The Taste of Solitude (Medical Series #3)

Chapter:30

"Mommy! faster!" halos hilain na ako ni Jihyun papasok ng hospital pagkarating namin doon, weekend kasi ngayon at wala siyang pasok.

Dala dala niya ang lunchbox na gawa ni tita, para daw ito sa tatay niya.

Simula noong nagkakilala silang dalawa, wala ng ibang bukang bibig si Jihyun kundi ang tatay niya, he even sleep over for two days at Luke's place, na di na ako tumututol dahil karapatan din niya naman 'yon. He even introduces Jihyun to his family which made me nervous, but I felt relieve when Jihyun said that they are all nice towards him.

"Daddy!!!" binitawan ni Jihyun ang kamay at tumakbo papalapit sa Ama ng makita ito. Agad naman siyang binuhat ni Luke.

Lihim nalang akong napangiti habang pinapanood sila.

Pero agad din akong umiwas ng tingin nang lumingon si Luke sa akin.

Hanggang ngayon wala pa kaming maayos na pag uusap, it's either ipupunta ko lang sa kanya si Jihyun o tatawagan ko siya dahil gusto siyang makausap ni Jihyun, dahil nalang kay Jihyun kaya kami may connection. But honestly, it's still very awkward.

Tumingin ulit ako sa kanila, nakatingin parin sa akin si Luke, I just nooded at him as an acknowledgement before proceeding to my office, I started working here already for a week now, Lola transfered me here for some reasons she only know. Wala naman na akong magagawa, I wasted too much time doing nothing already, kailangan ko ring kumayod para sa anak ko. I can't just depend on my family forever. My bakeshop, fortunately is doing good, kahit wala ako roon.

I ready myself for a 12 hour surgery, ako kasi ang naka assign na anesthesiologist. Kasisimula ko palang nung isang linggo pero ang dami ko ng ginagawa, idagdag pa iyong research na ginagawa ko.

———

I am checking the oxygen and regulating the anesthesia nung pumasok iyong surgeon. Di ko sana ito titignan nang magsalita ito.

Nag angat ako ng tingin at nakita si Luke, di ko alam na siya ang lead surgeon dahil di ko binasa yung file, I mean, I read it pero dumiretso ako sa case ng pasyente, not bothering to look at the name ng nga kasama ko.

Habang sinusout sa kanya ang surgery gown at nagtama ulit ang mga mata namin, tumango lang ulit ako at mabilis na umiwas at pinagpatuloy ang ginagawa.

Why do we always caught each other's eyes, get a grip Krystal, tama na.

"You can start the surgery now." saad ko matapos masiguradong ayos na ang lahat, naka set narin ang time lapse para sa anesthesia, the oxygen level is good and the BP is stable, but it can change during the surgery so I need to assess it.

———

"Suture"

"Cut"

After 12 hours, the critical surgery is finally done, I am amazed because the surgery went very smoothly, this is my first time to see him operate and all I can say is that, his efforts before is paid off. He's great pediatric surgeon.

After making sure everything is good and after we transfer the patient to the regular room, ay natapos narin ang trabaho ko, I will just check on the patient later again.

I looked at the time and it's already 6PM. Bigla kong naalala si Jihyun, both of us were in the Surgery Room, sinong nagbantay sa kanya?

I got my phone and went out to the locker room, I was about to dial his number dahil may binigay ako sa kanyang old phone for emergency purposes nang makita ko si Luke na nakatayo mismo sa labas ng pinto.

"U-h...s-si Jihyun?" I managed to ask him that.

"He's with my mom." sagot niya.

Nakahinga naman ako ng maluwag. I looked again at him and he was still looking at me.

"Ah...o-kay, b-buti naman. W-will he stay over? papakuha ako ng damit niya kay kuya Joel." tanong ko.

"Yes, don't worry, I brought him clothes already." sagot niya. Tumango tango nalang ako, dahil di ko alam ang susunod na sasabihin. Bakit para kami high school student sa lagay na 'to?

I was just looking elsewhere as long as it's not him. Parang tanga talaga.

"Krystal."

"Huh!?" agad akong napatingin sa kanya dahil bigla niya akong tinawag.

"Do you want to have dinner together?" deretsong tanong niya.

Nanatili naman ako nakatingin sa kanya, still processing what he said.

"H-huh?" di ko alam kung nabobo na ba ako.

"I said dinner, do you want to have dinner with me?" ulit niya.

"Ah...dinner...haha...uh———" sagot ko nalang.
 

"Wait me up in front the hospital, i'll just go get the car." he cut me off.

Wala na akong nagawa at hinintay nalang siya sa harap ng ospital as what he said. Di ko rin alam kung bakit nanginginig iyong mga kamay ko. Di naman niya siguro ako kikidnapin 'no?

Maya maya pa ay huminto sa harapan ko ang isang grey ng BMW. Bumukas ang bintana nito at dumungaw roon si Luke.

"Let's go."

Sumunod naman ako at sumakay sa passenger, I put on my seat belt and were ready to go. Buti nalang naka on yung radio ng sasakyan para di masyadong tahimik sa loob, lalo na at traffic pa.

And just then, Jeremy Zucker's song This is how you fall inlove played in the background.

It's the song he sang to me when we went to Atok Benguet. One of the our precious moments back then.

'Sun in my eyes, navy blue skies'

'You are the reason, I can survive'

'We turn off our phones, to just be alone'

'We'll draw the curtains, and never leave home'

'I had a nightmare, but now that I'm not scared'

'This is how you fall inlove, let go and I hold you up.....'

I looked at him and he was looking at me. And then suddenly, he smiled, the way he used to smile at me back then, when everything's going straight.

I didn't break the eye contact this time, we're locked in each other's eyes, in the middle of the traffic, with that song playing in our background.

'So pull me tight and close your eyes,'

'Oh my love, side to side'.

"Krystal."

My eyes started to get teary...

"We loss too much time already, this should be done years ago...and I can't wait this to be done right now...I don't care about the shits we've been through, I just wanna start a new one, a new memory, with you. Krystal, on this day, this hour, this minute, this second, in this place, inside this car, stuck in the middle of the traffic jam, with this song playing in  our background, will you spend the rest of your life with me? Will you marry me?"

Tears fell down, little by little, until the they came flowing like a river...I don't know if this is a dream or my imagination, because if yes, I beg not to wake up anymore.

Words can no longer define this moment.

So...I kissed him, I kissed him like we never seen each other for a billion of years, I kissed
him like there's no car beeping at the back, everything just stop moving but us.

"I am, willing not just to spend my whole life with you, I am willing to spend it with you too after death."

—🌻