Hospital Smell

The smell hit Naomi before she even entered the ward.

That sharp hospital scent medicine, bleach, and something cold she could never explain. It stuck to the walls, the floors, even the people. The kind of smell that still smell in your nose long after you left.

Naomi put her fingers around the nylon bag she carried. Inside it were oranges, a flask of pap, and bread she bought from the roadside woman outside the hospital gate.

It wasn’t much but it was all she could afford.

The hospital corridor was busy with noise. Nurses walked quickly past her, the sound of people dragging their slippers against the tiled floor. Somewhere nearby, a baby cried loudly. A man argued with a receptionist about hospital bills while an old woman was coughing from one corner.

Naomi adjusted the hand of her worn handbag and headed toward Ward 6. Every step felt heavier than the last.

She looked so broken, so dejected, her shoulders were slumped in defeat, her entire body tensed and stiffened and her fists clenched. That However wasn’t the worst part, the worst part was how she was trying to be strong and not give away the amount of pain she felt.

“Mum.”Naomi called her mother

Mrs. Noya , Naomi's mother , looked up from the thin hospital pillow and smiled weakly. Even in sickness, her mother still tried to look strong. But Naomi could see the difference . Weight loss. The tired eyes. The way her breathing came slower than before.

“Naomi,” her mother said gently . “You came early today.”

Naomi nodded her head and replied .

“My manager closed my shift early.”

That was a lie.

The truth was she begged another cashier to cover for her because she couldn’t stop thinking about her mother in the hospital all day.

Naomi dropped the nylon bag on the small table beside the bed.

“Mum, I brought some oranges for you.” She said to her sternly.

Her mother laughed and replied. “Ah-ah. Money you should keep for transport, you’re using it to buy oranges for me.”

Naomi replied

“Mum You raised me to share what I have.”

Mrs. Noya smiled proudly at her and said

“That one is true.”

Naomi sat down carefully beside the bed as held her mother’s hand. It felt thinner. Colder.

She felt something cracked inside her chest. Fear quietly spread through her chest, but she buried it immediately.

Then She asked her mother

“How are you feeling today mum?”

“A little better my daughter ,” her mother replied, though her weak voice betrayed her. “The injections the nurse gave me helped me sleep.”

Naomi nodded her head , pretending to believe her. For a few seconds, silence settled between them Then her mother looked at her closely.

“You’re losing weight.”

Naomi laughed lightly. “You are stressed and exhausted mama.

“No, I’m serious.” Her mother frowned. “Are you eating properly?”

“Of course.”Naomi replied.

“Naomi.”Her mother called her.

“I said I am.”

But they both knew she was lying.

Most nights Naomi slept hungry, after paying transport, buying medication, and trying to settle part of the hospital bills. Still, she smiled.

She fixed her Gaze firmly to the ground, begging herself not to let any tears escape.

A knock came from the door.

“Excuse me,” a nurse said politely. “Doctor Williams wants to see you.”

Naomi’s stomach tightened immediately.

“I’ll be back soon, Mum.”

Her mother nodded her head slowly. “Go.”

She stood up and walked towards the doctors office. Doctor Williams removed his glasses as she entered.

“Please sit down.”

The seriousness in the doctor's voice made Naomi's heartbeat quicken. She sat down quietly.

“Is something wrong sir ?”

Doctor Williams expression changed, immediately she knew something was wrong, that was the face he made when things did not go as planned.

“Your mother’s condition is getting worse than we expected.”

Naomi felt her throat go dry.

“What do you mean sir ?”Naomi asked the doctor patiently.

“The medication is no longer enough.” He paused gently. “She needs surgery.”

The words landed heavily on her heart .

“Surgery?”

“Yes. And it needs to happen urgently.”

Naomi stared at him blankly, trying to process the information in her head.

“How much will it cost?”

The doctor mentioned the amount quietly.

Naomi almost stopped breathing.

“That’s impossible.” she whispered.

Doctor Williams sighed sympathetically.

“I understand this is difficult for you . But delaying it any further could become very dangerous.”

A gasp left her lips as she looked down at her trembling hands. The word echoed loudly in her head.

She already knew she didn’t have the money. Not even close. Her salary barely covered feeding and transport. She still owed part of last month’s rent. The hospital bills alone were swallowing her alive.

“How long do we have?” she asked quietly.

The doctor hesitated.

“A few weeks at most.”

Naomi swallowed hard. Her eyes widened.

A few weeks. That was all. Tears almost dropped down from her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

“There has to be another option.”

“We can continue temporary treatment,” the doctor explained carefully, “but honestly, it will only slow things down.”

Naomi looked away quickly. For a moment, she couldn’t hear anything except the loud pounding in her chest.

“What happens if, if we can’t pay?”

The room became painfully silent. Doctor Williams softened his voice.

“We’ll do our best. But hospitals also have limits, Naomi.”

That sentence shattered something inside her. Hospitals have limits.

Poor people knew that better than anyone. Naomi inhaled slowly and forced herself to stand.

“Thank you, doctor.”

“Naomi.”

She stopped at the door.

“I know this is hard,” he said gently. “But your mother needs you strong right now.”

“Strong.”

Everyone kept asking her to be strong like strength was free. Naomi nodded her head once and stepped outside before the tears could finally fall down from her eye.

The corridor suddenly felt too bright and Too noisy.She rested her back against the wall and covered her mouth, calming herself down so as not to cry.

But the tears came down anyway. Hot. Silent. Painful.A woman pushing a wheelchair passed by her without noticing.

Life continued.

As if her world wasn’t collapsing. Naomi quickly wiped her face with the cloth she was wearing after a few seconds.

She couldn’t go back into that ward crying. Not in front of her mother. So she forced herself to breathe normally again.

Then she walked back into the room with another fake smile carefully arranged on her face.

Her mother looked up immediately.

“What did the doctor say?”

Naomi couldn’t say a word for a second Then she smiled.

“He said you’re improving mama .”

“Mmm.” Her mother studied her suspiciously. “Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

“What about the test results?”

Naomi sat beside her, she adjusted the blanket carefully.

“Nothing serious. They just want you to rest more.”

Mrs. Noya relaxed slightly.

“Thank God.”

Naomi nodded her head quickly before her voice could crack.

“Yes mum, thank God.”

Her mother hold her hand again.

“You’ve suffered for me.”

“Don’t say that.”Naomi replied

“It’s true.” Tears drop down slowly in the from her eyes. “Since your father died, you’ve carried everything all alone.”

Naomi shook her head immediately.

“You took care of me first. Now it’s my turn.”

Her mother smiled sadly.

“You were always stubborn.”

Naomi laughed softly.

“I learned it from you mu .”

For the first time that day, her mother laughed properly. The sound warmed Naomi’s chest painfully.

Because all she could think was:

“What if this disappears?”

“What if one day this bed becomes empty?”

No She refused to accept that. No matter what happened she would find a way.Even if it destroyed her.

Outside the hospital window , evening slowly settled over the city as hospital lights turn on one after another.

She sat beside her mother’s bed, holding her hand tightly Pretending everything is fine.