Right from childhood, Caro had been someone people described as the father's daughter in spite of the fact that her father, Mr Jones had two other daughters. The "father's daughter" tag stems from the special attachment she had with her father.
Even at such a tender age when she was still suckling, it appeared as if her main need for her mother was when she was hungry - to suck breast or to be fed. Apart from that, she usually clung to her father. An elderly woman had opined that Caro must have been Mr Jones' previous wife in an earlier life who reincarnated as his daughter.
Caro grew up to be a qualified nurse. Even as a grown up, her attachment to her father remained remarkable. She was open to him, and could disclose her personal issues with him more than she could to her mother.
With her professional disposition, she was very meticulous with health matters, and this she extended to her father. Regularly, she hung the stethoscope on her neck to check his heartbeat. She would also monitor his blood pressure with an ECG.
She usually smiles and nods her head in appreciation of the readings she saw but, this time, it was different.
"Your bp had always been good," she remarked. "This day, it's changed."
"A change?" Mr Jones asked as if he didn't hear her well.
She transferred the ECG to the upper arm of the other hand, and couldn't believe her eyes.
"This is outrageous," she whispered, squeezing her face as droplets of sweat started forming on her forehead. "Father, is there anyhow you're feeling inside?"
Mr Jones looked up a bit as if trying to remember something. "A slight headache, nothing serious." He responded, wiping his forehead with his left hand.
Quickly she went inside, brought her bag and selected some drugs which she administered to him. She was restless, knowing all was not well.
"You need to lie down and have some rest." With that, she led him by the hand to his bed.
Meanwhile, she called Dr Udoh, the cardiologist to know whether he was on duty at the Federal Medical Centre. The doctor said he would be around in three hours time.
By the time she came back to inform him they'll be going to the hospital, his temperature had dramatically gone up far beyond normal. She hurriedly, drove him to the hospital to see Dr Udoh who didn't waste time in attending to him.
Caro had been a good natured fellow who was liked by people. Her good interpersonal relationship was part of what propelled Dr Udoh, in addition to two other doctors to respond quickly to her distress call.
"What drugs had he taken before now?" Dr Udoh asked, observing the patient very closely.
She told him and he said that's OK as he looked at the other doctors who also approved the medication by nodding their heads simultaneously.
He went on to prescribe some tests and drugs saying Mr Jones would be OK by morning. "The situation, though bad, is not horrible," he concluded.
When morning came, Mr Jones didn't get better. His condition worsened, and Caro was getting mad from anxiety. When her father noticed how worried she was, he beckoned on her to come closer.
"There's time for everything," he softly said.
"What does that mean?" Caro asked, looking straight into his eyes.
"Don't get frustrated," he advised with a hushed voice. "It's possible it's time."
"Time for what, Father?" She asked, raising her voice. "What's the meaning of time?"
She read some meanings into her father's statement. As the thought of the worst came into her mind, she reached to her phone and called Dr Udoh again because of the strange comments from her father.
She went back to his father's bed, and kneeling down besides him said, "Maybe you're thinking something bad may happen, nothing of such will."
Continuing, she said, "You heard when doc said you're going to be fine or, is your heart weak?"
Her father raised his hand, glanced at her and removed his face without saying anything.
She continued, "I've seen bad cases which I handled personally without assistance. I've saved other people's lives. Please, just be strong."
"What's going on in my mind ...," he didn't complete the sentence.
"Whatever it is, you're alive and with your special ..., she looked up, being interrupted by the stepping in of her siblings and mother.
"Caro, how's it?" Mrs Jones was the first to ask.
"Not so bad," Caro responded halfheartedly as he truly knew it wasn't so good. "Dr Udoh would soon come around." With that she went out to collect the laboratory results that should have been ready by then.
The rest were all steering at their father when Dr Udoh came in. "How're you sir?" He asked the patient while feeling his pulse. He slightly shook his head and asked of Caro.
"She went downstairs to check for the results," responded Ada, the oldest daughter.
The doctor went out and met Caro at the ground floor. "You must be yourself and be strong," he said calmly. "We've lost your father," he disclosed.
"No, no, no," shouted Caro in agony. "He can't just die. Father, where're you?" She continued as she was climbing the staircase to see him.
Rushing to fall on his supposedly dead father, he opened his eyes and asked, "Where're you? Where did you go?"
Caro and every other person were taken aback. The drama was unbelievable. Dr Udoh told them he saw himself diving into a dark space from a high altitude. He said he heard Caro's voice shouting "No, no, no. Father, where're you?" He said, as soon as he heard Caro's voice, he woke up.
To everyone's happiness, his health improved so fast that he was discharged from hospital the next day.
The race of life. Caro won with her father. A nicely written story.
Thanks for your time in reading my post.
You are welcome.