Love Lingers: Down the Line

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lingering Gaze

"Mrs. de Leon," the secretary called for her, but she didn't reply. Instead, her eyes were fixed on a tiger painted on the wall, lost in thought.

"Mrs. de Leon?" The secretary called for her attention again.

She blinked. Mrs. de Leon?

"Pasok na po kayo sa loob. Hinihintay na po kayo ni Doc."

"Oh, okay," sabi niya.

She stood up once her senses caught on. Yuchi hurried, forgetting to correct the secretary with regards to the name she called her.

"Tita Mochi, carry me please," Haley said faintly, extending her arms.

Inabot niya naman ang pamangkin niya. "Sure, beebie."

Yuchi carefully heaved her up and Haley hugged her tight, resting her temple on her tita's shoulder on their way inside the cubicle where the familiar doctor (who she might have seen before at the parking lot) was busy reading their form.

"Hello, Haley and Mrs. de Leon," he greeted, guiding them to sit down.

"Uh . . ." She cleared her throat. "I'm not Mrs. de Leon. Haley's my niece," she said.

His eyes widened. "Ay, okay. Sorry, Miss . . . ?"

"Hernandez."

"Okay. Miss Hernandez, based dito sa form Haley has a fever and a sore throat?" he asked, confirming.

"Yup. I'm suspecting it's tonsillitis kasi reddish-white and inflamed 'yong tonsils niya. No cough but she has a fever."

"I see." He nodded. "Do you mind if I check? Pasilip ako ng throat ni Haley."

"Sure," she answered before turning to her niece sitting beside her who was half-asleep on the chair.

"Haley, beebie, wake up ka muna saglit. Sisilipin ni Doc 'yong throat mo."

Her lids were heavy. Medyo naaawa siyang tingnan si Haley kasi hindi naman talaga matamlay ang pamangkin niya. She knew Haley was having a hard time from her headache.

"Tita Mochi," she tried to speak, but her voice sounded even more strained.

"Hi, Haley," the doctor greeted with a smile on his face. "Please open your mouth for me."

Hindi naman para sa kanya, pero napaiwas pa rin siya ng tingin nang ngumiti 'yong doktor sa pamangkin niya.

They really do look and sound alike. The way the doctor's eyes got buried beneath his brows and cheeks the instant he smiled looked a lot like the stranger at the parking lot.

But he hasn't shown any signs that she was familiar to him, so maybe, she was remembering it wrong.

And maybe, she just wanted to see him again that she's mistaking the doctor for the man she met a couple of nights ago.

But I have a sharp memory. I'm pretty sure I know what he looks like, I can even paint him kung marunong lang ako mag-drawing, she thought.

Yuchi drew her eyes back to the doctor who was now examining Haley's breathing.

"Last one na, inhale . . ." Haley did as he said, heaving a deep breath. "Exhale."

"Very good!"

She watched how he fixed Haley's top and how he walked back to the table to write something on the chart.

Yuchi couldn't ignore the pens inside a black metallic canister on the table, but he still reached for the giraffe one inside his coat pocket.

"Tama naman, Miss Hernandez. It's tonsillitis—"