Brian Mutua alienda kwa Inspector Ruth saa tatu usiku bila lawyer.
Ruth akakataa kuanza interview.
“Una haki ya ushauri.
Leta lawyer au nitakupa contact ya legal aid.”
Brian alisema hana pesa.
Akaunganishwa na wakili wa chama cha madaktari ambaye hakuwa Achieng, ili interests za Wanjiku na Brian zisichanganywe.
Interview ilianza saa tano.
Brian alikuwa na miaka ishirini na tano. Alikuwa miezi sita ndani ya internship, akikaa hostel ya hospital na kutuma sehemu kubwa ya allowance kwa mama yake Kitui.
Dr. Gichuru ndiye aliyesaini rotation reports ambazo zingeamua kama Brian atakamilisha internship.
“Statement yako ya kwanza ni ya kweli?”
Ruth akauliza.
Brian alitazama lawyer wake.
“Hapana yote.”
“Sehemu gani?”
“Dr. Wanjiku hakuniambia nitoe dawa.
Nilichukua maneno ya video yake na kuyaweka kama yalikuwa ya usiku huo.”
“Kwa nini?”
“Dr. Gichuru alisema police tayari wameona chart na syringe.
Alisema nikisema tofauti, nitakuwa suspect kwa sababu card yangu iliingia baada.”
“Ulikuwa wapi 2:16 hadi 2:22?”
Brian akafumba macho.
“Gichuru alinipigia extension ya nurses’ station.
Alisema sample ya Jonah imekataliwa na nimwite Faith aje kwa label mpya.”
“Lab ilikuwa imekataa?”
“Hapana.
Nilipofika lab entrance, technician alisema sample bado haijafika.
Nilimpigia Faith.
Nilisema label imekataa.”
“Kwa hiyo ulimtoa Room 13 kwa uongo?”
“Nilidhani Gichuru anataka private assessment ya VIP.”
“Uliuliza?”
“Hapana.”
“Ulimwona nani?”
Brian alisema aliporudi, mwanaume mwenye koti la Kibo alikuwa akitoka upande wa Room 13 kupitia service corridor.
“Ulimtambua?”
“Nilimwona kwenye hospital mapema wakati generator test.
Peter Mwangi.”
“Alivaa nini?”
“Lab coat juu ya shirt.
Hakukuwa na badge ya hospitali.”
“Kwa nini hukumzuia?”
“Alisema yuko na Dr. Gichuru.”
Brian alifika mlangoni na kuona Jonah akitetemeka kidogo, monitor ikibadilika.
Syringe ilikuwa kwenye tray.
“Uligusa?”
“Nilichukua packet na kuangalia label.
Kisha Faith alirudi.
Alarm ikaanza.”
“Dawa ilidungwa na nani?”
“Sikuona.”
“Gichuru?”
“Sikumwona ndani wakati huo.”
“Peter?”
“Nilimwona akitoka.”
Hilo halikuwa kuona injection.
Ruth akasisitiza.
Brian hakupaswa kugeuza suspicion kuwa observation.
“Baada death?” Ruth akauliza.
“Gichuru alinichukua office.
Alisema Wanjiku ana motive na system inaonyesha account yake.
Akasema statement yetu ilinde hospital.”
“Alikupa kitu?”
“Aliniambia evaluation yangu itakuwa nzuri na rotation ya surgery nitapata.”
“Pesa?”
“Hapana.”
“Threat?”
“Alisema nikiwafanya seniors waonekane criminals, hakuna hospital itanitaka.”
Brian alisaini statement ya kwanza iliyokuwa imeandaliwa na lawyer wa hospitali.
“Ulisoma?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Kwa hiyo usiseme hukujua.”
Brian alianza kulia.
“Nilijua namuweka Wanjiku kwa trouble.
Sikujua murder charge itakuwa—”
Wanjiku hakuwa room. Ruth alimzuia kusikiliza mpaka statement ihifadhiwe.
Achieng alipomwambia baadaye, Wanjiku alihisi kutaka kumpiga Brian na kumlinda kwa wakati mmoja.
“Aliweka jina langu kwenye dawa.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Kwa report yake anaweza kupoteza internship.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Na sasa tunamwita whistleblower?”
“Hapana.
Tunamwita shahidi aliyesema uongo, kisha akarekebisha.
Consequences na protection zinaweza kuwepo pamoja.”
Brian alikubali medical board ipate statement mpya.
Hospital ilimsuspend pia, ikisema amekiuka confidentiality.
Medical board haikufuta statement yake ya zamani.
Iliweka zote mbili.
Prosecutor alitaka corroboration:
- extension call log; - lab records; - CCTV ya service corridor; - Peter’s presence; - evaluation messages kutoka Gichuru.
PBX log ilionyesha call kutoka office ya Gichuru kwenda nurses’ station 2:15 network time.
Brian alipiga Faith 2:16.
Lab system haikuwa na rejected sample.
CCTV ya service corridor ilikuwa camera ya zamani yenye timestamp nyuma, lakini image ilionyesha mtu mwenye build ya Peter na lab coat.
Face haikuwa clear.
Access ya service door haikuhitaji card kutoka ndani.
Generator-test visitor log ya Jumapili ilikuwa na Peter Mwangi.
Message ya Gichuru kwa Brian baada death:
**Protect the institution and the institution protects you.**
Hayo yaliunga pressure.
Lakini Brian bado hakuona injection.
Ruth akamwambia:
“Usijaribu kuwa hero kwenye court.
Sema ulifanya nini, uliambiwa nini na uliona nini.
Ukisema zaidi, utasaidia defence.”
Brian akakubali.
Alitaka kuomba msamaha kwa Wanjiku.
Achieng akapanga waonane na lawyers wote wawili.
Brian alikaa mbele yake bila white coat.
“Nilikusaliti.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Niliogopa.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Ningeweza kuharibu maisha yako.”
“Umeharibu sehemu.”
Brian alishusha macho.
“Naweza kufanya nini?”
“Usibadilishe statement tena kwa sababu unaona nimekasirika.
Shikilia facts hata zikikufanya uonekane mbaya.”
“Nisamehe?”
“Si leo.”
Wanjiku hakumpa closure ili yeye ajisikie vizuri.
Alimpa responsibility.
Brian alipoondoka, Malik alisema, “Internship system inafanya signatures za seniors ziwe kama visa.”
Faith akasema, “Lakini si kila intern alisema uongo.”
Hakuna aliyepaswa kutumia structure kama excuse kamili.
Wanjiku aliandika kwa medical board kwamba Brian anapaswa kuwajibika kwa false statement, lakini pia wachunguze coercion ya supervisors na legal counsel ya hospital.
Hakutaka case imfanye Brian kuwa villain pekee.
Gichuru alitengeneza mazingira.
Brian alifanya choice.
Peter alitoka chumba.
Kelvin alijenga route.
Kila mtu alikuwa na sehemu yake.
Siku iliyofuata, prosecutor aliomba warrant ya Peter kwa conspiracy na obstruction.
Search ya nyumba yake ilipata lab coats, prepaid phones na duplicate Kibo badges.
Peter mwenyewe hakuwapo.
Kwenye moja ya simu, message iliyofutwa ilirejeshwa:
**B amemtoa nurse.**
**Seven starts now.**
B inaweza kuwa Brian.
Au kitu kingine.
Lakini 2:16, Faith alitoka.
2:17, Gichuru alitoka.
2:20, record ilitengenezwa.
Ndani ya gap hiyo, Peter alikuwa pale.
Mama Brian alifika Nairobi baada kuona jina la mwanawe kwenye habari. Alienda moja kwa moja ofisi ya chama cha madaktari na kusema Brian ni mtoto mzuri aliyeshinikizwa na watu wakubwa.
Wakili wake akasema, “Hilo linaweza kuwa kweli na bado taarifa yake ikawa na madhara.”
Brian alikataa mama yake aende kumuomba Wanjiku msamaha kwa niaba yake.
“Niliandika.
Mimi nitasema.”
Medical board ilipomhoji, Brian hakudai alikuwa hana uchaguzi.
“Nilikuwa na choice ya kusema sikumbuki au kuomba lawyer.
Nilichagua statement iliyowalinda seniors.”
Chair akauliza kwa nini.
“Nilitaka internship ipite.
Nilikuwa naogopa kurudishwa nyumbani nikiwa failure.”
Hofu yake ilikuwa ya kweli.
Uongo wake pia.
Board ikaweka provisional conditions: asifanye unsupervised emergency decisions, asiwasiliane na witnesses kuhusu content ya case, na ahudhurie ethics review.
Wanjiku alipoona terms, hakuzipinga kama revenge.
“Supervision ni sahihi,” alisema.
“Lakini hospital nyingine isitumie case kumfanya unpaid.”
Chama kikaweka placement yenye allowance.
Accountability haikupaswa kugeuka unyonyaji mpya.
Brian alianza kuandika kila verbal instruction kwenye pocket notebook.
Sio kwa sababu notebook ingemfanya innocent.
Kwa sababu alikuwa amejifunza maneno ya senior yanaweza kubadilika mara tu yakifika investigation room.