STARTLED

EPISODE NINE

I couldn't keep myself from tossing and turning on the bed. It had nothing to do with the mattress, I knew what was wrong with me. It couldn't be true. It felt so unreal. Dead? That word had just one meaning no matter the context it was used in.

But How? It was scary,very scary .I needed to talk to someone. I picked up my phone and tried Dan's line, it rang but he didn't pick. I didn't really want to talk to him about what was going on. I just wanted to talk to him. He was obviously still angry with me.

I called Sheryl.

" Hey babe, what's up?"She was always so lively . " Sheryl." The moment I called her name, the tears that had welled up in my eyes flowed uncontrollably.

" Kate? Kate! What's happening? Kate!"

" He's dead."

"What? Who? Kate! Who's dead?"

" Ifeanyi. The detective. He's dead."

Silence.

I really didn't know if I was crying for someone I hardly knew or for the fact that I was completely helpless without him.

" Kate. Come home. Leave Enugu as soon as you can and come home. Alright?"

I sniffed, " Yeah."

I knew I wasn't going home yet though.

I could not tell if it was the same nurse I had seen the day I came here. I had hardly looked around that day. There were some things I even noticed as I walked into the hospital which I didn't even see on that day.

I know I had told Sheryl I was coming back but I could not. I had to leave no stone unturned in the bid to find out how Lanre was doing . I checked my phone. Dan had not replied my message yet. I had sent it to him like six hours ago. He was obviously still angry. Dan had a way to making a mountain out of a molehill.

"Excuse me"

The nurse at the counter looked up. If she recognised me, she didn't show. She had a bland expression on.

" Yes. How may I help you?"

" I'm looking for a Mr Lanre Williams. He was admitted into this hospital a few weeks ago."

She typed something on a desktop computer and hit enter. She did it again and again. Then she brought out a long notebook.

" When you said a few weeks ago, did you mean in this month or last month? "

" It was May 3rd" I remembered, it was two days to the death of the President.

She smiled. The precision was obviously helpful.

She looked through the note, looked again and then looked again.

" Sorry madam. There's no record of him."

I was too shocked to say anything. I'm sure she saw the shock on my face before she said,

" Let me check the file cabinet but I doubt I'll find anything on him. Just grab a seat"

"Alright. Thanks. "

I sat down and tried not to worry. Didn't Ifeanyi tell me that Lanre was to be transferred? This could possibly be why this was happening. Deep down however, I knew it didn't make sense. Irrespective of that, there was supposed to be a record of Lanre.

She returned, her expression still bland, but I could read into it this time around.

She had found nothing.

" It doesn't make sense, I was here a few weeks ago, he was brought in by the police, I think his room was on the fourth floor or so. Yes. It was the fourth floor. He even had surgery. "

The nurse looked at me with sympathy, she was obviously a nice person.

" Alright, can you remember the name of the doctor that was assigned to him?"

I thought and thought.

" Yes. Ermmm...Doctor Chuks." Ifeanyi had introduced me to him that day.

The nurse's expression suddenly changed.

" Doctor Chuks is no longer here."

" What?"

She brought down her voice," He's in jail."

" Huh? Why?"

" Madam, I don't know the details but it has something to do with malpractice. A patient died on his watch."

This really didn't make sense.

" It was discovered that he was administering the wrong medication to the patient after the patient died."

I was still confused.

" Files from his previous cases were taken and are being investigated. I don't really know myself. It's just so strange I have a strong feeling that something isn't right...oh! Forgive my manners." she kept quiet immediately , she figured out that she had said too much already.

I looked intently at the woman and noticed that she would be a good gossip.

" Is that why I can't find anything on Lanre?" I asked.

" Not at all. We still have all our records intact. Are you sure the person was admitted here?"

I was worried now and I could feel anger setting in.

" Can I at least see anybody in charge. Someone who can help me find who I'm looking for?"

She smiled, the bland expression was on again "Definitely, just grab a seat. Let me make a quick phone call "

I stood. I couldn't sit. If what she was saying was true and there was no record of Lanre whatsoever and Detective Ifeanyi was dead, then this just got scarier.