Just Live

Chapter 26

When he left the ranch earlier in the evening, there was no sign that Sarah would be rushed to the hospital in a matter of hours except that she still had a cough and cold. He wasn't sure what was happening, but all he was sure of was that he needed to see her immediately.

"Matt!"

Right when their car was pulling up in front of the hospital entrance, Matteo jumped out even before it came to a complete stop.

Failing to stop their son from running inside, Martin let his wife out to follow Matteo before he finds a parking spot.

"Sige na, I'll meet you inside," her husband said as Marge hurriedly got out of the car.

When she walked inside, she found Matteo standing in front of Sarah's parents who were clinging onto each other while her siblings stood by the wall. It was the look of a family trying to brave a storm.

"Tita," she heard her son say with panic in his voice. "Tita, Tito, what happened? Where's Sarah? Is she okay? Ano po sabi nila?"

Gelli reached for Matteo's hand and gave it a tight squeeze before hugging herself again.

"They're taking good care of her inside, hijo," Ariel said softly, his voice sounding that of a father who feels helpless.

Marge walked up to them and gave Gelli and Ariel a tight embrace; a parent to parent interaction that shows understanding and an offer of support.

"Tito," Matteo said as his throat felt like it locked on its own. His heart was beating so fast that he could hardly keep up with his breathing too. "Ano po nangyari? Is she going to be okay?"

"She's a tough cookie, diba? Lalaban yun, anak," Sarah's father said with a worried and hopeful smile.

Matteo nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat as Marge wrapped her arms around him.

"Ano po nangyari?" He asked again.

Gelli took a deep breath and reached for Matteo's arm. "Pag-alis mo kagabi nak, nagpaalam sya na magpapahinga na kasi pagod na daw sya," she said quietly, her eyes glassy reflecting fear and worry. "Nakatulog naman siya pero inuubo pa rin."

In between her fifth and last cycle of chemotherapy, Sarah caught a cold and has had cough and cold for two consecutive days already.

"Sinilip ko siya tapos nung nagising siya, hindi na ulit siya makatulog kasi nahihirapan daw siya huminga."

As Gelli was narrating what happened hours ago, Matteo could just imagine how Sarah tried to tough it out on her own first. He knew she didn't like making them worry, hence calling it a night early and retreating to her room after he left. Having said that, he also knew that she must have been feeling worse than what she made it seem. It broke his heart thinking of Sarah in such discomfort again.

"I stayed with her kasi paghawak ko sa kanya, may  lagnat na rin tsaka di na talaga siya nakatulog. Ayaw nga magpadala dito eh," Gelli said and tears ran down her cheeks as she thought of how her daughter was. "Sabi niya pag hindi pa rin lumuwag yung paghinga niya sa umaga, payag na daw sya pumunta dito sa hospital."

Matteo crunched his eyebrows and swallowed lump after lump in his throat.

"Kaso eto na nga, tumawag na kami ng 911 kasi nagka-chest pain na rin siya. I could tell na nahihirapan na siya kasi napakapit na lang sakin yung anak ko kaso wala naman ako nagawa para matulungan siya," Gelli's voice cracked and her cry finally broke out. "Kumapit na lang siya sakin kasi hindi na rin niya alam kung paano siya makakahinga ng maayos."

Their ordeal and battle with Sarah's health has had to be one of the most difficult challenges Gelli dealt with as a mother. The pain of watching her child suffer and the helplessness from not being able to relieve her of all her discomfort was like no other. She cried quietly as she recalled what happened before the ambulance arrived at their house.