Love Me Too

Chapter 42

                                      *****

Clarisse arrived at the nurse station panting.

"Anong room ng pasyenteng si Scarlet Yamzon?"

"Sino po sila Ma'am?"

"Ah...I'm Atty. Clarisse De Silva, kaibigan niya."

Tiningnan siya ng nurse at kinilatis kung nagsasabi ng totoo. Kinabahan siya na baka tumawag ito sa kuwarto ng pasyente at hindi siya tanggapin bilang bisita. Her arrival is not expected. Napasugod lang siya dito matapos makatanggap ng anonymous call na nagbalita tungkol sa masamang nangyari sa dalaga. She worries about her but most of all she worries about Lance. He's definitely having a hard time right now. After she received the bad news, naiintindihan niya na kung bakit hindi nagpaparamdam sa kanya ang binata.

"Ma'am pahiram na lang po muna ng ID niyo para mabigyan ko kayo ng visitor's pass. Lagpas na po kasi ng visitation hour," ika ng nurse.

Ibinigay niya ang kanyang lisensiya.

"Tamang-tama po ang pagbisita niyo Ma'am kakalabas lang ng ICU ng pasyente. Finally, nakarecover na rin siya from a critical situation," nakangiting balita sa kanya ng nurse.

"Ganun ba? G-Gaano ba siya katagal sa ICU?"

"Four days ho."

"Sige. Thank you ha! I'll go to her room now."

Patakbong hinanap niya ang kuwarto. Her heart is thumping like crazy. But when she saw the room number, biglang bumagal ang kanyang paglalakad. She suddenly hesitated. She's aware that her arrival will cause awkwardness however she really wants to check her condition.

Mas lalong lumakas ang kabog ng dibdib niya nang mga ilang hakbang na lamang ang layo niya sa pinto. She noticed that the door was left ajar. Sumilip muna siya dito.

She saw Lance attending to Scarlet. His face looks tired and worried. Una siyang nakaramdam ng awa sa lalaki. And when her eyes transferred to the patient, guilt started to strike her.

Walang ibang tao sa kuwarto maliban sa dalawa. She was about to enter but she halted when she saw Scarlet gripping his hand tightly. Umatras siya at sumandal sa dingding katabi ng pintuan.

"I-I'm sorry..." dinig niyang hirap na bigkas ni Scarlet.

"Sshhh. Stop talking just take a rest...." sagot ni Lance.

Scarlet weeped. At unti-unti na ring nangilid ang mga luha ni Clarisse. The whole situation is cutting her chest into pieces. Sumilip siya at nakita niya ang nabibigatang hitsura ni Lance.

"I'm sorry for being weak. I-I'm weak in everything... Akala ko kaya ko ang mag-isa pero iba pala kapag iniwanan ka na ng mga taong minahal mo.... It felt like you already lost everything. Para akong nahuhulog sa madilim na balon ng kalungkutan. And while I was inside that darkness, I had no other wish but to die," lumuluhang wika nito habang hinahaplos-haplos ang kamay ng binata. "I'm sorry Lance. With all honesty, I don't want to be a burden to you anymore. I did my best to let you go pero naging mahina lang talaga ako pagdating sa dulo. You don't have to worry about me from now on and I promise not to bother you again ...I-I'm really sorry..."