His Forbidden Obsession

Chapter 1: Kulam

Martina Vlanca

"Hindi ko pa rin alam kung bakit beastmode siya sa akin noong makalawa . . . like kinausap naman niya ang ibang med student na nag-approach sa kanya, except me?" Hindi ko na mabilang kung pang ilang rant kona ito kay Dakota. "Hindi ko talaga alam kung guni-guni ko iyon o talagang tiningnan niya ako na parang multo ako na kinakatukan niya at kinakagalitan niya at the same time." Dagdag ko pa habang nakatingin sa lockers na nasa harapan ko.

"Is that even possible?" She asked as I felt her braid my hair. "Siguro? But it was a weird look, like he hated me or something . . ."

She scoffed.

"Gorl, baka naman isa 'yon sa mga nilandi mo tapos umasa . . . ngayon galit na siya sa 'yo. Lagot ka," pang-aasar pa niya na ikinairap ko pero somehow, I actually thought about it.

Inisa-isa ko ang mga nakalandian ko noon. No, I don't flirt with older men and if I did really flirted with him, hindi ko siya agad-agad makakalimutan—

"Ow, naman,, gorl!" Daing ko nang higpitan niya ang pagkakatali ng braid. Kasalukuyan kaming narito sa locker room ng ospital. Kakatapos ko lang na i-french braid ang buhok niya kaya naman turn na niya na i-braid ang buhok ko, kaya ngayon ay nakaupo ako dito sa bench na nasa gitna ng mga locker room. Samantalang nakatayo siya sa likuran ko.

"Ano? Napaisip ka, noh? Yan kasi, ang daming fling e," tudyo pa niya na ikintawa ko. "Gaga, hindi noh . . . kung talagang nilandi ko siya noon I wouldn't have forgotten about him

that easy."

"Sa bagay."

A beat of silence passed before I sighed dramatically. "Pero kasi,, gorl, hindi talaga ako matatahimik—"

She let out a light chuckle . . . like she's enjoying the fact that I am stressing over that doctor.

"Gorl, I can't remember the last time na nabother ka ng ganyan sa isang tao." Natatawang sagot niya.

"Huwag kang masyadong mag-celebrate," I said, which made her scoff. "This won't last long, 'no?"

"Weh?"

"Oo nga kasi."

"Okay, sabi mo e," tudyo pa niya na ikinairap ko.

"Dakota kasi."

Nang-aasar naman siyang tumawa bago niya tahimik na pinagpatuloy ang pag-braid sa buhok ko. Maaga pa ngunit narito na kami sa locker room ng Greyfield Sinclaire Memorial Hospital, ang isa sa dalawang ospital na ka-affiliate ng Acosta-Sison College of Medicine. Dito kami na-assign last year for pre-clerkship as third-year medical students. Now, dito ulit kami ngayong taon for clerkship.

And clerkship just basically means that we would apply what we learned from the classroom. So, instead of just dissecting cadavers and practicing on a robot or a dummy. Ngayon ay kukunin na talaga namin ang vitals ng totoong mga pasyente, admit them, do paperwork, do rounds with and shadow our new teachers, who are basically the attending doctors here.

I should be focused on that because that's what I've been looking forward to ever since the day I entered medical school. This is one of the hardest years, but this is part of the dream. To be able to work with these great doctors, apply what I learned for the past three years, and take in more experience and knowledge, so I could efficiently save lives in the future.

That's what I am supposed to be thinking about . . . even talking about, but instead I am bothered by a smoking hot and a very mean doctor.

Hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili ko na magisip or magsalita tungkol doon, kahit na dalawang araw na ang lumipas dahil hindi ko talaga alam kung bakit ganoon siya sa akin.