Lover (One Shots) | Leni Robredo x Risa Hontiveros

• On the other side •

RISA.

"Multiple blunt trauma."

"BP is 90/60 and dropping."

"I'm starting a central line."

"Pupils are still responsive."

"Hello? Can you hear me? Can you tell me your name?"

"V-Fib! She's crashing! Starting CPR!"

That's all I hear before everything went completely black. I can't hear them anymore. I can't feel any pain. For the first time in years, I felt in peace.

Is this it? Eto na ba 'yun?

But then, I slowly opened my eyes, that's where I saw the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life.

"Patay na ba ako? Ikaw na ba yung anghel?" Tanong ko sa babaeng nakatingin saakin at naka upo sa tabi ng kama na hinihigaan ko.

"Hindi ako anghel." Natatawa niyang sabi saakin. "You're in Garcia Santos Memorial Hospital. Naaksidente ka."

I looked around the room. There were machines and a lot of wires hooked to my body, monitoring everything. Then I remember what happened. I was driving when a truck hit my car, it came out of nowhere.

Ang swerte ko nalang talaga na nabuhay pa ako.

Swerte nga ba?

Dahil nung nadinig kong irerevive ako nung mga doctor that's the first time in years that I felt in peace and I want to stay in peace. Gusto ko dun.

Ayoko dito dahil ayoko ng masaktan ulit. Pagod na ako masaktan.

"Kamusta naman pakiramdam mo? May masakit ba sayo?" Tanong nung magandang babae.

"Teka, nurse ka ba dito?" Umupo ako ng dahan dahan.

"Oo. Na assign ako to look after you. I'll try to help you recover from your injuries." She smiled at me, her dimples showing. "I'm Leni by the way." Leni offered me a hand shake.

I accepted the hand shake. "I'm Risa."

Simula nung araw na 'yun si Leni na ang kasama ko sa kwarto ko araw araw. Ang ipinag tataka ko lang ay laging siya lang ang bumibisita at nag checheck saakin.

Bakit hindi man lang ako dinadalaw ng mga magulang ko o kaibigan ko?

Alam ba nila na naaksidente ako?

Bakit walang doctor o ibang nurse?

Sino ba talaga itong si Leni?

Months have passed, at nasanay na akong laging nasa tabi ko si Leni dahil siya lang naman ang taong nakikita ko dito sa hospital. Hindi pa rin ako nakakapabas ng kwarto ko dahil hindi daw ako pwedeng lumabas.

Nakahiga lang ako sa kama at hinihintay ang pag dating ni Leni dahil sabi niya kailangan daw siya sa labas at babalik din siya agad.

The door opened revealing Leni, her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Ano nangyari? Bakit ka umiiyak?" Tanong ko kay Leni na agad naman akong niyakap ng mahigpit.

Leni never hugged me. Sa tagal naming magkasama dito sa hospital this is the first time she hugged me, na para bang ayaw na niyang bumitaw.

Leni looked at me in the eye, her hands cupping both of my cheeks. "You have to wake up. Hinihintay ka na nila. They need you."

"Ano ka ba Leni! Gising na gising kaya ako. Anong pinag sasasabi mo?" Naguguluhan kong tanong sa kaniya.

"This isn't real. You're in a coma, Risa. Naaksidente ka talaga pero hindi ka pa gumising. You're dreaming."

"Hindi magandang prank 'yan, Leni."

"This is all in your head, Risa. Wake up!"

I can't help but to cry. Mukhang tama nga ang sinabi ni Leni. Na nananaginip lang ako dahil hindi na ako makagalaw. Then, slowly everything, including Leni started fading away.

"I love you, Risa. Maybe we'll see each other on the other side."

"No! Leni!" Sigaw ko habang sinusubukan kong gumalaw para habulin siya.

*****

"Leni! Leni!" I screamed her name repeatedly until I woke up. I'm still in the same hospital room but she's not here.

Leni is not here.

"Risa? Oh thank god, you're awake!" My best friend, Leila, ran towards me.

"Where is she?" I looked around my room and I tried to get out of bed but my body feels to weak to get out of bed.

"Sino?" Napalingon sa buong kwarto si Leila. "Ako lang ang nagbabantay sayo dito Ris."

"Si Leni! Yung nurse!" Hindi ko na mapigilan ang emosyon ko at tumulo na ang aking mga luha.

"Walang nurse dito na ang pangalan ay Leni. Pero I'm so happy that you're finally awake! It's been two months, Ris. Akala namin hindi ka na babalik saamin. But we waited for you to come back."

Tama nga si Leni. Panaginip lang ang lahat ng iyon. Pero parang totoo. Yung kapag nahahawakan ko siya, her sweet laugh with her dimples showing, her stories, just her.

She felt real.

She is real to me.

Nakalabas din naman agad ako ng hospital after a few weeks. I learned na wala nga talagang nurse dun na ang name ay Leni. Pero I never stopped looking for her, until now. She told me that maybe we'll see each other here, on the other side. But I never did. Maybe she was just part of my imagination and will remain as that. And I'm okay with it.

"So saan mo gustong kumain?" Tanong ni Leila habang nag lalakad kami sa mall.

"Kahit saan."

"Walang kahit saan dito!" Leila chuckled.

"Kung saan mo gusto-"

"Hala! I'm sorry! Hindi ko sinasadya!" Sabi nung babaeng nakabanggaan ko at agad naman akong tinulungan sa mga nagkalat na paper bags.

I was left speechless when I looked at her face.

"Miss? Okay ka lang?" the woman asked.

"Ris! Huy!" Leila snapped her fingers in front of me para gisingin ako sa katotohanan.

"Y-yeah. I'm Risa. And you are?"

The woman smiled at me, her dimples showing. "I'm Leonor. But you can call me Leni. Nice to meet you, Risa."

"Nice to finally meet you, Leni."

She's real.

She's here.

She's here on the other side.

•••••

Hello! Kumusta kayo? Short ud muna hehe medyo nagiging busy huhu Mag iingat lagi! Labs na labs! <3