Chapter Eight

Blessings in disguise. Masama pa rin ang loob ko sa kanya. I know it's my chance to take that opportunity but I'm not ready for that. Alam ko naman na hindi basta agad-agad na aalis ako ng bansa para 'dun.

I know it takes time but still...hindi ako handa.

Napabuntong hininga ako at hinugasan ang kamay para handa ko ng suotin ang gwantes at coat para sa operasyon ko ngayong umaga. I needed to operate a heart transplant surgery. Kinakabahan ako dahil ito ang unang gawain ko sa hospital.

Madalas kasi check-up lang ginagawa ko and I have never been operated into someone. I did on a doll back in med school but now am an actual person!

Napabuntong hininga ako at hinayaan ang nurse na pasuotin ako ng coat pati narin ang paghipos ng aking buhok at nilagyan ng takip. Nagsuot rin ako ng facemask.

"Can I check my patient's information?" Tanong ko at agad naman siyang tumango at binigay sa'kin ang folder.

Name: Celestine Viona Sidorov
Age: 30 Years Old
Nationality: Russian, Filipino.
Status: Single

Her surname is familiar... Umiling ako at tuluyang pumasok sa loob ng operating room. Napasinghap ako sa gulat ng makita siya rito sa loob mismo.

"What are you doing here?" Agad kong tanong sa kanya habang kunot noo.

"I'm here to help you operate on your patient," si Clark sabay ngiti sa'kin.

"Without informing me?" Taas kilay kong tanong sa kanya at tinanggap ang scalpel na bigay ng nurse sa'kin.

"I told you I'll come to visit you," nakingising sabi niya at kumindat. "This not the visit I've wanted, mister Sidorov." Diin kong sabi at hindi napigilang maparolyo ng aking mga mata.

"You tell that to yourself because I'm here to help my sister live her life more," bumagsak ang lahat ng emosyon ko sa mukha at tinignan siya ulit. "Is she your sister?" I couldn't help but ask. Umawang ang labi ko.

"Yes," I nodded with my shocking face.

Mas lalo tuloy akong kinabahan sa operasyong 'to. I feel pressured to do this and makes me wanna back out of it ngayong nalaman kong kapatid niya ang pasyente ko. I couldn't believe it at first 'cause they kinda not look the same but then I suddenly remembered what he said that she's his half-sister.

I drew out a deep breath and I felt a thing in my heart that I need to succeed in this. At the end ginawa ko pa rin kahit parang may labag sa damdamin ko. Sinimulan ko ng hiwain ang gitna ng dibdib niya kinakabahan pa rin sa ginagawa.

Natigilan ako saglit ng may nakita akong pamilyar na mukha sa loob ng operating room. He looks so familiar. I can tell that he was a guy, his height was about 6ft, and he has this adonis body that also reminded me of someone I know. His hair was kinda long below his ears, the hair color was really the same as Red.

It must be him or not. But he was busy with his drums all day! So it can't be him!

Unting-unting umagos ang pawis ko mula sa ulo pababa galing sa batok hanggang sa maramdaman ko ang dibdib kong pinapawisan na rin sa loob. Pati ang mga hita ko at paa ay pinapawisan na rin pati na rin ang buong mukha ko ay puno ng pawis hindi lang dahil sa surgical facemask iyon kundi ay sa kaba.

It's almost 3 P.M in the afternoon (grabe almost 8-9 hours nakakapagod na) at kaunti na lang ay matatapos na kami sa operasyon. Kailangan na lang namin e-settle at e-secured ang lahat para matapos na. After 30 minutes of doing that we finally stichted her chest and waiting for her to be stable.

I exhaled deeply at dali-daling lumabas ng operating room at hinubad ang damit na ginamit. The only thing that was left on me was my wet outfit and my lab gown. Hinugasan ko ang kamay ko ng maigi at pinatuyo, akmang aalis na sana ako sa pinaghugasan ko ng biglang may humawak sa pulsohan ko.

"Thanks for saving Celestine, you did a great job." Napangiti ako sa sinabi. It wasn't just me who saved her.

There were nurses, Anesthesiologists, Certified registered nurse anesthetists, Operating room nurses,s or circulating nurses, Surgical Techs, Medical device company representatives, Physician assistants, and lastly some medical students including my best friend.

"You're the main surgeon earlier so you must thank that to yourself," aniko at tinapik ang kanyang abaga at nginitian siya, lalagpasan ko na sana siya ng makita ko si Red sa likod niya na nag huhugas rin ng kamay.

I'm so curious why he's here. All I have in my mind is that he might bribe the others to let him in there. I'm letting myself think in that way for now because I want to hear his side. Hindi Naman kasi kapaniwalang-paniwala.

Maybe I never knew that he went to med school as well because I was too busy here in the hospital. I rarely go home. Madalas lang akong umuuwi at kinalaunan ko lang talagang minamadalas ang paguwi.

"Hi," hindi ko mapigilang maparolyo ng mata sa kanya at hindi na nagdalawang isip na kirotin siya sa gilid. "That so masakit ha..." tinatawanan niya lang ako at nagulat ako sa ginawa niya.

Bigla niya na lang hinila palapit sa kanya mula sa batok. I thought he was going to sabunotan me but he didn't! I was so shocked by what he did to me.

He brushed my hair with his fingers and traveled down to its end. He stopped for a bit while his hands stilled on my hair and his other when to his pocket and got something. He pinned the hair clip on his lips and rolled my hair. Kinuha niya ulit ang hair clipped at pininda ang buhok ko.

"You're sweating a lot, your body needs to breathe."

Then I felt all of the air coming to my body. Nanlamigna ang buong katawan ko dahil sa pawis na natuyo mula kanina pa.

"Pwede naman ako gumawa non ah? Pero salamat," aniko at saka hinubad ang lab gown at nilagpasan siya.

Hahanapin ko pa sana si Clark but he was already gone so I didn't bother. In the midst of my way walking back to my office, I gasped when he suddenly hugged me by the shoulder. Napapikit ako sabay hinga ng malalim.

"Why are you there anyways?" Tanong ko at hinyaan siyang akbayan ako at napagisipang yakapin na lang rin siya sa baywang niya habang naglalakad kami.

"To get good grades," mahina akong natawa at binalingan siya tingin ganoon rin siya at ngumisi.

"Magkano ba binayad mo para makapasok 'dun?" Kunot noo kong tanong sa kanya.

"Hmm if you're referring to my expenses, I can say that I have already paid 2.7 Million in the past 6 years of studying in CURSE UNIVERSITY," napaawang ang labi ko sa sinabi niya at hindi pa rin nag come up sa isipan ko.

₱ 450,000 is the tuition fee of CURSE university per year. All of the students there are madly rich. Most are the child of a dangerous gang (maybe a mafia too?), heiress, at iba pang mga anak ng mayayaman.

"Bakit hindi mo sinabi sa'kin na nag-aaral ka na pala for the past six-years?" Sabay kurot sa tagiliran niya. "I didn't bother to tell you because you looked stress palagi e and you rarely go home kaya ganon,"

I felt an arrow in my heart.

Ganoon na ba ako busy para mahiya ang ibang tao na kausapin ako? He can tell me anytime naman pero bakit ganoon? Pakiramdam ko ang damin ko ng pagkukulang sa kanya bilang kaibigan.

"Why didn't you tell me about it? You know you can just tell me anytime," I sadly said and pouted my lips.

"I want you to surprise sana once I graduate but then our prof assigned an intern to me I didn't knew you were part of it too kaya sayang hindi na siya surprise," aniya sabay kurot sa pisngi ko.

"I know you're bothered about it, but it's fine. I know your busy and I know how much you love your job, hindi naman kita girlfriend para bigyan mo ko ng oras so don't bother okay?" Pag-ulit niya at kinurot ulit ang pisngi ko.

"Kahit na, Red. Kaibigan parin naman kita ah?" Nagtaas ako ng kilay at humiwalay sa kanya para buksan ang pinto ng opisina ko.

"Okay...fine no more secrets from now on," aniya at bumuntong hininga naman akong sinabit ang lab gown sa swivel chair at umupo. Hinubad ko ang heels at ipinatong ang mga paa sa table.

AVRLBNZ