The Vow

9

"Doc, di ka pa kakain?" Tanong ni Desiree, assistant ko.

Napatingin ako sa oras. Break ko na pala.

"Sige na, you can go and take your break. May food naman ako dito" sabi ko at tumango sya.

"Wala ka pong ipapabili?"

"Pasuyo nalang ng frappe pagbalik mo" sabi ko.

"Sige po, Doc" sabi nya at umalis na.

Nakatulala na naman ako kaya di ko napansin yung oras, buti kumatok si Desiree.

Tatayo na sana ako para magpahinga muna, wala talaga akong food, wala akong gana kumain. Hihiga nalang sana ako sa couch ko kaso may kumatok.

Dumiretso ako sa pinto at nakita si Elijah. Dire-diretso syang pumasok sa clinic ko.

"Excuse me? Did I invite you in?" Tanong ko kasi prente na syang nakaupo sa couch at naghahanda ng food.

"Do I need an invitation when it's MY hospital?" Tanong nya pabalik.

I rolled my eyes at sinara nalang yung clinic ko at ni-lock. Minsan kasi may mga patient for consultation na bigla biglang nagbubukas ng pinto kaya nilalock ko kapag nakabreak ako.

"What do you need?" Tanong ko.

"Eat" sabi nya at hinila ako paupo sa tabi nya at binigyan ako ng food.

"How did you even know na break ko?" Tanong ko at nagtaas ng isang kilay sa kanya.

"Doctora Beka Cooper, you seemed to forgot who am I in this hospital"

"Are you freaking messing with my schedule?"

"Nope, I just know your schedule" sabi nya at ngumiti.

Kaasar!

Binabawi ko na yung sinabi kong mabait sya!

"Eat" sabi nya at sinubuan pa ako.

"I can eat on my own" sabi ko sa kanya.

"Kinain mo rin naman" sabi nya at kumain na.

Wala na akong ibang nagawa kundi kumain nalang rin. I am irritated with this guy pero hindi naman ako nagsasayang ng food.

Habang kumakain, napatingin sya sa desktop ko.

"What's the case?" Tanong nya at nginuso yung X-Ray na nakadisplay sa desktop ko.

"Ependymoma, Higher Grade, needs immediate operation"

"Have you talked with the parents?"

"The last time the patient was here, kasama nya grand-parents nya because his mom was in a business trip. Then, I referred them to some tests including X-Ray and MRI."

"Malignant?"

"Mhm. The kid is blinding because the tumor is big"

"You need my help?" Tanong nya.

Nag-alangan pa ako, ayoko naman may mangyaring masama sa bata.

"Ependymoma is mostly hereditary, he got it from his dad, sabi ng Lola nung bata, his dad is blind already kasi hindi naagapan yung operasyon, and they don't want the kid to go blind too"

"You're not answering my question"

"Take his case, make him your patient"

"Why?"

Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya.

Should I say it?

"There is something. You're a doctor, but, I am your doctor. Tell me"

"T-That kid i-is my h-half brother. I don't want to see her"

"Ok, refer them to me. Send all his test results to me, his records, give me his records, he'll be my patient" sabi nya at niyakap ako.

Ito na naman yung luha ko. Tumutulo na naman yung luha ko.

But, why do I feel so comfortable to cry whenever he's beside me?

I feel like I can be whoever I want whenever he's with me.

I can feel butterflies in my stomach whenever he's beside me and comforting me like he doesn't want to see me breaking.

Why????

"I'll introduce you to them. Just act like you know nothing."

"Ok, are you ok talking with them before you refer them to me?" He asked and I just nodded

"I will try to be ok" sabi ko.

Tinapos na namin yung pagkain namin at inunlock ko narin yung pinto ng clinic ko, kumatok si Desiree at pumasok.

"Ay hala Doc! Hindi ko po alam na andito ka"

"No, it's fine. Iwas din muna ako sa kape"

"It's not coffee, it's just frappe" sabi ko. "Thanks, Des." Dagdag ko

"Ay doc, andyan na next patient yung 16 years old" sabi nya. Nagkatinginan kami ni Elijah.

"5 minutes" sabi ko at tumango sya.

Hinga lang ako ng hinga ng malalim, para akong nasusuffocate.

"Hey, calm down. Inhale, exhale" sabi nya at sinunod ko naman yun.

Kinalma ko yung sarili ko at tumingin sa kanya, he smiled at me kaya napangiti nalang rin ako.

Maya maya pinapasok na sila ni Des. I looked at them coldly so she won't see any emotions from me. So she won't see that I am affected.

"Good Day, Mrs. Lim. Rupert, how do you feel these past few days after your last check up?" Tanong ko

"Ganun parin po, nothing changed" sabi nung Rupert

"Anyways, I have reviewed your tests, and I will go straight to the point. Rupert needs immediate operation, he has Ependymoma, a brain tumor that is hereditary and it's growing each and every day. I have here Doctor Elijah Davis, he will be Rupert's new Neuro-surgeon"

"W-What? Hindi na ikaw?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Lim, but, no, I will refer you to Dr. Davis. He's one of the best neuro-surgeon in town, you'll be safe with him" sabi ko.

"P-Pwede bang ikaw nalang? Sayo na nagstart eh" sabi nya.

Bakit ako? Para iparamdam mo sakin na mas may pake ka sa anak mo sa lalaki mo kesa sa akin noon?

"Dr. Cooper has a lot of patients nowadays, and she's already in full pack, so kukunin ko nalang po kayo, to lessen her patients" sabi ni Elijah.

"I'm ok with anything, mabubuhay ba ko?"

"We'll do everything we can" sabi ni Elijah. "Desiree, can you assist them to my clinic, please"

"Yes po, doc" sabi ni Des at inassist sila.

Tumingin pa sya sakin bago sila inassist palabas. Pagkasara ng pinto, napahinga ako ng malalim na ngayon ko lang nalaman na pinipigilan ko.

"Rest for now. I'll take care of it" sabi nya at lalabas na sana

"Elijah" tawag ko

"Hmm?"

"T-Thanks" sabi ko and he just smiled.

Fuck! These butterflies again!

He head out at ako naman napangiti na hindi ko namamalayan.