The name C.K. Abiodun was written boldly on the badge pinned to the upper left pocket of the white coat the doctor was wearing. It was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. I looked around and knew I was in a hospital.
The doctor was standing beside my bed and had taken hold of my wrist while counting my pulse. He was a good looking guy with a clean shave. I kept looking at his face and the initials on his badge.
When our eyes met he smiled.
"How are you Mrs. Segun?" He asked. I could only stare at him wondering what the middle letter of his name meant. My father's name was Kunle Abiodun. Could the K stand for Kunle and if so was I surprisingly in front of a brother I never knew existed?
"Mrs. Segun, this is Doctor Charles Abiodun, you were brought in here a few hours ago. Do you remember what happened?" I shook my head to say no. I was in deep pain and my left leg was hung up. I looked at the doctor again and it made him blink. But he kept smiling. Soon he left me and went to attend to other patients.
Then I remembered the driver. What happened to him? When the doctor came back again, I had to ask him.
"Excuse me doctor?"
"Ah, finally you can talk."He said coming towards me.
"What about the driver?" Instantly, he frowned.
"What driver?"He asked so surprised I was asking that question.
"The driver that picked me up from the airport and was taking me to my hotel?"
"Mrs. Segun you were the only person brought in here...,"
"What?!" I shouted interrupting him.
"You were the only person picked up at the scene of the incident." He replied, nodding his head.
"No it can't be. It can't be...,"
"Fine, no need to be agitated. This is the information we got. But I will do my best to get more information, okay?" He smiled at me again. I closed my eyes for a while and remembered my bag. I instantly opened my eyes again and asked him where my bag was.
"Where is my bag?"
"Oh, your personal effects? I think they should be in here." He said walking up to the bedside locker. He opened it.
"There's a handbag in here. It must be yours." I stretched my right hand out. The doctor brought out the handbag and gave it to me. I quickly looked inside and found all my belongings intact. Nothing was taken. My phone was also there but the battery had run down. I brought it out and held it.
"Excuse me doctor, is there anyway I can charge my phone?"
"Actually it's not advisable right now." he replied
"I mean, I have to call my father and tell him what happened."
"Well you can do that later. For now you are under medication and it is necessary you have the patience to wait until you are much better." I wasn't happy with that response, but I was powerless to do anything. And so I reluctantly agreed.
"Then in that case, may I ask you to do that for me if I am not asking too much?"
"Do what for you?"
"I mean get in touch with my father, please?" The doctor sighed his reluctance but nevertheless agreed. I gave him the number and while he was dialing it I noticed the unpleasant look on his face.
"I hope there's nothing wrong?" I asked.
"No." He walked away from me but soon came back only to tell me the number wasn't available at the moment.
"It's impossible." I said bending my head.
"I mean it can happen."
"No, not my dad. I know him too well."
"Well perhaps he's a little too busy to take calls right now." I looked squarely at the doctor like he had deliberately refused to call my father for me. I was disappointment at this refusal and had to ask him why he had refused to call my father for me.
"You didn't call him did you?" I asked.
"What?"
"I can only guess that you never tried to call him." I said boldly. His eyes widened immediately.
"I only asked for one favor, doctor. You should have told me it was difficult making a simple phone call." I saw the angry look on his face and didn't know what to expect from him. He walked up to me and looked straight into my eyes.
"Listen, I run a hospital and not a call center." He said annoyingly, "but I take it you have difficulty understanding that."
"I understand you run a hospital. I run a company. We both offer some kind of service to the general public."
"So what are you implying, that I don't do my job well, while you do an excellent job?"
"Sorry I have to say this but, but I'm not impressed with your services right now."Â My words must have shocked him. He stared at me and frowned. I looked away.
"I wonder why someone would trust you enough to allow you run their company for them?" He asked angrily.
"It's the same question I should be asking you." I replied back as I turned and stared back at him. He shook his head as he stared at me.
"You're a case that's not meant for the hospital anymore." He said, walking away.
"Then I should be discharged don't you think?" Instantly he stopped and turned and walked back.
"I know. But that is until I know you are well enough to be discharged." He replied.
"I'm already due for discharge, doctor Abiodun." He smiled at me and shook his head.
"That is until you are properly checked upstairs." He said pointing a finger at my head. I stared at him but couldn't say a word. He was walking away leaving me boiling with anger.
I closed my eyes thinking about how I could get in touch with my father. There was nothing I could really do lying down here, and the doctor himself wasn't helpful.
After a while the door to my ward opened and a young woman probably my age came in. Her radiant smile was captivating and the look on her face gave me the impression she could be more helpful.
"Hello Mrs. Segun, I'm doctor Seyin, the psychologist called in by doctor Abiodun."
"What? I mean, I never asked for a psychologist."
"Well he was of the opinion you might be in need of one seeing both of you didn't get along quite well with each other."
"And how necessary was that?"
"Oh, you mean both of you getting on well with each other?" I nodded.
"Well he's a professional. He knows his job and so it shouldn't be hard for him to figure out what his patients needs." I closed my eyes and sighed. When I opened them, the radiant smile of the doctor was still blasting down at me.
"Mrs. Segun such cases as yours could slightly alter your perception of reality. I am convinced whatever divergences you both had, wasn't done on purpose."
"I only asked him to help me call my father."
"It's the easiest thing to do." She said
"But I had the impression he never made that call. And so I told him that. He then told me he was running a hospital and not a call center. And when I replied that I was disappointed in him, he said I was a case not meant for the hospital anymore."
"Well, I guess you may have provoked him with your words. But let's keep that aside now. How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay at least. I just need to get in touch with my family." A long and thorough stare from the woman made me feel uneasy. It made me ask myself if I was really in a hospital or some place made to look like one.
"Mrs. Segun...," she paused while she kept looking at me. " I understand the need to get in touch with your family. I mean we could always contact your husband." I stared at her.
"I specifically asked for my father."
"Well, seeing doctor Abiodun couldn't get in contact with him, it might help to call Mr. Segun."Â I couldn't understand why they were refusing to call my father. I disagreed and told her that.
"Sorry doctor but I'm not in the mood to talk to my husband right now."
"Marital problems?"
"We are still family, only a little distant from each other right now."Â She sighed her dissatisfaction at my response.
"Well in that case I'll see what I can do to get in touch with your father." I became excited.
"Oh, if you want I can give you the number...,"
"Don't worry. I'll get it from Doctor Charles." She said interrupting me. With that she quickly left my room almost banging the door. I couldn't help but ask myself what was really going on. It seemed I was stuck in this hospital and would remain here like a prisoner.
I didn't like it and decided to do something. I took hold of the alarm button by the side bedside and pressed it. The alarm rang and the door to my room swung open. A nurse rushed in thinking it was an emergency. But when she saw me she stopped and looked at me.
"Is there a problem, madam?" She asked, disappointed I had made her come all this way for nothing.
"Yes, I haven't been able to contact my family and tell them I'm here. Is there any way you can help me?"
"Madame, I'm sorry I can't help you."
"And why not? Don't I have a right to inform my family that I'm in a hospital, or is it against the rules here?" I asked getting nervous.
"I'm sorry but, Dr. Abiodun gave strict instructions not to call any of your family members."
"And why not?"
"I don't know. It's best you ask him when you see him." I was stunned by her response.
"And where is he, now?"
"He had to go to an urgent meeting." She said looking quite suspiciously at me, "and...," she paused.
"And what?" I asked.
"He might not be back until after three days."