"Meng? Menggay?! Wake up, baby...." A hint of panic and fear can heard in his voice. Maine passed out.

Everybody stopped at what their doing and became alert to what is going on. Mark pushed a button on his gadget. It was an emergency alert. It send a silent signal to a hospital near by their location and send an ambulance to the location it needed to be.

Nikko sat on the ground to held Maine comfortably. He's still trying to get her to wake up.

"Nikki, will you get a cold towel." He said softly. Nikki got up and look around. Jon went around the counter and got a few towelettes and got a basin with iced cold water and put both of the towelettes in it.

"Thank you." She smiled at him. She came back and kneel down right next to her brother. She picked one towelette from the basin and squeezed the excess water from it.

She started wiping her sister's face and neck and arm to cool her down. Her came squatting next to them slightly rubbing Maine's forehead down to her hair. They heard the sound of the siren outside. They both looked at each other wondering who called for it.

"Kuya Nikko, the ambulance is here." Allyn called out, then came the EMT. They both smiled at Allyn. Nikki mouthed a thank you, and Nikko just nod to her in appreciation.

"Excuse me sir." The guys said. Nikki got up and lay Maine down on the stretcher and moved aside, so as her mom, to give the EMT personnel to do their job.

"What happen to the patient. Sir?" One of them asked.
"She just fainted." Nikko's brief response.

"Did she complain of a chest pain?" The EMT asked again.

"No, but she was crying." Another brief answer. Zander stood next to the EMT's and tapped his shoulder. The guy turn around and looked at him like his crazy.

"Hi, I'm Zander Nakatani. Will you take Ms. Mendoza up in the ambulance and transport her to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. Her information was already transmitted to the emergency room desk. Thank you." Zander said it like he had done this before. Nikko just looked at him and to Jon. Jon just nodded and smiled.

Both the EMT men helped Nikko lay Maine on the stretcher. One pushed the stretcher in silence as Zander watched. He went back to his laptop.

"Ms. Mendoza?" Zander ask Nikki Before she totally left.

"Yes?" She asked turning to see Zander, handing her a tablet. She looked at it and back to him. "What will I do with that?" She queried.

"Take this with you. You need to put in her personal info and medical history. It will go straight to the ER desk in any hospital. She'll be taken care of right away." Zander explained then smiled.

"Thank you. We'll bring it back to you." Nikki said.

"No, problem. Just give it to Jon, he'll know what to do it." He smiled again and went back to what he was doing.

"Tito Ted, Tita Ann, don't worry, just take care of Maine. We'll stay here. Tony and Sam will be here as well." Alric announced before Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza completely left Slinkee's to follow the ambulance to the hospital.
Nikki went up on the front seat of the ambulance while Nikko is in the back with Maine and two of the EMT personnel. She was inputting all the information on the tablet as much as she can with what she knows about her sister. She stopped and stared at the tablet. She looked behind her and pass the tablet to Nikko through the small square window.

"Kuya, I am not sure about any of these." She mustered. Nikko read the questions and was a little uneasy about it. He handed it back to Nikki.

"Well, just answer ti as much as you can. If you are not sure, just put there unsure. They'll figure it all out when we get to the hospital." Nikko explained. He smiled after a while. He still can' get into his mind that his baby sister is now grown up and getting married. He shook his head imagining the things these two might had gotten themselves to and he knows, as a guy, he knows it is very possible. He shook the image out of his head. Whatever his sister and Alden had done, it's between the two of them. They held out on it long enough.

"Kuya, why are you smiling?" Nikki asked. Maybe she's also thinking the same thing that her older brother was thinking and vice versa. They were raised in a conservative home but she's not naive.

"Nothing. Finish it now Nikki. We're almost there." He said seriously. Nikki smiled and rolled her eyes on her brother. Nikko, even though he's so worried about Maine, chuckled and just shook his head. He knows Nikki and him are both thinking about the same thing, and if his hunches are true, then there won't be anything to worry about.

"Ma'am, we're here." The driver announced. Nikki just finished putting in all of Maine vital info including her insurance. She slipped the tablet inside her purse after she hit the submit button. Got out of the vehicle and waited till the EMT got Maine down from it and rolled her inside the ER. Her and Nikko just followed them.

"What's the name of the patient?" The ER nurse asked. Three other nurses are preparing an oxygen mask, electronic blood pressure cuff was being put on her and she's checking her heart rate at the same time, temperature being checked.

"Maisie Daine Mendoza-Richards." Was Nikki's short response.

"How old?" The nurse asked again.

"Nurse Jules, check your computer, the patient is already in the system." One of the EMT guy answered for her.

"That is impossible." The nurse displeasingly responded. One brow raised and one furrowed, she stared at them like they were some kind of special people.

"Like I said, the patient's info is on the system already. A Mr. Zander Nakatani said so." The EMT personnel don't have any idea on what he said and who is he referring to, Nikki and Nikko don't either but the nurse's eyes went bigger. She moved forward to where the computer was and open up something then looked at the info.

"Jean, Cherrie, top priority!" She yelled out loud where two other nurses pulled Maine out of the cubicle and carefully moved her to a room where it looks like a little more private. Nikki saw how both nurse looked at each other meaningfully and glanced back at Nurse Jules. One of the nurse guided Nikko and Nikki to follow them and they did.

It was quite a journey and somewhat a mystery. All they know is that, as soon as the name of Zander was heard, Nurse Jules all of a sudden had changed her demeanor from a very unfriendly and unpleasing to a more kind and extra caring. Nikki raised her brows which caught the nurse's attention.

"We'll help you right here, sir, ma'am." She said with a smile. Knowing Nikki, she will say what's on her mind. It was too late for Nikko to realized it and stop her.

"Miss, I was just wondering... earlier when we got here, you were treating us like; "how dare we came in that way instead of the other." Then now you were so extra sweet and kind and it was almost scary and creepy." There goes Nikki's spews. Since Nikko was too late to stop her, he just ignored it, thinking that it was the end of it. "So, maybe you thought that my sister is somewhat a low life and not worth of any of your attention, right? Well, let tell you..." She was looking at her name tag/ID to see what her name.

"Nikki!" Nikko called out calm but too stern and Nikki don't give a flying fish. She felt aggravated. "Drop it." Nikko continued.

"No, Kuya. This girl think she's all that because she's a nurse. Well, she needs to know that our baby sister is not some kind a cheap girl coming to the emergency room because she overdosed on something like I heard she mumbled earlier, but as soon as she heard Zander's name she change her attitude towards us and now she's kind? What kind of sh..."

"Nikki! Not another word!" Nikko stood his ground. He's the eldest after all. Nikki may have all the rights and reason to say and act the way she did but not today. Not when Maine still unconscious. Not when they don't know what is going on with her yet.

"Ma'am, Sir. We apologized on how Nurse Jules acted towards your patient. We guarantee you that it will never happen again." The other nurse explained. "I am Nurse Gigi, these are Nurse Cherrie abd Nurse Jean, we will personally take care of your patient." She smiled and turned to the other nurse. "Again, we apologize."

"Nurse Jules, I think you need to stay in the station. Thank you for your help." Nurse Gigi was the head nurse on the ER floor and Nurse Jules can't do and say anything. Since Nikki had told her flat out her mistake, the latter is somewhat fearing her suspension for misconduct.

"Thank you, Nurse Gigi. May we know why though?" Nikki ask.
She is not letting go of this issue till she gets to the bottom of it. They will be here till they get all the test results and till Maine woke up but for now, there's this mystery in her hand and she wants to know. Who are these people that extended their help to them. Why they are so good at what they do. Why they are so known in a way that she could not have imagined.

"Mr. Nakatani is one of the people that helped Mr. Thompson find her one and only daughter. Her life was put in danger so many times before everything became okay. Mr. Nakatani's friend, Mr. Ari Keitaro and Mr. Mark Richardson were the ones develop a locating app but is not available to everyone nas they were the ones that developed a software that we use to expedite ER messes." She explained. Nikki fell into more questions. Nurse Gigi saw the look in her face and smiled. "Mr. Thompson is a multi billionaire that owns too many business all over the world and Mrs. Mackenzie Thompson Richardson is the only heir to his fortune. He also lost his wife some nine or ten years ago to what he thought, an esophageal cancer but they found her in one of the island in the Visayan region alive and could not remember a thing. Nakatani, Keitaro and Richardson, the brother in law and a few more talented and trustworthy friend of his daughter and son-in-law developed few more software that could help even the smallest hospital in the province. We know them too well here because this where Mr. and Mrs. Richardson got confined when they were recovering from being on comma. She gave birth here." Nikki nodded like she understood everything, well, she does but not so much.

"Thank you, Nurse Gigi. That was one amazing story." Is all she could say. There's nothing really to say.

"Not a problem." The nurse responded and averted her attention to the computer. "Ma'am, I just need few more information about the patient. It stated here that she's married but there's no spouse's name. May I have it?" She asked. Nikki felt stupid.

"Aldemar denreich Richards is her husband's name." The nurse nodded and typed in Alden's name.

"Occupation?" Another question.

"Businessman." Nikki responded while sitting down on a chair that her brother gave her.

"Company?" And another question.

"Faulkerson Groups of Companies." She replied. The nurse stopped and looked at her.

"You mean, she's his wife?" Nurse Gigi sounded so surprise. Nikki looked up and saw nurse looking straight at her with big wide eyes.

"Yes. Is there anything wrong?" She asked. Nikki was a little confused.

"Oh nothing. Nothing much. Mr. Richards is one of the shareholder of this hospital." Nurse Gigi offered that information which she shouldn't but she did anyway. She felt so easy to talk to Nikki even though she spewed a few load of lava earlier.

"Wow." She said as she rested her back on the chair. "Kuya, did you hear that?" Nikki said. She can't believe that her future brother-in-law is a shareholder of this hospital. How many more things Alden is hiding underneath his sleeves?

"Nikki, I know what going on in your head. You need to let it go. It is your sister's husband's life." Nikko said almost stuttering on the husband word since it wasn't true yet.

"Excuse me." Nurse Gigi said and left. Nikki and Nikko was left in the room. All is quiet except for the beeping sounds of the machine on all sides of the ER.

They sat there like dead ducks waiting for the results. Nikko's phone beeped. He checked it out. It was his mom asking how Maine is doing. He replied, telling her that she's still unconscious. And that they are waiting for a result. Before he could type more the doctor and Nurse Gigi came in.

"The test results are all ready. We are going to transfer Mrs. Richards in one of the room upstairs. She needs to be kept here overnight at least." They both nod their heads to the doctor. They didn't say any word. Nikko continue texting his mother.

"Kuya, why are you so relax? Don't you care what is going on with Menggay?" Nikki asked her brother. She sees that he was somewhat okay. He seem like he doesn't care that Maine just fell unconscious with no reason.

"Who said i wasn't worried? I can't panic. We in the hospital now, why would I panic. And besides, it's not gonna do us good. She needs to calm down. You know she's going through something, She worried. She's tired and she's stressed out. I can't panic. I can't be worried in front of her." Nikko said. Nikki chuckled out on nowhere.

"Yeah. you're right. We can't panic. We can't show her w e are weak. Good thing that she's still unconscious, because if not, she could have heard you babble like a nut case." She tapped Nikko's shoulder. "Let's go Kuya, we can wait outside the door. They will move Maine now.

Two male nurses pushed Maine's Hospital bed to the elevator to get to the second level. They were quiet during the elevator ride. As they turn the corner, Nikko saw their parents. His mom sitting down, his dad pacing back and forth. He can't help to think; What is he doing?

They situated Maine inside the room. IV was checked. Everything was settled. The male nurse left and only one stayed.

"Dr. Mendiola will be here in a moment." She declared. Nikko nodded and sat next to Maine. Nikki by her feet and their parents on the couch across her bed.

"What do you think is going on with her?" Ann asked, not really pertaining to anyone and not even expecting an answer. It's kind of like thinking out loud.

"She's stress! That's what's going on with her. She hard headed, doesn't want to listen, look at what happen!" Ted said aggressively.

"Tay, you need to relax." Ann ask her husband rubbing his arm up and down.

"Relax? How can I relax seeing your daughter back in the hosptial because of that Richards' boy!" Nikko shut his head up as soon as he heard what his father had said.

"Where that even came from, Tay?" He asked. Annoyed and ready to blow. "We're you the one wanted him for her? And now you are acting like it was fault that he got kidnapped?" Nikko was shaking his head. His father at the moment was quiet. It seemed like he got hit big time with Nikko's words.

Theodore is a very loving father. He provided everything that his family need and wanted and much, much more. He just don't know how to show it right. He gets agitated too quick. He's always gets too excited at things negatively, which mostly likely leads to an argument with his children lately. Maine is now almost 23, engaged, Nikki is 26, who just got married last year, and Nikko is 29, married, and his wife, Cyrene, is due in a month. Ann, his wife, remained to be the forever referee for the four of them. He always means well but it it always comes out mean and demanding and rude.

He just wanted to make things easier for his children, but he guess, he just can't cover everything for everyone. They have to find out things on their own. They have to figure out how to fall down and get up. They have to face all the consequences as it presents itself to them. Maine went through some stuff that he knew she should never be. He was mad because there's nothing he can do.

He was trying to redeem himself, but the more he tried to, the more Maine stays away from him. Just like right now, if Alden was only careful enough he won't be kidnapped and Maine won't have to go through this and now that she's in this hospital, alden was not her to take care of her. He get more agitated finding out that a woman took him. Was Alden cheating on his daughter? Is he two-timing her?

He was pulled back to reality when the came in. He nod his head to everyone in the room then went straight to the chart that was on the sleeve by footboard of Maine's hospital bed. He check it to make sure that he was inside the right room and the right patient.
"Mrs. Maine Richards?" The doctor speak up without looking at anybody in particular.

"No--" Ted's response was drown by Nikko's voice.

"YES, Doc!" Nikko said looking at his dad. Hoping he would shut up. Ted did not say any other word. He felt the tight squeeze around his arm. He looked over and saw Ann's unsmiling stare at him. There's nothing he could do at the moment but to clench his jaw.

"Are you the husband?" Facing Nikko with a slight smile.

"Ah, no po." He replied and smile, too. "I'm her brother. We are her siblings and they are our parents. Her husband is not available at the moment. He is.... sort of... out of town." Nikko continued.

"Okay. That is no problem. I was hoping to have her the news first before everyone else do." His simple became wide. His eyes were sparkling. Nikko already knew what he was trying to say. "Well, congratulation, Uncle, Auntie and grandparents, she is six weeks on the way." He said looking back at the chart.

"Yey! I'm an aunt now." Nikki said it out loud and very real. She is so excited. She knows this feeling so well, but it was more. It was different when Nikko and Cyrene announced their coming bundle of joy. This is Maine, their baby. She's going to have her own baby.

"She needs to stay here overnight for more observation. Her blood pressure is a little elevated and it is not good for here at this early stage of her pregnancy. We will be doing an ultrasound tomorrow as soon as she wakes up." He looked up and smiled at everyone. He stopped looking at Ted for a moment. He sensed the this man is not happy to be a grandfather but he just shrug it off. "I'll see you tomorrow. If you guys need anything or when she wakes up anytime from now to whenever, please call for a nurse anytime." He nodded at Nikko's direction and left the room without saying any other words.

As soon as the physician left, Ted opened his mouth. He was mad.... Livid may be the right word

"See! And he left her pregnant. Why are they so careless. They are not even married yet and he got her pregnant? How stupid! How careless! How immoral! This is the reason why I don't her back in her condo after that good for nothing engagement!" He raised his voice he is in his own room. Nikki ran to the door as fast as she can to close. T least by doing it, she could muffled her father's booming boys.

"What is your problem, Tay?! Why do you do what you do?!" Nikko exclaimed. He can not hold it anymore. He had done thing to them that he did not agree. Yes, he was thankful that his father arrange him to marry Cyrene but that was different, He feel in love with her at first sight, so as she. It worked out with Nikki because the same thing happened, he feel in love with her at first sight, so as she, and it was good thing. With Maine? He won't even want to go there. It is still fresh in his mind the sight of Maine going through what she went through. It was still a painful memory even for him. He was still hurting for her.

"Ted, please not here." Ann tried to break the tension that is building up between father and son.

"What?! I am just stating the fact. He was with a woman. Do you really believe that he was simply taken by that girl? Or maybe, just maybe, he actually went with her and the kidnapping was just an act?" Ted shouted back to his son.

"An act? Do you really think it was just an act? You arranged her to marry this man but yet you are insulting him? Nakakaloko ka na, Tay!" The yelling and the shouting back at each other hasn't stopped yet and they don't even know if and when it will end.

"Nikko, don't make this as an issue with me, because I didn't cheat on your mother. I never made her cry intentionally! I never eloped with another woman! Where is Alden right now? With that woman of his!" Nikko got so furious he wants to punch his father. There's still that very little bit of respect left that is why he is not doing anything aside from biting his tongue.

"Tay, let's not even go there. You should know Alden by now, he won't do anything to hurt Maine intentionally OR unintentionally. He loves her so much. He went through a lot too not only Menggay." Ann spoke up gently trying to defuse the fire that is starting to consume both Nikko and Ted.
Nikki on the other hand clenching her fist. She wanted to lunge over to get to her dad. How could she think worst of Alden in times like these. It is nobody's fault that that crazy girl, kelly, is a psycho from hell. She can't believe all the speculations coming out of her father mouth. What would Maine say if she could actually hear all the things he had accused Alden of. How dare he thinks that way. How dare he assumed the worst of people when in fact he is the big bad wolf in this story.

"Tay, you need to stop. Enough! This is my family, I am in control, because you are not anymore. Maine is an adult at whatever relationship she may or may not have with Alden is her problem." Nikki said eventually. She can't help it.

"Not my problem? Do you think this not my problem? She is my daughter for God's sake. She is my business. Her problem is my problem!" She yelled at her with a red burning eyes which feels like drawing holes at her.

"No, it is not. The ONLY problem you have right now, you can not take in the fact that none of us go to you anymore with our problems or issues because you force your own ideas on us. Ideas that don't work for us. Ideas that only benefits you. Your problem is, once your pawns are not moving to the direction you want it to be, then it is bad for business. Yes, you may be right that she is your business, that's all we are to you, Tay, a business." Nikki uttered it with a heavy, heavy heart. She now understood it more why Maine did what she did a few years back. She felt choked as his pawn. She was a little upset with Maine when she ran away and left them with no of her whereabouts but now she perfectly understand.

"You are one disrespectful, ungrateful, spoiled brat!" His voice boomed inside the room and ready lunge at Nikki. Nikko stood up in between his father and Nikki to protect her. Burning eyes with anger. Drilling holes in each other.

"This needs to stop, Theodore! Let go of my children!" Ann yelled at her husband for the very first time in the 33 years of their marriage.

"Ann..." Ted was caught surprised at what she had said. He can't believe the anger and pain that he sees in her eyes. A cold feeling wash over him. What have he done?

"Get out! If you continue to control my children with your nonsense which I let you do for years because I thought you knew what you were doing, apparently you don't. What Maine is going through right now needs an understanding. And so what if she's pregnant. I'll stand by next to her and wait for Alden to return because I know he will be back to marry her." Ann said with a straight face.

"Can't you all get it in your heads?! Alden ran away with another woman. These? All this things are just a show so he can get away with it!" Ted raised his voice more than he did earlier. Ann was so enraged. Ted has lost mind thinking the worst of people. She stood straight and walked out of the hospital room.

"You're not leaving?" She said before she completely left the room. "Then i am." And she was gone. Ted was left there standing, dumbfounded. His wife walked out on then. His wife left them.

"Get out." Nikko said calmly. There's nothing more he could but left. He was angry with Nikko. How dare he! He is just my son! He thought.

"Kuya, what if Tatay was right? What if Alden ran off with that psycho bi---" Nikko faced her and held a hand on her face.

"Stop right there, Nikki. Pati ba naman ikaw?"

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End of Chapter18: With The Other Woman

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💖~Ms. J~💖
12.02.17

Parting Time
Arrange Marriage: Destined? 2
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First Published: October 9, 2016