Chapter 39
I don't know what happened. I have no idea. I don't even know if this is real, or if this is just a nightmare.
Pero sana nga bangungot na lang 'to.
Faith was silently crying beside me at the backseat of a taxi going to the hospital where Love is. Kanina ay iyak rin ako nang iyak but I have to compose myself so I stopped. And since then, hindi ako makaiyak. My mind was refusing to believe that my sister is in the hospital, critical, and fighting for her life.
Paulit-ulit kong ipinipikit ang mga mata ko, nagbabakasakaling magising ako mula sa pagkakatulog. Pero sa tuwing binubuka ko ang mga mata ko ay nasa loob pa rin ako ng taxi, katabi si Faith na walang tigil sa pag-iyak.
Why do bad things kept on happening to me these past few days?
My parents got the call first. The hospital called them. Nasa Cebu sila and are currently waiting for their flight back. They called Faith first and that's how Faith delivered the news to me.
Wala kaming idea kung anong nangyari. Kanina lang ay nasa bahay lang si Love. I even said good night to her. How come she's in the hospital now, fighting for her life?
She doesn't drive the car. We don't let her. But why are they saying that she was the one driving the car?
Agad akong nagbayad sa driver nang makarating kami sa entrance ng ospital. We hurriedly approached the reception to ask for my sister. They said she's being checked at the Emergency room.
Mahigpit ang hawak ko kay Faith as we ran to the Emergency Room but just as we were almost a few meters from there, we saw a group of doctors and nurses pushing the gurney where Love is on.
"San niyo dadalhin ang kapatid ko?" Umiiyak na tanong ni Faith. Isa sa mga doctor ang lumapit sa amin and the rest continued to push the gurney to somewhere so fast.
"Kamag-anak po ba kayo ng pasyente?" The doctor asked. He looked at Faith, and then to me.
"She's our sister," I replied.
"I see," he mumbled. "Your sister sustained a serious injury in the head and there's bleeding, and we need to perform an emergency operation. We already called your parents to ask for their verbal consent because we need to perform it as soon as possible."
Mas lalong napaiyak si Faith. I could also feel my tears falling but I tried to compose myself. "Okay," I uttered. "Ilang oras po ang surgery?"
"It will take 3 to 5 hours, but it could be longer depending on the problems we may encounter."
"3 to 5 hours or longer," I repeated. "Okay."
"Sige po," the doctor said. He turned to go but I called him.
"Doc!" He looked at me. "Please save my sister," I said, my voice trembling.
The doctor gave me a smile. "We will do our best to save your sister."
•●•
Bilang na bilang ko ang bawat oras na dumadaan simula 'nong nagsimula ang operation ni Love. It's almost 4 hours now, and we're still here in the waiting room, waiting for the doctor. Kakarating lang din ng parents namin and that's when I let myself cry. It was just Faith and me earlier so I had to keep my composure but now that they're here, I finally let myself cry so hard.
Ang hirap pigilan ng sarili kong 'wag magwala dahil sa mga nangyayari. I had to excuse myself to find a place where I can cry and scream it all out and I found the restroom. There was no one in there so I let myself sob loudly.
Hindi ko na alam anong gagawin ko. Ayaw kong maniwala na nangyayari 'to, but everything around me says it's real.
My sister is lying on an operating table right now, and I'm so close to losing my mind.
I reached for my phone on my pocket and dialed his number.
But it says it was out of coverage area.
"Troy..." I cried, wishing he's here, comforting me and fighting with me.
But he's not here. And I cannot reach him.
"Troy..." I cried more.
•●•
Ilang minuto lang ang itinagal ko sa loob ng CR and I had to go out as soon as I heard someone approaching. Bumalik ako sa waiting area to wait with my family.
We waited for another two hours before we finally saw two doctors approaching us. Isa doon iyong nakausap ko kanina.
Narinig kong nagpakilala sila sa parents ko and they explained what happened there and how was Love's operation. I can't comprehend the other things they said because I feel like my mind was flying somewhere else. Ang tanging naintindihan ko ay successful daw ang operation and that we need to wait for Love to wake up. They also explained what could happen after she wakes up. I know there could be complications after the surgery. I know because I read medical books and watch medical series, because I want to be a doctor.
After informing us that they are already getting ready to transfer Love to the ICU, the doctors bid their goodbye for now. The doctor from earlier even smiled at me, so I tried to smile back.
Huminahon na rin si Faith and told us she'll call Lay. Dahil sa kaba at takot kanina ay hindi namin agad nasabihan ang mga malalapit kay Love.
Ako naman ay sumabay sa parents ko. They said there are police downstairs waiting to talk to my parents about the accident that happened, so I went with them.
Naramdaman ko ang pagyakap ni Mommy sa akin while we were walking to the elevator. She also cried so hard earlier, ngayon lang din medyo huminahon.
"I can't believe this is all happening," she said. "But Love will be okay. She's a strong, strong girl." Mom met my gaze. "Your sister is strong," she said, but I feel like she's saying it more to herself than to me.
I, too, can't believe this is all happening.
We went to the lobby and saw the police waiting for us. As soon as we met them, they told us everything that they found on the scene.
And I couldn't believe all that I'm hearing.
