Roses and Thorns – Episode 38 – 39

Roses and Thorns – Episode 38
Joel rushed into the hospital with Melody in his hands, his eyes were red from crying too much, he was shirtless because Melody wore his Polo. The detective and Ebube followed behind too while people stared at them awkwardly but they didn’t care.
“Where is the doctor?” Joel scre-med as he rushed in. A nurse rushed towards him with a stretcher. “Attend to her now” he thundered placing Melody on the stretcher.
“What happened to her?” the nurse asked looking from his bare chest down to his blood stained shoe.
“She was stabbed, just get to work other than standing and asking questions” Joel said irritated.
“Am sorry sir, but we will be needing a police report” she sighed folding her hands against her chest.
“Where the hell is the freaking doctor? do you know who i am? i am a captain and if anything happens to her because of your negligence, i will sue this hospital” he shouted. The detective and Chidiebube walked close to him and car-ssed his back, telling him to calm down.
“Am sorry sir, it is the hospital rules and it must be strictly adhered to” the nurse replied unperturbed. Joel balled his palm in a fist and tried to punch her face, Chidiebube held his hand and whispered to him “You don’t hit a woman, captain, control your anger” he left his hand. The detective brought his ID card out and shoved it at the nurse.
“I am detective Bode, and these two men right here are soldiers, so tell me, what other report do you need?” he hissed.
The nurse wheeled Melody immediately, and the three men followed behind. “Nurse Jane, go get the doctor to the theatre now, there is an emergency” the nurse told another nurse standing idly. Joel followed till they got to the theatre, the nurse stopped him from entering but then Joel insisted on staying by Melody’s side, the nurse refused. Just then, the doctor ran towards the theatre with three other nurses, Melody was wheeled in and the first nurse, mouthed “Please, pray for her” to Joel before closing the door.
Joel sat down helplessly on the bare floor of the hospital, Chidiebube and the detective joined him too, each of them sitting beside him. Tears gathered in his eyes again for the umpteenth time that day, he turned to his right hand side to look at Ebube, the tears rolled down freely and with a low voice, almost in a whisper, he said.
“We had planned to wait till on our wedding night before we have s€× with each other. the night she told me she was a V-rgin, i was surprised and somehow proud of her, it wasn’t easy, and then one dimwit just spoilt everything in just a day” Chidiebube took his left hand across his shoulder and car-ssed it soothingly.
“I know exactly how you feel, take heart man, just know that am with you on this” he replied.
“Me too” the detective added with a smile. Joel closed his eyes and then what the rude nurse said to him earlier came to his mind, and with his eyes still closed, he clasped his hands together and muttered.
“God, i don’t even know how to pray, infact i have never prayed before, but you kept me safe and away from harm at the warfront in Somalia and am grateful for that. Today, I have decided to pray for the first time in my life, you see that woman in there? she is my life and i love her a wh0le lot, please, do not let her die” he weeped. He opened his eyes and Agile was standing at the entrance of the lobby that led to the theatre.
“Hey Agile” he called out and the young man bounced towards him. “Am sorry for keeping you guys here, you are free to go home now, tell the others too” he said. The young man shook his head and stared at Joel, sad. “Don’t worry Boss, we all are with you in this, we are going nowhere till you are ready to go” he replied.
“What of Ability and the rest?” Chidiebube asked.
“We are all outside and we are going nowhere” he saluted Joel and left.
The doctor came out and Joel rushed towards him like a lightening. Chidiebube and the detective stood up and rushed towards the doctor too, questions in their eyes.
“We were able to stabilize her but she is yet to wake up. The perpetrator of this evil is really wicked, not only was she stabbed, she was raped brutally. Although we flushed her belly so as to avoid any case of pregnancy or virus of any kind” he sighed removing the stethoscope hung around his neck.
“thank you doctor, so does it mean she is out of danger now?” Chidiebube asked.
“Not yet, she can be unconscious for as long as six months or even a year, just pray for her” he patted Joel’s shoulder and left.
“What happens to that psycho now?” Joel asked the detective with a gritted teeth.
“Yea, I told his brother and Udoka to take him to the hospital so that his wound can be attended to and after that, we will take him to court where he will be tried and punished according to the law” he replied.
“Which law? give him to me, i will cut his balls one after the other and also mutilate his s€× org-n, i so much want to give him a slow but a painful death” his body trembled with so much hatred.
“Calm down Captain and let the law handle it” the detective chuckled.
Episode 39
Joel got home looking dejected and tired, by the time he entered the living room, his parents were pacing around uncomfortably, he had ignored their calls throughout the day. His Mom was the first to bombard him with questions.
“Nnam, what happened? you were not taking our calls. Melody left the house since morning, according to the gate man and she is not yet back”
“Or did you later come home to take her with you?, what happened to your clothe and why is your shoe stained with blood?” his father added. Joel let out a full breath and sighed, the tears started gathering again but then he wiped them off before they could drop.
“Dad, Mom, Melody was abducted earlier today by a psycho, she was raped and stabbed before we could get there, she has been taken to the hospital though and she is still unconscious” he sniffed.
“Oh my God, that girl is a good girl, she doesn’t look for people’s trouble na” his mother said feeling sober.
“Is it the same guy that killed Mercy?” his father asked.
“Yes Dad, but we caught the idiot though” Joel replied, they had been standing since he got home.
“That’s good, igbagbuokwala ya? (Have you shot him dead already?) the woman asked, she was crying already.
“I want to, but they said he will be taken to court and punished according to the law” Joel sneered.
“If that’s the case then, you need to contact our family lawyer, he is a very good lawyer and he has never lost a case before” his father explained going close to Joel.
“I don’t even need a renowned lawyer, we have already won the case, it’s just for us to get the permission to kill him” Joel shrugged.
“My son, this is Nigeria, expect anything to happen. contact our family laywer now” his father replied.
“I will do that tomorrow Dad, i need to freshen up and rest, i will be in my room now” he hugged his father and pecked his mom on the cheek before climbing up the stairs.
***
Ambler got to the police station, he was dressed in black suit with a blue shirt, he carried a black portfolio in hands, and a black shoe to compliment his dressing. He went to the counter, three police men were there already, he greeted them and brought his business card out.
“I am barrister Ambler, and my client is in your custody, i need to see him” he said, making sure they looked at the card very well.
“Na who be your client?” one of the police men asked.
“Ezenwa Akueze, he was brought in yesterday after getting treated at the hospital, he has a wound on one of his legs” he explained further.
“You mean that rapist? so na you wan defend am for court? I pity your life” another police man hissed.
“Every body is entitled to a lawyer and he or she is not guilty until proven otherwise by the court of law. Can i see him now?” he picked his card from the desk and shoved it in his portfolio.
“Oya follow me kia kia” the first police man told him. they walked through a corridor and on getting to the last office, the diverted to another corridor and walked down, few minutes after, they were out in the field, they crossed the field and entered another corridor, the police man stopped at the first cell by the right. “You only get 20 minutes to talk with am because say you be him lawyer, I dey here dey wait” the policeman eyed him. Ambler ignored him and entered the cell, it wasn’t as smelly and dirty as people had explained to him. It was empty and neat, Ezenwa sat on the floor with his bandaged leg stretched out in front of him.
“Ambler, you finally came” he said as happiness embedded his face.
“How is your leg?, is it paining much?” Ambler asked looking around for where to sit and when he didn’t find, he resorted to leaning on the wall.
“It is not that painful anymore” Ezenwa replied him.
“I heard you raped the girlfriend of a captain, dude, you should have feared God na, soldiers are mean and wicked, not to talk of their captain, oboy your matter pass me” Ambler shook his head in pity.
“Oh cut the crap, i raped and killed his ex fiance, what did he do?” he sneered.
“Well that was because he wasn’t around from what i heard” Ambler shrugged.
“I didn’t call you here for you to tell me how mean soldiers are” Ezenwa sneered.
“Oya why did you call me here?”
“They are planning to take me to court and i need a lawyer” he said.
“You don’t need a lawyer to defend you because you are guilty as charged, you only need a lawyer to represent you in court” he adjusted his tie.
“Common Ambler, you have been our family lawyer since i can remember, you know what to do to make me a free man.”
“On one condition” Ambler spoke huskily.
“I know, father’s doc-ments right? i was already planning to give them to you” Ezenwa replied.
“Yes, but this time around, i won’t be giving you a dime, the doc-ments becomes mine once i get you out of here” he grinned.
“Deal” Ezenwa replied with a broad smile.
“Have a nice day” Ambler said leaving the cell.