SHOWN THE LAB

The next day.

Bosco Masaba and Monica Namatovu reported to Dr. George Akena, the Superintendent of Mutukula Regional Hospital to start their duties for the duration of their stay in Mutukula.

Bosco Masaba was excited because he was going to be doing something he loved and he had been paid in advance for it. Yesterday night, he received a transfer of 600 WCs from the Ministry of Health of the state of Tanzania. This money covered the per diem, transport, daily wage for the five days as well as accommodation allowance.

Not only had he saved on transport by using the private jet for the Nzanzu family, but Agnes had seen to it that he slept in a hotel of her choosing; she had booked his accommodation in the grand RTS Hotel. RTS was a pricey 5-star hotel which was beyond his means as a student since a Single room there cost 11 WCs per night and the Deluxe room he was staying costed 20 WCs per night; she had paid 100 WCs for the five nights. He thought he was going to stay there alone but she surprised him by choosing to stay with him for 5 days instead of returning to Kisangani with her uncle Thomas.

Being the loving boyfriend that he was, he could not reject her staying with him even if he knew it could piss off her father greatly. Mr. Richard Nzanzu was already seeking a way of dividing them and yet here he was bonding further with his daughter. Bosco Masaba felt like a glorified rebel fighting against a corrupt system, not possessing much but his unyielding spirit that could not be contented until justice was served. You could ask, was he not concerned about exposing her to danger, yes, he was. But the hotel had a dedicated underground shelter for its guests, so his worries were nullified.

Their interaction with the Superintendent was brief. Bosco Masaba was posted to the Specialized Laboratory while Monica Namatovu was posted to the General Ward which mostly treated outpatients. They parted ways, promising to link up at lunch and have a meal together in the hospital cafeteria.

Bosco Masaba walked to the Specialized Laboratory; it was not hard tracing it since the signs in the building were precise. The laboratory was located on the tenth floor, it occupied two large rooms. He linked up with Doctor Jean Pombe outside the laboratory entrance, he was waiting for him.

"You must be the new trainee doctor?" He asked Bosco Masaba while extending his right hand to greet him.

"Yes, Doctor," Bosco said as he extended his hand to greet him back. "My name is Bosco Masaba." He added.

"Nice to meet you trainee Bosco Masaba, can I call you Bosco?" Doctor Jean Pombe asked him as he shook his hand. The handshake was firm and steady similar to someone who carried heavy weights.

"Bosco is okay with me; I am not a fan of formalities." He added while withdrawing his hand from the firm handshake.

"Okay Bosco, it's only fair that I also introduce myself. I am Doctor Jean Pombe, the supervisor of the General and Specialized Laboratory. You are in luck; I am assigning you to the Specialized Laboratory." Doctor Jean Pombe introduced himself.

"It's nice meeting you Doctor Jean Pombe," Bosco said out of courtesy.

"Follow me, I will show you around." Doctor Jean Pombe led him to a wide double door, there was a slot for using a card and also a part for a fingerprint scan.

The Supervisor placed his left thumb on the fingerprint scanner. The system verified him and the double doors slid open smoothly without any noise. The double doors slid open, revealing a pristine white laboratory bathed in cool, fluorescent light.

They were unlike anything he'd seen in his university lab. Sleek, chrome-plated instruments with flashing digital displays and intricate wiring whispered of a world of scientific advancement. He recognized the latest: Blood analyzers, ECG Machines, microscopes, incubators, Spectrophotometers, and other machines he was not familiar with.

Bosco Masaba was excited like a little boy who had just set foot in a candy store with his parent, he knew he could get any he wanted. He wished he was going to be here for more than five days. Five days was too little for him to play with all the hi-tech gadgets.

Doctor Jean Pombe looked at Bosco and saw the spark in his eyes with a faint smile playing on his face, he knew this young trainee doctor was hooked. "Do you like what we have here?" He asked, his voice warm and encouraging.

Bosco, unable to contain his excitement, simply nodded, a grin stretching across his face. "Oh yes, I can not imagine you got the latest Blood analyzers, and this brand of microscope is dope, I have only seen it in the magazines. Oh, and there are these incubators, I just don't know what to say about them, I have read that they are very efficient and fast... We have got some of these machines at the university but it is nothing compared to what I see here." Bosco could not control himself as he spoke nonstop in excitement. He was already looking forward to being immersed in work for the next few days. Being a Regional Hospital, he was sure he was going to come across some special cases that he didn't get the opportunity to meet back in Dodoma.

"This is just the beginning," Doctor Pombe said, his voice full of promise. "What can I say, at this hospital, we have got the best funding and this makes it easy for us to attain the latest laboratory machines. I personally make sure that we upgrade our machines every four years to match the industry standards." He added in a proud tone. 

His ego as the head of the Specialized laboratory was boosted when he saw this young trainee doctor appreciating what they had. He had personally ordered each of the machines in this room and the others.

'I like you, Bosco Masaba, I can see that you are talented in the laboratory; it's a pity that I have to kill you. I can't forego this lucrative mission; it is your bad luck that you crossed people you should not cross. In your next life, hope you will have better luck than this.' The eager curiosity Bosco displayed mirrored his passion for medicine when he was just starting as a fresh doctor with many noble ideals. He watched Bosco touching affectionately some of the machines. He did not feel any remorse or guilt for what he was about to do, as he had hardened himself with experience. And if he did not do it, some other Lieutenant in the Cartel could do it, either way, this young trainee doctor was already a dead man walking.

"Oh, what a pity." Doctor Jean Pombe whispered to himself as he continued watching the trainee doctor examining the laboratory machines.

Bosco Masaba spent some minutes examining the machines in the main laboratory area. The main lab area occupied a space of twenty square meters. Some machines like the MRI Scanners had their special insulated cubicles.

Out of excitement, he asked, "Doctor Jean, when do I start?"