DOKITA-2

CHAPTER 3
To be free, was a luxury in Dr. Raymond’s books.

After a neck-breaking week, he was obviously glad to have been relieved of his ‘enviable’ duties.

This weekend, he had taken a sacred vow to flex. And yes, he had perfectly outlined his flexing plans, on his way he was.

The boys were coming over to his place- a mix of refined gentlemen with a knack for savagery, when stimulated by booze and wild talk.

He shook his head as he remembered all the fun the guys had brought him, over the years; and they, had always been the surest guys to help him through his medical troubles.

Walking out of the emergency room, he heard his name.

‘Dr! Dr! Sir!’

He turned back.

A young, pregnant lady, in her mid-twenties.

She was beaming with smiles.

That, was good.

‘Doctor!’

He could barely recognize her, but he was sure they had met somewhere, not too long ago.

‘Doctor, do you remember me?’

Raymond smiled, albeit politely.

‘Errhm…not really. I’m sorry.’

‘No problem. You remember that  man, the Baba that came to the emergency room 2 weeks ago?’

Raymond stared, still smiling.

How was he to remember one Baba, that came 2 weeks ago? Patients came, patients left.

Yet, he smiled.

She got the cue.

‘Ok, he was unable to pass urine for about 3 days and when he came and you saw him like this…ah, everything got relieved!’

‘So, I just wanted to say thank you. If not for you…’

‘Oh, its nothing, thank God Ma.’

‘Its Miss Dickson.’

Oh…Miss? Today was too precious to Raymond. She could keep her pregnancy story. Oh well, and her Miss story. He, was definitely out of here.’

‘Sorry, I need to be somewhere else now.’

‘Of course, Doc.!’

‘It was nice meeting you.’

Brisk walking, was his lot.

If he, as much as heard his name once more, he swore he would break into a frustrated run, out of this hospital.

Moments later, he was in his car.

10 minutes later, he was in his house.

10 minutes later, he discovered that his house was devoid of drinks.

If he didn’t want trouble, he had better left the house to go get drinks.

And so, grumbling but positively motivated, out he went.

There was a supermarket not far away, where he went got these sort of stuff.

As he breezed in, and then out, of his saving grace supermarket, Raymond heard what sounded like a loud crash outside.

A crowd had gathered in front of a seemingly terrible accident, between a car and a trailer.

A man staggered out of the car, obviously in pain, as he fell to the ground.

Raymond, reflexively rushed to the scene of the accident.

He found himself, at the side of the man, now on the floor.

‘Sir, can you hear me?’

He rapidly checked his pulse rate. Very fast, this man was probably bleeding somewhere.

His eyes picked something on the man’s neck.

Distended neck veins.

He had no stethoscope to check the heart sounds, but he presumed, that it’ll be muffled.

This, was classic of Beck’s triad seen in cardiac tamponade.

He had, to stick something into this chest.

And so, he called out.

‘Please, does anyone have a pen?’

The people just kept staring at him.

‘Oh, sorry, I’m a doctor. I need a pen now!’

‘Someone echoed, the man na doctor o!

Who get biro?’

As he got one, he immediately located and punctured the 2nd intercostal space as fluid rushed out.

‘Please, I need someone to follow me to the hospital.’

A man readily volunteered. Together, they carried him into his car and he drove off to the hospital, where he’d just literally escaped from.

The man, was stabilized, after about 3 hours.

As he smiled, once again, with tired hands; he heard a man screaming at the top of his lungs in the next ER suite.

What, was going on?

As he walked in, he met 2 strong men, and one of his colleagues, trying to hold down a man, who was groaning.

‘Ah…yee…’

‘Baba, e gbaraduro.’

‘Doctor Timi, what is the problem?’

‘This man has been giving me issues o, just about to administer Diazepam sef. I just called for a psychiatric consult.'

‘Oh…’

Raymond walked over to the foot of the bed and tapped the suprapubic region.

Dull.

He smiled.

‘Have you tried passing a catheter?’

Doctor Timi looked at him as if, in revelation

‘No, actually.’

‘I think, he’s in retention. I can bet my salary on it.’

The catheter was passed and the patient, heaved a sigh of relief.

‘Ah!’ Then he slept off.

Raymond smiled, once again.

He felt like a champion as he walked out of the ER, by 10pm.

He checked his phone.

5 missed calls; one of the guys had also texted.

‘Guy, you don bail again abi? Anyways, we used your spare key to let ourselves in. Come back, eventually.’

Yes, his guys, were the best.