Virus by Ifedayo Akintomide Page A

she
could float right off the table.
    She hardly felt his hands opening
her legs wide and inserting what looked like a mega sized syringe
into her sex. What she did feel was the pain that started seven
seconds later.
     
    Chike’s eyes opened in a flash. The
dream and peace had all but vanished. His skin was scorching hot
and his breath was coming in long labored gasps. He tried to move
but found that he could not. All his strength seemed to have
deserted him. His eyes grew wide and darted around the room,
frantically searching for help.
    He recalled seeing his mother seated
beside his bed before he went to sleep, but the plastic chair was
empty. Several voices rang out from behind the door. He recognized
his mother and father’s voices as one of them. He desperately tried
to call out for help, but could not manage more than a weak croak.
What in the world was wrong with him? His heart started to race so
fast that he felt it was going to explode and then came a heavy
blackness and he knew no more.
     
    Outside his room
     
    “You are going to have to file a
lawsuit against that school and its principal Steven. How could the
school management have been careless enough to allow that mad man
to attack our boy? Didn’t the principal realize the danger Eze
posed to all the students?”
    “I agree with you Chioma. I am
shaking with rage now. First thing tomorrow morning I am going over
to ogochi’s place to ask where I can get a lawyer. The school is
not going to get away with the danger they put our son’s life
in__”
    He droned on and on, citing many
criminal cases that the government either did nothing about, or had
swept under the carpet. Chioma tried to listen for the first five
minutes and simply lost interest afterwards.
    A preoccupied look crept on her face
as she tried to think of an excuse to put an end to the dull
conversation. Her face lit up immediately she thought of
one.
    “Excuse me Stevenfrank___” She
interrupted rising to her feet slowly. “I want to go and check on
Chike. I will be back soon.”
    He nodded, looking slightly
displeased that she had interrupted him in mid-sentence. Smiling at
him sweetly she quickly strode to Chike’s door, opened it and
walked in.
    A pause followed and then___ she
came rushing out breathing heavily and looking
terrified.
    “Steven Frank come quick___ I think
something is wrong with Chike.”
    Steven Frank tore to his son’s room
with his wife following closely behind.
     

Chapter
Thirteen
     
    After school hours (Next
day)
     
    Wole walked towards the front door
of his house. His mother stood in front of the door with her arms
akimbo and a hard scowl on her face.
    That look on a normal day would have
driven a cold shiver down his spine. Today however, he was
strangely indifferent. His mother’s frown became less hard, it was
almost as if she seemed to sense his indifference. There was also
something else in his carriage that put her maternal senses on full
alert; she could not quite put a finger on what it was. Before she
could dwell on it further he stopped in front of her.
    “What’s wrong with you?” She asked
taking a step forward. “Did Eze attack anyone again?”
    “No he didn’t. The police arrested
him yesterday. I don’t think he has been released yet.”
    “Then why do you look so glum?
Thought you would be happy that your friend sustained nothing more
than a blow to his pride?”
    “But that’s just it mum. He
sustained more than that. We heard at school that he was rushed
back to the hospital late last night.”
    “What?? But I thought you said the
doctors examined him and found nothing wrong?”
    “According to the principal he
developed a very high fever last night. Tunrayo and I just came
from the hospital__ she has gone home.” He added noticing her
questioning look.
    “We would have stayed with him
longer but I knew how worried you will be, so I came
home.”
    A long silence followed his sad
words.
    “How is he doing?” His mother