The Vow

50

Andito ako sa clinic ko, next week, nakaleave na kami ni Elijah, sya naman ngayon ang nakaday-off, ang alam ko ngayon sya makikipagkita sa Mom nya, sana maging maayos yun.

Habang may chinecheck akong patient record, may kumatok sa pinto ng clinic ko.

"Doc, may naghahanap sayo, nakasalubong ko sa hallway, mukhang naliligaw eh ikaw pala hanap" sabi ni Dr. Solomon

I am kind of shock to see Rupert.

"Thanks, Doc Solomon" sabi ko.

"No worries, anyways, day off pala ni Dr. Davis ngayon?"

"Yes po, why? May kailangan ka ba? I can text him naman"

"No need na, bukas nalang pagpasok nya. Thanks, doc, i'll go" sabi nya at umalis na.

I motioned Rupert to sit down sa couch and give him water.

"You came here for me?" Tanong ko.

"Opo. Don't worry, I know everything, I know what my dad did to you when you were a kid, kaya ba tinanggihan mo ko noon na maging pasyente mo?"

"Rupert, ang kasalanan ng magulang hindi kasalanan ng anak, ok? I transferred you to Elijah that time because of my trauma. You need a surgery that time. Hindi ko magagawa yun ng maayos kung may trauma ako, I don't want anything to happen to you. Kahit pagbaliktarin ang mundo, kapatid kita, I never treated you like a brother, but, in my heart you are my brother, I never wished someone to have a cruel life, and ayokong mapahamak ka dahil sakin kaya kita itinransfer, and also, kahit maging patient kita, kukunin ka rin sa akin ni Elijah kasi he won't let me operate you, he's my psychiatrist kaya alam nya yun" paliwanag ko. "Is that why you came here?"

"One of the reason, yeah, but, I visited Mom yesterday, she told me that you and Dr. Davis visited her last month?"

"Yeah, we did. Sino kasama mo bumisita sa kanya?"

"Ako lang, I don't have guards, I hate the people at home"

"Why?"

"Chismoso and chismosa, they love involving themselves on my personal space, I don't like it" sabi nya. "One time pa, I heard one of the cook na sinasabi, I should eat plain food lang kasi hindi naman daw ako yung nagpapasahod sa kanila"

"Kumain ka na ba?"

"Truthfully speaking, not yet. Hindi sila nagluto ng food, they even declare their own day-off"

"Let's go, let's eat lunch, sakto hindi parin naman ako kumakain eh" sabi ko.

I get my phone and wallet and lock my computer bago kami lumabas. Bumaba kami sa cafeteria at ako na ang nagbayad ng food na kinuha nya.

"Oh, ang gwapo naman nyan, Doc"

"Kapatid ko po sa nanay. Syempre ate, kanino pa ba magmamana" biro ko sa tindera dito sa cafeteria.

"I kind of envy you. You had that tragic trauma that Dad caused you, pero you get along pretty well with different kinds of people. I am an introvert"

"I need to because of my work. I am also an introvert and it's because of what happened. Pero we all need to move forward. Whether we like it or not, we will need a help from other people for us to move forward. Matututunan mo rin makisocialize. It's a lot of work kasi kailangan mo sanayin sarili mo, especially in my case, my trauma can get triggered kapag nahawakan ako ng ibang tao na hindi ko kapamilya, how will I socialize with people if they can't touch me, diba? Pero natutunan ko parin, I explained myself na wag nila ako hawakan kasi it might trigger my trauma, but, I didn't explained about my trauma, but, they do understand it. Sometimes people just need a heads up, not really an explanation"

"Even if people judge you? Well, the maids judge me always, kesyo mayabang daw ako, suplado, akala mo daw kung sino makaasta"

"You can report them sa agencies nila, I will help you if you want to report"

"Wag na, iniisip ko may pinapakain silang pamilya, nagbibingi bingihan nalang ako"

"I will try to talk with my husband, key in your number, tatawagan kita kapag nakausap ko na sya" sabi ko at inabot ang phone ko sa kanya

"About?"

"When we visited Mom, ibinilin ka nya sa akin, and you're my brother, hindi ko hahayaan na api apihin ka ng ibang tao, kasi ang naiisip ko ngayon is kunin ka sa bahay niyo, so you can stay with us, we have better maids, hindi sila judgemental. Pero syempre, I have a partner, so I will talk with him about it, for sure naman papayag yun" sabi ko. "Just ready your things, para kapag tinawagan kita, nakaready ka na. Only the important ones ah, like clothes and toiletries"

"Nakakahiya sa asawa mo, ganun na ginawa ni Dad sayo tapos tutulungan mo pa ako"

"Rupert, kahit ano pang ginawa sa akin ng Daddy mo, kapatid kita, nanggaling tayo sa iisang ina. Let's all move on, let's all move forward, wag na tayo mag-atras abante sa present at past. You have me, your sister, walang ibang tutulong sayo kundi ako na kapatid mo" sabi ko. "Basta, ready your things ah, iwanan mo na yung mga luho mo dun, basta damit lang toiletries and important stuff like phone, wallet, and laptop" dagdag ko.

"Opo, ate" sabi nya at tumango.

"Finish your food, isasama nalang kita sa pag-rounds ko, alam ko namang ayaw mo pa umuwi eh" sabi ko.

"Wala ba yung asawa mo dito?"

"He's in day-off, pero susunduin nya ako mamaya. Another thing, I invited Mom sa wedding namin, so I expect you to be there too para may kausap sya at kasama" sabi ko.

"Opo" sabi nya.

"How about your studies?"

"Going good, nakakapasa naman yung grades, hindi naman ako kasing talino mo eh"

"Wala sa talino yan, nasa sipag yan" sabi ko.

After nya kumain, niligpit ko yung pinagkainan namin at nilagay sa lagayan ng mga tray, at dumiretso na ko sa pagrarounds.

"Doc, may kasama ka pala"

"Ah yes, Des, this is my brother Rupert. Call her Nurse Desiree, nurse and assistant ko"

"Ay hello! Pogi doc ah, mana sayo"

"Desiree, pwede kitang idemanda ng child abuse, 18 lang yan, maghunos dili ka"

"Hello po" bati ni Rupert sa kanya.

"Joke lang, doc, kinompliment ko lang naman. Anyways, nacheck ko na yung 2 patients, yung nasa ICU nalang po yung need icheck"

"Nadischarge na yung for discharge kanina?"

"Opo, doc. Papasalamat sana sayo kaso wala ka pa eh, kaya sabi ko sasabihin ko nalang"

"Ok that's good. Sige, kami nalang pupuntang ICU, pabigyan naman si Rupert ng mask and surgical cap" pakisuyo ko.

Binigay nya yun kay Rupert at sinuot naman nitong isa. We head sa ICU to check on one of my patient na kagagaling sa surgery kagabi.

"Diba ang mga patient na nasa ICU are critical patients?"

"Not all, ICU is a monitoring area ng mga pasyente, for both critical patients and mga patients na galing surgery na under monitoring"

"Why do you need that kung na-opera na"

"There might be an after effect kasi within 24 hours. Minsan yung vitals is hindi nagnonormal, yung parang shock ganun, yun iba is nilalagnat after ng surgery, ganun"

"Ah, was I also here nung naopera ako?"

"Yup" sabi ko.

"Ah, now I know. Ano mangyayari kapag dinala agad sa room yung patient after surgery?"

"It will be negligence. Kapag may masamang nangyari sa pasyente, kasalanan ng doctor na nag opera yun, ng mga nurse na in charge, and the hospital, pwedeng mawalan ng lisensya yung doctor, and worst is pati yung ospital, kaya we always follow by the procedure" sabi ko.

"Ohhh" sabi nya.

After I check the vitals, umalis narin kami.

"Tapon mo yang mask and cap mo sa basurahan"

Sinunod naman nya at bumalik kami sa clinic ko