Oh, Boy!

15

(PART 2)

15

3 MONTHS LATER

Joshua was unsure if it was a dream.

The moment they had dinner, planning his birthday for tomorrow,. 
The road trip.
His smiles...
His kisses from time to time while driving.
"Happy birthday! Make a wish."
He blows out the candle.

And then, everything got hazy...

He hears the beeping sound coming from a life machine. He can't feel his body.

"He's awake. He's awake!" was a female voice. After that, the sound of sandals tapping against the stark white tiles and doors being opened and shut followed.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. The lights coming from the ceiling made his eyes blind. He's blinking to adjust his eyesight.

"W-where am I?" He's voice was groggy. He tried to swallow, but his throat was so dry. He attempted to get up, but a voice suppressed him.

"Don't move. We still have to test you."

Four people are approaching him. They're all wearing protective suits, as if he had an infectious disease. 

"Who are you guys? Where am I?" But these people didn't give an answer. Maybe they didn't hear him clearly because his voice was weird, plus their bodies were fully covered. "Please answer me. Who are you people? Where's Dwight?"

"How's your feeling?" the man with a stethoscope asked. Didn't bother to answer his questions.

So he did the same. "Why am I here? And where's Dwight? WHERE IS HE?! TELL ME, WHERE IS HE?!"

"Please don't shout. We already informed your mother that you're awake."

Still, they didn't give him the answer he needed to know. He forced himself to get up, but the hands of two people stopped him. "Please be still. We still have to test you further, and you're—"

"—LET ME GO! I NEED TO SEE DWIGHT!" He went wild.

The doctor shook his head; he had no choice but to inject the niddle on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do this. We'll explain to you later when you wake up again."

Joshua was panting. He could feel his heart slowly beating until his eyelids were getting heavy. His surroundings were spinning around.

'Whats happening? No, no! Oh, God, please. No, I need to see Dwight; please bring me to him..' he prayed on his thought, 'cause he's unable to move his mouth.

***** 

In the three months that Joshua was unconscious, a lot has changed. A virus called COVID-19 was spreading in March. Thousands of cases swiftly spread and continued to spread. A lockdown nationwide has been declared. Reason why Tanya can't visit his son at the hospital. But she was happy when she received a call from the hospital informing her that her son was finally awake but still under observation.

*****

She remained calm while waiting for a few hours to get another call from the hospital. She's made up an explanation in her mind that her son needs to hear. She must filter her words carefully, for Joshua's sake. Until her phone rang for a video call, she pressed the accept button quickly.

"Hi, Mrs. Pangilinan. I'm here with your son," the doctor says. Then he angled the camera at her son's anxious face.

She smiles, but her smiles don't reach her eyes. "Joshua..." was all she could say after all the preparations she had while waiting for this call.

"M-ma, what happened? Why am I here?" Tears are trailing down Joshua's face. 

Tanya could feel her heart wrenching. She wants to be there. She wants to give him a hug. But knowing their situation, she has to be strong. "You have had an accident, but no worries; you're okay now." 

Joshua's forehead creased. "A-accident." Joshua forced his throat to swallow as he tried to remember. "An accident?" Then everything flashed back in his mind like a movie being rewinded. "D-d-dwight," he stuttered while his heart was beating so fast. "Where's Dwight? Is he okay?" 

"He's..." Tanya needs to swallow a lump in her throat. "Dwight is okay and safe. He just got mild injuries." 

Joshua felt relieved. "Thank God. Where is he?"

"He's now in the US."

Joshua bites his lips. "Why didn't he wait for me to wake up?" 

"Because it's been three months already since the accident. You just woke up today." 

Because it's been three months already since the accident. You just woke up today.
Because it's been three months already since the accident. You just woke up today.
Because it's been three months already since the accident. You just woke up today.

That was like a broken record that keeps echoing in his ears.

He looked over his surroundings. All of them have weird costumes, like he's in a sci-fi movie, plus his mother was talking to him through video call, like she was prohibited to visit him because he needs to be isolate.

Weird..

"Ah, I knew it! This is a prank, right? And today is my birthday. This was a part of your plan to celebrate my birthday, right?" he tried to laugh. But none of them were laughing. "This works. This is really cool. I'm in a hospital and they're telling me make-up stories—that, that, that I've been in an accident and I just woke up after 3 months. That's so cliché, but it works. So cool. Can I go home now?" 

It's the doctor who answered his question. "Not yet; you have to stay here for at least 3 to 5 days until all the results are clear."

Joshua shook his head. "Stop, this is not making sense anymore. I need to go home. I need to see Dwight. I need to go to school. I can't stay here for another fucking 5 days." 

"I understand. But you have to let us explain. Like what your mother told you, it's been three months already since the accident. You're in a coma and you just woke up today. There's a lot of situations happening right now, not just in our country but in a whole wide world. We have a lockdown nationwide until further announcement. So that's why we can't send you home right away. Outside is a danger not only for you but for others too." After that, the doctor showed him live news about the virus called COVID 19.

*****

"Joshua was awake," Tanya said on the phone.

There's no immediate response on the other line, but Tanya could hear his inhale and exhale. "Did you know that you are the first person he was looking for?"

After a long pause,. 

"Thank you, Ma'. I'll have to go now."

"Take care, son." Then the line was cut off.