The hospital waiting room had a kind of smell that I can't still put a name to, now not that it was a bad smell, and also it wasnt a good smell at least for me, it s like in between good and bad, the air in that place always knew what what was happening in that hospital.
I had rushed to the hospital from work that day because I got a call from Bro Dupe.
"Guy, Mike has been rushed to the hospital" he had said with a very shaky voice that afternoon on the call.
" Why, What Happened" I asked but he say. "Just Come Fast" he said.
And that was my cue to leave the office that afternoon, I packed my things into my cross bag, double checking if I had forgotten anything and off I went, i boarded a bike to make my trip to the hospital a smoother one, I just didn't trust Lagos traffic, even though I was spending more than normal foor the trio to the hospital.
Finally i got to the hospital, i rushed down to the front desk and barely catching my breathe, i asked the nurse where Mike's room was "Hello Ma, I'm here to see MIcheal Adebayo, he wass rushed here about an hour ago" i said". brely looking up, she typed something into her computer, then she looked up "You will have to wait, the doctors are still attending to him," she said.
And that was how i found myself wwaiting in the waiting room, i dont know if it was the tension building in my chest or maybe it my imagination, but that waiting room felt like it had its own personality, seeiously it wasnt about the chairs and the walls, the waiting room felt so alive, it felt like it was carrying someting heavy ans also like it was observing.
There was a woman sitting just directly opposite me, she had her purse clutched tightly to her chest, like it was the only thing that was keeping her sane, A young boy was pacing back and forth and stopping every 2 minutes to look at the emergency doors, an older man sat beside the woman amd he was praying with his hands joined together, he prayed in a very small voice.
Now the waiting room wasn't quiet, and neither was it noisy or loud too, it was filled withsighs , shifting feets, and also the sound of the hospital clock timing loudly. i checked my phone for the tenth time in five minutes, still nothing...
I leaned my head back on the chair and Mike's memory started replaying in my mind, our argument about football, him always insisting he was fine, even when he wasn't. "He will be okay" i said to myself. The woman sitting beside me suddenly spoke up "Is this your first time waiting fpr somwone like this?" "Yes" i said " My friend was rushed in, and I was called to come over, so I'm here. YOU?" I asked.
"It's my third time this month, My husband has ill."
Then I didn't know what to say, then she said, "I hate this place, but somehow im also grateful for it too." Her statement stayed with me.
A nurse then walked past, and everybody head turned at the same time, it was funny how in sync we were, it was like we were all connected by one invisible string of hope,and after about thirty minutes that felt like three hours, the boy pacing stopped in front of me and said, "do you think they will be alright?"
I hesitated, then said, "I hope so." He nodded like my answer was enough, and that's when I realized something, the waiting room had brought us all down to the same level, now it didn't matter who you were outside the walls here...... rich, poor, shy, or confident, inside the waiting room, everyone was waiting for news, powerless and vulnerable,
My legs kept shaking, and my mind was just jumping from one thought to the other, imagining the worst case scenario, "what if its life threatening?" "what if I had ignored signs when Mike complained last week?"
Then the doors finally opened.
"We humans have strong heart o" the older man said almost to himself, Before I could think of a reply, a nurse called out, "Micheal Adebayo's Relative?" I stood up so fast that my chair made a loud screeching sound. "That's me" I said.
She gave me a small smile and said, "You can come in now, he's stable." " Stable....
I didn't know how long I had been holding my breath until that moment, as i follwed her through the door, I took a glance back at the waiting room one lsst time, It still had that same feeling, heavy, still watching over the next set of anxious minds.
I understood then that the waiting room doesn't bring you promises of good news or bad news, it just holds you in that space between fear and hope. and that space feels like the longest place in the world
[Image Credit](Meta AI)