Episode 8-THE FACE I COULDN'T FORGET
886 Words
Brian’s POV
I sat behind my desk, flipping through the morning’s patient files. Just routine checks, most of them in their first trimester. My coffee had gone cold, and my head was already pounding from back-to-back appointments.
The nurse knocked lightly and slid the next file into my hand.
Patient Name: Anna Nwoke
Age: 23
*First visit – Antenatal consultation
I skimmed through it like I did with every patient — age, blood type, pregnancy stage. Nothing unusual.
But then the door opened… and my world froze.
She stepped in slowly, her eyes scanning the room before settling on me. And just like that, the air left my lungs.
My hands stiffened around her file.
It’s her.
Petite. Quiet. Soft brown eyes. The faintest frown on her forehead.
The girl from the club. The one I never expected — never wanted — to see again.
No. This can’t be. This is a coincidence… right?
But my gut told me otherwise.
Her face hadn’t changed. Just a little pale. Even her scent — light, like fresh flowers — stirred something in my memory.
I must’ve looked shocked because she paused for a moment, like she was about to ask if I was okay.
I swallowed hard and forced a polite smile.
“Good morning, Miss Nwoke. Please… have a seat.”
She sat across from me, clearly nervous. Probably because it was her first visit. But for me, this wasn’t just another patient.
This is the girl I saw two months ago… the one I touched. The one who never knew who I was.
The room felt smaller. Hotter. My skin prickled with discomfort. I tried to focus, to flip open her file and begin asking the usual questions.
But my mind was no longer in the room.
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💭 Flashback – Two Months Ago
Club House, Friday Night
That night, Tim wouldn’t let me breathe.
“Bro! You’ve been working your ass off. Let’s unwind tonight. One drink, come on!”
I finally gave in. It had been months since I’d stepped into a club. I needed to let loose. We ended up at club elysium, the usual Friday night madness — loud music, neon lights, bodies pressed too close.
Tim handed me a drink I didn’t even ask for. Whiskey, I think. Or maybe tequila. Whatever it was, it burned going down.
We were laughing, catching up, when I noticed something odd. My head felt too light. My heart was racing for no reason.
Was the drink spiked?
I pushed my chair back and told Tim I needed some air.
Outside, the veranda was quieter. The lights softer. I tried to calm my breath and lean on the railing when someone bumped into me — hard.
She stumbled right into my arms.
Petite. Fair-skinned. Wearing a short red dress.
She looked up, dazed. Her eyes were unfocused.
“Are you okay?” I asked, holding her gently.
She didn’t answer clearly. Just murmured something — incoherent, breathy, like someone under the influence of something stronger than alcohol.
I froze. Her body was warm. She clung to me like she couldn’t stand on her own.
Was she drugged?
“Where are your friends?” I asked, looking around, but no one came.
She leaned into me, moaning faintly, like she was in need of something… or someone. Her hands gripped the back of my shirt.
My heart thundered in my chest.
Leave her. Go back inside.
But I didn’t.
I looked at her face — oval, soft, innocent. Her skin was smooth like milk. Her lips parted slightly, like she was begging for something she couldn’t put into words.
And then… I did something I shouldn’t have.
There was a door ajar at the end of the corridor — a storage room maybe, or a spare guest suite. I pushed it open with my foot, confirming it was empty.
I picked her up. Bridal style. Her head rested on my shoulder like it belonged there.
I closed the door behind us.
Inside, the room was dimly lit. Dust in the air. A couch pushed to the corner. I sat her down gently, but she didn’t let go. “Please…” she whispered. “Don’t go…”
My mind was screaming. Stop this. Get help.
But her scent was sweet. Her body warm. My own judgment blurred — whether from the spiked drink or the temptation I couldn’t resist.
That night happened fast. Too fast. I only remember pieces.
Afterward, I made sure she was safe, left quietly, and never expected to see her again.
Until now.
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💭 Present – Back in the Hospital
I stared at the girl now sitting in front of me — the same girl from that night.
She had no idea.
Or maybe she did… and just didn’t want to say it.
I cleared my throat and went back to her file.
“How far along are you?”
She blinked, then looked down. “Um… about nine weeks.”
I froze.
That timing… It’s possible. More than possible.
What if this baby… is mine?
I forced a calm nod and scribbled notes I couldn’t focus on.
This wasn’t just another patient anymore.
This was the past walking into my office.
And maybe… my biggest mistake coming back to face me.
- Writer
