“I wish you could, but it might derail the prosecution.”
Doris stared at the floor for a long moment, then met Zoe’s eyes again. “I suppose it would be enough to see him put in prison.”
Kuyeya fell again during a visit with Dr. Mbao. Sister Irina called Zoe in a state of bewilderment. The circumstances of the fall made no sense. They had been walking to the garden, as they always did, when Kuyeya collapsed. She sat up on her own, but she seemed disoriented and began to groan from deep in her throat. She didn’t speak and didn’t respond to questions. Even Zoe’s music didn’t seem to bring her peace.
“Dr. Chulu is on rotation,” Sister Irina said. “He’s going to examine her again.”
“Are they en route now?” Zoe asked.
“They left twenty minutes ago,” the nun replied.
“I’ll meet them there.”
Zoe parked on the street outside the pediatric unit and waited for the arrival of the St. Francis van. When it pulled to the curb, she greeted Sister Anica and opened the sliding door. Kuyeya gazed back at her through glassy eyes.
“Hi there,” Zoe said, taken aback. “I’ll help you out.” She reached for the girl’s shoulder and noticed that she was scratching the bump behind her right ear. “Was she doing that before?” Zoe asked, pointing at Kuyeya’s hand.
Sister Anica frowned. “I don’t know.”
Zoe slid her arm around Kuyeya and helped her to the ground. “Does your head hurt?” she asked, removing her headphones.
“Buzz goes the bee-eater; sting goes the bee,” Kuyeya replied.
“Is your head buzzing? Does it feel like a bee sting?”
Kuyeya nodded, scratching behind her ear again.
“Okay, we’re going to get you help.” She led Kuyeya into the waiting room and saw Dr. Chulu chatting with Nurse Mbelo.
“I think she’s in pain,” Zoe told the doctor. “She’s rubbing a spot behind her ear.”
The doctor gestured toward an examination room. “Let’s take a look.”
Thirty minutes later, he took a seat by the bed while Kuyeya listened to Johnny Cash.
“Her discomfort is clear,” he said. “What I don’t know is whether it is a cause or consequence of the fall.” He eyed Sister Anica. “Has she showed signs of fatigue or irritability?”
The nun pondered this. “No more than usual.”
“What about incontinence?”
“I don’t know. Sister Irina is in charge of her ward.”
Dr. Chulu glanced at Nurse Mbelo. “I think it’s time to get a full set of cervical X-rays.”
The nurse left the room and returned a minute later, looking troubled. She conferred with Dr. Chulu in a whisper, and the doctor’s expression darkened.
“It seems our chief radiologist is on leave,” he said with a trace of irritation.
“What does that mean?” Zoe asked.
“It means I’ll read the films myself.”
Zoe checked her watch and looked at Dr. Chulu. “I have to go. I have a hearing in half an hour. Will you call me with an update?”
He nodded. “As soon as I review the films.”
The call came the following afternoon, just before the end of the workday.
“Do you know what’s wrong with her?” Zoe asked, leaving the office to stand in the sun.
“Not exactly. I didn’t see anything amiss in her spine, but I’m not the chief radiologist. Until he returns, the best we have is guesswork.”
“Isn’t there someone at the hospital who could offer a second opinion?”
Dr. Chulu cleared his throat. “I sent the films to orthopedics, and I’m going to monitor the situation with Sister Anica. If Kuyeya’s condition worsens, I’ll order an MRI.”
“Why not do one now?” Zoe asked, feeling frustrated and anxious at the same time.
“I understand your concern, but our resources are limited. An MRI is a last resort.”
Zoe took a deep breath and released it slowly. It’s not his fault, she thought, redirecting her anger. He’s doing the best he can.
With less than a month to go before the trial, Zoe devoted every spare minute at work to Kuyeya’s case. As the legal team fleshed out the order of proof, she joined Sarge and Niza in developing strategies for examination and cross-examination. She had never seen her colleagues prepare so zealously for a trial before. They were ruthless in pointing out weaknesses in the evidence, and creative in inventing solutions. They were determined to find a way to win.