Chapter 33
I was assessing Alia's vital signs and she was just staring at me as if she wanted to say something. She tried to reach out a hand but since she was feeling weak, I inched myself closer to her.
"Does it hurt, baby? Can you point me where it hurts?"
She pointed at her both sides.
"Can you rate it from one to ten?"
She raised all fingers and a tear cascaded down her face. My heart felt like it had been ripped out as I wiped the tears off her cheek.
"Stop crying, Alia. Nurse Ragna will do something to lessen the pain, okay?"
And so I did all the possible nursing interventions to alleviate the pain.
"Are you feeling better now?"
Tumango siya. Ngumiti naman ako.
"Okay, baby. Nurse Ragna needs to leave, but I'll surely be back later, ha?"
Tumango ulit siya. Bago ako tuluyang lumabas ay nilingon ko ulit si Alia. Siyang labas ko ay nakita ko sa pinto si Ms. Gutierrez. Hinawakan ko siya sa balikat bago siya tuluyang pumasok. I called Doc Lario, the pediatric oncologist to update her about Alia's condition.
Alia was diagnosed with Wilms' tumor stage V, a cancer in the kidneys. Before her parents rushed her to Imogen, Ms. Lana Gutierrez, her mom, observed that her daughter had an abdominal swelling when she joined her in the bath. The tumor was diagnosed in both kidneys and since then, other symptoms started to become more severe. Kwento sa akin ni Ms. Gutierrez na noon na lang ulit niya nasabayan ang anak pagpaligo dahil pareho silang nag-aaral pa ng asawa niya. Ang madalas daw na magpaligo at mag-alaga kay Alia ay ang yaya nito.
Bumalik ako sa nurse desk at napaupo rito. Hanggang sa pauwi na ako, nasa parking na ay iniisip ko pa rin si Alia.
"Ragna!" boses iyon ni Justice.
Lumingon ako at halos tumakbo siya palapit sa akin. "I didn't see your car here. Can I take you home?"
Saka ko naalala na wala nga pala akong dalang sasakyan. Lumingon kami dahil sa malakas na pagsara ng pinto ng isang sasakyan.
"Let's go, Ragna?" Rogue asked. Lumapit siya sa amin, seryoso ang tingin kay Justice.
Muli kong hinarap si Justice. "I'm sorry. Usapan kasi namin ni Rogue na susunduin niya ako."
Sumeryoso rin ang mukha ni Justice, nakipaglaban ng tingin kay Rogue. "Let's have breakfast tomorrow then."
Tipid akong ngumiti at tumango para na rin makausap ko siya. Hindi kami makakapagkita sa gabi dahil na rin sa oras ng duty ko.
"I'll pick you up at 9." Hinawakan niya ang balikat ko. "Good night, Ragna." Binitawan niya ako at pumasok na sa hospital.
Hinawakan ni Rogue ang bewang ko at iginiya ako sa Mercedez niya. I faced him inside the car. He reached out for something in the backseat, and it was a bouquet of yellow tulips. Ibinigay niya ito sa akin at tinanggap ko naman, pinipigilan ang mapangiti dahil sobrang seryoso niya pa rin.
"Rogue?"
Pinaandar na niya ang sasakyan. Hindi siya sumagot.
"Are you okay?"
He forced a smile and glanced at me. Tumango lang siya.
Kita kong nagsisinungaling siya pero hinayaan ko na lang. Mabilis kaming nakarating sa bahay at dumiretso ako sa kusina.
Nakita kong may itinira na food si Mama para sa akin. "Have you had your dinner?"
Tumango lang ulit siya. Binuksan niya ang refrigerator at kumuha siya ng saging doon.
