See You Tomorrow, Yuki (EDITING)

THREE

Personal na binisita ni Aciel si Hakim sa opisina niya. Casual attire ang suot, may hawak na puting envelope. Ilang minuto na siyang nauupo; takang-taka na rin si Hakim kung anong kailangan niya.

Awkwardly, Aciel greeted Hakim, "Magandang umaga po, Doc."

"Oh? Ah... magandang umaga. Bakit hindi ka dumiretso sa kwarto ni Yuki? May kailangan ka ba?"

Inabot ni Aciel ang envelope kay Hakim. Laman nito ang medical records ni Hanz. Agad na binasa ni Hakim.

"Brain Tumor?"

"Doc... please help my dad."

"Dalhin mo siya rito. Hindi porket benign, babalewalain na. Habang maaga, kailangan na matanggal ng tumor sa utak niya."

"Baon pa po kami sa utang," sagot ni Aciel at napayuko. "Kapalit po ng kulang na perang maibabayad ko para sa operasyon ni dad... I'm willing to donate my kidney to Yuki."

"Aciel... as much as I'm happy to hear that... alam mong hindi tatanggapin ni Yuki 'yun."

"Right. I heard. Then I'm taking the easier route. Mailigtas lang po ang dad ko, tutulungan ko kayong kumbinsihin si Yuki na pumayag sa surgery. Kahit 'yun man lang po."

Hakim's eyebrows rose in surprise. He took his hands off the table and put them together on his lap.

"Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

"Narinig ko po kayo ni Doc Thea kagabi. You argued about the kidney transplant."

~ ~ ~

"Hakim... it's not that bad to give Hazel's kidneys to her. Kahit ako na lang ang gumawa, kung natatakot ka."

Thea was on her knees in front of her husband, holding tightly on his hands.

"Hindi mo ba naiintindihan? Hindi natin pwedeng lokohin si Misis Bautista. Ayaw rin naman ni Yuki na maoperahan. It's not because I don't want to save her. SHE WANTS TO END HER LIFE."

"KAYA PAPAYAG KA NA LANG?"

May galit sa mga mata ni Thea nang tumayo siya. Napapahawak sa batok si Hakim dahil sa nagiging takbo ng usapan nila.

"Papayag ka na lang na dahan-dahan siyang mamatay? Yuki is just twenty-four. We have confined her here for so long. She deserves to go running outside," pagpapatuloy ni Thea.

"Alam ko rin 'yun."

Thea was desperate. She hugged Hakim and cried in his embrace. Naramdaman din naman ni Hakim kung gaano kahalaga si Yuki sa asawa niya.

"Sa ngayon, hahanap ako ulit ng pwedeng maging donor. Kahit hindi madali, gagawan ko ng paraan kung paano," he assured her.

~ ~ ~

"Yuki was rushed in this hospital a lot of times since she was a child... hanggang sa ito na ang naging tirahan niya. Sakitin kasi. Last year, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease. Parehong kidneys niya ang kinailangang palitan agad."

Hakim paused to breathe. He wasn't really ready to say more, pero inilabas niya na rin.

"Due to some health complications, hindi kami qualified donors ng asawa ko. Sa mga magulang naman ni Yuki, tatay niya lang ang qualified. You know what Yuto did? Yuki almost died last year. So he hanged himself that day and gave both his kidneys to Yuki. Namatay naman ang nanay niyang si Kisan... just twenty days after her dad died. It was heart attack."