Maybe Next Time

Chapter 13

Lachlan

A piercing sound jolted me awake, rattling through my skull like a relentless, galloping horse. My head pounded in sync with the noise, and I felt feverish and disoriented. Groaning, I forced my eyes open, only to be greeted by the sight of my ever-annoying friend, Jar, looming over me.

"Tol, buti naman gising ka na. Ba't ba nandito ka?" Jar asking me.

"Ikaw?" told him.

"Anong ako? Ikaw nga tinatanong ko eh. Ginawa mo pa atang sleeping room 'tong clinic"

"Wait.. I'm in the clinic?" nagtataka kong tanong sakaniya.

"Oo. Parang tanga naman 'to. Kita mo nga may panyo ka pa sa noo mo. Color pink pa talaga. Iyo ba yan?" He smirked, pointing at the delicate piece of fabric that definitely didn’t belong to me.

Pink? I don’t own anything pink. My collection of handkerchiefs is limited to blue, red, black, and white. I reached up and grabbed the handkerchief resting on my head, feeling its softness between my fingers. The thought crossed my mind that maybe the nurse, with a kind heart and a touch of whimsy, had left it there to comfort me. It was strangely endearing, and as I stared at the pink fabric, a warmth that had nothing to do with the fever settled in my chest.

My stomach grumbled as I leaned back against the clinic bed, the lingering ache in my head making me feel even weaker. I turned to Jar, who was still hovering nearby, and asked for food, hoping it would help settle my uneasy stomach.

Without a word, he handed me a cup of ice cream. I stared at it, confusion etched across my face.

"Gago. Pagkain gusto ko"

"Mas gago ka rin. Ano akala mo dito,  laruan? Totoong ice cream yan" ganti niya.

"I mean, I want a rice or anything that's a solid food tol"

"Eh? Linawin mo kasi. Hindi naman sa akin galing yan. Naiwan lang itong icecream dyan sa mesa mo. Kakainin ko nga sana eh. Baka may lason kaya sa iyo nalang"

I shot him a skeptical look, but with no other option, I reluctantly dug into the ice cream. It was cold and sweet, but it wasn’t what I needed. As I ate, the nurse walked in, her face lighting up with a professional smile as she approached

"Hello Lachlan. Okay na ba ang pakiramdam mo?" said by the nurse.

"Yes po ma'am. Can I go home?"

"Oo naman. I think you're having a migraine. I know that grades are very important, but please take good care of your health. Bawal na ang mag-puyat at hindi kumain sa tamang oras. Naiintindihan mo ba?"

"Yes po"

"Lastly, I will give this to you in case na sumakit ulit ang ulo mo. Pero humingi na neto yung kaibigan mong babae kanina. Pero bibigyan ulit kita," dagdag niya pang sabi.

She handed me two pills, and I frowned in confusion. My head creased about what she said. A girl friend? I don't have any friends except Jar. I don't like hanging out. Who was she referring to?

"Excuse me po ma'am, Sinong babae po?"

"The girl a while ago. Yung naka ponytail. Yung nagdala sa iyo dito sa clinic. Yung may-ari niyang panyo" turo niya pa sa panyo na hawak ko.