A woman's dilemma - Episode 42

 

Gideon:

"So, I finally got a small grant for the clinic. It's nothing much but I think we can give free antenatal care to the women of this town now. Don't you think?" I know she can't really reply me but talking to her makes me feel like she's in there somewhere. I squeeze the wet cloth of water then wipe her pale but still beautiful face with it.
"I can't believe this has become your life." My voice breaks on the last word . She was so full of life! I drop the cloth I'm using to clean her and take her hand in mine.
"Wake up, soon okay? I don't know if I can take looking at you like this anymore." I massage her palm softly on a shaky breath.
"I knew I'll find you here." I blink back the dry tears before turning back to face nurse Simi. She's the only one who can interrupt my time with Frances.
"What do you want, now?" I make my annoyance known and she rolls her eyes. She's lucky she's my sister or I would have__
"You can't wring my neck, giddy." She looks amused. I drop Francesca's hand gently beside her on the bed and stand.
"Another patient?" I ask as I collect the chart from Simi.
"Yeah. Mr Ade broke his back again." She rolls her eyes again

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/a-woman-s-dilemma

. I can't blame her. The man is as stubborn as a bull.
"I told him not to go back to his farm, didn't I?" I ask no one in particular as I start to make my way out of the room.
"Is she ever going to wake up?" I freeze in my step when Simi asks the question I've been dreading the answer.
"She is. She's a fighter. I know this for sure." I don't look back to see the doubt in Simi's eyes.
"It's been eight months." She voices her doubt.
"People come out of comas after decades." I point out.
"We don't have this money you're burning out, taking care of her medical needs."
"Simi, don't start. I still have my savings. I used most it, setting this clinic up but I can manage." I turn to give her a hard look. Someone else will know when to drop it, but Simi? Yeah, she won't.
"But__"
"I'm going out to my patient now, kindly help me finish cleaning her up." I say and leave her there. I don't want to hear more of her realistic bullshit.
 I shrug on my lab coat from the coat rack outside my office before going inside.
"Good afternoon Mr Ade." I greet the older man who is bent over in pain I'm familiar with.
"Don't give me that look, boy! My farm is my life's work. I can't have my useless son messing it up." He says before I start lecturing him which is quite useless for this particular old man.
"You're going to kill yourself working on that farm one of these days." I tell him.
"That'll be a damn fine death, don't you think?" He asks and I frown deeply at him then shake my head.
"I'll give you some pain killers. Again. And some___"
"Gideon! Gideon!" I stop when I hear my name.
"Did you hear that?" I ask Mr Ade who shrugs. The man's hearing is probably deteriorating every day. I'm sure I heard someone scream my name several times. An emergency patient?
"I'll be right back." I push myself off the chair and hurry out of my office.
"Gideon! There you are!" I find Simi panting like she's run a marathon.
"This is a clinic. Don't go screaming your head off and disturbing the patients."
"Shut up. She's awake!" She squeals. What? Who's awake?
"Francesca! She__"
"What?!" I push past my sister and race for the back room where she's been for too long.
"Frances." I whisper in short gasps of air. Simi comes bounding into the room behind me.
"I was done cleaning her and when I stood up straight to give her a last glance, I found her eyes wide open. Like that!" Simi point to Frances who's just staring up at the ceiling without moving. I kick my legs to action.
"Simi go get me my box." I instruct as I get close to the bed.
"Frances, can you hear me?" I ask with my heart in my throat. She doesn't make a move. I check the machines she's hooked up to and I can't help the rush of excitement.
"Blink if you can hear me." I try again. Her long lashes flutter a little but I catch the movement.
"You're awake!" My hands touch her somewhat cold cheeks and my heart fills up with hope. And more love.
"I knew you'll beat this. Nothing could ever hold you down for long." I sniff back the emotions in my voice.
"God, I miss looking into your eyes." I tell her.
"Here." Simi comes back at this moment and drops my box on the chair. I open it and pull out a pen light.
"I'll just check your pupil okay?" I say like I'm asking her permission before I pull down her lower eye lid and point the light in. My God! Her pupils constricts showing that her brain is OK.
"She's awake!" I tell Simi who's smiling at me. She knows how her brother has been losing sleep over this.
"I'll just__" my eyes are pulled from Simi when I hear sobbing. I turn to find Frances squirming on the bed and sobbing. She's shaking hard.
"What's happening!" 
"She's having a seizure!" I start to panic.
"Frances! Can you hear me?! Frances!" My hands fumble around with all the machine around her as I try to know what's wrong with her. I've never done this before and my emotional attachment to this woman is making it hard for me to remember what I'm suppose to do.
"Frances!" I yell her name and this time she freezes up and goes slack on the bed.
"Is she okay?" Simi comes closer to the bed. Frances' eyes flies open, startling me a little bit.
"Frances. Can you see me." Her movement is stiff but she nods and my heart soars.
"I---it----" her hand touch mine gently on the bed and she looks exhausted with the tiny movement. A tear slips down her cheek and I catch it with my thumb.
"Shhhh. Don't worry. You're okay now. I got you." I sit besides her on the bed and pull her into my chest.
"I'll leave you both then." Simi is wise enough to give us space.
"Can you bring her some water, please." I instruct Simi as she leaves us. From fear of suffocating her in my hold, I gently drop her to the bed.
"I'll just remove these machines and tubes that are sticking into you okay?" I whisper to her as I busy myself getting the tubes removed.

Read " Star-crossed " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. I check her vitals and all of that while she just keeps following my movement with her eyes.
 Simi comes back with a glass of water.
"Do you think it's wise to give this to her?"
"It should go down her throat faster since she's used to fluids." I explain.
"I'll help you up now. You have to stay hydrated." I say to Frances who nods softly. I place my hand behind her back and help her to a sitting position. She takes in a few sips of the water then shake her head.
"Here." I hand the glass back to Simi.
"Is she okay? She's just staring at us." Simi whispers in my ear.
"Frances. Do you know who I am?" I ask quietly. She looks at me then shakes her head.
"You don't?" She starts to shake her head but then stops to really look at me.
"Y--you---" she makes a small sound in her throat like she's frustrated.
"Don't force it. You've been quiet for too long. It'll come back to you. We're just so happy that you're back with us." I say but words really can't tell how happy I am.

SO THOSE WHO BELIEVED FRANCESCA TO BE ALIVE WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG. SHE'S AWAKE NOW. BUT WHAT POSSIBLY AWAITS HER?