As much as she would have loved to just sit in her office chair and catch some sleep, she couldn't. Esther, the nurse on duty last night had said the man who was brought in was awake.
Lazily, Seun strolled out of her office to the ward where the man was. He was facing the window when she got there. There was a mango tree just by the window he was facing. She wondered what was going through his mind as she read the notes Esther had jotted down.
Hello Sir, she said; forcing herself to smile amidst her tiredness. I am Dr. Seun and I operated on you when you were brought in. He said nothing and so she continued. One of the windows from the trailer got stuck in your head and we had to remove it. From your reports... he interrupted her. "Doc. I cannot remember anything; not even my name" He said with teary eyes. She was getting to that. He had amnesia and she felt pity for him. Normally, the family of the patient would have been and with time and therapy which involved visiting places they often visited before now, the patients start to remember. But his case would be different. There was not going to be any family member as they couldn't contact anyone. She would visit the police station to see if there has been any report of a missing person.
Sir, you have amnesia. She went on. It means you are having a deficit in your memory causing you not to remember. For now, we think it is retrograde amnesia as you haven't been able to recall any information or event before the accident. The object damaged some part of the brain just beside your hippocampus. She noticed the confused look and decided to skip all that. To get to the main point, you need therapy.
Hmmm, Doctor. I might need that but how can I afford it? I do not even know if I had any money before today and the nurse told me someone paid for my surgery. "Rest Sir, we will figure that out" she said as she moved on to other patients.
Seun left the hospital earlier that day for the police station, she had met some officers but no missing person filed fitted the description of the man in the hospital. She got home to see that Edna's car packed outside the house. Atleast she had someone to gist about the mysterious patient of hers. Babygurl!!!! She called out to Edna but got no response. She might be sleeping she thought but it turned out Edna was in the kitchen with headsets on. You didn't tell me you were coming back today madam. Where's the fun in that Edna said as she hugged her. Why haven't you been picking Mich's call young lady? The guy will blow up my phone soon calls and messages.
Holy crap!!! How could she have forgotten to call him? Argggg, this was the same issue she had with the last guy she had been with. Lots of canceled dates and not even having the decency to remember calling him. Seun, you're such a terrible person she said to herself. I will call him later. First, lemme take my bath then come gist you about one cute mysterious patient of mine. By the time Seun was done showering, the food was ready and she and Edna ate as she told him all about her patient. Her trip to the police station and her thoughts on paying for his therapy sessions. He seems like a bright guy so we will try out some things and see if he could get a small job and take care of himself till he remembers who he is, she said without noticing that Edna had stopped talking and was watching her with a curious look.
Why the weird look, Didee? She asked. Can you just calm down Seun? Why do you wanna do all that for someone you don't even know? Was the response she got....
She had told Edna of everything aside the way she really felt about her patient. At first, she thought twas pity for his condition but after all the random thoughts she just had about him she knew she really wanted to help him. She wanted him to be okay but not like the doctor kinda way... This was more. Buy why? She barely even knew him. Funny; he didn't even know himself. She had to figure out what this was really about and Edna couldnt known about it until she did.
The following days she spent more time with her patient which had chosen to bear the name Matthew because he stumbled on it in one of the books she got for him to read. She also went ahead to pay for his therapy, got a job in the hospital as one of the cleaners and was able to get him to stay at the boys quarters of one of the doctors place. Whenever she was free and he was free, she would drive him to different places in town; maybe one place would spark up his memory. Days turned to weeks and weeks to month. Mich had given up on her as she still canceled other dates planned and didn't return his calls. Edna had even got back to Abuja to handle a contract she got. She and Matthew grew very close and one day, on one of their outings; he kissed her. She had hoped he would and the feeling was out of the world..