Death Trap Vendetta

Chapter Thirty-Three

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

The Sister Bond Thing

February 14, 2016; Sunday
Santa Filomena General Hospital
11:00 pm

Shalee couldn't contain the sigh that escaped her as she watched Giovanni signing their sister's hospital documents. She glanced at where several of Ailee's friends were sitting outside the wards, looking like they themselves were about to collapse from exhaustion. Well, everyone besides Leo who was too busy pacing. Muli siyang bumuntong-hininga at lumapit kay Cess na nakasuot pa rin ng kulay pulang gown.

"Anong nangyari? Bakit...bakit sinugod sa ospital ang mga kaibigan niyo?" tanong niya.

Shalee and Giovanni were wrapping up a Disney movie marathon while babysitting when they got the call. Sa pagmamadali nila, hindi na nila natawagan ang ama nila upang ipaalam ang nangyari. Sa halip, dali-daling pinakiusapan ni Shalee si Mike na nasa mansyon para magpapirma ng mga dokumento kay Giovanni na siya muna ang magbantay sa bata habang nasa ospital sila.

Fortunately, Mike was fond of the kid and happily stayed at the mansion.

"We don't really know what happened," Cess answered, avoiding her eyes. "We were just dancing and having fun. Tapos bigla silang nahimatay."

Sandaling pinagmasdan ni Shalee ang dalaga pati na ang ibang kasamahan ng kapatid bago tumango. After their traumatic experience not even a year ago, it was understandable that they would be wary of strangers and feel like it's them against the world. She knew that feeling all too well.

"Where's Shem?" Shalee blurted out. She noticed that the person who was Ailee's brother in all but blood was nowhere to be found.

Napansin niyang agad na nagkatinginan ang iba at pasimpleng umiling ang ilang miyembro ng B.I.P. kaya nakunot ang noo ni Shalee. Gayunpaman, hinintay niya ang magiging tugon ng mga ito.

"Nandito lang siguro iyon," sagot ni Raziel na katabi ang pinsan niyang tulala. "B-Baka nasa chapel lang iyon dahil sa pag-aalala kay Ailee."

"O-Oo nga, po," sang-ayon naman nung Kevin bagamat umiiwas din ito ng tingin sa kanya. "Parang magkapatid na yung dalawang 'yon."

Shalee could tell that they weren't being truthful, at least not entirely. But she decided not to push it. Tutal, ang priority niya naman talaga nang oras na iyon ay ang kalagayan ng kanyang kakambal. Kaya naman matapos ang ilang sandali, muli niyang ibinaling ang kanyang atensyon kay Giovanni.

"What did the doctor say?" she asked him quietly. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Tipid na tumango ang kanilang nakatatandang kapatid. Shalee could easily read his expression on a normal basis. However, at that moment, she couldn't help but frown when she saw that her normally expressive brother had his emotions shuttered behind a mask of indifference.

"Stable naman na raw siya. They still don't know what caused them to collapse so the doctors want to keep them for observation until tomorrow," Giovanni explained. "Siguro pwede tayong umuwi muna habang wala pa rin siyang malay. O gusto mo bang mag-stay muna rito?"

Shalee glanced around the stark white walls, weighing her options. She had never been a fan of hospitals, ever since they had to slowly watch their mother succumb to her failing heart. The ordeal had left her feeling claustrophobic whenever she had to enter the supposed house of healing. Which, of course, only worsened when she had to spend an entire year at the Provincial Psychiatric Facility.