For Your Eyes Only;

Baby Pink

Daddy, Maine's lips softly uttered, inaudible, as she stood transfixed and weak at the knees while she watched the little girl in the dull gray hospital gown sweetly kissed RJ on the lips. The little girl has baby-pink ribbons on her long black hair. Maine's heartbeat, like the rest of her world, went on a standstill.

"James, introduce yourself to Ate Maine," RJ asked the girl.

The toddler looked at Maine with questioning eyes, appraising her.

"Hello, my name is Jamie Samantha Cruz-Rivas, I'm five years old."

James as in Jamie Samantha. God why.

And then James walked towards her, standing on tiptoes so she could shake Maine's hands.

Her hands are so tiny, Maine thought.

The girl walked back to RJ, who was then sitting on the bed, and climbed into his lap.

Cruz-Rivas? But...why not Faulkerson?

"Daddy, I still can't find Pikachu," she told RJ as she reached for a cellphone underneath her pillow and handed it to RJ. 

The door opened and a woman in her mid-thirties entered the room.

"Dr. Faulkerson! You're finally back!"

DOCTOR FAULKERSON?!

"Kumusta, Anna?"

"James, oh my goodness, get back to bed! It's almost ten pm! Doc, tinawagan ka na naman ba niya sa phone? "

"It's fine, Anna. How did her EKG go?"

"We're still waiting for the result , Doc. Haaay. This little baby keeps on asking for you every day. Don't worry, tatanggalin na kita on speed dial sa cellphone niya, sorry talaga, doc.  Alam mo, even the other kids have been looking everywhere for you."

RJ just smiled kindly then looked at Maine apologetically.

"This is Maine Mendoza nga pala, nililigawan ko."

LORD QUOTA NA AKO SA HEART ATTACKS FOR TODAY PLEASE. HINDI KO NA PO KAYA, Maine wordlessly cried out.

The woman named Anna giggled excitedly as she shook her hand like her daughter did.

"Hello Maine. Naku, sagutin mo na agad si Dr. Faulkerson, please. Gwapo na yan, mabait pa, and he's the best pediatrician here.  Pag pinakawalan mo pa siya, habang buhay na lang iyan magiging proxy daddy at pokemon hunter,"

"Daddy!" James called out to RJ again.

"Hala, jusko, please don't misunderstand, Maine. My daughter calls him daddy because she likes him too much. Her real father is abroad and not around kasi, so she kind of looks up to Dr. Faulkerson as a father figure. Kahit na he's too young, he doesn't mind at all. Kaya ayan tuloy. There are three other kids in this hospital calling him Daddy too, so don't be too shocked. The kids are in love with him,"

Maine just wanted to collapse on the floor and get swallowed by the ground from mortification.

"Tapos na ba vacation mo, Dr. Faulkerson?" Anna asked RJ.

"I'll be back to work next week, Anna. Sige, I still need to go somewhere with Maine. I'll check up on James pag lumabas na yung EKG results niya, okay? Love you, baby." He kissed James on the forehead and stood up. He sauntered towards Maine and held her hands again, leading her out of the room.

He calls her his baby. BABE. Jesus take the wheel.

Maine's feet dragged as she walked and she felt her knees going weak from all the sudden information she just gathered.

"The night I met you at the hotel, it was the last day of a national medical conference that Saint Luke's hosted for the Pediatric Surgery Pioneer Program launching in the Philippines. I came as the representative." RJ confessed as he walked alongside her, matching her pace.

She stopped walking and banged her head on the nearest wall so she could hide the embarassment on her face.

"You'll disturb the babies, Maine," RJ lightly chuckled.

When she opened her eyes, she realized that she was banging her head on the glass wall surface of the hospital nursery.

"Oh my goooood," she muttered in surprise.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, sorry...." She kept on saying, until she started crying again.

RJ hugged her from behind, nuzzling his head on the crook of her neck and on her shoulders, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"You've done nothing wrong. This is all my fault," he turned her shoulders, willing her to face him.

He touched her forehead and saw that it was a little bit red from colliding against the glass wall. He kissed it gently and wiped her tears.

"Masakit pa ba?" he asked, kissing her forehead again.

Before she could even manage a reply, three kids appeared out of nowhere and ran straight into RJ, clinging tightly on his legs. 

"Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

RJ knelt down down to hug them all and Maine felt her heart soaring again.

"Huuuuy bakit gising pa kayo?" He asked them sternly but without being scary.

"Tita Anna told us you're here!"

"Namiss ka namin Daddy!"

"Daddy who is she?"

"What's happening?"

RJ turned to look at her.

"Maine, this is Baste, this is Daniel and this is Grace,"

Later on, Maine would come to get to know them better too. Baste is a chubby four year-old kid with ADHD, Daniel is a five-year old kid with acute visual impairment and Grace is a three-year old kid with Leukemia. They, along with James, have one thing in common: they all have been diagnosed with heart failure.

RJ is the hospital's best and youngest pediatrician specializing in cardiology.

At that moment, Maine's chest ached harder as she envisioned RJ becoming a father someday.

"What's happening?" Daniel, who couldn't see, asked aloud again.

"Daddy is kissing a pretty girl," replied Baste.

"Are you Daddy's girlfriend?" Grace asked.

LORD IS THIS MY LAST DAY ON EARTH BECAUSE WHY, Maine hyperventilated.

"Can I kiss you too?" Baste asked Maine.

When Maine crouched down to kiss the baby, RJ dragged her away before their lips could even touch.

"No, Baste, only Daddy can kiss her."

Author's note: Hi masarap po ba yung hopia lol. Sa sobrang stressed niyo, this story is now ranked at #24 in Fanfiction hahahahaha. PAANO. Malapit na po ang tamang panahon para masagot lahat ng tanong niyo, and I have enjoyed writing these parts more than what you've read so far, so I hope you'll stick with me, kahit na sobrang waleeeey pa rin ng kuwento haha. I love hearing your thoughts! Salamat po ulit.