Ep 9 - “Everything is Perfect" (Final Episode)

'A Killer in the Sick Bay' series

It's the first day of being the health prefect and everything is perfect. I made sure of it. My uniform this morning was rigorously ironed to the point that mom said, “Are you sure there is no girl you are trying to toast like this?” I gave her a peck on her forehead and said, “Did you do that on purpose?”

“Do what?” she asked with a frown.

“The pun. Toast. Iron.”

We both burst into laughter, and I finished knotting my tie. I was ready for the day. I am ready for the day and the year, and life. It feels like a new day, like I only started living.

The first 3 class periods today went by in a blur. I just kept thinking, 'Wow, I get to do this', and when Mrs. Nwankwo asked me to solve an arithmetic progression question, I flopped. Normally, that would have hurt me real bad, but it didn't even dent my ego. I told you, this feels like a new day - a new life.

During the short break, I paid a visit to the sick bay just to introduce myself to the nurse on duty - Nurse Daphne. My official shift is for the long break period, but I just wanted to say hi to her and ask her if she needed anything before the long break. She said, 'no'. She seems nice, and it seems like we'll be friends.

Right now, I am in the 5th class for today and it just keeps going on and on. My ears are not here. They are outside just waiting for the siren to ring - time for long break. Once it rings, I might just bolt ou-

The siren just went off. I gather my books in a hurry and stuff them into my locker. I pick up my personal first aid kit from under my chair and walk out of the class.

Someone tries to say hi to me, but I don't even pay them attention. Weightier matters await me.

As I approach the sick bay, I see two girls walking ahead of me. One of them is wearing a pair of slippers with a dressing around her right foot. And the other is a friend, perhaps.

I enter the clinic just as they take a seat.

“Ah, welcome, Ikenna”, Nurse Daphne says.

“Hello Nurse Daphne. Hello.” My second hello is directed at the girls, and they reply with a low murmur.

“They are here for wound dressing. I can do it, but it's very simple. I have to go and administer some injections to patients in the female ward”

“Oh, that's fine. I know how to dress wounds. If I need any help, I come and ask.” I reply eagerly.

“I trust you. Okay, Nkem, he will do it for you,” she says to the girl.

When she leaves, I sit in front of the girl and smile.

“My name is Ikenna, and you are Nkem, right?” she nods. “What's your own name?” I ask her friend.

“Priscilla”, she replies.

“Okay, great. Let me take a look.”

She lifts her leg and places it on an examination stool, and I unravel the dressing. She winces a bit, and I can see that it's a recent wound.

“When did this happen?” I ask

“Two days ago.”

“Okay", I open the school's dressing cabinet and bring out what I need for the dressing. After cleaning the wound gently with saline water, I reach for my personal first aid box and bring out a vial, one of my precious ones, cultivated over 7 months ago.

“What's that?” Nkem asks.

“It's a serum to help the wound heal faster. Works like magic,” I say with my heart beating fast.

“Okay,” she says, shrugging. Her friend does not even appear to be paying attention.

I adjust my gloves to ensure that there are no leaks or gaps before opening the vial gently and spreading the liquid over the wound. Once it is emptied, I place a gauze over it, wrap it with a mesh bandage and secure it with an elastic hook.

“All done! You may go. Please make sure you come back tomorrow for your dressing.”

“Okay, thank you, senior.”

“No problem.” I stand up, and she and her friend leave.

As soon as they step out, I let out a deep heave. I was not even aware that I had been holding my breath. My first mission is complete. Just like that?

You may have figured out by now that what I introduced to her wound is no healing serum. It's a carefully cultivated infectious dose of salmonella. That injury will degenerate until the infection enters her bloodstream and causes serious implications, and hopefully death.

Is that shock you feel? You never suspected me? That was the aim.

Let me tell you a short story.

When my sister suffered from her terrible illness, it is true that I took care of her, but because of this, I was privy to information about how the healthcare system in this school was so unfair to her. She never told my parents, but I knew about all the times when the nurses would ignore her and attend to other people because 'her own was too much' or 'she was always in the sick bay'. They were unkind to her and insulted her frequently. In fact, the event that led to her death was caused by the school. Before she died, she told me that the day before, she was choking on her own blood, and one of the nurses just kept watching African Magic. By some sort of miracle, the choking stopped, but the next day in class, she suddenly slumped and died. Immediately, I heard about her death, I saw the connection. This nurse killed my sister.

So I made a pledge, a silent vow by her graveside. “I will avenge your death. I will make everyone suffer. Not just the people who hurt you. Everyone. Everyone except our mother who did her very best. Every student who walks into that sick bay will feel the wrath of my anger. I will make them pay for what was done to you. Other parents must feel this type of loss. Other siblings must suffer this kind of pain.”

My plan is a long-term one. I still don't know what to do to my father or how to get these nurses. But I will. Nobody will stop me. It was unfortunate that Sanni and Matthew did not contest for the right position. They were collateral damage. Osei was so lucky that he travelled out of town because he was definitely going to go with Sanni.

Anyway, he is no longer a threat.

I am now the health prefect and everything is perfect.

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We’ve come to the end of this episode!

What emotions did you feel? What do you think? I’d love to hear!