Chapter 2: Unusual Ulcer

She don already buy mouthwash from chemist, try Bonjela and other things, but nothing work. The ulcer don nearly reach two weeks, e still never better.

I come nod, "You don try saltwater, Bonjela, even ampiclox?" She nod head, "Everything. Still no gree go."

That one come surprise me.

I rub my chin, dey look her mouth, dey wonder. E no dey usual at all, make ulcer stay that long. E get as e be.

“E fit be body heat?” the intern wey dey beside me talk under her breath—she dey refer to that old people belief say sometimes body dey hot inside, e dey cause wahala.

I just side-eye the intern, dey remember how my own mama go always say, "Go drink bitter leaf, your body too dey hot." Intern even suggest, "Make she try soak ogbono for water drink, e dey cool body."

She come dey share her own mouth ulcer experience, dey recommend one herbal bitters from the market, dey promise say if the girl drink am for two days, everything go clear.

She even dey mention one local bitters, say her auntie use am heal mouth sore sharp sharp. "Just take small, morning and night. E go shock you!"

The patient say she don try drink plenty herbal bitters, e no work.

She frown face, "All the bitters for that our hostel market, I don try am. E no work. E just bitter for nothing."

One old mama for corner just nod, “Ogbono dey work, my pikin!” Na so the ER dey be—everybody get advice.

The intern still wan continue her talk, but I quickly stop her.

I tap her leg under table small, "Leave that side, abeg." E get some things wey no suppose pass for ER like that.

This one no be ordinary body heat. How mouth ulcer wey body heat cause no go dey pain? If na me get that kind wahala, my tongue go dey burn like fire.

For my mind, I dey reason, "If na that one, she go dey shout since. This one different."

Besides, for our textbook, diagnosis like 'body heat' no even dey.

But you know how Naija people dey, if dem no see scientific answer, dem go carry local wisdom put.

Of course, na only the intern hear that one as I talk am for low voice; the patient no catch am.

I no wan make the girl think say we dey use her do practical. Na so I just lower my voice more, so she no go suspect anything.

I check the patient mouth, see say inside her lower lip and for the roof of her mouth, I see some oval, red patches. Some don turn to ulcer. The biggest one almost reach 1 cm—e really dey scary to see.

As I bend torch inside her mouth, I smell that faint mint from the mouthwash, mix with something sour. Even me, e shock me. "Ah, this one big o," I think for my mind.

No wonder she dey fear for her singing.

If na me, I go dey worry say maybe na village people dey try block my shine for that choir competition.

Such big ulcer, and e no dey pain? I no too believe am.

E come be like say spirit just hold the pain for am. I even tap my pen for table small, dey wonder.

The patient talk say at first e pain small, but later, e just numb. Na only the ulcer itself she dey feel—as if something dey her mouth—so to talk or sing dey make her uncomfortable.

She rub her lower jaw, "At first, e pain me o, but later, e just dey. I fit talk, but e dey feel somehow. If I sing, e dey worry me." Her roommate nod dey sympathize, dey pat her back gently.

I pause, dey reason wetin I go prescribe, but truth be say, I no sure at all.