Faith in the Wards
Nicole Negbenebor
She hobbles in on her walking cane
Pausing in front of her favorite waiting room chair to lower
her purse,
bag of medications,
creaking bones,
and herself into the seat.
Out of breath and full of faith.
She waits for me to emerge,
stethoscope in hand.
Smile on my face.
Tightness in my throat.
She looks worse than the last visit.
Year 39 going on 40 of her battle
with anemia and pain from all of her medications.
From her skin to her neutrophils,
nothing is familiar except the steady deterioration.
Chronically painful yet,
eternally hopeful.
She sees a restorative hope in Jesus and I see
the humanity in her.
As she bravely extends her arm,
I collect tubes of the red Nile running through her veins—
the same life force that flows within me,
beneath my white coat.
Nicole Negbenebor is a 3rd year medical student at the
Warren Alpert Medical School.
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