Meet Me in Heaven's Stairway

Chapter 8

The cold breeze of the wind embraced my warm body. My vision became blurry because of the shed tears in my eyes. However, the city lights flickered and ables me to see the beauty of this place.

I am standing at the edge of nowhere. Where all I can think of is to end my misery and all these pain I had in my heart. The burden I had was too heavy for me to carry.

I don't have anything nor anyone to help me with my troubled mind. It's too late for me to realize that I only had myself to fight with every battles the world thrown out to me. I tried to make friends, I tried to trust people, I sent myself out of my cage... only to be betrayed and left alone.

All I am asking was I want to heal from everything that causes me trauma. But whenever I try to let myself getting healed, something will drag me down and remember all those things that's been hurting me.

I stopped walking when I heard a loud beep. It shocked me when someone grabbed my body and pushed me away. I fell down the streets and I heard a lot of screams, terrified voices, and the beeps of the cars. I lifted my gaze and averted it towards the person who pushed me.

My body became colder than earlier. I'm having hard time in breathing. I didn't mind when I felt like I was shaking. When I stood up, I felt like I was drunk and I couldn't maintain myself from stumbling. I couldn't get my sight away from that person.

The person who saved me from being hit by a car.

He...he has blood all over his face. His hair became messy. His eyes were open it's like he's waiting for something. He coughed and blood came out from his mouth. He was troubling with his breathing.

I walked towards him, even though I felt like fainting right at this moment. I leveled myself to him and look at his bloody face. And when I recognized who he was...my world fell apart.

Ramwen

"H-hey..."He coughed. My hands were shaking and my tears were rolling down from my eyes.

"Why...why..." I couldn't finish what ai was going to say because I was already sobbing.

"Okay...ka...lang...ba," Nahihirapan niyang sabi.

Mas lalo akong humagulhol dahil sa sinabi niya. He saved me again. Like before, when I was grieving over my mom's death.

"Damn! You shouldn't have done that!" I said angrily while crying.

I averted my gaze. "Can you please help us,"

A lot of people went to our direction. Someone was calling for an ambulance and cops. And someone's helping Ramwen with his injuries. His head was being  hit terribly.

I stayed by his side while holding his cold palms. His lightly caressing my fingers with his thumb. I was kinda shaking so he laughed at that. His eyes were closed and I'm scared.

"Don't close your eyes, Ramwen",

He, then, slowly opened his eyes and it landed on mine. He had a small smile on his face. We're waiting for the ambulance which irritated me because it's almost 15 minutes but they aren't here.

I was about to stand up when he held my arms. Napatingin tuloy ako sa kaniya na naguguluhan.

"Stay... please," He said softly.

My eyebrows furrowed but still chose to stay beside him. Nakasandal siya ngayon sa sasakyan nang lalaking nakabangga sa kaniya. Tinulungan kami kanina ng ilang mga tao nadumadaan sa pagbuhat sa kaniya kanina.

Unti-unti na ring nagiging normal ang paghinga niya kaso lang medjo namumulta na siya, dahil siguro sa dugo na nawala sa katawan niya. Napaubo siya kaya napalingon ako sa kaniya. Gulat na gulat ako nang makitang mas maraming dugo ang lumalabas sa bibig niya ngayon kaysa kanina.

Napatayo ako at lumapit sa babae na tumawag ng ambulansiya.

"Ate, matagal pa po ba sila?" Nag-aalala kong tanong.

Nilingon niya ako. "Traffic daw, hija. Pero malapit naman na sila dito,"

Bumuntong hininga ako at naglakad palapit kay Ramwen. Nakapikit pa rin ang mga mata niya. I touched his neck to get his pulse and it's not normal again. Mas lalo akong kinabahan ng manginig ang katawan niya.

"Hey," Tawag ko sa kaniya. Tinapik ko ng mahina ang mukha niya para idilat niya ang mga mata niya.

"Ano ang nangyayari?" May lumapit sa aming babae. Hinawakan niya ang braso ni Ramwen at pinakalma ito.

Takot na takot ako nang makita siyang ganito. At galit din ako sa sarili ko. Ako dapat kasi ang nandito, e. Ako dapat ang nasagasaan pero iniligtas niya ako. Lagi na lang.

Nakahinga ako ng maluwag ng marinig ko ang sirena ng ambulansiya. May tatlong lalaking hila-hila ang stretcher at first aid kit. Lumayo ako sa kanila dahil tinawag ako ng Doctor na kasama nila. I told them kasi na bring a Doctor with the rescuers.

"How are you related to the patient, Miss?" He explicitly asked.

I was silent for a second.

"F-friends,"

Sinulat niya iyon at tinanong niya pa ako tungkol sa pasiyente ngunit may iba pa'ng hindi ko alam kaya hindi ko nasagot. Balak ko sanang tawagan ang family niya pero ni-isa ay wala akong kilala.

Nang ipasok siya sa ambulance car ay ako na ang sumama sa kaniya papuntang hospital dahil wala akong ma-contact na relative niya. Habang lulan kami ng sasakyan ay kinabitan ng isang rescuer si Ramwen ng oxygen dahil nga'y nanghihina na ito.

Hindi ko namalayang nakatulog pala ako buong biyahe namin. Nagising na lang ako nang tapikin ng isang rescuer ang mukha ko.

"Miss, nandito na tayo", Dahan dahan kung iminulat ang mga mata ko. Antok na antok pa ako pero nang maalala ko kung bakit ako nandito ay biglang nagising ang aking diwa.

Napalingon ako sa gawi ni Ramwen ngunit wala na siya roon.

"He's in the hospital na po,"

Lumabas kaagad ko roon at nagmamadaling tinahak ang front door papasok sa hospital. Sobrang laki ng ospital kaya natagalan akong makita ang front desk. Pagkarating ko roon ay nagtanong kaagad ako sa isang nurse na naka-assign doon.

"Ramwen Tamor, 6th floor, room #11"

I ran towards the elevator. Luckily, it's not full. Masyadong busy ang hospital dahil maraming patients ngayong gabi. Nangtumunog ang elevator, hudyat na narito na ako sa floor kung saan si Ramwen, ay bumukas ang pinto at dali-dali akong lumabas. Tumakbo na rin ako para hanapin ang room niya.

Nang makita ko iyon ay nakakapagtakang maraming nurses doon. Lahat sila ay nagmamadali at parang ang ilan ay natataranta. Ang ilan naman ay mga hinihila na sa palagay ko ay mga gamit nila. Lumapit kaagad ako roon at nagtanong sa isang nurse.

"What's happening?" I asked confusedly.

She looked at me.

"Malapit na po'ng maubusan ng dugo ang pasiyente, Ma'am", Pagkasabi na no'n ay umalis na kaagad siya.

Nanghihinang napasandal ako. Natatakot na naman ako sa possibleng mangyari kay Ramwen. Hindi ko talaga alam kung paano'ng nandoon na siya at iniligtas ako. Sinusundan niya ba ako?

Napapikit ako at huminga ng malalim. Narinig kong bumukas ang pinto ng hospital room ni Ramwen. Lumabas doon ang isang Doctor na may tatlong nurse at tinutulak na nila ang hinihigaan ni Ramwen.

Napaayos ako ng tayo dahil doon. Lumapit kaagad ako sa kanila.

"Saan niyo siya dadalhin?" Nagtatakang tanong ko.

"Sa operating room, Miss. Are you his family member?"

Operating room?

"Bakit sa operating room? And no, I'm his...his friend,"

Matagal akong tiningnan ng Doctor bago nagsalita.

"He have Leukemia. Stage 4. And his losing too much blood right now because of the accident,"

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:)