Chisom, who had arrived with Felix, couldn't help but feel immense pity for her friend. She clutched her phone in her hand, torn between staying with Felix and informing Andrew about the attack. She wondered who could have committed such a heinous act against Chioma and why. One of the assailants' faces had been exposed before they fled, but the others had masked themselves, making identification difficult.
Fortunately, there was a hospital nearby, and they wasted no time in getting Chioma the medical attention she desperately needed. In what felt like a slow-motion sequence, Felix, his face etched with worry, rushed Chioma through the automatic doors, the sterile scent of disinfectant hitting him like a wave. Her pale and weak form clung desperately to consciousness, a whimper escaping her lips. The waiting medical staff, alerted by the commotion, sprang into action. A doctor with a grim expression quickly assessed Chioma. 'We need to get her into surgery right away,' he said, his voice urgent. Swiftly transferring Chioma to a stretcher, the rhythmic beeping of nearby machines forming a tense counterpoint, they whisked her away towards the Emergency Room. Felix, determined to stay by her side, remained rooted in the lobby, his gaze fixed on the emergency room doors, a silent prayer forming on his lips. 'Please, Chioma,' he thought desperately, 'hold on.'
The harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital lobby seemed to pulsate with each agonising tick of the wall clock. Time stretched into an eternity as Felix relived the horrifying scene in his mind's eye. His focus was broken by the arrival of a doctor, her face etched with concern.
'Are you family of the patient in room 214?' the doctor enquired, her voice a soothing balm in the tense atmosphere.
Felix rose to his feet, his voice hoarse. 'Yes, that's Chioma. How is she?'
The doctor offered a sympathetic smile. 'She's unconscious, but we've stabilised her condition for now. They're preparing her for surgery.'
Relief washed over Felix, momentarily erasing the knot of worry in his stomach. Just then, a faint groan escaped from behind him. He turned to see Chisom slumped in a chair, her face pale.
'Chisom? Are you all right?' he rushed to her side.
'I'm fine,' she mumbled, clutching her head. 'It's just... everything happened so fast.'
Felix helped her stand. 'Maybe you should go home and get some rest. I'll call you when I know more about Chioma.'
Chisom hesitated, then shook her head. 'No, I'll stay a little while.'