Chapter 82: Test
It was the weekend, which for the old Kofi would have meant a glorious, uninterrupted stretch of video games and instant noodles. The new Kofi, however, found himself walking toward the hospital.
’Just a quick visit. See how she’s doing.’
He arrived at the main reception, the familiar smell of antiseptic cleaner greeting him. As he was giving Thea’s name to the nurse at the front desk, a familiar figure approached. It was the doctor from before, the one with the tired eyes and cynical attitude. Today, though, the cynicism was gone, replaced by a look that was just plain sad.
"Son, can I have a word with you?"
Kofi nodded, and the doctor led him away from the bustling reception area and down a quiet hall to his office. The office was neat, organized. The doctor gestured for him to sit in the chair opposite his desk.
"I’m glad you came," the doctor began, sinking into his own chair with a heavy sigh. "I’ve been trying to get in touch with Thea’s family."
He picked up a file from his desk, though he didn’t open it. He didn’t need to.
"Thea gave us a number. For her aunt, her legal guardian. I called it this morning."
The doctor leaned forward, his elbows on the desk, and the professional distance he usually maintained was just gone.
"The woman who answered... she was not happy to hear from me. I explained that her niece was in the hospital, that she was found unconscious, suffering from severe malnutrition and a host of other issues."
He paused, looking Kofi straight in the eye.