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Despite their obvious animosity toward each other especially when outside the patient's rooms or wards, Nic and Rj worked well together. Nic would 'shadow' or go behind Rj when he examined a fussy or defiant child-patient. She distracted them while Rj worked which made examinations quicker and more accurate. Although he still scowled and frowned a lot when with Nic in the rooms, the children seemed less stressed and happier, too.
"...adjust your rounds to 9am. I leave the hospital at 11am..." Nic said as they prepared for their rounds at pediatric wing (a few days after Mamita's wedding anniversary).
"Why?"
"In case you haven't been aware, I work the third shift. I've been here since midnight. I know that you're not much of a night owl so you've been working during normal hours since you started work in this hospital..."
"How do you know so much?"
"I read. It helps me learn more techniques in dealing with the sick kids around her. Besides, technology is so much advanced these days, it gives me sort of an edge to be a little more advanced in knowledge, don't you think?"
"Ang yabang nito..."
"Ako, mayabang? Excuse me po, Dr. Richard Faulkerson Jr, better known as Rj, the whole world does not revolve around you. If you want people to warm up to you, you should do the same. Read. Learn." Nic said as she picked up her stack of charts and walked into the Ward 11.
Rj observed how the kids in Ward 11 excitedly greeted Nic. For her part, she had personal greetings for each child as she drew the curtains around their beds open.
"Ate Nic!" Coby, the boy with high fever and diarrhea almost immediately sat up from bed. He had his arms stretched out so Nic gave him a hug.
"Hmm...parang may konti ka pang owwie sa tummy e. Pasilip nga?" Nic spoke to the boy and pulled the back of his diaper. "Meron nga..."
"Wash mo ako?" Coby asked.
"O sige. Wait lang at mag-g-good morning pa ako kela Gio and Carla. Babalikan kita."
"Okay!"
"Ate Nic, bakit kasama mo yung Doctor Sungit?" Carla, a 4-year old with fever due to UTI, whispered in Nic's ear as the latter hugged her.
"Sino?"
Carla looked at Richard who was currently examining Joey, a 3-year-old with skin asthma, on the bed across from Carla's. Nic looked and watched how Richard tried to listen to the child's chest but Joey kept on squirming.
Nic approached Joey and gently lifted the child off the bed. Joey calmly rested his head on Nic's shoulder and relaxed.
"Teka lang, may kukunin lang ako." Nic said after a while when Joey stiffened when he felt Dr. Richard's cold stethoscope on his skin. Joey agreed and sat on the bed while waiting for Nic. She came back a few seconds later with something in her pocket.
"Doc, pahiram ng stethoscope mo" Nic turned to Rj.
"Huh?"
"Please"
Rj slowly removed his stethoscope from his neck and gave it to Nic. She wrapped the stethoscope with a tiger stethoscope cover then she returned it to Rj who looked confused.
"Joey, pwede na kayang pakinggan ni Doctor Tiger yung heart ni..."
"Dodong" Joey said while nodding and holding out his stuffed elephant.
"Dodong. Pwede ba namin marinig yung heart nya?"
Joey nodded again and Rj immediately caught on and 'listened' to Dodong's heart.
"Doctor, anong tunog ng heart ni Dodong?" Nic asked.
"Hmm...kailangan ko rin ata marinig ko rin yung heart ni Joey para malaman ko kung tama yung beat..." Rj said, finally playing along.
Nic smiled at Joey who agreed and sat up straight and followed what Dr. Richard asked him to do.
A while later, Richard sat at the kiddie table at the far end of the room where a small play area was. He wrote down some notes in his notebook so that he could update the children's charts properly after rounds. Nic went back and took care of washing Coby and changing his clothes. She also encouraged the children to take their medicines.
"Bye kids!"
"Awww..." the kids said in unison.
"Sus! Andito na naman ako tomorrow. Be good ha?"
"Opo" they replied.
"Dr. Richard, say goodbye..." Nic whispered to Rj while they were walking out of the ward.
"Bye" Rj said very softly and without much expression.
"Lakasan mo naman..." Nic said through her smile.
"Bye!" Rj said a little louder but still with a straight face.
They walked out of the ward and proceeded to visit three more children. "Let's work on your cheerfulness..." Nic said with a smirk as they walked down the hall.
"I am not a morning person..." Rj replied curtly.
"Uhm Doc, mag-a-alas onse na o...in a few minutes, mag-l-lunch time na tapos hapon na....baka naman kulang ka sa vitamins..." Nic stopped walking and looked at Rj, studying his face for a bit. "...ahh oo, tama..."
"Huh?"
"Kulang ka nga sa vitamins...suggestion lang, bumili ka ng Enervon mamaya pag-breaktime mo. Once a day lang ang dosage"
"Enervon?"
"Oo...more energy, mas happy!" Nic said as she put a smiley sticker on his hand like she always does with the kids.
After their rounds, Nic entered the locker room while Rj walked off toward the hospital café. A few people in the elevator smiled at him and he wondered why. He looked down at his hand and remembered that he hadn't removed the smile sticker Nic had put on him. A small smile formed on his lips as he leaned back on the elevator wall. He was alone now as the other passengers had gotten out on different floors already.
As the numbers on the panel flashed, Rj caught his reflection on the elevator doors. He hadn't noticed that he still had the tiger stethoscope cover wrapped around his stethoscope which was in his pocket. In a split second, he recalled a conversation about a tiger; and how it would remind someone about him.
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"Can it be?" Rj thought as he walked toward the café.
