Never Be Tamed

Chapter 22: Rare

Chapter 22: Rare

Anabeth and I rushed to the hospital kung saan dinala si Alexander. Nadatnan namin si Zanra sa corridor na balisa habang naghihintay sa labas ng kwarto. The scene was like de ja vu. But this time, it was Alexander who's inside the room.

"Zanra..."

Agad namin siyang nilapitan at niyakap. Wala sa focus ang namumugtong mga mata niya at matamlay ang kanyang mukha. She's been crying.

"Nabalitaan namin ang nangyari kaya pumunta agad kami dito," saad ni Anabeth.

"I... he was at the tree house... I didn't know... there was blood and..." Her words were racing each other, voice quivering habang pilit niyang binabahagi ang nangyari sa'min.

"Calm down. Magiging okay din ang lahat. The senior staff are on their way to help."

Nanatiling balisa si Zanra nang dumating si Ms. Laura sa hospital. Pagdating sa corridor, agad niyang niyakap ang kanyang anak. "Zanra, are you alright?"

Doon tila hindi napigilan ni Zanra ang emosyon na pilit niyang tinatago. Unti-unti siyang lumuha habang yakap ng kanyang ina. "Mom... my heart hurts..."

Gently, Ms. Laura brushed Zanra's back with her palm. "It's gonna be okay, sweetie..."

Pinagmasdan ko ang mag-ina, si Zanra na tahimik na lumuluha. She's breaking to see Alexander in pain as though she was also hurting. And then there's Ms. Laura, seeing her daughter break down. It's like they were sharing each other's pain, a cycle.

Dumating ang ilan sa senior staff, including Senior Violeta. Isa ako sa naatasan niyang tumulong sa paggamot ng mga natamong sugat ni Alexander. The rest waited anxiously at the corridor.

Isang oras din ang lumipas bago kami lumabas ng kwarto. Most of Alexander's wounds were from serious burns that almost exposed his  flesh. May malalim din siyang sugat sa bandang balikat na tinamaan ng matigas na bagay. Mabuti nalang at agad siyang nadala sa hospital. I didn't want to imagine his pain.

Lumabas ako sa kwarto at nadatnan sa corridor si Zanra nang mag-isa. Napatayo siya mula sa gang chair para salubungin ako. "Okay na ba siya?"

"Wala parin siyang malay," sagot ko. "Pero nagamot na ang mga sugat niya. A lot of his wounds were too deep to heal instantly or on their own."

Napaatras siya at muling bumagsak sa upuan. Tulala parin siya nang tumabi ako sa kanya, tahimik siyang pinagmamasdan. Isang bagay ang hindi ko maitindihan.

"You're hurting," I faced her, eyes questioning. "You're hurting for someone else... why?"

Bumaling siya sa'kin, bahagyang nagtaka sa tanong ko.

Whenever I heal people, I try to take away their suffering. But there are people who are willing to share someone else suffering without guaranteed healing. Even though we people are complicated enough as they are and life is hard enough on its own.

"Because you love them, Eleanor..." tahimik na sagot ni Zanra.

Love...

"When you love someone, you're willing to contribute to their happiness and share their pain."

Pinagmasdan ko si Zanra, ang pilit na ngiti sa labi niya, ang mga mata niyang puno ng pagaalala.

If what I was seeing is love, then it's scary. It requires too much. Sacrifices, taking risk, taking a step back. It requires patience and kindness and understanding, and pain. Lots of it, because we allow ourselves to be part of someone.

"Have you felt it with someone, Eleanor?" biglang tanong ni Zanra  sa'kin.

Umiling ako. It's such a rare, scary thing... to give someone power over you.