Simply The Best

29

IVO INSISTED on seeing Ember. She was still in the ICU. She was out of danger but still in critical condition. Ayon naman sa siruhano ay kampante sila na hindi gaanong magtatagal sa critical condition si Ember. Nagiging stable na ang vital signs nito. They were confident that they were able to repair everything. Para lang makasiguro talaga, gugugol muna ng ilang oras ang babae sa ICU para mabantayan nang husto.

The bullet missed her heart by mere centimeters. Sa palagay ni Ivo ay hindi iyon mangyayari kung hindi niya nahila si Ember. She might be dead now because it was fairly certain that they had targeted her heart.

She was still unconscious at hindi siya tuluyang mapapalagay hanggang sa hindi niya nakikita ang pagmulat ng mga mata nito.

The cops came and he had to give his statement. Ganoon din ang ginawa ng bodyguard niya. Nagawa pa nitong makapagbigay ng partial description ng shooter at driver ng motor. Nakita nitong walang plaka ang motorsiklo.

Dumating ang captain ni Ember. Yael introduced them. Mukhang hindi gaanong interesado talaga sa kanya, which was just fine. Mas interesado ang ginang sa kalagayan ni Ember. She looked like a reliable person. Nang ipangako ng police captain na aalamin nito ang pangyayari at kung sino ang may pakana para maparusahan kaagad, naniwala naman siya.

Hindi nga lang iaasa ni Ivo ang lahat sa police captain na hindi niya kilala. Hindi siya tahimik na maghihintay ng resulta ng mga imbestigasyon. He needed to do something.

"I can't quite remember your name, I'm sorry," sabi ni Ivo sa bodyguard niya.

"Q, Sir."

"Q? As in the letter?"

Tumango ang bodyguard.

"Okay." He didn't want a bodyguard or a driver. But his family insisted. Malaki na raw ang ipinagbago ng lungsod at hindi na siya sanay sa Pilipinas. Hindi na pamilyar sa kanya ang mga lugar. He compromised and said he'd have a bodyguard slash driver for a month—two months max. Kapag nasanay na uli siya sa lugar, siya na ang bahala sa kanyang sarili.

"Q, thank you. For everything. Thank you so much." Sa palagay ni Ivo ay hindi madadala kaagad sa ospital si Ember kung hindi dahil sa bilis at presence of mind nito. "Habang-buhay kong tatanawing utang-na-loob ang lahat."

"Wala pong anuman, Sir. Ginagawa ko lang po ang trabaho ko," sagot ni Q at parang hindi komportable. Siguro ay hindi nito inasahan ang pasasalamat mula sa kanya—sa isang katulad niya.

"You might have saved her life."

Umiling si Q. "Ang mga doktor ang—"

"Hayaan mo na 'kong magpasalamat."

Tumango na lang si Q. "At wala pong anuman."

"You're from a security firm, right? And knowing my family, you came from one of the best firms in the city."

Tumango uli si Q.

"I need good and reliable people to watch over Ember while she's in this hospital. She's going to get police protection but I want other people too. I just need to make sure she's going to be all right. Marti needs people for Yael. Marami pa akong hindi alam pero gagawan ko ng paraan. I will not stop until I know what's really happening, how this happened. I'm gonna find the bastards who did this and I swear, I'm gonna make them pay."

"Ako na po ang bahala."

"Again, thank you."

Ivo called his executive assistant to help him with logistics. There were so much to do and he couldn't get his mind to function properly. Ang gusto lang niyang isipin ay si Ember. Gusto niyang siguruhin ang kaligtasan nito.