576 Hours With You (MedTech on Duty, #2)

Chapter 6: Backliners

Most of the people are not aware of the presence of Medical Technologists in the laboratory. Most of them don't know how important their work is and they tend to underappreciate them. Ano ba talaga ang nangyayari sa loob ng laboratory kung saan hindi madalas nasasaksihan ng mga tao ang nangyayari?

Quatro is back in the laboratory for another duty day and they are not expecting what is coming ahead of them. Maaga na naman si Thea sa laboratory. Nandun na siya thirty minutes before her duty starts. Nagkakape pa halos karamihan sa mga katrabaho niya.

"Good morning," their chief medtech greeted her.

"Good morning po," bati ni Thea pabalik. One of the things she learned in her internship is to be polite even to the laboratory staff. Kahit na hindi sila ang nagtuturo sa kanila, kailangan pa rin niyang makisama sa mga ito.

Mababait naman yung mga medtech sa laboratory. May iba lang na nagta-transform kapag nagiging toxic ang duty. But Thea is not complaining at all. She already expected that some people would be irritable when the day became toxic. She just hopes she won't end up like those people when she experiences a toxic duty.

Of course, Thea was not the only one who was early. Nico entered the laboratory wearing all of his personal protective equipment. Inside the laboratory, they are required to wear masks all the time. Kung tutuusin, balot na balot sila. Buti na lang may aircon sa laboratory kung hindi pawis na pawis na siguro sila.

Nico greeted the people inside the laboratory when he entered, "Good morning po."

Tinabihan niya si Thea pero he still kept his distance. "Good morning, Thea."

"Good morning," she returned the greeting.

"Ayos ka na?" tanong ni Nico.

Thea nodded in response. "Thanks for taking care of me."

"Maliit na bagay," Nico dismissed.

Minutes later, Bela and Migo arrive. Nabalitaan lang nila kay Thea na nagkasakit siya kaya hindi siya nakakapag-reply dati. But Thea and Nico refused to tell the both of them that Nico went to her unit to take care of her. Their friends are still oblivious about their history and what happened a few days ago. Besides, they don't really have to know.

Pagpatak ng alas siete ay nagsimula ulit sila sa mga pinapagawa sa kanila sa laboratory. There was nothing eventful that happened while they were on duty. It was just a normal duty day. Benign pa nga eh.

Not until lunch time where Bela took out her food, which is pancit.

Napatigil ang iba sa Quatro nang makita nila ang pagkain ni Bela. Hindi ba siya informed dun sa myth tungkol sa pancit? Bela looked at her friends and asked them, "What's wrong? Gusto niyo ba?"

Mabilis na tumanggi ang tatlo.

"Hindi ka ba aware dun sa myth?" Nico asked her.

Bela's forehead creased. Confirmed. She has no idea about it.

"There's this myth around the laboratory that when you bring or eat pancit, magiging toxic daw ang duty," pagkukwento ni Nico.

"Ano?" Bela really had no idea about it. "May pamahiin pala sa laboratory?"

Tumango naman silang tatlo. "Let's just hope that the myth isn't true," sabi naman ni Thea na sinang-ayunan ng iba.

"Don't let Ma'am Sof see that. Lagot ka," Migo warned her. Panigurado sisitahin siya nito.

Bela grunted. Gusto lang naman niyang kumain nang mapayapa!

Pagkatapos ng lunchtime nila, rinig nilang may pumasok sa laboratory na medtech. Nagrereklamo kay Ma'am Sof. "Kairita talaga, Ma'am Sof! Sarap gamitan ng 10 cc eh!"

Ma'am Sof laughed at the medtech's rant. "Hayaan mo na. Nakuhanan mo naman na ng dugo."

Maya-maya naman ay may isa na namang medtech staff silang narinig magreklamo. "Napakaantipatiko talaga ng Doc West na yan! Nagpupumilit na STAT daw ang bacterial culture? Ingudngod ko yung mukha niya sa bacteria eh!"

Hindi na napigilan ng Quatro na matawa sa rants na naririnig nila sa mga medtech. Narinig nang bahagya yun ni Ma'am Sofia kaya pinagtuunan niya ng pansin ang mga interns. "Oh, kids, ito ang reality sa laboratory. Kailangang makisama."

The interns nodded to what Ma'am Sofia said to them. Then, she turned to the medtech who was ranting a while ago. "Ikaw naman, gamitin mo yung MALDI-TOF. Kaya nga meron na tayo n'yan eh."

She grunted. "Kahit na! He could've asked nicely," she even complained.

"Sus, crush mo lang si Doc West eh!" pahabol pa nung isang medtech.

"Hoy! Nakakahiya sa mga interns!" sita nito na ikinatawa ng mga interns. "Hindi ko type yung mga antipatiko, ano!"

After their lunch break, they returned to the tasks that were given to them. Kung kanina, benign pa yung trabaho nila, ngayon biglang dumadami na ang mga tests na kailangan nilang i-process.

Napansin ni Migo na nagsisimula nang magtaas ng boses si Ma'am Sofia. Kalmado naman siya madalas pero ngayon lang niya narinig na magtaas ito ng boses. "Ano ba yan? Bakit maling resulta ang na-release?"

"Sorry po."

"Ako ang malalagot nito eh!" sermon pa ni Ma'am Sofia.

The rest of the interns made sure that they were doing the right thing. Ayaw nilang magkamali kasi paniguradong demerit ito para sa kanila. Isa pa, mapapagalitan lang sila ng section head nila.

But aside from the demerit and the possibility of receiving a sermon from the section head, Quatro understood that they should be doing their job right because this is not just any test that they are performing. The life of a person depends on the test they are performing. Kapag nagkamali sila, buhay ng ibang tao ang maaapektuhan.

This is why even if medical technologists are not often seen in the hospital doing their jobs, people need to appreciate them for what they do.

Isa yun sa mga rason kung bakit gustong maging medical technologist ni Thea. She doesn't want to be seen often while doing her job. Mas okay para sa kanya yung nakakatulong siya sa ibang tao nang hindi alam ng mga taong natutulungan niya.

Nagulantang lahat ng nasa laboratory nang biglang kumulog. Malakas pala yung ulan sa labas. Biglang napa-check si Nico sa balita kung suspended na o hindi pa. Madalas kasi maagang mag-suspend ng mga klase kapag may bagyo. May announcement na mula sa government. Ang kaso mukhang wala pang announcement mula sa clinical instructor nila.

Natapos ang duty nila nang walang natatanggap na announcement mula sa instructors nila. Good thing Ma'am Sofia had the initiative to cut their duty short.

When they left the hospital, they saw that the streets were already flooded. "Paano tayo uuwi nito?"

Thea glanced at her friends and at the flood. She might regret asking this but whatever! "Do you guys want to stay at my place for a while? Pahupa muna kayo ng ulan at baha." Tinanong niya yun sa kanilang tatlo pero nakatitig siya kay Nico. Tila ba nagsusukatan sila ng tingin.