Chapter 1: Midnight Confessions in the ER

Dem burst enter ER, sweat and red rash full their body, smell of pepper soup still dey their shirt. The rash spread for him body like oil for jollof rice. Generator hum dey background, nurse dey argue price of gala with one aboki for entrance. Their faces show heavy worry—the kind panic wey make person forget self for reception. The man grip the woman hand tight, eyes dey shine like person wey thief. But as dem reach inside, he glance her, scratch head, then whisper, "Babe, abeg, help me check if I lock car. My mind no dey rest." Na so e sharply send her away—Naija man sabi dodge matter if e reach that level.

As she waka go, the man no waste time. He bend near me, voice low: “Doctor, abeg, I dey suspect say I fit carry syphilis o.”

I just reason am—see gobe! Wetin concern allergy and syphilis? My mind dey fly. Na only Naija hospital fit give you this kind midnight drama, I swear.

My head spin—so person fit dey allergic to syphilis?

I just tire, my leg nearly cut for ground. Even my colleague beside me just clear throat, face away. If you no get strong mind for ER, wahala go finish you. "Syphilis dey cause rash, but allergy to syphilis?" I just lock up, dey observe.

I remember this one night shift for ER. Mosquito dey buzz near my ear, and I dey sip cold malt to stay awake. The evening cold fit freeze stone, and one couple waka enter—turtleneck sweater twins.

The kind cold that night ehn, even the wall clock for ER dey shiver. People dey wrap Ankara, some dey use wrapper, everybody dey package anyhow. The couple own come be like say dem plan am—turtleneck on fleek. I just dey observe.

The young man no waste time, lift him shirt sharp-sharp. Everywhere for him belle—big, raised red patches. Classic allergy sign. Scratch mark full ground, the rash resemble map of Nigeria for skin.

No lie, e resemble all those urticaria from crayfish allergy. The patches just dey there, the girlfriend dey use eye beg me, "Abeg help am o!" Her face show say she no want wahala tonight at all.

“Doctor, my boyfriend dey allergic to seafood. Abeg, give am allergy medicine quick,” she beg, her voice dey shake.

Her hand grip him own tight, eye dey shine. You know as Lagos babe dey—if wahala jam her man, na war. She dey look me like say I fit do jazz.

I tell the man make he siddon, begin ask am gently for more details.

I lower my voice, dey calm. "Oga, abeg, relax. Wetin you chop? How the thing start?" I adjust my biro, ready to jot.

He explain say na some lobsters he chop, next thing itching land, big big red patches everywhere. E get allergy before, but this one pass all the rest.

As he dey talk, him face dey squeeze—like say the lobster offend am personally. "Oga, this one pass all the others. I never scratch like this before." The girlfriend dey nod, dey dab sweat for him forehead.

As he finish, he look the girlfriend, then form reason: "Babe, my phone don die. Abeg, help me find power bank for car."

The excuse sweet me—Naija style sharpness. The girlfriend just adjust her wig, waka go, still dey look back with worry. Tension full everywhere.

As senior doctor, I just dey observe, dey wait. For Naija, body language na everything. If gist get as e be, sweat and eye go tell you. I clear my throat, arrange my thoughts.

Once the woman waka, the man bend reach my ear, voice low: “Doctor, I dey suspect say I fit carry syphilis o.”

Omo, my heart jump. The way e talk am, you go think say na government secret. Fear dey dance for him eye.

I nearly drop my pen—so na true, something dey hide!

For my mind, "Ehen, so na here the matter dey." I steady myself, package face.

I quick ask, "Oga, wetin make you think say na syphilis?"

He rush talk: about one month ago, travel for work, jam ex for bar, drink pass himself, dem mistakenly sleep together.

As he talk, sweat dey drop. "Doctor, na mistake o. I no plan am. I just drink, before I know, one thing lead to another." I nod, dey encourage. Temptation full everywhere for Lagos.

“I regret am as I sober. Na cold sweat just dey my body. But I swear, I use protection.”

He rub hand for back of neck, eye no gree meet my own. "Na condom I use o, doctor. Na morning I just dey reason my life."

“I never get peace since then, I dey fear say I fit carry something come house, infect myself and my girlfriend.”

Him eye dey shine with water, but pride no gree am drop. For Naija, nobody wan carry wahala reach house, especially this kain secret.

I don see this kind thing many times, so e no surprise me.

Na every week we dey hear this type gist for ER. Young men dey fear after waka, especially if dem get babe wey dey serious. Fear dey push people pass the sickness sometimes.

I reassure am, “No worry. These days, medicine sharp pass before—no be like when our papa dey. Just do test, you go know for sure. No need panic.”

I use soft tone. "Oga, cool down. If you do test, e go clear everything. Science no dey lie. No let fear finish you."

“And even if na syphilis, dem dey cure am well these days, so abeg, no let am weigh you down.”

I pat him back small. "Even if na as you dey fear, medicine dey. No be like before. Just free your mind."

But fear still dey hold am, him hand just dey tight for fist.

He dey squeeze him hand like person wey dey pray. Sweat dey him palm, e dey tap table steady. Worry just no gree leave am.

“Better make I safe than sorry.”

He talk am like prayer. For Naija, person always talk, "Better to dey safe, abeg."