"Doc!", Ferdinand called Riza when he saw her about to enter the hospital while he was getting his coffee at a nearby cafe.
Riza looked at him confused, as she watched him run, his white coat hanging by his right arm while holding his freshly brewed coffee, and his left held his handbag and a paper bag.
"Can I ask you questions?", he said, panting,
"Oo naman, sure", despite the randomness she replied ,smiling awkwardly,
"Okay cool", he fixed himself, preparing to ask and was trying to tilt his head to free himself from the weird feeling that were brought by the sweats at the back of his neck, "It's about Leonor and Michael actually",he shyly opened ,
"Shit", said Riza at the back of her head, "What about them?", her voice faltered,
She knew Ferdinand was about to fire questions that she cannot possibly answer because she's not in the position to do so.
"What's their score?"
"Ha?"
"What I mean is, may history ba nila?"
Riza's prediction was true, she just stood there, building alibis to end their conversation but she couldn't.
"Well, they dated", she shrugged her shoulders, seeming to hide her anxiety,
"How long?",
"About seven years maybe",
"Ah, thats long", he nodded trying to look composed,
She sensed that he was about to ask something again, thankfully the 7a.m sun was getting hot and it was an opportunity for her to dodge,
"Uhm sorry doc", she looked at her watch, "Male-late na ata ako", Riza said before turning her back to him and tried to hastened her steps,
"One more thing doc!", Ferdinand called again gaining Riza's attention, "Eto kape", he handed her the freshly brewed coffee that he was holding and just smiled, Riza was blanked and hesitantly accepted the cup, she didn't know why he was acting like this,"Paki bigay narin to kay Doc Romero", added Ferdinand while lifting the paper bag and handing it to Riza.
-
Leonor was leaning on the front desk while scrolling through her phone, when suddenly someone placed a paper bag beside her, she looked who the person was, and it was Riza, her face was clearly trying to annoy her, Leonor looked at the paper bag and asked,
"Ano yan?",
"Ewan, pinapabigay lang ni Dr. Ferdie mo", Riza replied, still wearing that teasing aura that she got,
"Taray ha may pa ganyan ganyan pa", she added and leaned beside her friend,
Leonor didn't utter any response, instead she just continued absently scrolling through her feed which Riza noticed immediately,
"May problema ba friend?", out of worry she asked, "Huy ano ba para naman 'tong ewan",
Leonor stopped scrolling and looked around, to see if anyone was close enough to hear them,
"May sasabihin ako", she said in a hush manner after noticing few people nearby,
"Ano?, pinapakaba mo ako mhie",Riza got close to hear clearly,
Romero then proceeded to tell and elaborate the details about what happened last night after the welcome dinner, from Michael forcing his way to her, to Ferdinand stepping up for her safety.
"Ano?!", Riza exclaimed in anger, she felt great disgust, "Tarantado yang si Miko ah",
The people around looked at the both of them, clueless of what was happening,
"Huy gagang to", Leonor maintained her voice low while clenching to Riza's white coat,
"Hindi, nasan ba yang lalakeng yan?!",
"Riz wag na", she held Riza's arm as she was about to storm into Michael's office.
Seeing Michael that moment was the least of Leonor's wants and expectations, but to her awe, she saw Michael entered the lobby, looking disheveled, his polo was half way buttoned, a band aid on his cheek bone and a swollen lip, the nurses awkwardly greeted him as he approached them, witnessing him at that state wasn't normal.
"Speak of the devil", Riza uttered upon seeing her friend as he stood in front of them.
"Ba't ka nandito? Wala kang duty ngayon ah", Leonor bravely broke the gauche vibe,
The nurses heard what she said and noticed the manner the way she stated, they started to become curious, what was currently happening was a tea, Michael took a deep breath before speaking
"Look I'm here to say sorr-",
"Subukan mong lumapit matatamaan ka", Riza cut in when she saw Miko slowly stepping near Leonor,
He knew Riza wasn't joking, and knowing her as a black belter, he stopped his steps. The fuss was clearly attracting people's attention, they started to look at them and began whispering,
"Riz tayo na", Romero pulled Javier's white coat to avoid further commotion, "Maraming tao dito", she continued.
"Wait!", Michael called when the two ladies were about to walk away, "What happened last night was really a mistake", he started, his voice was loud enough for everybody to hear, as if he was doing it on purpose, "But my intentions were true".
What he said planted wrong ideas into the crowd's minds, Leonor can see it through the expression of their faces,
"Miko nang gagago kaba?", Riza countered after realising what Michael was trying to pull of,
"Pwede bang 'wag kang makealam?!", his voice raised, the crowd was startled as it echoed through the lobby, "Sumbat ka nang sumbat wala ka namang alam!", he added in the same volume.
"Walang alam?", Riza sarcastically scoffed, finding Michael's words absurd, "Punyeta Miko alam ko lahat, kahit gawan ko pa ng buod",
"Riz tara na", Leonor grabbed Riza's arm and tried to walk away, she badly want to break down but obviously she couldn't.
"Kausapin mo ako", once again Michael got their attention,
He held Leonor's shoulder and made her face him, before she could say anything, someone grabbed Michael's hand that was holding Leonor's shoulder and hastily shoved it,
"Alas otso palang pero parang may amats kana doc", the man said, "Okay kalang?", he turned to Leonor, she just nodded, "Good", he uttered. "You're causing a scene here, I advice you should leave", he spoke to Michael while approaching him, his hands inside his pockets,
"I think this is a misunderstanding sir", Michael's tone seemed to shift after recognising who the man was,
"Misunderstanding or not", Ferdinand started, "You should leave", he casually placed his hand on Miko's shoulder and forcedly squeezed it, "Get lost", he whispered with the same threatening voice, Michael thought it was familiar but didn't really remember, he took a step back and immediately walked away.
YOU ARE READING
Always And Forever
Romance"I will love you, always and forever", he said to her while he hugged the woman that he dearly loved, despite the pain that he needed to endure, by letting her go. A story of Doctors who fell in great intoxication at the most unexpected time and mom...
