Fortress Island Series 1 Alejandro: Love Just Ain't Enough (BOOK TWO)

THIRTY

Wakas

I flickered my eyes open. It had been like I was dragged from a nightmare and I couldn't really recall what the nightmare was all about. All I knew was it made my chest tightened in excruciating pain.

My version was blurry as I tried to focus my gaze on my strange surrounding. There were lots of tubes hovering around me and I was even aware of the beeping sound coming from a machine beside my bed.

I found it hard to swallow and even though I wanted to speak, not a single voice came out.

My eyes darted around the room once again until I finally realized I was in a hospital.

"Bea? Do you hear me?"

My gaze landed on the woman's grief-stricken face. Huh? What was she doing here?

"Hija, naririnig mo ba kami? Alam mo ba kung nasaan ka ngayon?" Tumabi ang lalake sa tabi ng babae. Parehong bakas sa kanilang mukha ang pag-alala.

"Ma, Pa. I think she doesn't recognize you." Lumapit sa kanila ang isang mas batang lalake.  Pinalibutan nilang tatlo ang aking higaan.

Niloloko ba ako ng aking paningin? Anong ginagawa ng mga Senyor dito? And Romano was with them, too! It had been years since the last time I saw them, but nothing had changed. They looked the same five years ago.

"Ro-Romano." I spoke even though my throat burned like hell.

He smiled at me. "Ah, she recognizes me. Hello, sleeping beauty. Welcome back." Ginagap nito ang aking palad at banayad na pinisil.

"Ipapaalam ko sa mga doktor na gising ka na." Ani ni Senyor at nagmamadaling lumabas ng silid.

"I'm so glad you're finally awake, hija. You'd been unconscious for five days." Nabasag ang boses ng Senyora at may sumungaw na luha sa kanyang mga mata. "Akala ko ay hindi na ako makakahingi pa ng kapatawaran sa'yo. Salamat at lumaban ka. Salamat at bumalik ka."

I blinked my eyes. I hoped my ears were not failing me. And I hoped this was real. Kung totoong natutuwa ito dahil ligtas na ako sa kapahamakan, at kung humihingi ito ng kapatawaran, ibibigay ko iyon sa kanya. Ang pamilya ni Alejandro, kahit pa hindi kami nagkasundo noon, mamahalin ko pa rin sila dahil parte sila ng lalakeng iniibig ko.

At kahit pa siguro hindi nila ako kayang tanggapin ng buo, magpapasalamat pa rin ako dahil iniluwal nito si Alejandro. Kung wala sila ay hindi ko rin makikilala ang kanilang anak.

Anak. Kinapa ko ang aking puson.

My baby!

Panic consumed me. I wanted to ask about my baby, but I suddenly find it hard to breathe! I felt numbness all over me once again. Gusto kong tanggalin ang mga tubong nakakabit sa aking katawan. Gusto kong malaman kung...kung....

Doctors and nurses entered the room. Agad na nilapatan ako ng isang nurse. "Miss Samaniego, please come down. You were intubated for four days at kahapon lang namin tinanggal nang naging stable na ang condition mo. It's normal to feel pain in your throat but it will subside later on. Here, take few sips of water." The nurse handed me some and I almost choked from swallowing. Nang medyo tingin ko'y kaya ko na ulit magsalita, I asked them about my baby.

"My baby...."

The doctors and nurses looked at each other. Humikbi si Senyora sa sulok. Madilim naman ang mukha ng Senyor na tumalikod sa amin. Romano remained calm and nodded to the doctors.

"It's okay." He whispered.

One of them cleared his throat. "You were shot twice, Miss Samaniego. One bullet punctured a lung but fortunately, it missed your heart. It was a fatal wound, so to speak. And you barely survived that wound. The other bullet hit your pelvic region. The force of it fractured your ilium bone. We are lucky enough na hindi malalim ang tama doon although, I'm sorry to say this, there was no way a fetus could withstand that type of trauma, Miss Samaniego. You lost lots of blood. Pero wag kang mag-alala, dahil bata ka pa at malakas ang iyong pangangatawan, your ilium will heal well. In fact, you're recovering fast, Miss Samaniego." He managed to give me a smile.