BLOOD...

It was 10 pm

I just stepped outside the hospital gate to buy something cold to drink

As I gulped the chilled Coca-Cola

I silently prayed for the strength to stay the night 

As I was leaving the shop

I took a casual glance down the road

A man was approaching in sauntering steps

'Another drunk,'I concluded, shaking my head

Then I heard a soft thud

I looked again 

The man had fallen to the ground

Out of curiosity, I approached where he lay

He was face down, so I turned him

I could barely make out his face in the enveloping darkness

But he happened to be clutching his stomach

'Help me,' he pleaded, gasping for breath 

Touching his abdomen,I noticed a warm liquid has soaked his shirt

And it had that familiar smell

Blood 

I returned with two gatemen

Together we carried him into the Accident and Emergency

There was a gaping wound on the abdomen probably from a gunshot

There was another smaller exit wound at the back

We presumed he had been shot at close range

He has lost a lot of blood and his vital signs were in disarray 

Pulse was one hundred and forty-two

Blood pressure was sixty over forty

Extremities were getting cold

He has lost consciousness 

His blood group was O-negative

Which made matters worse as there was no O-neg blood in the blood bank

that night

And no one around was a match

So while we tried bringing him out of shock using normal saline

He was taken to the theatre to suture the bleeding arteries and close the wounds

But it was obvious to all that without blood administered fast

He might not make it 

As I made my way to the blood bank to negotiate what next to do

A young man approached me

'That man,that man you brought in now,'he began in a shaky voice

'I want to donate blood for him'

At my wits end, I took him to be screened

Fortunately,he was a match 

We transfused the patient with the pint he donated

The next day,he met me outside the ward

'I learnt he still needs more blood'

'Yes,'I replied,'We are arranging for that'

'Well,I bought two pints of O-neg blood this morning,'he said

'I kept them at the blood bank' 

'Are you his relative?'I asked, struck by his selflessness

'No,'he responded, forcing a smile 'Just a friend' 

Three days later, I met him again in the hallway

As I went to see the patient

'Come with me,' I beckoned

The patient was awake when we entered

He was still in pains but managed a smile

'See the man who saved your life,'I began pointing at the young man 

'I'm glad I was of help,'the young man said,all the while looking at the floor

'Thank you,'the patient said in a whisper and motioned me to come

I drew near,my head across his chest

In a voice ladden with pain,the patient said

'This is the man who shot me'

I was rooted to the spot