THIRTEEN
"WILL surrogacy work?" tanong ni Aze. Napatingin silang tatlo kay Raven na nakayuko lang habang nakaupo. Napalingon si Aze kay Ali bago nilapitan ang kaibigan. "Hey," hinawakan niya ang balikat nito. "We can still save them both."
Napaangat naman ng tingin si Raven kay Aze. His hopeless eyes met Aze's calm and cold ones.
"We can still save them both," ulit ni Aze. "But you have to cooperate with us."
Napaiwas ng tingin si Raven saka bumuntong hininga. "I really hate how calm your eyes are," sabi niya at tumayo saka humarap kay Ali at Daniel. "What do we need to do?"
"Tell me everything I need to know about your clan," sagot ni Daniel.
"Uhm, the Makrozoia Humans. We're... we can live up to 200 years. Everything about us is fifty percent more than a normal human. We heal faster, our bodies are more durable, we're stronger. Everything," sagot ni Raven. "And when we die, our soul will show itself to one person we really really wanted to talk to. Although that soul doesn't remember anything from its life. The only thing it remembers is the thing it wanted to say to that person."
"Like a ghost?" tanong ni Daniel.
"Yeah. You can say that."
Nabalot silang apat ng katahimikan. Kapagkuwan ay nagsalita ulit si Daniel. "You said that your clan heals faster than a normal human. Let's just pray that Anara stabilizes within a week, before your child becomes too old for surrogacy. While we wait for her stabilization, you better find someone who's willing to be a surrogate. But if she wakes up before the surgery has to take place, then it's better."
For people as powerful and influential like Ali and Aze, finding a surrogate mother was not hard. Within just a day, they've had a long list of willing women. And in just two days, they've found a match for Anara. Ang kailangan na lang nilang gawin ay hinataying mag-stabilize and lagay ni Anara at pwede nang gawin ang proseso.
Within almost a week, Anara's body is already strong enough to carry out the procedure. Only strong enough to handle a procedure, there were no signs of her waking up anytime soon. Best doctors of the Velasquez Hospital performed the procedure.
Anara and her baby are now far from harm's way. Ang pag gising na lang ni Anara ang hinihintay ni Raven. He is also busy taking good care of his baby and the carrier of his baby.
7 months later
"DON'T worry Raven," sabi ni Daniel at hinawakan ang balikat ni Raven. "The new assigned Doctor for your Anara is as good as me. She's safe with him."
Tumango naman si Raven at hinawakan din ang balikat ni Daniel. "Yeah. I know you've always wanted to work in the main branch of Velasquez Hospitals. Treat a lot of people in Sagroda."
"I will," nakangiting sabi ni Daniel at tinalikuran na ang kaibigan para lumapit sa asawa at anak na naghihintay sa kanya. Pupunta na siya sa Sagroda kung nasa'n ang main branch ng Velasquez Hospitals. Simula pa lang nang nasa college sila ay 'yon na ang bukang bibig nito, to work directly under the Velasquezs.
CONTINUOUS beeping of a machine and white ceiling. That's what welcomed Anara's eyes when she opened them. She feels weak. Wala siyang lakas para igalaw ang kamay, paa o ulo. All she can do is roam her eyeballs around.
What happened? Where am I?
Her eyes looked at the door when she heard it open. Raven. But it wasn't a man. It was a woman, in full white clothes with her hair in a clean bun. A nurse. She can feel her strength coming back at a fast pace. Nang makalapit ang nurse sa kanya ay ramdam na niya ang gaan ng katawan niya.
"Ma'am—" gulat na sabi ng nurse nang bigla na lang bumangon pa-upo si Anara. Dali dali itong lumapit sa bedside table at may pinindot do'n. "OMa'am. You're awake."
"What happened to me?" paos na tanong ni Anara.
"Ma'am you have to calm down and lay back. You just woke up," sabi naman ng nurse at inalalayan siyang humiga pabalik.
"What happened to me? Why am I here?" tanong ni Anara. Namilog ang mata niya nang may maalala. "My baby? Am I here because of my baby?"
"Ma'am... you have to calm down first. You just woke up and I can't shock you," sabi ng nurse. "Calm down, let's wait for the Doctor."
At dahil do'n, kumalma naman si Anara at bumalik na sa pagkakahiga habang nakahawak sa tiyan niya. Ilang minuto lang ang hinintay nila bago pumasok ang isang Doctor.
"Dr. Smith?" nagtatakang tanong ng nurse. "The patient's file says her Doctor is Dr. Deckard?"
"Dr. Deckard is in the middle of a surgery," sagot ng Doctor at nilapitan si Anara para i-check siya. "You're all fine," sabi niya pagkatapos siyang i-check.
"How about my baby, Doc?" tanong ni Anara habang nakatingin sa mga mata ng Doctor. Her heart started beating so fast when the Doctor furrowed his eyebrows as a sign of confusion.
"Ma'am, you have been in a coma for at least seven months now. If you are pregnant then you should already have a baby bump by now," nagtatakang sabi ng Doctor. "Your baby is de—"
"No!" naiiling na sabi ni Anara. "No! That can't be! No!" nagsimula na siyang huminga ng malalalim. Tears started to continuously fall from her eyes.
"You were caught in a serious car accident."
"No!" Anara exclaimed and removed all the things connected to her body. "That's not true!" sabi niya at sinubukang umalis ng kama pero pigilan siya ng Doctor at nurse.
"Ma'am, you have to calm down. Mr. Raven Cleous is already on his way here," sabi ng nurse.
"Raven?"
"Yes ma'am, I asked someone to contact him earlier when you were being checked," the nurse said. "Calm down Ma'am, just breathe."
Dahan dahan namang kumalma si Anara pero tulala pa rin siya. That can't be, right? Her baby is not dead. She wasn't in a coma for seven months. That's right! They're all lying. Si Raven lang ang magsasabi sa kanya ng totoo.
Anara looked around the boring room. There was a clock on her bedside table. Nang tinignan niya ng mabuti 'yon... the date. It wasn't June anymore, it's January. Seven months had really passed.
She doesn't don't know what to feel. She's angry, frustrated, and sad at the same time. Gusto niyang magwala pero parang wala siyang lakas. Tears could only fall down from her eyes. She killed her child! She killed their child! Raven's child.
Raven. He's on his way here. Ano na lang ang sasabihin niya sa kanya? She's an irresponsible woman, an irresponsible mother. She can't face him. Siya ang pumatay sa anak nito. Wala siyang mukhang maihaharap kay Raven. She needs to leave.
Nang mas lumakas ang mga hikbi ni Anara at nagsimula siyang huminga ng malalalim ulit, lumapit ang nurse sa kanya para pakalmahin siya. Nang hindi pa rin siya tumigil sa pag-iyak, nakita na niyang kumuha ng syringe ang nurse. She's sure it's a sedative to make her sleep.
Kaya naman nang nakalapit sa kanya ang nurse ay mabilis niyang inagaw ang syringe dito at sa nurse ito sinaksak. Saka siya mabilis na umalis ng kama dahil sakto namang lumabas saglit ang Doctor. The moment she got out of the room, nobody can stop her from from leaving anymore.
That's why when Raven arrived in the hospital, Anara was nowhere to be found anymore.
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