosing. My daughter comes first, work comes second!” Dr. Andrew said as he grabbed the file from the nurse and headed towards the ward to see his daughter.

Rose followed the doctor only to find herself in the same ward where Princess was. Jane was sitting on the bed. One would wonder whether she was mourning James or crying for her daughter Princess. “What happened?” Asked Dr. Andrew who signaled Jane to give him space. He placed the stethoscope on Princess’ chest and held her wrist. Rose was at the door staring at the doctor. “I thought you said you were going to attend to your daughter?” she asked as she looked at Jane who by then was standing next to Dr. Andrew. “Yes, and here I am, attending to her!” Answered the doctor without realizing the shock on Rose’s face. “Jane what’s happening?” Rose asked. The doctor asked the nurse to get the blood that he(the doctor) had donated to his daughter. The nurse ran to the laboratory to collect the blood.

“I am sorry Rose, Princess was not James’ daughter. She has never been your niece. James was sterile and he really needed a child.” Jane said as she looked at the doctor. Rose could not take this anymore. She was completely bombarded by tones of confusion. As Rose was still contemplating on what to do, the nurse came back but without the blood. “Doctor, the laboratory technicians say your blood is not compatible with that of this patient by the name Princess.” The nurse blasted the news as every head in the room turned towards Jane. “That’s not possible, Princess is my daughter, my blood should march.” Dr. Andrew said in surprise but Jane walked to him, “no doctor, you are not Princess’ father, Brian is. You and I were a huge mistake!” The day was still long.