Gone With The Ring (SUAREZ SERIES II)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"What happened?" Troy asked worriedly as soon as he got up behind the wheels.

Nanginginig ang mga kamay na sinubukan kong ikabit ang aking seatbelt pero hindi ko magawa. Mas nauna pa akong sumakay sa kotse niya sa sobrang pag-aalala, not minding my own car. Not even Yano, whom I left at the department store still holding the two plastic bags of baking materials we bought without explaining to him what happened.

All I could think about was Rhyne.

Sa paglapat ng mainit na kamay niya sa akin ay saka ko lang naramdaman na nanlalamig na pala ako sa magkahalong takot at kaba.

"Baby, calm down. Tell me what's wrong." Kunot ang noo niya pero nahimigan ko ang pag-aalala sa boses niya. When he held my eyes in place, muling nangilid ang aking mga luha sabay iling nang maraming beses.

I reached for my phone to start dialing Princess' digits. "I don't know. Rhyne got into an accident." I couldn't stay still in my seat while my hands were busy with my phone. I was shaking so badly that Troy had to stop me again.

He got my phone from my hand and connected it to his car. Siya na mismo ang tumawag sa kaibigan ko. He set it on loudspeaker, increasing the volume so I could hear it better. He then started driving out of the parking lot while my call was still connecting. As soon as we got onto the road, he extended his right hand and held my shaking hands.

"Calm down, please..."

Napaiyak na ako nang sumagot ang kaibigan ko. "Princess..." Hindi ako makapagsalita nang maayos. Hindi ko alam kung alam na rin niya ang nangyari.

"Calm down, Czei. I'm also on my way. Calm down, okay? Let's pray that Rhyne will be okay."

Tumangu-tango ako kahit hindi niya ako nakikita habang ang mga luha ko ay walang tigil sa pagtulo. Wala na akong pakialam kung nababasa man ang kamay naming dalawa ni Troy. Mahigpit ang kapit ko roon na para bang iyon lang ang tanging nagbibigay ng lakas sa akin ngayon. It was as if I'd lose my mind if I ever let go.

"'Yong baby, Princess. Si Rhyne... Kinakabahan ako," napapaos nang sabi ko. I couldn't help it. Tita Bridgette was crying when she told me that Rhyne had gotten into an accident. My imagination was running wild. Kung anu-ano na ang pumapasok sa utak ko.

"Where are you right now?"

Napapikit ako at hindi na makasagot sa sobrang pag-iyak. The panic was eating me up alive so fast.

Hinigpitan ni Troy ang hawak niya sa akin para siguro pakalmahin ako. "Don't worry, Princess. I'm with her. We're on our way."

We reached the main branch of the Suarez Group of Hospitals in no time. Para na akong batang nakasunod kay Troy habang tinatawagan niya sina Papa at Kuya Migo. Wala na ako sa sarili kaya hindi ko namalayang muntik na akong mabangga sa pasyenteng nira-rush nila sa stretcher papunta sa emergency room. Mabuti na lang at nahagip niya ako agad bago pa man mangyari iyon.

I was still crying so hard when I looked up at him. Ang madalas na masungit niyang mukha ay nakatunghay sa akin nang masuyo ngayon. Maingat na inangat niya ang kanyang mga kamay para punasan ang mga luha ko.

"Look at me, Pao. Let's calm down first, baby, okay? Look at me, baby, please..." pagsusumamo niya dahil hindi pa rin ako matigil sa pag-iyak.

Sinunod ko ang gusto niyang mangyari. The gentleness in his eyes made me weaker. Nilalamon na ako ng takot at gusto ko na lang mawala at malunod sa mga titig niya.

I had never experienced an accident like this before, sa akin man o sa mga magulang at mga Kuya ko. Not even with the people around me. My concept of an accident was always deadly. Kaya hindi ko alam kung paano iha-handle ang kabang nararamdaman ko ngayon. Pakiramdam ko ay may masamang mangyayari. At hindi ko alam kung ano'ng gagawin ko kapag nangyari iyon sa kaibigan at pamangkin ko. Hindi pa nakatulong sa pagkakataranta ko ang pag-iyak ni Tita Bridgette kanina habang sinasabi ang tungkol sa nangyari.

Patuloy pa rin si Troy sa pagpupunas ng aking mga luha habang unti-unti kong naramdaman ang pagkalma ng aking sistema. The soft brushes of his fingertips across my wet cheeks helped a lot. I felt like a crying baby being taken care of.

All my life, I thought Troy was made to upset me forever. Hindi ko inaakalang makakaya niyang pakalmahin ako sa malambing na boses niya, sa mga mararahang haplos at sa mga masusuyong titig niya. Mama would probably throw a party if she saw us like this.

Rhyne had to be brought to the operating room because she had lost a lot of blood due to the accident. Troy was explaining things to me, but it didn't really register in my mind. Ang alam ko lang, nasa loob ng OR ang kaibigan ko. Naging kritikal dahil sa pagdadalang-tao.

The operating room she was in was on the fifth floor, and the trip in the elevator felt like forever. Troy was holding my hand until we reached the right floor.

Nakita ko agad sina Mama, Kuya Mico at Kuya Iñigo sa labas ng operating room. May mga upuan sa gilid ng hallway kung saan sila nakaupo. Nasa tapat nila nakapuwesto sina Princess at Tita Bridgette. Her eyes were swollen already from crying. At si Liam, halatang masama na ang timpla habang may tinatawagan.

Papa and Kuya Migo weren't here and probably still had work to do in their departments. But where was Kuya Asher?

"Ano pong nangyari?" tanong ko agad kay Tita Bridgette nang tuluyan kaming makalapit ni Troy. I felt weaker with each passing second the moment he let my hand go.

"Anak," nag-aalalang tawag sa akin ni Mama when she noticed my bloodshot eyes. Iginiya ako ni Princess sa tabi nila. "She was on her way to her mom."

"Her mother is here in Manila?" gulat na tanong ko. Rhyne never talked about her parents. Ang alam lang namin ay anak siya ng may-ari ng founder ng APH.

"It's been almost two hours now, Czei," Princess weakly added. She didn't cry, but the obvious hurt was etched on her face.

Halos sabay kaming lahat na napatayo nang bumukas ang sliding door ng operating room. Napalingon ako sa likuran, nagbabaka sakaling parating na si Kuya Asher. Bakit wala pa rin siya? Alam na ba niya ang nangyari?

Itatanong ko na sana iyon ngunit nalunok ko na lang ang mga katanungan ko nang mapansin ang hitsura ng lumabas na surgeon. The look on his face screamed bad news. Oh, God! Please don't take my friend yet away from us...

"I'm sorry, Ma'am."

His apology broke my heart a million times. Hindi niya pa sinasabi ang lahat pero para na akong binibiyak sa sobrang sakit. I tried to hold on to something, to anything... while bracing myself for the bad news. My right hand found Troy's left arm and held on to it so tight.

"We lost the babies."

Kulang ang sabihing mundo ko lang ang tumigil dahil sa narinig. My breathing had also stopped as I tried so hard to process and internalize what the surgeon had just said.

We lost the babies...

Tita Bridgette broke down in tears and buried her face in Liam's chest. Ganoon din si Mama kay Kuya Iñigo. Napaluha na rin si Princess at narinig ko namang nagmura si Kuya Mico.

"Where the fuck is Asher right now?!" galit na tanong niya sa kawalan habang halos pudpurin na ang cellphone sa kaka-dial.

"Babies, Doc?" namumula ang mga matang tanong ni Liam.

The surgeon sighed and looked at Mama and Tita Bridgette. "I'm so sorry for your loss. It was detected a bit late that your daughter had twins. And we lost them both."

Tahimik na bumuhos ang aking mga luha. Namamanhid na ako sa sobrang sakit. Nabitawan ko ang braso ni Troy at nanghihinang bumagsak ang aking kamay sa gilid ko.

What the fuck happened to Kuya Asher?! Bakit wala pa rin siya?!

I think I just... died.