Palawan Strangers (CharDawn)

Eight

Updated characters:

Lea Sandoval (formerly, Alcantara) - Lea Salonga

Stacey Zamoras - Yassi Pressman

Steven Paolo Zamoras - Enrique Gil

Sienna Alcantara - Heather Sloane Samonte-Chua (IG name)

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"Doc?" the door opened. A Nurse stepped in with a huge smile on her face. "May naghahanap po sa inyo. Saan niyo po i-e-entertain dito po sa DQ or sa consultation room na lang po?"

He blinks in surprise.

A visitor?

He ran his fingers through his hair. He then takes a quick look at himself in the mirror. It's the first time that his heart quickened to know he has a visitor, usually, he ignores it and chooses to have sleep instead. This time, he is expectant.

Please be you.

Please be you.

He paused.

Then his expectant huge smile turns to a friendly smile.

"Doctor!" an elderly woman calls him.

"Ma'am!" Richard put up his best friendly face.

To his great surprise, the woman handed him an icebox. It was full of freshly caught crabs.

"Doc, bagong huli po namin ito, fresh na fresh po ito. Session schedule po namin ngayon."

His heart melts.

This elderly woman was the mother of Richard's patient. His patient, a 24-year-old male, was discharged and recovered from a cardiovascular accident only two months ago. Right now, the young man is currently having his physical therapy sessions to fully recover from his medical condition. The young man fought hard for his life, his case was one of the medical miracle stories. He stayed in the hospital for three months, intubated and GCS 3 upon hospital admission. It was Richard, his attending Physician, who stayed, monitored, and never gave up on the patient. Even with community health activities, Richard was closely monitoring his patient. Mainly because he saw in the mother's eyes how she truly loved her son, how the mother had never given up on her son even if her son was close to being considered as dead. How can he give up on his patient when his mother was waiting for him to wake up and recover?

"Kayo po may bitbit nito?"

"Tinulungan po ako ng asawa ko po" the woman tells him.

"Ah, akala ko po kayo. Kasi di ba po sabi ko sa inyo huwag na po kayong magbuhat ng mga mabibigat?" Richard tells her with affection.

"Malakas pa po ang tuhod ko, Doc, kung 'di niyo po naitanong"

Richard smiles, "Salamat Ma'am ha. Pero babayaran ko po ito. Paninda niyo po ito"

"Anong babayaran po, Doc? Eh ibinigay ko nga po 'yan sa inyo dito. Iba yung paninda namin. At talagang nakabukod yung para sa inyo. Kung tutuusin, kulang pa nga 'yan sa malaking utang na loob namin sa iyo"

"Naku ma'am! 'di ba po sinabi ko na sa inyo hindi po 'yun utang na loob, trabaho po namin 'yung ginawa naming sa anak niyo" Richard tells the woman.