Blinkered - Season 1 - Episode 9

Episode 5 years ago

Blinkered - Season 1 - Episode 9

DOWN IN THE MOUTH

“Somehow I feel responsible for Tee’s present condition, Licia. Our exams is in 2weeks and she is bedridden again. Her mum even called this morning to ask me if Tonia was having any emotional challenge I knew of. She told me the doctor said Tonia broke down due to extreme emotional stress. Meanwhile, Tonia on her own part has vehemently refused to say anything about what happened to her on Friday evening to anybody, including her mum.” Grace lamented on the brink of tears as she sat beside Licia on the bed holding a pillow close to her chest
“You don’t have to be too hard on yourself Grace, you did what you did out of frustration” Licia replied, drawing closer to Grace and patting her lightly on the back.

Licia is a course mate and one of Grace’s best friends, their closeness extended to Tonia as well.
For students with special cases like Tonia, their health cards for accessing the university’s medical centre requires the details of someone very close and also readily available to be reached in cases of emergencies like the event of Friday night. Grace hurriedly got to the school clinic -as students usually called it- that Friday evening after she was called up by one of the doctors on duty, only to meet her brave and fighting Tonia lying unconscious on the stretcher. Her hair rumpled, her body weak and feeble, her eyes were puffy and red from excessive weeping. All Grace could see that night before Tonia’s mum eventually arrived was a shadow of her friend’s self. The doctors punctured almost all her veins, as they kept trying to rehydrate and revive her, with numerous intravenous fluids and drips. Grace had to sleep over at the school clinic with Tonia’s mum. The cold black night pierced Grace’s very bones and a haze of fear surrounded her as she kept wishing and praying that Tonia would just get well immediately.

Finally, morning came and Tonia was still unconscious. Her father came to take her home to their family doctor. Grace asked to accompany them but Tonia’s mother admonished her to stay back in school that her friend will be fine soon.

“The more I think of it Licia, I feel I betrayed Tonia” Grace said as tears welled up in her eyes and began rolling down her cheeks like rivulets
Licia took a deep breath. She could feel the immense inexpressible agony Grace was in right now. She hugged her affectionately, ” See! If you continue like this, you will break down and we’ll have two patients in the hospital. You need to forgive yourself to be able to confess to Tonia, else you wouldn’t be able to face her when she resumes. I can understand what prompted your actions, but have a grip on yourself Grace” Licia persuaded, rubbing her back

“I didn’t like how Tonia treated Jerry…”Grace