The hospital had begun to quiet down.
Late afternoon sunlight slipped through the long windows of the corridor, casting soft shadows along the tiled floor. The rush of the day was slowly fading. A few patients still waited outside consultation rooms, their voices low, tired from hours of sitting and waiting.
Inside one of the rooms, Kamsi sat across from an elderly woman, flipping through the patient's file.
"So the headaches started two weeks ago?" she asked gently.
The woman nodded. "Yes, doctor."
Kamsi listened carefully as the woman explained her symptoms again. She asked a few more questions, took notes, then leaned back slightly in her chair.
Her voice remained calm and steady.
"We'll run a few tests just to be sure," she said. "But from what you've told me, it doesn't sound serious."
The woman's shoulders relaxed almost immediately.
"Thank you, doctor."
Kamsi smiled lightly. "The nurse will guide you on the next steps."
A few minutes later, the consultation ended.
Kamsi stepped out into the corridor and handed the file to the nurse at the desk.
"Please schedule the tests for her," she said.
The nurse nodded.
As Kamsi turned to leave, another nurse approached her.
"Doctor," she said, holding out a phone from the desk. "Your phone has been ringing."
Kamsi blinked slightly.
"Oh. Thank you."
She picked up the phone casually, expecting to see maybe Sophie's name or a message from home.
But when she looked at the screen, she stopped walking.
David.
The name sat there on the screen.
Her body froze for a moment.
He was calling.
The phone continued vibrating in her hand.
For days there had been nothing.
No calls.
No messages.
Just ghost.
Now suddenly, his name appeared again.
Kamsi felt several emotions rise at once.
Relief.
Anger.
Excitement.
Confusion.
Her thumb hovered over the answer button.
For a second she considered picking up immediately.
But instead, she watched the phone ring until it stopped.
The screen went dark.
Kamsi inhaled slowly.
Then she locked the phone and slipped it back into her bag.
The sky was beginning to turn orange by the time Kamsi left the hospital.
Outside, the familiar Lagos evening rush had already begun. Buses honked impatiently along the road while conductors leaned halfway out of doors shouting destinations.
"Yaba! Yaba! Two more!"
Street vendors moved between cars selling bottled water and snacks.
Kamsi walked toward the bus stop, her bag resting against her shoulder.
Her phone felt heavier than usual inside it.
David had called.
The thought returned again.
Why now?
Maybe something really happened, she told herself.
Maybe he had been dealing with something serious.
Maybe Nancy had been too quick to judge him.
Still, another thought followed immediately.
If something had really happened… why didn't he say anything?
Kamsi sighed and stepped into a bus just as the conductor signaled for passengers.
The ride home was noisy, but she barely noticed.
Her mind kept returning to the missed call.
She took out her phone again.
No new messages.
Just that single missed call staring back at her.
Kamsi locked the phone again.
"I won't call him," she murmured to herself.
She turned toward the window and watched the traffic crawl slowly forward.
But the thought stayed with her the entire ride.
By the time Kamsi reached home, the evening air had cooled slightly.
Her small apartment was quiet when she stepped inside.
She dropped her bag on the chair and kicked off her shoes before sitting on the edge of the bed.
Then she reached for her phone again.
Still nothing.
No message.
No second call.
The silence felt heavier now.
She stared at the screen for a long moment.
"I won't call him," she repeated again, though her voice sounded less certain this time.
A few minutes passed.
Then ten.
Finally, Kamsi sighed and pressed the call button.
The phone rang twice.
Then David picked up.
"Hey," his voice came through casually.
Kamsi straightened slightly.
"Hi."
There was a brief pause.
"You've been quiet," David said.
Kamsi frowned.
"You're saying that like I'm the one that disappeared."
David chuckled softly.
"I've just been dealing with some things lately."
"What things?" she asked.
"Just life," he replied vaguely. "You know how things get sometimes."
Kamsi waited.
He didn't continue.
For a moment she considered pushing further.
But she didn't.
"So you couldn't call?" she asked instead.
"I just needed some time to sort things out," he said calmly. "I knew you'd understand."
The way he said it made it sound like the matter was already settled.
Kamsi exhaled quietly.
She had imagined this conversation differently.
Maybe an apology.
Some explanation.
But David sounded relaxed. Almost like nothing had happened.
"So how have you been?" he asked.
"Busy," she said. "Work."
"Still saving lives?"
She smiled faintly. "Something like that."
"Good," he said.
Another pause settled between them.
Then David spoke again.
"You should come by later."
"Come by where?"
"My place. We haven't seen in a while."
His tone was casual, like the invitation required no discussion.
Kamsi hesitated.
"Maybe tomorrow," she said lightly.
"Alright," David replied. "Just let me know."
They spoke for a few more minutes before ending the call.
When the line went silent, Kamsi placed the phone beside her on the bed.
A small smile crept across her face.
Just then, the phone buzzed again.
This time it was Sophie.
Kamsi answered quickly.
"Sophie."
"Madam doctor," Sophie said cheerfully. "Are you alive?"
Kamsi laughed softly. "Yes."
"We're planning to meet this weekend,"
Sophie continued. "I'm calling everyone before Nancy starts complaining."
Kamsi leaned back on the bed.
"Where?"
"My place probably. We'll decide properly later."
"Okay," Kamsi said. "I'll come."
"Good," Sophie replied. "Don't disappear like some people's boyfriends."
Kamsi laughed again, though a small part of her felt slightly defensive.
"He called today actually."
"Oh really?" Sophie said.
"Yeah."
"Hmm," Sophie responded thoughtfully.
"Okay then. We'll talk more when we see."
After the call ended, Kamsi stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Then she picked up her phone again and glanced at David's name in her call history.
A satisfied feeling settled in her chest.
Nancy had been so sure.
So confident.
But she had been wrong.
Kamsi smiled to herself as she placed the phone beside her pillow.
David always came back.