SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER TEN (Road to Recovery)

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

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Elodie's POV

I am dead.

My eyes were still closed but I knew that I am dead.

But how come I could hear things? Buzzing sounds. People murmuring. I tried to move but I couldn't bear the pain. Every part of my body hurts.

I opened my eyes and blinding lights welcomed my sight I needed to close my eyes again.

Langit na ba ito?

"What are her vitals?"

"One ten over eighty BP, Doc. Regular heart rate. Regular pulse rate."

"Administer Hydromorphone. One milligram every four hours. How about the rape kit? Dumating na ang result?"

"Yes, Doc. It's in your office." Boses babae iyon.

"Okay. Call me when there's a problem."

Napalunok ako. Pati paglunok ay nahihirapan akong gawin. Sobrang sakit ng buong katawan ko. Bakit ganoon? Kung nasa langit na ako bakit nakakaramdam pa rin ako ng sakit? Bakit may naririnig akong mga nag-uusap?

Bakit naaalala ko ang nangyari sa akin?

Those monsters. Those men who hurt me. They raped me. Binaboy nila ako. Kaya ba ako nasa langit kasi pakunswelo dahil sa masamang nangyari sa akin?

Nakaramdam ako nang may humawak sa braso ko. Warm. It felt real. Someone was really touching me. If I am dead, why did I feel this warm hand on my arm?

I tried to open my eyes again. The blinding light was still there but I tried to blink and focused myself. Unti-unti ay lumiliwanag ang paningin ko. Unti-unting nagkaka-korte ang mga bagay sa paligid. Kahit blurry, I knew I could see windows with blinds. There were lots of apparatus around. White walls. I looked at my side and I saw tiny tubes connected to my arms up to the plastic bottle that was hanging on top of me.

"Oh shit. Doc!" Narinig kong sabi ng kung sino. Tapos ay parang natatarantang kumilos. Narinig kong bumukas ang pinto at tanging ang mahihinang tunog ng aparato ang naririnig ko.

Where am I? Definitely this was not heaven. Napaungol ako sa sobrang sakit na nararamdaman ko sa buong katawan ko. I tried to swallow but there was something on my throat I felt I was gagging.

Biglang bumukas ang pinto at halatang nagmamadaling pumasok ang kung sino man na naroon.

"Thank God," there was a tone on relief on that voice. My eyes were looking for that voice and I saw a man looking at me. "How are you?"

Hindi ko siya kilala pero sigurado akong hindi ito kasama sa mga lalaking nanakit sa akin. Sinubukan kong magsalita pero hindi ko magawa. Walang boses na lumabas doon.

"Shit. Sorry. You have an NGT. Nasogastric tube to aspirate the blood from your stomach." Kitang-kita ko ang pag-aalala sa mukha niya.

Wala akong maintindihan sa sinasabi niya. Ang naintindihan ko lang ay 'yung blood in my stomach.

May tiningnan ang lalaki. Tiningnan ang mga machine na nasa paligid ko na alam kong nakakabit sa katawan ko. Pati ang bote na nasa ulunan ko. Now I realized I am in a hospital.