Taming the Vampire

CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT

M I L L E R

Tanghali na, pero hindi pa rin ako nagugutom. Perhaps because I slept very long my body's doing very well.

Halos 30 minutes na ang lumipas at nakaupo pa rin ako sa tabi ni Axel. Even though my condition is excellent I still don't have the will to begin the day. Gusto ko lang na umupo rito at panoorin si Axel. Baka kasi mayamaya ay magising siya at wala ako sa tabi niya. Habang ginagawa ko ito ay may mga bagay naman na tumatakbo sa isipan ko. It's just too many to mention, of course isa na rito ang paghihiganti.

Lumipas ang mahabang minuto na puro elektroniko na pintig lang ng ECG ang naririnig ko sa loob ng silid, nabasag lang ito nang dumating si Mateo.

"How are you?" unang tanong nito sa akin.

"Ayos lang. Tiyak na mas mabuti ang kalagayan ko kaysa kay Axel."

Mateo sighed as he sat on the single-seated sofa parallel to my bed. He paused before finally talking again. "We were shocked when we received the news about you going back with Axel... Why did you even do it? I told you your body won't be ready."

Kakaiba ang tono ng boses ni Mateo ngayon para sa akin. It's still serious and urgent, pero may halo itong pakikiramay at pag-iingat.

"How can I not? Duguan at naghihingalo na si Axel sa mga kamay ko."

Nagbuntong-hininga lang ulit si Mateo. He was probably giving in, and I was right when he said, "Alright, as long as you're fine now." Hindi na ako nagsalita at binalik na lang ulit ang atensyon ko kay Axel.

A few minutes had passed, Mateo asked me again.

"But, do you have any idea what happened to you when you came back to the mansion?"

I shook my head. May nakikita man akong mga taong nakaputi pero hindi ko alam kung ano na ang nangyayari maliban sa binubuhat nila si Axel mula sa akin. I was so exhausted that I came out of it. My eyes were all blurr.

Isa pa, kung iisipin ko ng mabuti ngayon, I'm not even sure if it did really happen or those were just hallucinations. Baka tulog na nga ako nang makita ko ang mga 'yun.

"The researchers told us that you were hysterical."

"I'm sorry, I was what?"

"Hysterical."

I was?

Kinuwento ni Mateo sa akin ang buong detalye na nakuha niya mula sa mga saksi kagabi.

May limang researchers na naiwan sa loob ng laboratoryo. Dahil sumunod sa akin si Axel, sila ang nagpatuloy sa natitirang specimen. They were in the middle of testing when I suddenly popped inside the laboratory. And just like how I remembered it, they took Axel in a hurry while I was being aggressive and eventually collapsed. Nakakatawa lang dahil sila pala ang mga nakaputing nilalang na nakita ko.

"You really lost your composure back then, they said..." banggit ni Mateo.

I sure did. Pero wala namang problema sa akin kung nakita nila ito. Ang mahalaga ay ligtas si Axel.

"You also abandoned your mission."

Sabi ko na nga ba at babanggitin niya rin ang tungkol dito.

"Pasensya na. Pero uunahin ko talaga si A—"

"I understand," sabad ni Mateo, "A life is much more important than any mission after all. It would be a waste if we lost one in the middle of it."

Even if that's the case, malaya pa rin naman na nakakagala ang lider nila. Ang lider nila na siya mismong may gawa nito kay Axel.