Drugged In Love

Chapter 15: De Sario Crew

Amelia Joan

"Sooo...you know how you left your Jordan Retros in my apartment? W-Well," I cleared my throat before I started lying. "My f-friend brought hi—-her dog to my apartment and t-the dog shít on your shoes and peed on it after. I couldn't save it. I had to throw it away, Amman."

Kumunot naman ang kanyang noo.

"I'm an animal lover, but whaaaat?"

I grimaced. I hated lying, but I am not about to tell him that Tupe took his shoes doing god knows what to it right now. Umayos naman ako ng upo dito sa tambayan kong stretcher dito sa ospital. Kasalukyan akong nandito sa rehab unit ng GSMH. Here, we usually help patients heal post-op if they have had either hip, knee, leg, foot, hand, arm surgeries in our hospital.

If the care team determines that the patient can regain their full capacity in the affected area in three months or less, we help them here at GSMH. If they need more extensive care, that's when we refer them to a facility focused on physical rehab.

I say this unit is the calmest, aside from derm. Patients are always stable vital-wise. I could count on one hand the times I had to run a code on this floor.

"Yeah, that dog..." sabi ko pa.

Napanguso naman si Amman. My brother is everything that I am not. For instance, nakuha niya ang pagka-singkit at ang itim na buhok ni Papa. Lagi siyang napagkakamalan na either Chinese model or Korean pop idol. Unlike me, he is very tall and athletic too. He likes going on motorcycle rides and I always yell at him whenever he doesn't wear proper gear. I keep on telling him all the patients I have seen in the ER after motorcycle accidents. I've had a patient who I have to treat for pain while the nurses take off the small rocks embedded in his severely damaged leg since he was basically catapulted when he was hit by a car.

Amman also enlisted in the U.S military after high school, so now at twenty-six, he is a Naval Officer. I don't know what he does, all I know is that it has nothing to do with medicine. He said 'it's for smart people'.

"I'll make it up to you. Steak and lobsters when you visit, it'll be on me?" Sabi ko.

He nodded. From the orange skies and the tall trees surrounding him, I can tell that he's at Papa's lake house.

"Yes, and you pay for my new pairs." Pinandilatan pa niya ako.

"Deal. You can buy one now since my card is saved on your phone anyway."

He grinned.

The reason why he has my card is because my little brother is a fattie. He gets food delivered as frequently as he takes his next breath. But this dude is shredded. I really don't get it.

"How's mom and pop?" I asked him. Mama's in Seattle for a week since Amman's ship will stay in Seattle for that duration of time and she wanted to see him before he sails again. So that's why she's in Papa's house.

"Doing well. The band is back together today." He said and winked at me. He calls our parents 'the band.'

He then passed the phone to our parents who were sitting on foldable lounge chairs on the wooden pier that faced the large body of water.

"Anak!"

I smiled at Mama who was rocking her bob haircut. Her gentle and loving brown eyes stared at me through her glasses.

"Hija ko! Kailan mo ba kami bibigyan ng apo ng mama mo?" Bungad sa akin ni Papa na ikinatawa ko. I wouldn't be surprised if that's how he greets me since I text him and Mama atleast five times a week.