BEAUTIFUL ME

 BONUS EPISODE ONE

"THE STORY"

BY UMORU PRAISE

Dr. Badmus paced through his office to and fro all night. His fright and fear obviously got the best of him. Although the weather forecast was presented to be really cold that night, but Dr. Badmus lab coat reek of sweat. 

The golden brown dried up sweat,  on his lab coat,  that laid on the chair,  formed a wobbling necklace round the collar and downwards.

He unbuttoned his T-shirt as his collapsed on the sofa in an attempt to grasp a breath of fresh air, but all that pierced through his skin was a splash of hot guilt and fear

“How could I let this happen!” he yelled at himself letting his fingers go through his fairly grown hair in frustration. He hissed in despair

“Ahhhh! Badmus! Badmus! This is trouble…this is bad. How do you explain this” he kept on hitting his head with his hands as he monologue

He looked at the time on his wrist watch. It was already 7am. He had spent the whole night lurking for a good way to break his punishable discovery to Mrs. Ambrose about the death of her son. He grabbed a piece of paper from the table, and looked deeply into it, like an answer would pop out but it only increased his fright.

He placed his fingers on his forehead, sucking every air that came by in pain as he gazed into Frank’s autopsy. He has just fired two of his workers in anger and fear.

He sunk his head into the sofa as he drenched himself to the floor. He soliloquized countless ways to break the news to Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose about the real death of their son which wasn’t caused by Melanoma. How was he going to tell them that his workers whom he trusted the case of one of the most influential families, which millions of people knew about, gave a wrong autopsy to the cause of their son’s death? How was he going to explain to this powerful family who could bring down his hospital; his life time goal and hard work that feeds himself and his family, in a twinkle of an eye because of his ignorance and recklessness? How was he supposed to explain his incompetence and fallacy? He was sure his career was definitely coming to an end with this. 

He hit his chest so hard as he imagined his downfall. He imagined the reaction of the press. How they would carry the news of his onetime ignorant mistake and tag it as a doctor’s consistent fallacy to many other families who have trusted the lives of their loved ones to his hospital. He was sure many would begin to raise up false stories and connect unfortunate incidents to him and his hospital as incapability and fraud.

But he had no choice. He had thought of the several consequences that would occur if he doesn’t speak up to the intimidating and weighty family. It would be worse if someone else broke the news to them. 

He thought of scenarios the family of senior ambassadors could get notified of his unfortunate mistake, either by another doctor or even a mortuary attendant. It would be the end. His hospital would obviously be sued and shut down. He regretted not attending to the body himself

Dr. Badmus took a huge breath of the air his hospital surrounded him with. After a great while of silence and butchered emotional encouragement, he made the phone call.

As it rang, he thought of backing out, but his heart skipped a beat as Mrs. Ambrose picked the call

“G…good morn…morning ma” Dr. Badmus’s forehead already accommodated beads of sweat just within that short period of his greeting

“Dr, Badmus, why are you calling so early this morning”

Although Mrs. Ambrose voice sounded sober and melancholic, he could tell she wasn’t just waking up but must have been crying and probably suffering from insomnia. With the way she responded, he knew she wasn’t in a good mood, but he just had to tell her. If he told her husband, in an instance, with just a phone call, Badmus knew his hospital was going down. But he thought of Mrs. Ambrose as an emotional and sentimental woman, who would still have a bit of sympathy for him and lessen his punishment compared to her husband who was known as a straight forward man who took no nonsense from any one.

“I…I…am...am sorry to bother you ma. It’s…it’s… ju...st…just urgent…MA” he emphasized the last statement (Ma) like it depended on his life”

Dr. Badmus could hear some creaking sound like she tried adjusting herself in order to place some interest in his call

“Dr. Badmus…” Mrs. Ambrose spoke firmly but still in a melancholic and calm way “I don’t know you to be a stammerer, so I advise you speak fluently

She sounded bold to him, he couldn’t explain how she did even still in her state of mourning but still in a weird way, he could still feel a bit of her sadness in her voice

“I…I…am sorry ma” Dr. Badmus shook his head to regain his boldness. He closed his eyes and took a deep breathe, inhaling and exhaling the cool air from his air conditioner assuring himself of the boldness within. He opened his eyes, opening his mouth to speak words that hurt as fire and preparing himself for the consequences...

Bonus episode two will be released by 8pm