Just Hold Tight (Bittersweet Solitude Series #1)

Chapter 09

Lost in Mind

. . .

Nasa lobby ako ng ospital, nanginginig at tuliro, hindi ko namalayang nakatitig ako sa screen ng phone ko.

The bright light of the screen contrasted sharply with the dim, sterile environment of the hospital lobby. My hands moved on their own and tapped the contacts, a mechanical motion driven by a desperate need for connection.

I could hear the faint sounds of medical equipment and distant conversations, but it all felt muted, as if I were underwater. Each beep of the machines, each murmur of voices seemed to come from a world far removed from my own.

Nang lumabas ang listahan ng mga pangalan sa phone ko, nanatili akong nakatitig, halos hindi alam kung sino ang tatawagan. My vision blurred with unshed tears, making the names swim in and out of focus. My thumb hovered over the screen, shaking uncontrollably as I read the first name of the number and stared at it.

Pinindot ko ang call button, hindi alam kung ano ang sasabihin because my mind was still hazy, pero alam kong kailangan ko ng makakausap. Ang bawat ring ay parang isang mahabang, nakakabinging pagputol ng oras.

Kailangan... ko siya.

But will he answer the call?

[ Hello? ] He answered, his voice a lifeline through the chaos.

"Terrence..." I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. The other line remained silent, but I knew he was just there... listening.

"Terrence... h-he's gone," I choked out between sobs. "I don't know what to do."

[ ... I'm coming. ] The line ended.

I was left in the silence of the hospital lobby, the reality of Marco's absence sinking in deeper.

Terrence came as quickly as he could, and when he arrived, he stopped when he saw my devastated state. I looked at him, teary-eyed and broken. Hindi ko na kayang magsalita, at siya'y tumingin lang sa akin, agad naintindihan ang nangyayari.

He took in the sight of my bloodstained shirt, the remnants of my desperate attempts to save Marco.

"Ethan," he whispered, his voice filled with concern and sorrow. Lumapit siya sa akin ng dahan-dahan, parang natatakot na baka lalo akong masira.

Terrence knelt down beside me, his eyes never leaving mine. "I'm here," he said softly, reaching out to touch my shoulder.

"Nandito lang ako, Ethan."

The dam of emotions I had been holding back broke, and I collapsed into his arms.

"H-he's gone, Terrence," I sobbed, my body shaking with the force of my grief. "Wala na si Marco..."

"I know," he murmured, his grip tightening around me.

"I'm so sorry, Ethan. I'm so, so sorry." Hindi niya ako binitiwan, kahit na patuloy ang pag-agos ng aking mga luha.

We stayed like that for what felt like hours, the world outside the hospital room fading into the background.

"Paano na ako ngayon?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

Terrence's eyes were filled with pain as he looked at me.

"One day at a time," he said gently. "Isang araw sa bawat pagkakataon, Ethan. And you don't have to do it alone."

Niyakap niya ako ng mahigpit habang umiiyak ako sa kanyang balikat. His presence was a small solace, a reminder that I wasn't alone in my grief. Sa kabila ng sakit at lungkot, alam kong may isang tao na handang tumulong at umalalay sa akin.