Gamble (COMPLETED)

Chapter 18

Lea

"May valve replacement ako mamaya sa cronic aortic stenosis. Wanna scrub in?" I heard Doc Aga asked the new cardio who just came yesterday.

She's an attending too and she has the same specialty with Doc Aga.

She's cute. She has a shoulder length hair. Her eyes are round, her nose is small, her lips are red. She has a nice body. But, I am still more beautiful than her.

"Sure!" replied the new cardio surgeon.

The new cardio surgeon left Doc Aga sa nurse station while Doc Aga is writing her orders.

I went to the nurse station too and handed the chart of my patient.

"Hi, Doc Lea. Ikaw pala 'yan," Doc Aga greeted as he hands th chart back to the nurse.

We both walk to the hallway.

"Is she the new cardio?" I asked even though I know.

"Which one?" he asked back. Hindi niya siguro alam na I saw them talking and I heard what they talked about.

"The one who you asked to scrub in with you," I replied.

"Oh, yes!" he answered.

"Why ask another attending to scrub in with you when you can do the procedure with your eyes closed?" I asked but I tried to keep it low para hindi niya marinig. Pero I was wrong. He heard it.

"Bakit? Nagseselos ka?" he teased.

"Hell, no! Bakit naman ako magseselos?" I rolled my eyeballs.

"Hindi nga ba?" He teased me more which pissed me.

"Damn, Doc Aga. Bakit ko naman pagseselosan 'yun? E ma—"

"Oo, mas maganda ka do'n, don't worry." He smiled at me and winked at me before leaving.

Actually, what I was going to say sana is mas magaling ako as a surgeon pero iba ang dinugtong niya sa words ko.

Well, I'll take that anyway. Mas maganda naman talaga ako e. Siya na mismo nagsabi.

>>>

"Chief, good day," I greeted when I met him sa hallway as we both head to his office.

I am going to give papers that he should take a look at.

"Good day too, Doc Lea. Mukhang ang saya ng araw mo ah. Sinagot mo na ba si Doc Aga?"

I was shock sa last na sentence niya. I didn't expect that, huh.

"Chief Suarez!" Nag pout ako as we enter his office.

"Tinatanong ko lang naman. I thought that was the reason why you are gloomy and happy," he reasoned.

"How are you both na nga ba?" he asked.

I sat down on the sofa as I think about the Chief's question.

"We're good naman," I replied.

"What stage na kayo? Sa ligawan pa rin?"

"Yeah," was my short reply with a nod.

"Do you have a plan on giving him a chance?"

I couldn't answer his question right away. His question was something I didn't think about. Does Doc Aga have a chance? If he has, will I let him take that chance?

"I guess," I replied but still not sure.

"It's okay to not to be sure. We don't always have the answer. But observing how you two treat each other, talk to each other, look at each other, I think you will give him a chance. You two look great together nga e," he paused.

"I've been hearing words from different department. How you bully each other, how you laugh at each other, and also how you care about each other." He sat down beside me on the sofa.

"When you got attacked by a patient, he was there until you recovered. When you got attacked by a robber in your house, we was there with you as you go through all the pain and as you recover. He was always there." He smiled at me and I smiled too remembering those times that he stayed by my side when I was in those incidents.

"I remember when you were just an intern before. You got attacked by a patient too and no one was here since your mother and your brother is in another continent and it took them a day to go here."

Well, yes. It was only the Chief who I had for the first 24 hours since my family was away from me.

"The day when you lost a friend who is very dear to you, no one was there to hug you and tell you that they're here for you. You didn't want your mother and brother to come so they didn't come. You went through it all alone. I know it was hard since you treated her as your sister and as your friend."

That day when I saw her in the ER losing her life. When the doctors started to CPR her. When the doctors tried to shock her. When the doctors announced her death. I was all alone. My mother and brother wasn't with me. They didn't come because I told them that I am okay. They Chief couldn't mourn with me since he was also busy with the hospital and I don't blame them for that.

"Those deaths of friends you witnessed right in front of you, those pain you go through when patients hit you and attack you, those shouts of help you release when a robber went to rob your house. Before, you go through those alone, but now, Dr. Muhlach is here to be with you. He is always here and I think you both need each other for comfort, for laughter, and for love."

Chief Suarez's speech was long but it reminded me of those days. It was painful and I got throught it alone, and also with the help of those people I love, and that counts Dr. Muhlach.

"I better go. I need to do a lot of things," I bid goodbye.

As when I was about to exit the door, Chief Suarez spoke, "I am not forcing you to give him a chance. It is still your choice. And if pain comes to bring you down again, I know you'll get through it again and again. All by yourself, because you are Lea Salonga."

I left the Chief's office and went to room 301 where a patient is coding.

The machine is beeping. Nurses are checking the monitors, the lines, everything.

"Dr. Salonga, she's coding," said the intern who's looking so afraid so I went to take over.

As much as possible, doctors should keep calm to be able to think straight and to help the patient.

Also, what if the family is not calm and dadagdag ka pa, edi wala na. It would endanger the patient's life.

So as much as possible, be calm and save the patient's life.

"Give me the crash cart!"

👩‍⚕End of Chapter👨‍⚕