The following year she got to the hospital for her clinical rotations. She stood waiting for the lift to transport her to the orthopaedics ward. No sooner had the peculiar hospital air filled her lungs than she remembered J. P. Immediately, the lift hit the ground and beeped to open.
She stood at the farthest end of the fully packed lift in deep thoughts (a penny for each would fill her pockets big time). She promptly made the decision to surpass the ortho floor and head to the private wing. To check on J. P.
In the previous year, her first year in nursing school, they visited the renown public hospital for their clinical rotations. That’s when she learnt that though a public hospital, it’s last 2 floors are private wards, the private wing. The last floor was where she had among her very first rotations.
Oh how confused she was day one in the private wing. Here patients were to be treated with utmost care (of course all patients are to be treated with utmost care but this is utmost utmost utmost care ~ my English teacher would have exopthalmos at the sight or sound of this 😂).
After orientation things were a bit better. However, the fact that they were super warned on making any mistakes with the patients kept her on edge.
With her group, they went about their duties of the day. From the nursing station, they headed west and made a left turn. To the right was their first room. Into the room, they said hello to the patients and introduced themselves after which pin drop silence was the order of the day.
They divided themselves and took the morning history of the patients. After which the patients were cleaned and their dirty linen changed, morning drugs administered, breakfast given and patients left comfortable.
The students then sat and went through each of their patient’s files. This so as to familiarise themselves with their conditions. This was the point at which J. P was mentioned by the student that had his file. They all tool keen interest at his case.
Later that afternoon as the medications were being administered, her group members acquainted themselves with J. P. They conversed to deep lengths and even laughed together. As much as she would have loved to take part in the same, her personality restrained her. So she watched from a distance.
In the evening they prepared to exit and head to their hostels. There they had a chit chat of how their day 1 experience was in the private wing. J. P came up.
J. P (his nickname) just like them was a university student. One whose studies had rudely been interrupted 2 years ago due to an incident that left him bedridden at the hospital for that period of time.
The next day they walked into the ward ready to nurse their patients. Her group members all went and said hi to J. P but she could not. She just watched. Watched in sadness for him. Sad at how his life had been messed up. Awed at how he had the strength to be as happy as he was. How he managed to be so jovial she understood not!
J. P studied at one of the country’s universities pursuing a degree in computer science. At the time of the unpropitious incident he was in 3rd year. A young vibrant guy, in his early twenties, awaiting to finish his degree, be charged with the power to study (whatever this means) before being spewed out into the real and gruelsome world.
Day 3 things were as usual, all said hi except her. She just looked at him and her heart bled. Why God? Whhyyyyy? She internally wept for his sake and took him to prayer. That he may heal and finally walk out of his hell hole that had lasted over 2 years.
On the fateful day that saw his life take an uninvited U-turn, he was heading home. It was pretty late in the night but the poor guy had to get home from school. He met the night dwellers and Kings. The rulers of the Dark Kingdom with their signs of authority (guns among others) .
That afternoon she sat and went through his file. He had a dozen files over the years. To understand his case she had to find the initial one which contained his history. The current ones only had the history of the treatments he undergone overtime. She got the file and immersed herself in the story of J. P’s life.
The rulers of the Dark Kingdom shamelessly asked for all he had on him. Being a computer scientist in the making, he could not bring himself to handover his laptop. His stubbornness led to a cascade of events that led J. P to his current condition. He was shot through the neck.
Ventrodorsally, the bullet traveled and left his body. It hit his spinal cord. After a series of surgeries and a stay in the ICU for almost a year, the unfortunate shot rendered him paraplegic. To make things worse, he had a laryngectomy.
Day 4. She received him from theater where he had gone for skin grafting ( following his prolonged stay in the hospital in conjuction with his paraplegia and malnutrition below body weight, J.P had developed stage 4 decubitus ulcers on all at risk bony areas you could think of ).
J. P was emaciated, he was painful to look at. However, the nurses said he was waaaay better compared to how he used to be. At some point they thought they were losing him but they thank God for how far he had brought him. He was out of the gutters. She wept for his sake.
“Why did you not just give them the laptop?” She asked confused and saddened.
To listen to his response, she had to lean in. “My laptop had my very important documents hence I just could not give it away without a fight.” Him speaking ( whispering ) was all thanks to a tracheal oesophageal puncture (TEP).
She had more pressing questions but she did not want to tire him so she stopped at that. Suction done. Stomach full. With his pressure ulcer points taken care of and him comfortable in his ripple mattress, she left to let him rest.
Day 5. Last day at the private wing. No sooner had she seen him than she regretfully remembered she was to come with a nail cutter. The previous day she had noted that his fingernails were long and dirty. She was to ask him whether she could come with a nail cutter to trim them but the words could not leave her voice box.
Saying goodbye to him was tough. They bid their goodbyes to the nurses and everyone else but she failed to bid J. P goodbye. She could not do it. She new this was not it. Not just yet.
She completed her first year and headed home for her holiday. Once in a while J. P would pop up in her head. All she could do was hope and pray that he recovers.
The last school Sabbath of December before Christmas, she attended the service at her school. She had plans to pay a visit to J.P. She made him an art with his name calligraphed on it surrounded with messages of hope and best wishes.
After the service they all were paying a visit to their fellow student that was admitted at the hospital. After their colleague, she asked a few friends of hers to accompany her to pay a visit to J. P. This they did. J. P was with his sister at the moment. They introduced themselves after which they read encouraging Bible verses to him and prayed with them before leaving.
On the way out she mentioned to her friends the art she had made for him. And noted that she was afraid to give it to him. They made her turn back and give him the art. This she did. Both J. P and the sister were greatful. As she left she noted his nails were now short and clean. Her zygomaticus major flexed and she smiled.
She finished the rest of her holiday ending the year. The following year she was tied up with her studies and did not find ample time to pass by the wards till she began her clinical rotations.
The lift beeped to open on the last floor. In her snowhite well buttoned labcoat with her log book on one hand she stepped out of the lift. She walked to the nursing station gradually with memories from this place during her last visit flooding her mind.
She introduced herself and asked about J. P. Not remembering his official names she gave a description of him and his condition to the nurse at the desk. She did not know him. This she figured was because she was a new nurse to the floor. She sought for a familiar face.
Before she could look far, she met one to whom she said hi and went straight to her person of concern.
“I’m really sorry but J. P passed on early this year!”
She lost her balance for a few seconds. Her heart sunk. Tears lingered. Her mouth left wide agape. She was left speechless.
Isaiah 25:8… The Sovereign LORD will destroy death for ever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone’s eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The LORD himself has spoken.
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