THE LAST SURVIVORS
Episode 24
Already Melinda had stretched herself on the bus shaking like a rain beaten bird, Verah sq££zed her shut and hollered, “You evil cold, I demand that you stop now!” she felt she didn’t say that right so she rephrased her words. “You evil cold from hell, in the name of Jesus, I command you to break over these ones now!” She opened her eyes expecting to see immediate result, but there was none; hopelessly she sunk to the ground and began to wail. While she cried Melinda starred herself and said, “Thank you Verah for the prayer, it saved me”, Verah sprang to her feet, hugged Melinda and wiped off her tears with the back of her hand. While she held Melinda, Osoba sat up on his seat with tears in his eyes and a huge smile on his face and said “Thanks Verah, my neck was on a stone altar and about to be chopped off when you began to pray. I thought I was gone! Thank you Verah. But there was more, I saw Simon in a bottle. He was trying to say something to me……” Melinda cut in, “Yes I saw him too! He was in a bottle! He said something about helping him out of the bottle and leaving the fight to him”.
Osoba jumped off the bus and said, “We need to get back to Lagos now, we must find the God-forsaken temple of those Circle of demons (Stars) that must be where they are keeping Simon. If Simon wants the fight, let’s help him get the fight! After all he comes from those who believes in the Holy One. He is the only one who can fight the Circle of demons!”
As Osoba headed to go and start the bus, Ochuma and Melinda asked almost simultaneously, “How about Austin and Etim? They are not yet back”. Emboldened by her faith, Verah told them “They headed in this direction, let’s go find them”. She didn’t wait for the others to say a word and ran off in the direction she had seen Etim and Austin go. Ochuma could not keep up with Melinda and Osoba as they ran to meet up with Verah. Melinda ran back to help Ochuma and told Osoba to go ahead with Verah. Melinda had hardly covered a few yards when she saw a drug store, she couldn’t help but wonder why Austin and Etim didn’t see it. She lead Ochuma into the drug store and explained to the store keeper, an elderly woman, that Ochuma had an accident earlier in the day and had not had adequate treatment. When the elderly woman saw Ochuma’s injury she shrank back and turned away her face. “This is not the sort of case you bring to a drug store. This man is going to run mad with pain. Take him to a hospital please!” said the elderly woman. “I don’t know where to find a hospital around here, please help us madam”, responded Melinda “Are you new here young lady? That behind you is a hospital! Infact come with me!” The elderly woman stepped out of her drug store and led Melinda and Ochuma to the hospital she had pointed them to. When they entered the hospital, and nurses saw a man with a blood stained severed arm, them call for a strecher, As soon as the strecher arrived they asked Ochuma to get on it.
As they wheeled him into the hospital for treatment, Melinda heard some nurses asking the elderly woman, “Doc where is the severed part of his arm?” The elderly woman turned and asked Melinda. “Do you have the part of his arm which was cut off?” “I don’t have it Ma. Even if I did, it must have died by now. He had this accident in the morning”. “In the morning? Why then did you not get get him to a hospital in the morning? Is he a thief?” asked a male voice behind Melinda. “He is no thief. A blade cut off his hand”, replied Melinda. “I will need a police report before I can……..” “No Doctor EMEKA, treat him and if he is a thief let the police deal with me”, interjected the elderly woman. Doctor Emeka asked Ochuma, “What did they give you in the morning when this happened?” “I don’t know but it quickly killed the pain”.
The doctor commenced the treatment on Ochuma, while he administered treatment on him he noticed Melinda who was trying to reach someone on the phone had several cuts on her body. The doctor quietly went to the elderly woman and asked, “Don’t you think we should call the police? Look at that lady, she has fresh cuts all over her body, maybe they are on their way back from robbery or might be cultists”. The elderly woman studied Melinda’s body while she desperately tried to reach Austin on the phone. She turned to the doctor Emeka and said, “Do it. But while you are it, give the young man the required treatment”.
The doctor gave his phone to one of the nurses, whispered some words into her ears and sent her out of the theater.
To be continued
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